Nearly three years ago, figure skater Timothy Goebel was standing on the Olympic podium in Salt Lake City, a bronze medal around his neck. America's high-flying answer to the Russians was already being touted as a contender for the gold medal at the 2006 Games.
Then came numerous skating boot problems and injuries, culminating this past season with one of the worst showings of his career. He placed 10th in the short program and promptly withdrew from the U.S. championships, failing to make the world team for the first time since 1999.
Timothy Goebel, who won a bronze medal in the 2002 Games but has stumbled since, is training with coach Audrey Weisiger in the Washington area. "I sort of got a fresh start now," Goebel said.
(Bill O'leary -- The Washington Post)
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| _____ From The Post _____
• Even after a fifth world skating title, Michelle Kwan is still uncertain about her future in the sport.
• For skaters, Sunday's exhibition offers a chance to relax and test the boundaries of the sport.
• Kwan wins her fifth world title with a gleeful performance Saturday.
• Sarah Hughes was "relieved" that her challenging week was over.
• The ISU will consider changing the display of scoring marks.
_____ Gallery _____
• Michelle Kwan brings an upbeat finish to the championships after a week of wrangling over the judging system.
_____ Audio _____
• March 25: Michael Weiss talks about missing a triple lutz.
_____ Live Online _____
• Freelance writer Amy Rosewater took questions on skating March 25.
_____ Preview Section _____
• An in-depth look at the world championships and how a skater and his or her coach creates a winning program.
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| __World Skating Championships__
• When: Monday- March 30.
• Where: MCI Center.
• Tickets: Available through Ticketmaster (tickets also are required for practice sessions).
_____Schedule_____
At MCI Center
• Sunday: Exhibition, 2 p.m.
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_____ 2004 Summer Olympics _____
• Look back at the Athens Games, highlighted by Michael Phelps's eight medals and marked by unfounded worries over terrorism.
• Photos
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The most crushing blow, however, came last month, when, according to Goebel, he was fired by his coach, Frank Carroll, considered one of the best technical coaches in the country. The "Quad King" -- the nickname Goebel earned for performing so many four-revolution jumps over the years -- was watching his career spin out of control.
A few weeks ago, however, he made a drastic change. He decided to entrust his future to Audrey Weisiger, the coach who guided Michael Weiss to two national championships and two Olympics. Goebel appears committed to making this relationship work, relocating from Los Angeles to train with Weisiger at Fairfax Ice Arena and occasionally at Fort Dupont Ice Arena in Washington. Goebel will make his first public appearance as a Washington-area skater at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at a holiday show at Fort Dupont.
"When I was fired, I knew Audrey was my first choice as a coach," Goebel said during a break at a practice session this week. "Actually, she was my only choice. If she was busy, I didn't know what I was going to do."
Weisiger was indeed busy, coaching one of Japan's top skaters, Yoshie Onda, and American up-and-comer Tommy Steenberg, among others. But when Goebel called, the two agreed to hatch a plan that would get Goebel's skating back on track.
"When he called me, he said, 'Tell me what I need to do and how I need to do it,' " Weisiger said. "He didn't say, 'Frank and I split, and I need a coach.' It was the way he said what he said that made me think that he really wants to improve as a skater. That's why I decided to work with him."
The first step is for Goebel to redeem himself at the 2005 U.S. championships next month in Portland, Ore. -- a large task considering all of the adjustments Goebel and Weisiger have to make in such a short time.
"The timing obviously was not ideal," Goebel said. "But in a sense, all of the work was already done."
Skaters typically spend the summer devising new routines and then use the fall competition schedule to prepare for nationals and the world championships. One might not think there is much a coach can do for a skater in a few months, but Weisiger said she is making the most of every moment.
Last week, for example, Goebel's longtime choreographer, Lori Nichol, flew in from Toronto to fine-tune the footwork and artistry of his programs. She spent hours retooling his program, recreating a demanding footwork sequence at the end of his 4 1/2-minute program.
Weisiger also made sure that Chris Conte, a Baltimore-based choreographer who uses a high-tech computer program to analyze jumps, spins and other movements, was on hand at practices. Using a video camera and the software, Conte can show Goebel his shoulder positions on the entry of a jump or calculate how high he travels in the air.
"That's made a huge difference for me," Goebel said.
Because the elite skating world is so small, Goebel and Weisiger have been acquainted for some time, but their relationship didn't extend beyond casual conversations until Goebel came to Fairfax last summer to work with Weisiger and her staff. Carroll had encouraged Goebel to make the cross-country trip to work on quadruple jumps while Carroll was on vacation.
