2004 U.S. Nationals

Senior Men

by Alexandra Stevenson

What a night for falls! Had an unfortunate homeless person accidentally wandered into the arena from the surrounding pit of construction jammed round the railroad tracts, they would have thought at least one of the goals was to see who could fall in the most original way.

First place belonged to Johnny Weir, one of the few not to fall. The 19 year old who lives in Newark, Delaware, executed a nice triple Lutz to triple toe loop and triple Axel. His two minute forty second routine was well thought out and the balletic footwork and original spins choreographed to the dulcet, evocatively moody tones of Sibelius’s Valse Triste gained him a partial standing ovation.

This is his third appearance at this level. In his debut he finished sixth. The following year (2002) he was fifth. Last year Weir placed second in this section but had an unfortunate time in the long. He ran into the boards and tried to continue but had to withdraw amidst a standing ovation. "Last year was a fluke," he contends. "I don’t like to speak of it that much because it was completely in the past."

This summer his coach, Priscilla Hill, sent him to Tatiana Tarasova and her input appears to have fuelled his love of the sport. He won his first senior international medal this fall taking silver in the Finlandia Cup, where he was also first after the short.

Only four judges put Weir first. Matt Savoie got one first place vote. Evan Lysacek got three firsts, and Michael Weiss got one. Weir also got three second place votes (and two thirds) which meant he was given the lead with a majority of seven votes of second or better.

Matt Savoie, who also presented a flawless showing, got second place because he had seven votes of third place or better (one first, three seconds, three thirds, a fourth and a seventh which was from Judge No. 9, Gretchen Wilson from Wabasha, MN.

It is an amazing feat because last April he had knee surgery and only started jumping again in September. "I am still not really at full strength yet. I still have pain on and off."

The 23 year old from Peoria, IL, was the 1997 U.S. Junior champion and climbed from 11^th in seniors in 1998 to 4^th the following year but he has hovered in that area since then. (Fourth again in 2000, third in 2001, fourth in 2002 and fifth last year.)

Coached by Linda Branan & Gene Hefron, he skated to "Spirit of Taiko" by Kitaro.

He soared through his routine including triple Axel, triple flip to triple toe and triple Lutz out of footwork with one flaw or hesitation.

But, because he had drawn to skate only second of the 22 men, his marks were low. For the first set he gained one 5.0, two 5.2s, one 5.3, two 5.4s and three 5.5s. The presentation marks were one 5.1 (from Judge No.7 Margery Schleh of Roseville, CA, who also gave him his lowest first mark and who was to mark low all through the event.), two 5.3, three 5.4s, a 5.5 and two 5.6s.

Evan Lysacek, garbed in Spanish gold and black attire, gave a crowd pleasing performance to Espana Cani by Pasquale Marquina that merited a partial standing ovation and third place. However, although his elements were right on, his combination was only triple Axel to double toe, and he chose to do a double and not a triple Axel, which is permitted.

In addition to the one three first places, he received two thirds, a fourth, two fifths and a sixth. Lysacek, who is 18 and is from Naperville, IL, is now coached by Ken Congemi and Frank Carroll, at the Health South Arena in El Segundo, near the Los Angeles airport.

He had a whole bunch of titles and medals. He was the 1999 Novice and 2000 U.S. Junior champion and has twice won the silver medal in world junior championships (2001&2003). He finished 12^th in his first two U.S. senior championships (2001&2002) but was seventh last year. This season he won two Junior Grand Prix events (in Japan and Croatia) and the Final (in Sweden in December).

Michael Weiss, the three time champion (1999, 200 & 2003) and twice world bronze medalist (1999, 2000) presented by far the most difficult routine but lost his gamble and is lying fourth. His routine to music from the movie, "Henry V", contains lots of intricate footwork and interesting transition but his quad toe loop was under-rotated although he did get airborne for the second jump, triple toe. The triple Axel was sideways and there was no way he could land it.

"Welcome to sports," said the 27 year old father of two philosophically. "Sometimes people who are supposed to skate well don’t, and sometimes people do."

Ryan Bradley, who is in fifth place, skated to "New York, New York" soared into a great triple Axel, survived a jackknifed landing on the triple Lutz but managed to get airborne immediately for a low triple toe loop. The 20 year old from Colorado Springs who is taught by Tom Zakrajsek did a competent triple flip from footwork. But his highlight was his "dance-y" footwork which the crowd rewarded with a standing ovation, which was more complete than the two given for Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek. His previous highest place in this event was 7^th in 2002. (He was 9^th last year.)

Ryan Jahnke, who is sixth, skated to Chopin music. He is a married 25 year old who lives in Colorado Springs and trains with Tom Dickson. He has been skating in senior nationals since 1998. His best year was 2003 when he was third and came 13^th in his first world championship.

