VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Todd Eldredge sat in the
stands at the World Figure Skating Championships last year,
watching as Russian Yevgeny Plushchenko stumbled, bumbled and
fumbled the title away.
|  | | One of the big inspirations for Todd Eldredge to skate well is so the U.S. can have three skaters in the Olympics next year. |
Twelve months later, both Eldredge and Plushchenko have the
title within their grasp.
"If you'd said that to me a year ago, I'd have said, 'Hey,
that'd be great,' " said Eldredge, the 1996 world champion who
took two years off from Olympic-eligible skating after the Nagano
Games.
"It's always hard to live up to a comeback," he said. "Look
at Mario Lemieux this year. That was inspiring to see. It's
something I hoped I could do."
He's off to a good start. Skating his best since winning his
world title in Edmonton, he's second behind Plushchenko heading
into the free skate Thursday.
Three-time defending champion Alexei Yagudin was in third after
a courageous performance, a solid short program despite four
pain-killing injections to numb his injured right foot. U.S.
champion Timothy Goebel is fourth overall.
Though Eldredge still has an outside shot at this title, it's
going to be difficult. He'd have to win the free skate, and
Plushchenko would have to finish no better than third.
But Eldredge isn't worrying about any of that now. He came to
worlds determined to get the United States a third spot for the
Salt Lake City Olympics. Needing a total placement below 14, he and
Goebel are in good shape.
"Quite honestly, I don't care ... what the results are,"
Eldredge said. "As long as we get that third spot."
It's why he chose to play it safe Tuesday. While Plushchenko,
Yagudin and Goebel all did quadruple jump combinations, Eldredge
stuck to what he knew would work, doing a triple flip-triple toe
loop combination.
That cost him in the technical marks, which ranged from 5.4 to
5.9, but he made up for it with the rest of his program. Eldredge
was so fast and light on his feet he could have been floating, and
his edges carved the ice like an artist cutting a piece of fine
crystal.
But it was his spins that truly brought the audience to its
feet. He looked as if he would corkscrew himself into the ice, and
his last spin was so quick he was a blur.
"I know I did technically an easier element in my combination
than the other guys, so I knew it would be a little lower. It's all
right. I did what I wanted to do, so it doesn't matter."
The fans sure appreciated it. Before and after he skated, they
held up red, white and blue cards to form an American flag. During
his last spin, the crowd went crazy, giving him an ovation to rival
any Canadian.
"I've skated as well in different programs, but not two in a
row," he said. "It's good to put two together. And hopefully
three." Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |
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