LOS ANGELES -- Timothy Goebel has the jumps and Todd Eldredge has the style.

And, in a stunning twist, they both have the lead at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

	Timothy Goebel is fighting for one of three Olympic Team spots.

Goebel and Eldredge finished tied for first after the men's short program Tuesday night. It's the first tie for first place at nationals since 1991, when school figures were abolished.

"I always figure there's something to break a tie," said Richard Callaghan, Eldredge's longtime coach. "So yeah, I was surprised."

Matt Savoie was third, and two-time national champion Michael Weiss was in fifth place.

The free skate, worth two-thirds of the final score, is Thursday night. The top three finishers make the Olympic team.

Ties at this level of skating are almost unheard of, but Goebel and Eldredge present two completely different types of skating. Goebel is the Quad King, the jumping bean who tosses off quadruple jumps like they're doubles. Eldredge is the master of good, old-fashioned figure skating.

Goebel and Eldredge each were first with four judges, second with three and third with two.

"What's with all the ties this year? It's weird," Goebel said. "I'll tell you, if it's tied after the long program, that would be a disaster."

Goebel's jumps were quick, as usual. He landed the only clean quad of the night, and he did it with ease. His artistry is improved, and he showed more life skating to "Danse Macabre" than he has with past programs.

His only mistake wasn't even that bad. With about 30 seconds left, he was doing footwork when he slipped and fell to his knees, sliding across the ice. But he got up so quickly it almost looked like part of his program.

"I don't understand what happened, but it was kind of funny and I got up laughing. I think I might have rushed it because of where it was. It was a surprise," said Goebel, who laughed, stuck out his tongue and shook his head as he waited for his marks.

The judges didn't penalize him too much, with marks ranging from 5.5 to 5.8 for required elements and 5.6 to 5.9 for artistry.

Eldredge, who turned 30 in August, looked 18 again during parts of his program. His opening triple axel-triple toe loop combination was huge, and the crowd roared as he landed lightly.

His footwork was quick and intricate. Skating to "Carmina Burana," a dark, serious piece, he looked as if he was dueling an unseen enemy as he danced across the ice.

And the landing of his double axel, perfectly timed with a loud, dramatic piece of music, is something only the best of skaters can do.

But Eldredge didn't try a quadruple jump. On his triple lutz, a jump that's given him trouble all season, he came close to two-footing.

"You don't want to make any mistakes. You don't want to take yourself out of it," he said. "You want to set yourself up for the rest of the competition."

After the close call on the lutz, the second half of his program was more cautious. And judges left room for Goebel and Weiss, giving Eldredge from 5.4 to 5.7 for required elements and 5.7 to 5.9 for artistry.

"As Todd said, you can lose the competition in the short program, but you can't win it," coach Richard Callaghan said.

Just ask Weiss. This was even more disastrous than his free skate at last year's nationals, which dropped him off the world championships team. He blew two of the three required jumps Tuesday, falling on his quadruple toe.

"I hit five out of five today, which is not a bad average," Weiss said. "It's just the one that I missed was in the short program."

He was crooked in the air on his triple axel, stepped out of the landing and had to turn. He did land a nice triple lutz, but that was little consolation.

So was the fact his presentation of "Malaguena" was superb. With his fancy steps and sharp arms -- which fit beautifully with his stern facial expressions -- he looked as if he was a Spanish dancer.

Weiss gave the audience a little smile as he finished his program, but he looked disgusted and angry as he skated off the ice.

"I'm in great shape, the best of my life, and I've had a great week of practice," he said. "And then I just missed the combo. I did everything perfectly all day. Go figure."

He brushed by coach Audrey Weisiger as she gave him a hug, and then pounded his skate guard on the bench in the "Kiss and Cry" area. Weiss still has a chance to make the Olympic team, but it will take a great free skate.

"I just have to tell him to believe in himself, that he's certainly capable," Weisiger said. "When athletes doubt themselves, you've got to find the switch and make sure the light goes on."

Savoie, the bronze medalist last year when Weiss bombed, looked a worthy contender for an Olympic spot -- regardless of what anyone else does. Skating to "Reveil" from Cirque du Soleil, he was elegant and classy.

His jumps were clean, his footwork effortless. And when he curled low, resting one leg across the opposite knee in his final spin, the fans roared.