Tara Lipinski, left, and Michelle Kwan wave to the crowd during the awards ceremonies for the ladies free skate at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships Saturday, Jan. 10, 1998, in Philadelphia. Kwan, who finished first and Lipinski, second, will be representing the U.S. at the winter Olympic's in Nagano, Japan in February. Nicole Bobek, partially hidden on right, placed thrid and will also go to the olympics.AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser

U.S. skaters: Enough mettle for medals

Web posted January 12, 1998

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Three U.S. women figure skaters, three Olympic medals.

No, this isn't the usual, rah-rah, everything-is-wonderful, pre-Olympic spin. With the way Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski and Nicole Bobek skated at this week's national championships, a 1-2-3 sweep at next month's Nagano Games is a strong possibility.

``I think we have a great chance with these girls to sweep,'' said Christa Fassi, Bobek's coach. ``We definitely have the Dream Team.''

For the first time, the United States is sending three female national champions to the Olympics. Between the three of them, they've had a stranglehold on the U.S. crown the past four years, and the world title the past two.

The United States came close to sweeping twice before, winning two medals in 1956 and 1992 -- when it went 1-3-4 -- and its men's team was 1-2-3 in 1956. But no country has ever swept all three ladies' medals.

No team has ever been this strong, either.

``The past skaters never jumped the way we do now,'' Bobek said. ``I think we can do 1-2-3, no problem.''

If only the rest of the American squad was so formidable. The United States can send only two men, pairs and dance teams, and the odds of any of them winning more than one medal are slim.

Todd Eldredge, who won his fifth U.S. title, has the best chance of the rest of the Americans for gold. Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen, two-time pairs champions, have increased the technical difficulty of their programs, and they now rival any of the Europeans, perennial favorites at the Olympics.

Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow, who tied the U.S. record for dance titles with five, also have moved up the international ladder and could squeeze into the medals picture, something no U.S. dance couple has done since Colleen O'Connor and Jim Millns won the bronze in 1976.

Michael Weiss, three-time pairs champions Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, and Jessica Joseph and Charles Butler, the reigning junior world dance champions, also are headed to Nagano.

But it's the women who really shine, and their strength comes from their diversity. At 20, Bobek is the oldest of the three, and when she's on, there are few skaters in the world who can match her grace and elegance. When she does spirals, gliding across the ice with one leg extended behind her, she looks almost like a swam.

During Saturday's free skate, the 1995 U.S. champion did an arabesque spin that would make a ballerina jealous, reaching behind and pulling one skate up and above her head as she twirled.

Lipinski, who became the youngest world and U.S. champion last year, is the best jumper and the most athletic of the three. She's the only woman in the world who does a triple loop-triple loop combination, and she makes it look as easy as jumping from a chair.

The 15-year-old also is tougher than most people twice her age. After falling on her triple flip in the short program and falling to fourth, Lipinski came back with one of her best performances ever in the free skate.

``It wasn't that hard to bounce back,'' said Lipinski, who earned mostly 5.8s and 5.9s. ``I knew I could do it. I just trusted in myself. I know I can do anything now.''

And Kwan, well, she's tinged with perfection. Of her nine marks for artistry in the free skate, eight were perfect 6.0s, the most any skater has gotten for a free skate at nationals. She also got seven 6.0s for artistry in the short program.

Skating to ``Lyra Angelica,'' Kwan looked like an angel. She floated across the ice with intricate footwork, a serene smile on her face, and at one point pulled her hands into her chest as if she was praying. Her layback spin was so quick and crisp even the audience could hear the sound of her blades cutting the ice.

She even nailed her triple toe loop, a jump she struggled with after being sidelined since November with a stress fracture of a toe on her left foot. She had the crowd on its feet before her music stopped, and they were still standing as she skated off the ice, blowing a kiss to her idol, Brian Boitano, who was working for ABC-TV.

``It was the performance of my life,'' she said. ``I just listened to my music, and thought of clouds and angels. It was the performance of my life -- for right now.''

As if what they did Saturday wasn't enough to make the rest of the world worry, all three of the women say they have room to improve. Even Kwan.

``As a skater, there's nothing called perfection. It's never perfect,'' she said. ``I wasn't ready all week and look how I skated. If I was ready, how much better could I have skated. That's the big question.''