Men Skating Beautifully: Johnny Weir, Evan Lysacek and Jeremy Abbott Steal the Attention of American Viewing Public

A year out from the Winter Olympics, the usual excitement is building in a sport known for wicked competition among young women with Olympic medal dreams. This year's U.S. Figure Skating Championships offer the customary drama.

There's an emotional rivalry among two world medal winners with vastly different skating styles and a surprising young challenger who recently leapt onto the world stage. All have legitimate Olympic gold medal hopes.

There is, however, one significant catch.

The latest gripping story line involves American men.

No longer merely a humdrum undercard for the women's competition, the men's event is arguably the centerpiece of the U.S. championships this week in Cleveland. It will determine the entrants for the world championships in Los Angeles in March and set the pecking order for the race to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

The top U.S. men offer not only the prospect of a blistering battle this weekend, but also more realistic world and Olympic medal aspirations. To American Johnny Weir, the reigning world bronze medal winner, it is no surprise this competition concludes with the men's free skate Sunday, rather than the women's.

"It's a very exciting time to be a men's figure skater in America," Weir said during a conference call last week. "There's a reason that the men are closing nationals for the second year in a row. . . . I think, for skating fans, it's the most exciting event."

As the U.S. men have risen in international stature, the women have seen a historic performance drop-off since the retirements three years ago of Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen. American women failed to medal at the last two world championships after 12 straight years of winning at least one medal, and on four occasions claiming two. Figure skating officials are pinning their hopes on the sudden rise of a young star, or two, beginning in today's ladies short program.

"From the ladies' side, there's tons of new talent," said Evan Lysacek, a two-time world bronze medal winner who missed last year's championships because of injury. "It's more exciting to watch that way, when you don't know who's going to come in and win the title."

Indeed, though the experience level is vastly different between the men and women, they have this in common: Neither has anything close to an odds-on champion. On the men's side, Weir, Lysacek and Jeremy Abbott each could lay claim to being the favorite. Weir is a three-time U.S. champion who finished second to Lysacek, a two-time U.S. champion, at last year's event in St. Paul, Minn., on a technicality; the two, remarkably, ended up tied in total points.

"That speaks very well for them," said Frank Carroll, Lysacek's coach. "It's also made them probably more competitive. . . . I don't think they are going to be sitting back, saying, 'I'm the favorite.' "

Both Weir, a fluid, emotional skater, and Lysacek, a dramatic, edgy performer, will be warily eyeing Abbott, 23, who has never won a U.S. title but claimed the gold medal at the International Skating Union's Grand Prix Final in December after favorite Brian Joubert of France pulled out. Weir finished third in that event.