Figure Skating

TURIN, Italy -- Johnny Weir, raised next to cornfields in rural Pennsylvania, decided to become a figure skater after seeing Oksana Baiul perform in 1993. It was some years later when he decided to become Russian. Not literally. He now lives in Newark, Del., and is a three-time U.S. men's figure skating champion. But he is fascinated by all things Russian. He has studied Russian history. He is teaching himself to speak Russian. He wears a warmup jacket from the former Soviet Union, with his name written, in Russia's Cyrillic alphabet, on the sleeve.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Before she has even put blades to ice at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, everyone is already asking Michelle Kwan whether she'll compete in the Winter Olympics next year. "I do think about the Olympics, but I'm taking one thing at a time, nationals hopefully to worlds and then go on from there," said America's most decorated figure skater and reigning U.S. champion. Kwan, 24, has been largely absent from competition the past two years, bypassing the Grand Prix series and performing only in two world championships, two national championships and as a last-minute substitution in the 2002 edition of Skate America.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Pity the judges. On the one hand, they are supposed to uphold figure skating rules and call them as they see them. On the other, who among them wants to deny Michelle Kwan, America's most decorated figure skater, her record-tying ninth U.S. championship tonight? By virtue of her flawlessly skated short program Thursday night, Kwan is in first place, with Sasha Cohen, her only real rival in recent years, right behind. Kwan will skate last today, with Cohen just before her. In a new dress, skating to "Spartacus," a new program, Kwan left no doubt about the wisdom of her decision to skip the Grand Prix circuit to concentrate on this week.

Last month, Japan's Miki Ando beat countrywoman Mao Asada and Kimmie Meissner in figure skating's first Grand Prix event of the season. Tomorrow, Meissner and Ando will face each other again in Paris, with another rising figure skating star nipping at their heels and a place at the Grand Prix Final at stake. A first-place finish for Meissner to go with her runner-up performance at Skate America would almost assure the reigning world champion of one of the six slots at the final. But it won't be easy.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Johnny Weir defended his title with five perfect scores and Timothy Goebel demonstrated a return to competitive form yesterday at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Weir wowed the judges, the audience and himself with a four-minute free skate to "Otonal." As he finished and the audience rose to its feet, he covered his face with his hands and kicked the ice. "I was pleased with the way I did business today," said Weir, who trains at the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club.

Crouch, spring, twirl, land. Time and again, the vivacious little girl with springs for legs bounced from the top step in her mother's house to the first-floor landing. Crouch, spring, twirl, land. Ten years later, balanced on the razor-thin edges of her ice skates, Megan Williams-Stewart is still trying to master those bursts of kinetic energy. But now the leaps have names like Axel and toe loop and her audience is much more critical than Rolly, the family Dalmatian. On Friday afternoon, the 15-year-old from Ellicott City will skate to a tango before thousands at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Dallas.

ST. LOUIS -- Appropriately enough, newly minted U.S. citizen Tanith Belbin and partner Ben Agosto yesterday began their march to the Olympic ice dancing competition to "Yankee Polka." Before a scant crowd at the Savvis Center, the two-time national champions and silver medalists at the 2005 world championships scored a 41.57 in the compulsory dance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The couple is overwhelmingly favored to win this event and to contend for the country's first Olympic ice dancing medal since 1976, the year the event was added to the Winter Games.

A year ago and a month removed from the Winter Olympics, Kimmie Meissner was just one of the young women using the World Figure Skating Championships to gain international experience. Then, "she skated her brains out," says coach Pam Gregory, in a flawless seven triple-jump performance that brought the audience to its feet and Meissner to near tears. It's hard to say who was more surprised, citizens of the figure skating world or the athlete herself. But this year, the shock factor is gone.