As a prelude to the World Figure Skating Championships starting today in Gottenberg, Sweden, the New York Times ran an interesting feature about the ongoing rivalry between the U.S.’s leading contenders, Johnnie Weir and Evan Lysacek. Sadly, we won’t be seeing the rivalry in action in Sweden because Lysacek withdrew from Worlds last week due to an arm injury. Jeremy Abbott, who finished fourth at Nationals, took his place on the team.
Lysacek’s absence puts the American men in a tough spot. The American men must finish well at Worlds to keep three spots on the team for next year. The top two American finishes at Worlds must combine to equal 13 or less or the team will lose one spot. Weir and Lysacek barely hung on last year when they finished eighth and fifth respectively.
What makes things tricky is that Weir is the only skater on the men’s team with any international experience at the senior level, and he has never finished on the podium. The other two men, Abbott and U.S. bronze medalist, Stephen Carriere, are making their first trip to the senior Worlds.
With two rookies in the fold, Weir needs to step up his game and perform better than he ever has. He needs to prove that he is capable of skating two clean and complete programs at the international level, which he has never done. With Lysacek out of the competition, Weir has a chance to perform on the international stage without the distraction of their heated rivalry. And with so much at stake for the men’s team, Weir can prove that he can be a team player.
A third or fourth place finish will probably work wonders for both Weir’s confidence and the future of the U.S. team. It will also take the pressure off Carriere and Abbott, who would need to finish ninth or tenth at the worst to keep three representatives on the team. Weir is certainly capable of it. He’s got the talent, the artistry and the athleticism to compete against some of the top names in the world. The question is – does he want to?
The men’s competition begins Friday.
No comments:
Post a Comment