BOSTON -- The best athletes know when they are in trouble.
Only champions like Michelle Kwan know how to get out of it with
such grace.
Kwan won her fourth straight U.S. Figure Skating Championships
title Saturday night with a strong free skate that earned two 6.0s.
But she was far from perfect early in the program, cutting down her
triple-triple toe loop combination to a double-double.
|  | | Michelle Kwan scored seven 5.9s and two 6.0s for artistry. |
So the three-time world champion simply threw in a triple toe
loop in the final moments.
"After I landed the double-double, I went uh-oh," Kwan said.
"I had to snap myself back in. If I stayed in that mode, it would
have been disastrous.
"It does separate a lot of skaters," she added of her timely
innovation. "You have to be physically tough. You have to just get
over it."
Kwan, 20, has five U.S. crowns -- as many as such Olympic gold
medalists as Peggy Fleming and Tenley Albright. She entered
nationals such a prohibitive favorite that she began hearing
whispers this event was nothing more than a practice session before
the Grand Prix finals next month and the world championships in
March.
"It's difficult. A lot of people are like, `Oh, yeah, good luck
at nationals.' It's so easy to say it's an easy bye into worlds,"
she said. "It's not.
"I'm trying the best I can. All this week, I felt I can do
this, I still belong. It doesn't feel like I have to prove myself
again."
She proved she is, by far, the best in America.
Certainly better than runner-up Sarah Hughes and third-place
Angela Nikodinov, both of whom will join Kwan at the worlds in
Vancouver, British Columbia.
"There is very good and there is great," said Hughes.
Kwan nailed every other element of her program to "Song of the
Black Swan," displaying the elegance and showmanship for which she
has become famous. It wasn't quite the show Kwan staged in the
short program Friday night, when she grabbed seven perfect marks
for artistry from the nine judges.
Still, it was impressive enough for seven 5.9s and two 6.0s for
artistry. As a sign said in the FleetCenter, "Inaugurate
Michelle," and the judges did, making her the first woman to win
four in a row since Linda Fratianne in 1980.
Her victory also gave coach Frank Carroll a sweep of the singles
events; he also works with Tim Goebel, who won his first men's
championship. It was the third time since 1995 that a coach swept
the titles, with Richard Callaghan doing it in '95 (Nicole Bobek
and Todd Eldredge) and '97 (Tara Lipinski and Eldredge). Carroll
also coached Fratianne.
Hughes, considered the staunchest challenger to Kwan thanks to
several outstanding performances this season, never mounted that
challenge. While the 15-year-old skated well, she simply isn't at
Kwan's level yet.
Actually, no one is when Kwan is on. And for much of these
national championships, which were marred by injuries and mediocre
performances in men's and pairs, Kwan was right on.
Carroll said these were Kwan's two best performances since the
1998 nationals in Philadelphia, where she collected 15 perfect
marks. She went on to win the silver medal in the Nagano Olympics
and her second world championship that year.
Hughes hit six triples, but she was not as polished as Kwan. Her
landings did not flow and she wasn't as expressive as the winner.
"I am happy with what I did, because it's never easy to go out
at nationals and skate your best program," Hughes said. "But it
was better than last year, and next year will be even better."
Nikodinov, portraying "Sleeping Beauty," landed six triple
jumps, but none in combination. That might have cost her second
place, because her presentation was world-class. She even pretended
to be asleep during the slow portion of the music, then woke up
into a big spiral.
Two top contenders, 2000 runner-up Sasha Cohen and 1999
sensation Naomi Nari Nam, withdrew earlier in the week with
injuries.
But Jennifer Kirk, a local favorite, who was fourth, Amber
Corwin and Beatrisa Liang all skated well -- a marked contrast from
the rest of these nationals. They showed that U.S. women's skating
is in good shape with the Olympics coming up next year.
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ALSO SEE
Kwan answered her critics
Goebel wins first U.S. Figure Skating title
Ina and Zimmerman win second pairs title
Lang-Tchernyshev win ice dance title
U.S. Championship final standings
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Michelle Kwan lands a triple lutz, then adds a triple toe loop on her way to a first-place finish.
avi: 1802 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Sarah Hughes has trouble with a triple loop but finishes in second place.
avi: 1841 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Angela Nikodinov lands graceful jumps on her way to a third-place finish.
avi: 1680 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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