Photo copyright Jenny P. |
Michelle Kwan started off ABC Sports televised coverage of the event with her short program. She skated to selections from Rachmaninoff, the same program that she skated in 1998 when she won the National Championships. She landed a solid triple lutz-double toe loop combination at the beginning of her program and stayed strong throughout her performance. Her final scores ranged from 5.7's in her technical marks to 5.9's in her presentation marks. Michelle's fantastic short program was followed by outstanding performances by Sarah Hughes and Sasha Cohen. Cohen returns this year, after healing from a back injury that kept her out of the 2001 U.S. championships. Two years ago, Cohen was holding the first place spot ahead of Kwan after skating her short program. This year, Cohen's scoresranging from 5.5's in her technical marks to 5.9's in presentation markswere not enough to put her ahead of Michelle. Michelle also started off ABC Sports'televised coverage of the Ladies Free Skate and successfully landed six triple jumps in her program. She displayed a happiness and joy during her performance that was unmatched by the other skaters. In the last half of her program, instead of slowing down, Michelle burst forth with renewed energy and ended with a smile on her face. Kwan was loving every moment and she had the audience on its' feet before the end of her program. Sasha Cohen also completed six triple jumps in her long program, but she had a few mistakes and did not score as high as Kwan. Michelle earned two 6.0's, bringing her total to 27, the most won by any U.S. skater at Nationals. So after the U.S. National Championships, the Ladies U.S. Olympic Team consists of Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, and Sarah Hughes. Who will win the gold? Stay tuned! Copyright © Kristen Koester. All Rights Reserved. This article and any accompanying pictures, photographs, or line art, may not be resold, reprinted, or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from the author. Kristen Koester is a writer, webmaster, musician, and small business owner. To learn more about Kristen, please visit the Editor's Bio. |
Photo copyright © Andrea "Hoo" Chempinski |
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Photo copyright © Andrea "Hoo" Chempinski |
Kwan shines at U.S. Nationals by Kristen Koester |
Michelle Kwan started off ABC Sports televised coverage of the event with her short program. She skated to selections from Rachmaninoff, the same program that she skated in 1998 when she won the National Championships. She landed a solid triple lutz-double toe loop combination at the beginning of her program and stayed strong throughout her performance. Her final scores ranged from 5.7's in her technical marks to 5.9's in her presentation marks. Michelle's fantastic short program was followed by outstanding performances by Sarah Hughes and Sasha Cohen. Cohen returns this year, after healing from a back injury that kept her out of the 2001 U.S. championships. Two years ago, Cohen was holding the first place spot ahead of Kwan after skating her short program. This year, Cohen's scoresranging from 5.5's in her technical marks to 5.9's in presentation markswere not enough to put her ahead of Michelle. Michelle also started off ABC Sports'televised coverage of the Ladies Free Skate and successfully landed six triple jumps in her program. She displayed a happiness and joy during her performance that was unmatched by the other skaters. In the last half of her program, instead of slowing down, Michelle burst forth with renewed energy and ended with a smile on her face. Kwan was loving every moment and she had the audience on its' feet before the end of her program. Sasha Cohen also completed six triple jumps in her long program, but she had a few mistakes and did not score as high as Kwan. Michelle earned two 6.0's, bringing her total to 27, the most won by any U.S. skater at Nationals. So after the U.S. National Championships, the Ladies U.S. Olympic Team consists of Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, and Sarah Hughes. Who will win the gold? Stay tuned! Copyright © Kristen Koester. All Rights Reserved. This article and any accompanying pictures, photographs, or line art, may not be resold, reprinted, or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from the author. Kristen Koester is a writer, webmaster, musician, and small business owner. To learn more about Kristen, please visit the Editor's Bio. |
Photo copyright Jenny P. |
The 2002 U.S. National Championships held January 8-13 in Los Angeles was an exciting and close race for Ladies Figure Skating. |
