Kwan headed to the Olympics

No, it isn't about tennis, but I do have more than a passing interest in women's figure skating, so I have been following the "Will Michelle Kwan go to the Olympics?" question carefully. Kwan has not been able to compete this year because of injuries. The Olympic team of three is selected by giving one slot the winner of the U.S. Championships, and the other two to two skaters who have competed especially well in the last year, even--theoretically--if they do not place in the top three in the U.S. Championships.

Last night, Sasha Cohen finally won the U.S. Championships, something that has heretofore eluded her. Cohen is a skater of amazing skill and artistry who tends to choke in big moments. Kwan, the most decorated American female figure skater of all time (and the second most decorated of all time, period), is also a skater of amazing skill and artistry, who tends to choke at the Olympics. Kimmie Meissner placed second in the U.S. Championships, and third place was won by Emily Hughes, sister of former Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes, a technically brilliant but uninspired skater.

Women's figure skating has, unfortunately, gone the way of women's gymnastics--all technical skill and not much art. It is a shame. Of course, there will always be incredibly graceful skaters like Kwan and Cohen, and unusually exciting skaters like the great Kristi Yamaguchi, but more and more, we will see a lot of struggling to get the most point-heavy techniques into a routine, especially under the new scoring system.

The U.S. Figure Skating International Committee has decided that Kwan may go to the Olympics, based on the weighty fact that she is, well, Michelle Kwan. I am glad, and I am also glad for Cohen. The incredible Irina Slutskaya of Russia will also be competing, and I suppose I have no real favorite. If any of the three of them wins a gold medal, I will be very pleased, yet sad for the other two. This is Kwan's last chance, for sure, so a big part of me wants her to win the gold, though I have become a diehard Slutskaya fan. All three are wonderful athletes and bring a lot of class to figure skating.

Fans who watched the U.S. Championships got treated to a couple of surprises. The exciting skater Beatrisa Liang placed third in the short program and skated so well, she raised everyone's expectations of her. And Stephanie Rosenthal, though she placed eighth overall, turned in the two most innovative pieces of choreography anyone has seen in a long time, bringing the audience to their feet.