In Atlanta began with a magnificent triple Axel that was high and fast and landed with strongly and securely. However he reduced the second jump after his triple Lutz to a double instead of triple toe loop and he stepped out of his triple flip after the footwork.

Scott Smith is in seventh place. The 22 year old who trains in Sandy Spring, Maryland, with Mark Mitchell and Peter Johansson, was the 1998 U.S. Junior champion and is taking part in his fifth senior nationals. His previous placings were 14^th, 18^th, 9^th an 4^th.

He has chosen to use "Time" by Pink Floyd which was used so creatively by Brian Joubert at the 2002 Skate America. His triple Axel was right on and his quad Sachow to triple toe loop had the audience going, ‘Wow’. However his circular footwork was slow and he stepped out of his triple loop out of footwork.

Derek Delmore, the 1998 world junior champion, is lying eighth. He has been entered in every U.S. championship since 1996 although he had to withdraw from two. His best placing was way back in 1998.

His longtime coach is Shirley Hughes and they train in Alexandria, Virginia. He gave a snappy showing to Fever. He brought off a triple flip to triple toe and triple Axel but fell on his triple Lutz from footwork.

Braden Overett, gained ninth place skating to the Mexican Hat Dance. The 22 year old who trains with Susan Williams in Denver, landed his triple Axel on two feet in a squat position and stepped out of his triple Lutz. This is his third senior nationals. He finished 15^th in 2001 and 10^th last year.

Which brings us to Tim Goebel who lies tenth.

He has been plagued by boot problems so severe they caused him to withdraw from this season’s first major event, Skate America, and from the Grand Prix Final. Rumors proliferated. Many believed he would not skate in Atlanta and that he would leave his coach, Frank Carroll.

Boots are the bugaroo of all skaters. Breaking them in is painful and as the "tricks" competitors are required to master have increased in difficulty, boots have become more rigid so breaking them in takes longer. They also break down more often because the forces that are brought into force when the foot pounds the ice have increased. That is because the skaters are doing more rotations which require either more time in the air or more rotational speed which must be countered on landing.

Goebel has lost much training time and is currently trying his 13^th pair of boots.

He is one of the world’s leading skaters so what happened on Thursday was shocking.

The 23 year old won his first senior nationals, a bronze, in 1999, and was 12^th at worlds. He climbed one place in national and world standings in 2000 and then won his first senior nationals in 2001 when he was fourth at worlds.

Though he lost his national title in 2002, he won an Olympic bronze and a world silver medal. He again came second at nationals in 2003 and again won the world silver medal.

So how can he have this meltdown? Skating to Prokofiev’s Romeo&Juliet, he gave what was surely the worst performance of his entire life. He fell on his first move, a quad toe loop, singled the triple Axel, and then fell again on the triple flip out of footwork.

He said he had no idea what happened. "Coming in I felt a lot better than I have all season. In the run through (earlier in the day) I was very comfortable (although in the actual warm-up he fell). I really don’t understand what happened. I am much more prepared than I skated. Falling on a toe was one thing but to pop an Axel -- that’s what I’m most upset at. I’m much better than that.

"I don’t think I did a short this bad ever." When did he last get a 3.2? "Maybe in novice (or maybe not – he won this title in 1994). I’m not one to make excuses. I was doing triple Axels and quads all week. There is no excuse. I have to pull up. I’m fourth right now (with 12 skaters still to go) and that’s not acceptable at nationals.

"The scores were accurate. There is nothing in the short except eight moves. Three were disastrous and the footwork wasn’t so hot either. Even if my blades were on backwards I should be able to pull in on an Axel. That’s ridiculous."

Carroll said, "I’m sure he’s devastated. My job is to make him get up. He can go one way depressed or fight like hell and win."

Matthew Lind lies 11^th. Skating to "Prayer for Taylor" by Michale W. Smith, Lind did a triple Lutz but ran out of room for the second jump in the planned combination. He completed a triple flip from footwork and a double Axel and ended with a fast head back combo spin.

Jordan Brauninger lies 12^th. He a 16 year old from Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, who won gold in a junior Grand Prix in Mexico City this season and is making his debut in this event. Brauninger, who is coached by Stephanie Miller & Ted Masdea, went into the Axel too slowly and singled it but completed the triple Lutz to triple toe loop in a Blues program that showed promise. He is just up from Juniors.

Nicholas LaRoche lies 13^th. A 20 year old from Gardner, Massachusetts, who trains with Nedda Soltani and won the 2002 U.S. Junior title, LaRoche did a triple flip but fell on the second jump of this combination, his triple toe loop. He also fell on his triple Axel.

Justin Dillon is 14^th. Skating to Legend of the Glass Mountain, he did double Lutz to triple toe loop, double Axel and triple flip out of footwork.

