Posted on 01/14/2006 12:26:08 PM PST by YaYa123
ST. LOUIS — America's best women's skaters will be on full display here tonight, but the real news will be made behind closed doors.
Early results at this week's U.S. Figure Skating Championships already have created one likely outcome: Sasha Cohen, the favorite coming in, virtually assured herself a spot on the U.S. Olympic team with her clean short program Thursday night.
The first-place finisher here gets an automatic bid, and Cohen is the points leader entering tonight's free skate. But even if she should falter and slip to second or third, Cohen still likely would be named to the squad, because the remaining two Olympic slots are chosen by a vote of a 36-member committee, after the free skate.
It's by no means guaranteed, but most observers believe one of those spots will go to nine-time U.S. champion Michelle Kwan, 25, who has petitioned for a spot in spite of recent injuries. Kwan said she plans to be skating in top form by the time the Olympics begin Feb. 10 in Turin, Italy. And she has said she might still withdraw by the final, Jan. 20 deadline if she doesn't feel she can compete effectively.
Kwan, with a silver medal from Nagano and a bronze from Salt Lake City, has always yearned to end her record-breaking career with an Olympic gold.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Drama on ice.........and sequins too!
Men's finals start at 4 pm EST on ABC. 4-6pm for the mens' finals.
Darn ! Curling is on at the same time on CBC.
Let's see...NFL Playoffs or Figure Skating, a tough call.
I'd go with figure skating. Legendary, accomplished actor Todd Bridges is going to be in it.
Good counter programming to the NFL.
Now if Tennis was on with Maria Sharapova.....
http://www.focusmag.gr/id/files/158346/maria_sharapova_008.jpg
Ok, ok, this political junkie has another interest, and it's ice skating.
Let's see...NFL Playoffs or Figure Skating, a tough call.
There's a bunch of us here who are closet ice skating fans, especially running up to the Olympics.
She's so graceful on the ice.
It'll be nice to get to see Kwan at the Olympics one last time; hopefully she'll pull out an awesome program at the Olympics (finally). However, that was the only thing that really excited me about the Men's/ Ladies' Competition. The lady newbies didn't look good at all and the men looked very hit-and-miss. It's going to be a very uphill battle for the U.S. to medal in either event at the Olympics.
Unlike the Men's/ Ladies competitions, the one competition that I did really like was Ice Dancing. (Shocking... I know). Belbin/Agosto were on fire, and I'm glad the lady who is recovering from an eating disorder and her partner came in third place. (Yes, I'm a major sucker for fluff pieces about people overcoming adversity).
You and I and this sports writer agree about the disappointing US skaters this time around.
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-060114hersh,1,599216.column?coll=cs-home-utility
I agree because many of the best women skaters now come from Russia and Japan. (And they often train in the USA, too.)
When does she skate again?
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