by Laurie Nealin, Special to U.S. Figure Skating Online
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| Michelle Kwan Photo by Paul Harvath |
(10/1/04) — Michelle Kwan and Timothy Goebel opened their seasons in fine style on Friday at the Campbell's International Figure Skating Classic in St. Paul, Minn.
Goebel's body language told his story as he clapped his hands and pumped his fist in jubilation at the end of his gold medal-winning free skate at the Xcel Energy Center.
With a flourish of her Bolero cape, Kwan brought the audience to its feet in roaring appreciation of her hypnotic performance, marred only by a quirky stumble in her dramatic footwork sequence. The judges agreed with the fans' assessment, awarding the eight-time U.S. champion top marks in the eight-woman field.
Each of the women and six men performed one free skate for the five-judge panel in the ISU-sanctioned competition. The event was scored using the traditional 6.0 system.
The Campbell's Classic proved an excellent testing ground for new free skates that the world's elite will develop as the 2004-05 season unfolds.
"It definitely has potential to be a really, really great program," Kwan said of her Bolero free skate, choreographed by Christopher Dean. Bolero, the signature piece for Dean and his partner Jayne Torvill, earned the British ice dancers the 1984 Olympic gold medal.
"For everybody, it was very stressful," said Kwan, the five-time World champion, of the season opener. "It's always a little shaky."
Kwan completed six triples in her routine, while reigning World champion Shizuka Arakawa completed five to claim the silver medal. Sasha Cohen, the World silver medalist, was third after faltering on three of her six triple jump attempts.
"I have a lot of work to do," said Cohen after her performance of "The Nutcracker." "I'm hoping to peak at nationals and Worlds. It's time for me to go home and work."
The surprise of the night was Kimmie Meissner, 14, who skated with confidence and determination in her senior debut among a stellar group. She ranked fifth.
The World Junior silver medalist and U.S. junior champion had the audience in the palm of her hand as she ticked off one triple jump after another for a total of six, including two in combination.
"It was awesome. It was so much fun. It was really cool for me," Meissner beamed.
A late addition to the lineup, Meissner has claimed two silver medals already this season on the Junior Grand Prix circuit.
Miki Ando, the World Junior champion who ranked fourth at the senior World Championships, was also fourth here. U.S. women Amber Corwin and Jennifer Kirk settled for seventh and eighth places.
Kwan, Cohen and Ando will face off again in three weeks at Smart Ones Skate America in Pittsburgh.
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| Timothy Goebel Photo by Paul Harvath |
Goebel marked his return from injury and skate boot problems that put him on the sidelines last season with a seven triple-jump outing. The World and Olympic medalist skated to a symphonic arrangement of music by the British rock group Queen. The medley ended with "We are the Champions."
"Hopefully, that will bode well for the rest of the year," Goebel said of the song's title. "I just wanted to come out here after really having problems the last two years and do a good, solid performance. Nothing spectacular, not set the world on fire, just skate well and go back to California with something I can be pleased with.
"I want to be doing two triple Axels and three quads in my long now, and that's not quite how it is, but every week it's better," he continued. "By the end of the year I think I'll really be back to where I left off at (2003) Worlds in (Washington, D.C)," Goebel said.
Frenchman Brian Joubert, the reigning World silver medalist, also took the silver here with his new free skate set to music from the movie "1492: Conquest of Paradise."
Canada's Emanuel Sandhu, the reigning Grand Prix Final champion, was third, although some observers felt he deserved more credit for his strong performance which featured seven triple jumps, spinning virtuosity and intricate footwork.
Joubert managed five clean triples but was the only man to come close to landing a quadruple. He turned out of the landing of his toe loop attempt but remained on one foot. Joubert's greatest asset proved to be his crowd-pleasing footwork reminiscent of Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin, one of his coaches.
U.S. champion Johnny Weir, fifth-ranked in the world, finished in fourth here, hampered by a painful right foot that he injured last weekend. Fellow American Evan Lysacek, three times a World Junior silver medalist, was fifth.
Joubert and Lysacek will compete again in three weeks at Skate America, while Weir and Goebel open their Grand Prix seasons at the NHK Trophy in Japan two weeks later.
First-place finishers at the Campbell's Classic earned $50,000. Second collected $25,000 and third $15,000. Fourth through sixth-place earned $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000, respectively.
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