The 2003 Junior champion, Dennis Phan, lies 15^th. The 18 year old from Indio, CA, who is coached by Tammy Gambill, tried triple Lutz to triple toe loop but fell on the second jump partly because he was so close to the boards. He also fell on his triple Axel.

Rohene Ward lies 16^th. Interpreting gypsy music, he fell on his first two moves, the triple Axel and quad toe, and then fell again later on his triple Lutz from footwork.

Which brings us to Parker Pennington, who had a disastrous performance to be buried in 17^th place. Pennington, a 19 year old from Windsor, Connecticut, who is coached by Carol Heiss Jenkins, was sixth last year. He fell on his triple Axel and stumbled out of the second jump of his combination, triple Lutz to triple toe loop. He did not seem to be helped by his slow music, "Song from a Secret Garden" by Rolf Lovland

In 18^th place is Ben Miller, who is trained by Ted Engelking & Ann Eidon. He skated to Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and fell on his first move the triple Axel. He reduced the difficulty of his combination to double flip to triple toe loop and fell on his triple Lutz out of footwork.

Jordan Wilson who lies 19^th did a nice spread into a triple Axel but fell on the landing. He also put two hands on the ice on his triple loop but did accomplish a triple Lutz to double toe to the music, "Granada".

Mauro Bruni from New York lies 20^th. Daniel Lee fell twice and lies 21^st.

And the first shall be last. Michael Villareal, from Los Angeles, who drew to skate first, did a single Axel to double toe, and double flip to get marks as low as 2.6 to take the 22^nd and last spot.

Johnny Weir pulled a Rudy Galindo, giving a sensational performance which earned him a 6.0 from Judge No.1, Patricia French of Mitchelville, MD, plus a standing ovation and the national title.

Skating last he outshone his rivals, not putting a foot wrong in the entire four and a half minutes choreographed to the poignant "Dr. Zhivago" music. This was his routine from last season but because of his various injuries few people had seen it.

His opening move, triple Axel to triple toe loop was lovely. A triple Salchow followed and then an effortless second triple Axel. After a flying camel, he executed a text book perfect triple Lutz to triple toe. Then came a death drop, a triple flip, circular footwork and a triple loop. He finished with a combination camel-sit spin, a shoot the duck into a triple flip, a straight line footwork sequence and a combination spin with some unique positions.

It was the type of performance skaters dream all their lives of giving. Strangely, demonstrating that in this wonderful world there will always be people who don’t agree with the majority, two judges thought this superlative showing was only second best. Margery Schleh of Roseville, CA, and Wayne Hundley of Riverside, CA, preferred defending champion Michael Weiss, who only did one triple-triple to Weiss’s two.

The marks consisted of seven 5.9s and two 5.8s for the first set and one 6.0, five 5.9s, two 5.8s and one 5.7.

About the 6.0, Weir said, "It’s crazy. I thought 6.0s were only for Alexei Yagudin and Michelle Kwan. I had a lot of doubters after last year. Now I hope they all shut up." Last year at the 2003 nationals, Weir was second after the short program. Then disaster struck.

His coach, Priscilla Hill, explained, "He ran into the boards after only 15 second (into the long) and injured his back. He stopped and the referee very kindly let him start from where he’d stopped. Then he fell on the triple Axel onto his knee and injured it and had to withdraw."

In 2003 Weir had received a sympathetic ovation but it did not match the intensity of the one he received in Atlanta from the 9,773 strong crowd.

Weiss had gambled with an ambitious program in the short and lost. Last year he was also fourth going into the long but won the title in an evening of dreadful performances. This year the top skaters were really "on".

"Even if I had won the free (this time)," said Weiss, "Johnny had to finish lower than second for me to win." He did not appear that disappointed with his runner-up position. He has lost his title before and returned. The top three competitors will go to the world championships and he’s looking forward to battling Weir again in Germany in March.

Weiss has competed with this routine to a medley comprising "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" several times this season. It is a masterful routine full of light and shade but he reduced its difficulty level.

Weiss said, "The quad Lutz didn’t feel right in warm-up so I decided to go for a clean program. It’s been a difficult couple of months with having flu and then walking pneumonia."

He started with a triple Lutz. His second move disappointed the fans – only a triple toe. However they jumped to attention when he tossed off a triple Axel sequenced into a triple toe. Then came a triple loop. Later he did walley into another triple Axel. He also did a triple Lutz to double toe and a shoot the duck into a triple flip.

In addition to his two first place votes, Weiss received six second places and a fourth from Coco Gram Shean of New York.

Matt Savoie, who had been second in the short, received a partial standing ovation for his highly enjoyable Ragtime routine which used the catchy ragtime piano music from the classic movie, ‘The Sting’ and which earned him third place.

