American skaters won’t wilt

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Russians are poised for a gold-medal sweep. The Japanese women are so deep, they left jaw-dropping talent at home. Michelle Kwan proved she is fit to skate, but how competitive she’ll be is another question.

So, less than two weeks before the 2006 Winter Olympics begin, where does that leave the United States and its long history of Olympic success in figure skating?

It’s fine, say skaters who competed at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships that ended Saturday at World Arena.

“I think we’re very strong,” said Matt Savoie, the lone U.S. Olympian to compete in singles at Four Continents. He placed third. Men’s teammates Johnny Weir and Evan Lycasek did not attend. “This season has been complicated obviously because this is an Olympic year and there are injuries. But at nationals I felt even though there were mistakes throughout the field, we’re definitely sending a strong team, especially with Evan, the world bronze medalist, and Johnny’s skating well. I think we’re in good standing going in.”

Same with the women, said two-time Olympian Michael Weiss, who shockingly did not make the team after dropping from third to fourth after the free skate at nationals. Still down, Weiss skated poorly and finished ninth at Four Continents.

The U.S. team has not been shut out of an Olympics singles medal since 1936. Four Continents champions Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, world silver medalists, are considered contenders for gold in ice dancing, in which the U.S. last won an Olympic medal in 1976, when Colleen O’Connor and Jim Millns won bronze. Sasha Cohen won 2005 world championship silver; Kwan was fourth.

“The ladies are always strong,” said Weiss, the Olympic alternate who likely will retire after this season. “To count Sasha Cohen out of a medal is a stretch. She’s in medal contention in every competition she enters. She puts together two good programs and I don’t think she’ll have a problem. Michelle’s a seasoned veteran. She’s been to two Olympics already and I think she’ll compete like one.”

Four Continents was the final major international event before the Games, but few Olympians, from the U.S. team or otherwise, took advantage. Most preferred to train for the Olympics at home rather than compete in the high altitude that turned the Four Continents kiss-and-cry area into a puff-and-gasp zone.

In Turin, Italy, where the Olympics open Feb. 10, altitude will not be a factor at Palavala, the Olympic arena. Turin’s elevation is 784 feet.

Last week, Russia won gold medals in all four events at the European Championships, including titles from Evgeny Plushenko and Irina Slutskaya in men’s and ladies singles; Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin in pairs; and Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov in dance. All are recent world champions.

Japan’s ladies talent is remarkably deep. Japan’s brightest talent, Mao Asada, who beat Slutskaya to win the Grand Prix final, turned 15 too late to make the federation’s cutoff for the Olympics this year.

Yukari Nakano, 20, third in the Grand Prix final, didn’t make the Olympic team. She has landed the rare triple axel in competition this year and came close in her attempt Saturday at World Arena. Also left off the team: Yoshie Onda, who beat Asada in the free skate at Japan’s nationals with seven triples, and Yukina Ota, 2004 Four Continents winner. On the team: Fumie Suguri, two-time world bronze medalist; Shizuka Arakawa, 2004 world champion; and Miki Ando, two-time national champion.

But don’t count out Kwan, Weiss said.

“She’s been through a lot throughout her entire career and this is a new challenge for her,” he said.