Here is the complete story from our local San Jose Mercury News!!
U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
A surprising leader - Teen Zawadzki, who nearly quit the sport, shines in short program
By Elliott Almond
ealmond@mercurynews.com
A high school senior from Colorado Springs, Colo., gave the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships a huge jolt Thursday night.
Agnes Zawadzki, 17, waltzed past the big names to win the ladies short program with an impressive 66.24 points at HP Pavilion.
With 2010 Olympians Mirai Nagasu and Rachael Flatt faltering, the women’s competition might have some new faces on the podium after the free skate Saturday.
In the meantime, Zawadzki is the skater of the moment. She will have to duplicate her strong showing because reigning U.S. champion Alissa Czisny is second, 3.10 points behind. Veteran Ashley Wagner is third (63.06), and Nagasu fell to fifth and Flatt, a Stanford freshman, to ninth.
Zawadzki called the night surreal after completing a triple-triple combination jump to start the program skated to music from “Harlem Nocturne” and “Whatever Lola Wants.”
As recently as a year ago, the teen considered walking away from skating after finishing fourth at the U.S. championships.
“It’s a girl growing up dealing with a lot of things,” said one of her coaches, David Santee of Chicago.
“I wasn’t excited to skate every day,” said Zawadzki, the 2010 World junior silver medalist. “I was expecting way too much.”
NHAT V. MEYER/STAFF
Agnes Zawadzki, 17, won the the short program with a score of 66.24.
She switched coaches but not rinks in Colorado Springs, Colo., asking Santee to help advise her. Her everyday coach is Christy Krall, though Santee talks to his skater all the time. He wasn’t surprised by what transpired on the ice in San Jose.
“We knew it was just a matter of time,” Santee said.
Czisny, 24, also felt good after a wonderful presentation that was pockmarked with a flubbed double Axel jump.
“I hesitated a little bit going into the jump and it doesn’t work,” she said. “Considering it is worth the least amount of points, it is probably the best one to miss.”
Nagasu, 18, didn’t know what to say about the mistake on her first jump of the program. She landed awkwardly on the triple loop.
“I’m just glad I stayed on my feet, because I would have lost a lot more if I didn’t,” Nagasu said. “I think I was a little bit frazzled, because this isn’t the way I’ve been practicing.”
Nagasu, one of America’s most promising skaters, can make up ground and reach the podium Saturday. But it will be difficult to earn one of two spots to compete at the World Championships in March in Nice, France.
“That was not her usual self,” coach Frank Carroll lamented.
While Nagasu was bemoaning a less than adequate performance, Wagner celebrated her best short program in four years. She credited a move to coach John Nicks in Aliso Viejo with the improvement.
“The demons are gone,” she declared.
It’s difficult to know where Flatt is at. She is coming off a foot injury last year at the World Championships and a move from Colorado Springs to Stanford. Flatt, 19, has been living in the dorm, where she caught a cold this week.
Bay Area coach Lynn Smith couldn’t believe Flatt completed only a single Axel instead of the planned double.
“That was not on my radar,” Smith said. “She can do a double Axel with her eyes closed and feet behind her.”
But Flatt was happy to finally complete her triple Lutz after struggling with the jump all season.
All she can do now is try to complete a clean program Saturday to end her season.
■ Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker of Aliso Viejo took the lead in the senior pairs by winning the short program with a score of 65.80. Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig (61.27) were second, followed by Caydee Denney and John Coughlin (60.88) after the petite Denney tumbled to the ice on throw triple flip.
Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865 and follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.
com/elliottalmond.
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