2008 World Figure Skating
This year's competition was a mixed bag at the outset for the U.S. First, only one of the ladies in competition earned a medal at nationals, and she was the bronze medalist. Oddly, she cost the U.S. a "body" at next year's World's where we can only send two women because she finished well below expectations. The ladies who finished 1st, 2nd and 4th at nationals were too young (one by 5 days) to compete under current rules. They competed, though, at Junior World's, doing the exact same programs they would have done at senior World's (hypocrisy, what?).
Happily, nationals 2nd place finisher Rachel Flatt won the juniors gold; nationals 4th place finisher Caroline Zhang won the silver; and nationals gold medalist Mirai Nagasu won the bronze.
Our ladies at World's finished well off the pace with troubled Kimmy Meissner finishing 7th overall. Beatrisa Liang was 10th or 11th. Ashley Wagner (our national bronze medalist) was near the bottom of the final 20. The gold medalist, Mao Asada of Japan, skated beautifully following an opening fall that sent her sliding into the side of the rink. Carolina Kostner of Italy scored many many points for some reason or other and finished with the silver. A Korean lady won the bronze.
We had no "real" pairs hopes (our national champs were ineligible due to "age"), but our team made a relatively decent showing. The Canadians won the bronze.
In Ice Dancing, we had our greatest hope in Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto. They were favored to win gold, but it was not to be. They had a very, very rare fall in the first of three dances. Sadly, the first dance is compulsories, and any mistake is seriously weighted against the team. They finished fourth overall. Canada, happily, took the silver.
The men's competition was our one true hope to take home a medal. With Nationals title holder Evan Lysacek withdrawn from the competition, only Nationals Silver Medalist Johnny Weir was poised to help the U.S maintain three positions on next year's men's team. Weir was phenomenal in his short program and finished second behind Canada's also phenomenal Jeffrey Buttle. Reigning World Champion Brian Joubert of France was in 6th position, only four points behind Buttle and less than two points behind Weir. Swiss skater Stephane Lambiel (5th place) and Japan's champ Daisuke Takahashi (3rd place) were also in that mix.
There was a Czech skater named Tomas Verner who was in good position to medal (4th place after the short) and the crowd loved him, but he fell apart -- badly -- during his free skate, popping virtually every jump. Lambiel and Takahashi also faltered after scintillating short programs.
Johnny Weir did a very cautious, almost clean free skate. He attempted the quad but the toe of his other boot touched the ice as he landed. That's called a two-foot. It turns out that the judges did not credit Weir for a quad (which is the norm when you complete the revolutions), but for a triple. They then deducted points for the two-footed landing. It was not the only controversial judging call, but it stood. Weir wasn't in "competition mode" during the free skate. He was more in a "don't mess it up and for-pity's-sake-save-the-men-three-spots mode". He did not skate with his customary speed, but his marks were strong and he was in first place after his skate and stayed there through Lambiel and Takahashi. (At that point Weir was guaranteed a medal and the U.S. earned three spots for the men next year. It was Verner's collapse that truly assured those spots because he elevated another U.S. skater into 10th place).
When Joubert hit the ice, you knew he was either gonna suck bigtime or he was gonna absolutely rock.
Joubert absolutely rocked. He did a perfect quad with extraordinary height. After a rather disastrous performance at European championships a month earlier, Joubert could do no wrong. His spins were beautiful, his footwork was difficult, dizzying and dazzling. When he came off the ice, he knew he had done something amazing. His score went up and he was well ahead of Weir...by just under 10 points.
Only Buttle remained, and he had been four points ahead of Joubert. Paul Wylie announced that Buttle had no quad. He did, instead, a triple-double-double combination. Later , he did a triple-triple. And there were five other triples besides. His footwork was effortless...and complex. His choreography was intricate and superb. And his skate was perfection. He had a variety of spins/spinning positions that were breathtaking.
When it was over, announcer Terry Gannon said, "Buttle has done all he could possibly do...but will it be enough." (I sat wondering why it wouldn't be enough). Dick Button said that since Joubert's component scores had been so high, he did not believe Buttle's component scores could carry him into first place, meaning Buttle would have had to score too many more points. (Hmmm, I was doubting my reaction to the skate). Button said he felt there was no way Buttle could outscore Joubert, even given the four-point advantage. Wylie agreed with Button.
I was a bit stunned, to tell the truth, because as good as Joubert was, I thought Buttle was AMAZING. I don't recall ever seeing a better male skate than this one. Buttle had not one wasted movement but performed a program that was as fine as any ever choreographed or skated. It was as awesome, to me, as was Michelle Kwan's nationals skate to "Lyrica Angelica" in 1998 (the best overall performance I've ever seen).
The scores went up. Buttle outscored Joubert -- INCREDIBLY -- in technical points...MANY MORE points than you'd ever imagine (just over 10 points more -- for all the intricate footwork and magnificent spins that he did). And oddly enough, Joubert had beaten Buttle by one point in components. The U.S. trio of Wylie, Gannon and Button were nearly dumbstruck.
With his score from the short program, Buttle beat Joubert by 14 points.
Oh, Canada! Good for you!
