This weekend's National Figure Skating Championships was a surprising turn of events. In women's figure skating there was no sign of Kimmie Meisner or Emily Hughes. Instead, someone has risen out of the also-ran ranks to finally reach the pinnacle of U.S. women's figure skating. She wasn't perfect, but she was lovely and interesting and MAY surprise us at World's in March
The second-place finisher was last year's second-place finisher. Last year, she was too young for World's but she competed in, and won, the Junior World's, handily defeating last year's U.S. women's champion who, this year, finished in 5th position, IIRC. I thought her seriously overrated last year and ditto this year. This year's Bronze medalist placed 5th last year. Because last year's women's final three had two women too young to go to World's the fourth-place finisher was selected to skate at World's and she was a disaster there. This year, she won the free skate and finished fourth again. But she won't go to World's and she won't be an alternate. She scares me, too. There is a manic look in her eyes when she's skating that is a tad terrifying.
The men's competition yielded some amazing results. First and foremost, neither Evan Goomba Lysacek nor Johnny Weird Weir won. Lysacek was "lucky" to finish third (and by luck, I mean he was overscored because he's considered a world-class skater). All three top men will go to World's. Weir, who has been sick and lost weight and missed out on training (every year, it's another excuse from him), WON'T be going even though he's won several Grand Prix events. His skating was abysmal...almost as bad as his appearance which has gotten too bizarre for words. Let me just say he looks plucked, buffed, coiffed, dyed, dermabrased and made-up. I'm relieved he won't be representing the U.S. this year.
For fun, I have to say the men's champion reminds me of Clay Aiken...the eyes, the eyelashes and the teeth all contribute to the illusion. He's a giddy little thing, too...all hand motions and mugging and unable to sit still for a minute. He's a terrific skater, though.
That is all.
