ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, February 17, 1997 TAG: 9702190041
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NASHVILLE, TENN.
SOURCE: Associated Press
Somehow, the coronations went sour.
What was supposed to be a simple process of affirmation at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships turned into a surprise-filled week in which a world champion was dethroned by a 14-year-old upstart and another was upstaged by a quadruple jump that wasn't.
To heighten the intrigue, the three-time defending champions in pairs were beaten by the couple that chased them all those years, and the dance winners had to overcome a rare fall to grab their fourth title.
Todd Eldredge, the reigning world champion, won his fourth U.S. crown with a conservative program that won't be nearly good enough next month in Lausanne, Switzerland.
And despite Eldredge's joining the likes of Scott Hamilton and Brian Boitano as four-time U.S. titlists, the spotlight was grabbed by runner-up Michael Weiss.
That is, until 14-year-old Tara Lipinski stunned world champion Michelle Kwan in the women's free skate and became the youngest gold medalist at the nationals.
``I don't think anyone can stay on top and finish first every year,'' Lipinski said with the wisdom of a sage.
Nor could anyone predict that Kwan would fall apart. A year ago, she was untouchable, the youngest American woman to win the worlds. These nationals were supposed to be a mere formality and nothing that occurred in the short program on Friday changed that thinking. Kwan led, with Lipinski second.
Then Kwan flopped, sprawling to the ice twice on jumps as nerves got to her for the first time in anyone's memory.
``I haven't fallen very much in the competitions, and I guess right now I have to learn something from this, kind of get my head together,'' Kwan said.
Suddenly, Lipinski becomes a threat for next year's Nagano Olympics, even though most plans had her gearing toward Salt Lake City in 2002.
``I think Tara is bright enough to accept she had a great night and the champion had an off night,'' said her coach, Richard Callaghan, who also trains Eldredge. ``And because she had a great night, she is the champion this year. But because she will have a long career, there will be some highs and lows.''
Nicole Bobek can tell Lipinski about highs and lows. The 1995 U.S. champion, she had a disastrous '96. But Bobek learned from her troubles and staged a superb free skate to climb from sixth to third overall and get back on the world team.
``It means a lot to me,'' Bobek said. ``It tells people not to forget about me.''
The USFSA told everyone to forget what they thought they saw Weiss accomplish.
Like Lipinski, he was the last skater in the free program. And he also made history - but only for an hour.
Weiss nailed a quadruple toe loop, the first American to complete a four-revolution jump in competition. The judges thought so, giving him six near-perfect 5.9s for technical merit. The audience thought so, giving him a long standing ovation after a program that included two massive triple axels, one in combination, and two triple lutzes, one in a jump series.
Even the president of the USFSA, who was seated in the stands, thought so - until watching a slow-motion videotape long after the event ended.
``He came down on his landing foot and, essentially pushed off with his second foot,'' said Morry Stillwell, USFSA president, a longtime judge. ``I was sitting in the audience and didn't see anything that looked strange to me. I didn't see it on the regular speed tape. But when I returned from looking at the slow-motion tape. ... If I was on the panel, I don't think I would have seen it.
``Our official statement is it can't be recognized as a clean quadruple jump.''
Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen finally caught Jenni Meno and Todd Sand in pairs after three straight runner-up finishes.
The dance, which almost never has upsets, was won by favorites Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow. But even they had to go through something strange when she slipped to the ice early in their program.
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