Photography by Ann Jensen
Don Baldwin
Ryan Bradley Photos
Sean Calvillo
Shepherd Clark
Derrick Delmore
Justin Dillon
Todd Eldredge
Timothy Goebel
Ryan Jahnke
Evan Lysacek
Parker Pennington
Michael Sasaki
Matt Savoie
Scott Smith Photos
Michael Villarreal
Rohene Ward
Johnny Weir Photos
Michael Weiss
I screamed like an idiot over the men's final results. What a great thing for Todd. I feel really bad for Matt. I really hoped he would be on the team so he could get his first OOOOO nerves out of the way this time. And by the way, I feel the judges could have done it. I haven't the energy to go re-hash the jumps, but with no flip from Weiss, even with that 2 footed quad, I think there were the technical points to work with. And Matt's overall skating is certainly on a par with Mr. Weiss's. So, turns out Michael Weiss needed that 3rd spot after all. Wonder if he'll say "thanks" to Todd now?
And do not get me started on the "Go Mike" signs that were being handed out at the arena. What is the deal with that??? I mean, Michael Sasaki and Michael Villareal are both fine skaters, and I am eager for both of them to succeed, but I didn't know which one to wave it for, especially since they were in the same warm up. I thought it would just be confusing. I used if for old gum instead. Seriously, this is NOT, no matter what the LA Times thinks, a popularity contest. What good are these cheesy low rent tactics supposed to do? Oh wait... he freakin' made the team....never mind.
SP:13
2 footed a nice high 3 axel. Popped the lutz. 3 flip.Camel was slow.
FS:17 Final:16
2 axel. 2 lutz. 3 flip. 2? Loop.3sal. 3 toe (landed forward). popped a flip & seemed to stop fro a minute before deciding to resume. I think he also popped a loop.
SP:8
I really enjoy watching him skate. He looks so happy and actually engages the audience. Sigh. Did a wild 3 axel. It was very open in the air. Took a hard fall on it. I think he landed way short of rotation with his feet crossed. Ouch. That'll knock the wind out of you. 3 lutz-3 toe was swingy at the end. 3 flip.
Free: 7 Final: 7
2 axel. 3 flip-3 toe. 2 lutz-3 toe. 3 lutz. 3 loop. 3 sal. 2 lutz-3 toe (messy center section of the combo)
SP:18
2 axel. Fell on 3 lutz. 2 toe.Nice fast spins
Free: 18 Final: 18
Fell on 2 axel and 3 lutz. Landed 2 axel. 2 flip. popped sal and toe. Landed 3 toe-2 toe. Landed 2 axel.
SP:12
His music said "Disney's Millenium Celebration", but it was actually some thing a lot of the guys have been using for a few years - can't put my finger on it - Maybe "Speed" or "The Matrix" - very fast & zippy, but not unique enough for my taste. I usually count on Shep for something out of the ordinary (over the top). Fell on 3 axel - it is really close - he skids the entrance quite a bit, but still manages the rotation. 3 lutz out of a nice diagonal spread eagle (yeah). 2 flip-2 loop (ouch - He was trying a 3-3 and succeeding sometimes in practice and warm-up.) He also had a big error on his camel of all things. He fell forward after the change and had to actually hop a couple of times on his toepick and recenter it. Oy.
Free: 11 Final: 11
This was the Millenium Celebration: Program. 3 axel. 3 lutz (landed low and forward). 3 flip. 3 sal. Fell on entrance to loop -looked like he caught his edge in a rut or slipped off it. 2 loop-2 toe. 3loop. 3 lutz
SP:6
Too bad he skated first - This was a GREAT program & it should have beaten Weiss. 3 axel. 3 lutz. 4 sal-2toe. The sal was really wild at the end - there was a revolution on the ice between the two jumps - not sure which deduction(s) to assign this combo, but it definitely got some. Beautiful choreography and expression to "Cotton Club". I really hope this one gets on TV - its a keeper.
Free: 6 Final: 6
Hand down on 3 axel. 3 lutz- 2 toe. stepped out of 3 flip and put hand down.3 Loop. 2 footed and fell out of 4 sal. 3 sal. 3 toe-2 toe. 3 axel.
SP:11
I like Justin and while drawing last may be an advantage in terms of judging, it doesn't do much for my accuracy. I do not know if he did a 3 or 2 axel. He popped the lutz and then managed a toe, but I don't know if it was a 2 or 3 toe. He did do a 3 loop. Nice speed and carriage. Good spins and presentation.