He began, not with a jump as is usual, but with a camel spin. He had to execute a double three turn to hold the landing of the first triple Axel and could not hold the landing on the second triple Axel but every thing else was very good – triple Salchow, triple loop and, almost at the end, a great triple flip to triple toe and a walley into triple Lutz shortly afterwards which made a spectacular finish.

He said, "I would have liked to have done a clean triple Axel, but I’m happy with it. I didn’t pull out of anything and I didn’t fall outright."

Savoie gained his first trip to Worlds in 2002 when he finished 12^th. He had been fourth in nationals and first reserve when Todd Eldredge decided not to continue after the Olympics so he got to step in.

But he has been injured since then. "I felt my knee during the program. It pinched a little about three fourths of the way through. But it wasn’t something that surprised me."

Ryan Jahnke pulled up from sixth to fourth with a routine choreographed to a medley of three Brazilian tunes.

"I’ve struggled all week in practice with concentrating on what I was doing at that moment. I was able to do that tonight. It was definitely the best skate I’ve had of this program. It was a victory for me," he said.

His highlight was a triple Axel to double toe and a ’Tano triple Lutz but he stepped out of the second jump on his triple Lutz to triple toe.

Evan Lysacek, who was lying third, dropped to fifth, two places higher than last year. Skating first of the top six, interpreting the beautifully romantic, if hackneyed, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2, attired in a red top and black trousers, he survived an unfortunate opening when he collapsed on his triple Axel which was to be a combination.

Seconds later he tried the jump again, this time successfully. A triple loop quickly followed. Then came a flying camel and a gorgeous triple Lutz to triple toe. There was a solid triple Salchow and footwork into a triple flip. He concluded with a crowd pleasing, energetic straight line footwork into butterflies into a flying camel.

Ryan Bradley dropped a place to sixth. Skating right after Savoie, he got the audience cheering immediately with his music, a southern medley including "Dueling Banjos", "Dixie", and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and with his "local character" hoedown attire of jeans and hoedown red and white checked shirt.

He singled his first jump a triple Axel but immediately completed a very high second attempt at that jump. He did a double instead of triple Lutz but was able to bring off the planned combination’s second jump, a triple toe. He also completed a triple loop, and a sequence of triple flip to triple Salchow. He had fun with the audience in his straight line step sequence which had the crowd cheering wildly. Unfortunately he singled the Lutz.

Braden Overett from Denver, Colorado, who was tenth last year, climbed from ninth after the short to seventh. Dressed in a military outfit with white gloves, the 22 year old gave a very competent showing beginning with a triple Axel to a strained double toe loop, quickly followed by a triple Lutz and a flying camel into a back sit with blur stand finish.

A triple flip followed but he stepped out of his second triple Axel. Then came a triple loop, a change foot sit spin and several other pleasing moves. A second triple Lutz was landed extremely close to the barrier. He finished with a spread eagle and combo spin.

Derrick Delmore held on to eighth with some interesting moves and choreography to music from James Bond movies including "Live and Let Die" but reduced the difficulty of many of his moves. He did not attempt the second jump in his initial triple flip combination and his quad Salchow was tripled.

Scott Smith started well with an excellent triple Axel to triple toe loop but singled his next move, a planned triple flip and could not hold the landing on his quad Salchow. His music was a Saxophone Concerto that lacked excitement. He dropped from seventh after the short to ninth, a great disappointment since he had finished fourth in 2003.

Jordan Brauninger, who was runner-up for the 2003 junior title, had a reasonable senior debut, climbing from twelfth after the short to tenth with a ninth ranked free skate. Performing to music from the movie about World War II hero, General George Patton, he sat down on his first attempt at a triple Axel and then singled the second try. Otherwise it was a good showing with a triple Lutz to triple toe loop combination. In addition there were four other triples.

Tim Out – Goebel and Pennington withdrew.

Parker Pennington, who had been 17^th after the short, withdrew due to flu.

Late Friday afternoon, after the shock of his 10^th place the day before in the short program, Tim Goebel withdrew from the event following his consultation with Dr. Leisure Yu, one of the U.S. team doctors. The appointment had been arranged some time previously as a follow-up to his examination of Goebel in August.

Yu said he was shocked by what he saw. "It alarmed me how much he had progressed in the wrong direction. He’s a totally different person."

Goebel explained, "My body has realigned itself to the equipment it’s on now." The doctor said, "I saw multiple biomechanical changes in his back, both hips, knees and ankles.

"In skating, as in other sports," he explained, "athletes have quick changes of direction and twist on their ankles. In other sports equipment is made to reflect these needs but skating boots are rigid. They do not allow the ankles to turn and the rotation force is transferred up through the knees and hips to the back."

Though extremely serious, Goebel said, "These are problems that are fixable." He had previously consulted experts to have inserts made for his boots but boot manufacturers had warned that this might make the problem worse.

However, he said he will proceed in this direction and also work with experts to alter his boots.

Short Program

Free Skating