Roundup: It’s Alpha Male Sunday
Today's championship men's final has all the characters, writes columnist John Blanchette, including the reigning world champion and skaters who’ve accounted for six national championships and four world junior titles. Jeremy Abbott, Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir headline today's free skate.
Why the increased attention on men's competition these days? Skater Ryan Bradley has some thoughts:
“We skate a lot faster, we jump a lot higher, we throw a lot more risk into our routines, and it’s just cool to watch. When you watch the girls skate, you’re going to see a lot more clean programs because they’re doing more what is in their comfort zone. The guys, we’re going all out and trying things that maybe we shouldn’t be trying, but we’re going to try them anyway."
Listening in: Reporter Sara Leaming writes about an experiment in technology at this year's event - headsets that deliver technical analysis and commentary to fans in the Arena seats. “It is fantastic for somebody who doesn’t know what it’s all about,” fan Bob Metke said.
Saturday results: Dave Trimmer and John Blanchette cover championship pairs, where Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett won locked in a spot on this year's Olympic team. They'll be joined in Vancouver by fellow Floridians Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig ... but not by two-time defending pairs champions Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker.
Crash and learn: Learning to skate takes patience and courage, writes columnist Paul Turner, and will probably deliver a few bumps and bruises. But those who stick with it might just look back nostalgically on "rinkside bonfires, numb fingers and noses or scratched records being played over tinny speakers at indoor facilities."
Snapshots: Rebecca Nappi talks with Nathan O'Bleness, who bought tickets to this year's event at the last minute. He wanted to be part of a piece of Spokane history.
Keep reading for today's event lineup.
Championship Men’s Final: 10:30 a.m.
Novice Men's Short Program: 3:30 p.m.
Novice Pairs Short Program: 5:30 p.m.
Junior Men’s Final: 9 p.m.