Free: 10 Final: 10
Ohhhh I LOVE this program. It is Sorcerrer's Apprentice and Grant Rorvick set it. Wow. It is so full of interesting bits.Popped Axel. 3 lutz-3 toe. 3 flip. 3 sal. Fought for a 3 loop. 3 flip-3 toe. (swingy in between). 2 flip. 2 loop.
SP: 1 (tie)
3 axel-3 toe. 2 axel. 3 lutz - I thought the landing was two footed. I know he had to hang on hard to hold the edge. But he did. So there :)).The usual ho-hum amazing Todd spins of the Gods and so forth :)). Trust me - I was a screaming maniac when that lutz didn't go down.Phew. I think the footwork section is still a problem in this program. It is certainly complex... and I know there has been some discussion that the ice surface is "patchy", but it looked awful slow to me last night. It is a worry for me... Worry . Worry
Free: 1 Final: 1
3 lutz. 3 toe. 3 axel - 2 toe. 3 axel. stepped out of 3 flip.3 loop-3 toe. 3 sal.
SP: 1 (tie)
3 axel. 4 sal-3 toe. 3 flip. Fell in footwork. Boy - I could have really understood if they had put Tim first. I also could have understood Todd first. A tie was not something I had considered, but it is a real fair solution. Tim's presentation has come sooooo far (as has Todd's - by the way) but he isn't in Todd's league yet. Todd's lutz was messy, but them Tim gave them the opening on that footwork error. And, or course, Todd gets the spin bonus points. Really close. What a great event. Scream. Pull hair. Bite nails.
Free: 2 final:2
3 lutz. 4 sal-3 toe. 3 axel-2 toe. 3 axel. 3 flip. 3 loop. 3 sal. fell on 4 toe attempt. Doe a wally-reverse wally pass that I really like seeing make a comeback - I saw a few of them this year.
SP:7
Another very pleasant skater to watch. Makes really nice use of his height. Seemed to have problems getting that free leg out of the way this evening. 3 axel (2footed). 3 lutz-3 toe (2 footed). 3 flip (2 footed). The 2 foot is a really slight one - a scape through - but it kicks up the tell tale ice flakes & gives itself away. So close. What a frustration for him!!! The program was very well laid out and very convincingly skated.
Free:8 Final: 8
Fell on axel. 3 lutz-2 toe. 3 lutz. 3 flip (2 foot?)3 loop-3sal (landed loop swinggy and toe on point. Did a jump sequence I just didn't catch - possible axel - 1/2 something - 3 loop??? Not clear.
SP:10
Evan is not "soup yet" for me. Nice enough skater, but just can't keep my attention yet. Not sure if it is the program or? His has nice posture and technical skills. And his footwork runs were very quick and nicely done. (He stumbled at the start of one, but it was still very good). The 3 axel was more like a 2.5. He has a very rough time on this entrance - flops over to a flat or even and inside edge on the back edge in & then really hooks the landing and skids it too. He did them right in front of us and Wade, Joanne and I spent a lot of time analyzing the tracings and technique. 3 lutz-2 toe. 3 flip.
Free: 13 Final:12
3 axel. 3 lutz (fall). popped flip. popped loop. 3 toe. 3 lutz (2 foot)-2 toe. Footwork got a bit diorganized. Skated to a piece of music I am too old to understand. Seemed like a very long solo electric guitar thing.
SP:14
Even less "soup" than Evan. His music is "Music for a Darkened Theatre" and his costume was a real nice black velvet catsuit with slashes of 3 different colors on the top. A very nice look. Then he started the program. And he snarled. Several times. Like it was choreographed. Snarled? Is this music from a movie? Is there a theme I am missing? Anyway - he doesn't hold any tension in his upper body, though his posture isn't horrible - it just makes him less compelling to watch. 3 axel. popped the lutz. the flip was just ...wrong. Not even sure how to describe what happened to it...something between a pop and a 2 foot??
Free: 12 Final: 13
Well, we came to the conclusion that he is just a very facially expressive skater. 2 axel. 3 loop-3 toe. 3 lutz-3 toe. 3 lutz. 3 flip.
SP: 16
Michael didn't show up for the warm-up, so I thought he might have withdrawn. 3 axel. 2 lutz-2 toe. 3 flip. I love the expression and choreography of his program (He has both Phillip Mills and Russ Witherby listed - not sure who did what), but the technical elements abandoned him. He is such a fast skater & so interesting to watch. I hate when interesting skaters have technical problems. (Not as much as they do I am sure....). 2? axel. 2 lutz-2 toe. 3 flip.
