2003 U.S. Nationals

Sasha Cohen skated without her usual spark for her "Malaguena" program once she bobbles the triple Lutz-double toe combination jump. Her landing leg was wide on her Lutz landing so when she went for the double toe, she two footed that jump. She landed her triple flip and double Axel. She's in second place with all nine judges giving her second place ordinals. "When you skate every performance isn't going to be perfect … something you can learn from. I am still in the top three and I'm just going to focus in on the long," she said.

Sarah Hughes did not have one of her better nights of skating but she fought for her jump landings for third place after the short program. She slowed down as she went into her jumps tonight and did not skate with the lightness of last season. She began with a double Axel, had an extra turn between her triple Lutz and double toe and just eked out her triple flip. She looked visibly disappointed at center ice at the conclusion of her program. Her marks ranged from 5.1 to 5.6 for technical but her placement was saved by the artistic marks ranging from 5.5 to 5.8.

" I didn't know what to expect. It was very, very difficult for me to compete tonight,'' Hughes said. ``It's really difficult competing and getting my competitive legs under me. Even as a competitor, it doesn't change the fact that I haven't competed in 11 months." Hughes was improved from her performances at the USFSA's Crest strips competition and IMG's Hallmark Championships in mid-December but is still a long way from where she was competitively last season at this time. "She's learned the importance of competing all season which is an import lesson," said Robin Wagner her coach. Both Hughes and Cohen skated front loaded programs with all their jumps at the beginning of their programs.

Only one judge gave Jennifer Kirk her due, Deveny Deck of Arlington, Virginia put her in third place instead of fourth after her enchanting clean performance to the "The Princess Diaries." She floated across the ice tonight and had good speed coming into and out of her jumps. It would not have been out of the question to put Kirk in second here for her performance but skating eleventh, before all the favorites did not help her get the marks she deserved. She solidly landed a triple toe-double toe, triple flip and a double Axel and had a lovely layback spin. "It felt so good to skate so well. This has been a tough season, kind of on and off at my competitions. I have been practicing a lot better and skating with more confidence in my skating and my jumps. I think that showed in the practices and in my skating tonight," said Kirk.

Yebin Mok, the final skater of the night was also enchanting in her "The Swan" from Carnival of the Animals short program. Skating with lightness and grace, she executed a triple Lutz-double toe loop combination, a triple loop and a double Axel. Her layback that closed the program was especially lovely.

The first lady in the final group was Michelle Kwan, who skated a clean program, landing six triples. "I let everything go for those last two minutes and skated my heart out. I felt so alive, so in the moment, so in the zone," said Kwan. She did not attempt any triple-triple combinations but did a triple Lutz-double toe combination and a triple toe-double toe combination. She earned her 28^th 6.0 at the U.S. Championships from judge 9, Kathaleen Kelly Cutone for presentation.

"I felt really at ease," Kwan said, "The crowd was so loud. I had to take a few minutes after they announced my name just to calm myself down and gather my thoughts. I would think after so many years of competing I would be used to it out there."

Hughes moved up from a generous third place in the short and skated a better "La Bayadere" performance to take her second national senior ladies silver medal with five triples. She completed a triple Lutz-double toe and a back spiral into a triple loop. She scaled back her planned triple Salchow-triple loop combination to a lone triple Salchow. "It was a respectable skate," Hughes said, "I'm happy to move up a spot (from the 2002 nationals). The nationals are always difficult because there's a lot of pressure to make the World Team"

Hughes added, "There was also some added pressure this year coming in with a lot more notoriety than in the past. I was happy with what I did. I'm not 100 percent pleased because I can do a lot better. It's hard for me to look at the fact that I can't always be perfect, especially coming off of Salt Lake. I always want to do better." Hughes is listed for the Four Continents Championships but she and her coach Robin Wagner need to make a final decision on that event this week according to Wagner.

Cohen's Rachmaninoff Concerto number 2 program experienced problems tonight with Cohen slightly two footing her triple toe loop of her triple Lutz-triple toe combination. She fell on a triple toe that ended what was supposed to be a triple toe-half loop-triple Salchow) and two footed her added triple Salchow. She was only able to complete four clean triples here. "I had a good strong first half and I was kind of disappointed with the end," Cohen said, "I should have done it. I wish I could go out and do it again, but I can't." She took home the bronze medal from Dallas.

Cohen further added, "I wasn't that tired. I felt good going through it and I just was not strong enough, especially with the toe loop. I guess I wasn't focused enough on that. I can't really give you an answer why it was not the performance that I wanted, but I have got to go home, take this with me and work harder and not let that happen again." She fought back tears in the press conference when one reporter asked if she was disappointed in not winning this event.

Ann Patrice McDonough previously buried herself in the short program in sixth place, with a missed double Axel but tonight she shined. McDonough landed seven triples, the most of the night but did not attempt any triple-triple combinations in her "Madame Butterfly" program. She floated across the ice, had wonderful spins and good footwork. She should have been placed higher in the freeskating but apparently the judges thought otherwise, placing her fourth in the freeskate which put her fourth overall for a pewter medal. "I was really excited because I've worked hard and I felt like I did what I came to do. I was disappointed with how I skated the short and I think it cost me a lot in this competition. If I don't make the world team, it's another year to improve," she said. She is assigned the Four Continents competition.

Jenny Kirk made it easier on the judges tonight, landing only five triples and falling on a triple flip and a triple Lutz in her "Die Fledermaus" program. "I'm obviously disappointed that I missed my Lutz and my flip, but I am happy I was able to get off my triple toe-triple toe combination. I wanted to skate a clean program, but you learn from these things," she said. Kirk finished fifth, just out of the medals. She has been selected as a member of the Four Continents USA team in Beijing, China for this competition that takes place on Feb. 10 - 16.