Free: 16 Final:17
2 axel. 3 lutz-2 toe. 2 flip? popped lop and sal. 3 toe-2 toe. 3 toe. 2 sal-2 toe.
SP: 3
Oh boy - Wasn't I happy when all this got landed. Yes. Yes. Yes. Matt skated after Michael Weiss and out whole section knew that with Michael's presentation scores being what they were (for what reason we all sure don't know)Matt had to be perfect. Boy weren't we doing the happy dance after this one. 3 axel. 3 lutz. 3 flip-3 toe. Great presentation of a wonderful Tom Dickson program. A joy to watch....once we started breathing again.
Free: 4 Final: 4
Fell on 3 axel. 3 lutz out of back hydrobalde. 3 flip-3 toe. 3 loop (forward). 3 sal. 3 axel out of spread eagle.
SP:9
I know he did the 4 sal-2 toe. It was clean. And I am very happy for him. He also had a 2 footed 3 axel that didn't get full rotation. And a 3 loop. His spins were fine. And that was it. There was no program here yet. I know he thought his scores should have been better. But this was not finished. It is a HUGE deal that he has this quad. It is great news for US men's skating. And he easily has the skills to put a full program around it. I know he can do it - I have seen him skate a very enjoyable program. It just takes time to get the whole package put together. This is a great start for him.
Free: 9 Final:9
I have got to say it. I try to always be nice. And this is a solid technical skater. But both pieces of music he used are my mortal foe. The free was more hard for me to take than the short, but I am too old and set in my opinions to care for either of them. Eek. 3 axel-3 toe. 3 lutz. 3 sal (he 2 footed this - it may have actually been his quad). 3 loop. 3 flip (hand down?) 3 axel. 3 toe.
SP: 17
2 axel. 3 lutz (hand down - tried to do 3 turns into the toe, but ran out of time & had to start the spin) 3 flip (fall). I really like the attention Michael pays to presentation & drama. Since I first saw him a jillion years ago he has been a skater who skates with his whole body involved. I hope he gets a chance to pull all the pieces together. His spine, footwork and carriage are all great. And I know he can do the elements. Sigh.
Free: 15 Final: 15
Stumbled on a dramatic pose. 2 axel. 3 flip-2 toe. 3 toe. 3 lutz-2 toe. 2 loop. 3 sal. 3 lutz. 3 toe (step out)
SP:15
I loved him in practice. He has all these really cool spirals and bendy things and so forth. I am far to old for this program. Costume is supposed to look like Michael Jackson in Thriller. It cuts up his beautiful line into bits & is distractingl. A lot of posing and moon walking and stuff. I was sooo dissapointed that he used his talents for evil instead of good. I am really looking forward to his free being pretty (Turandot). I want to see all that stuff he has.There was a Charlotte in this and it was amazing, but it was too short. As was the beautiful spiral.Fell; on the 3 axel. Hand down on the 3 lutz. Pop flip.
Free: 14 Final: 14
1 axel. 1 lutz. 3 flip. 3 loop. 2 toe. fell on axel. Did 2 nice layback spins and a nice spiral.
SP:4
Johnny, on the other hand, is using his talents for good. I love this program. 3 axel. 3 lutz-3toe. 3 flip???. You all saw this on the Grand Prix coverage, so I won't natter on about it. It was just mesmerizing.
Free: 5 Final: 5
3 lutz-2 toe. 3 axel-2 toe (fold). 2 flip. 2 loop. 3 sal. 3 axel.
SP: 5
Stepped out of the 3 axel after only part of the rotation. Fell on quad, got up and did a 2 toe. 3 lutz was clean. Scores were outrageously high. Derrick Delmore should be ahead of him and I think I would have also given the edge to Ryan Jahnke, as he had more jumps and both of them had clean lutzs. Ryan Bradley...that's a closer call. And Scott Smith I would definitely have behind Michael. So he should be about 7th or 8th in my book.
Free: 3 Final: 3
3 axel (low-hand down?) fell out of 3 lutz. 3 loop. 3 sal. fell on 4 toe. 4 toe(2 foot?)-3 toe. 3 axel (2 foot)-2 toe. Didn't have the tension he usually holds through a program. What's up with the the shoot the duck thingee?.
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Last updated: January 30, 2002 7:08 PM