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Cohen wins short program at U.S. meet

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ST. LOUIS — Sasha Cohen stood in the middle of the ice long after her program ended, her eyes wide as she drank in the applause of the standing crowd. Then she dropped into a deep curtsy, bowing to one, two, three, then all four sides of the arena.

When she made her way off the ice, she picked up one stuffed animal after another until the pile was almost as big as she was. There was a big hug for a fan who draped a red, white and blue scarf around her neck, and another for longtime coach John Nicks.

After all these years of waiting, she's finally a champion. And she was going to savor every minute of it.

Cohen won her first title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in a rout and earning a trip to the Turin Olympics.

Michelle Kwan, meanwhile, earned a third trip to the Olympics without skating. She was given a medical bye from the Olympic committee.

Cohen, meanwhile, basked in her victory.

"You figure you train all year for this, you're so nervous, so you might as well stand on the ice and enjoy it for more than five seconds," Cohen said. "I realize everything I have been through and what I have done, appreciate the audience. It's nice to have just 30 seconds of relief."

She finished with 199.18 points, more than 28 points ahead of second-place Kimmie Meissner, who also was chosen for the Olympic team.

Emily Hughes, little sister of 2002 Olympic champion Sarah, was third but was not chosen for the three-woman team.

"I think there is a lot of pressure. It is an Olympic year and my second time at nationals," Hughes said. "I thought this was a great experience for me for the future."

Cohen has had more than enough of experiences that build character for the future.

She's a breathtaking mix of athleticism, grace and beauty. But she didn't have the psyche to match, finishing second twice at the world championships and four times — all to Kwan — at nationals. At the 2002 Olympics, she was third after the short program but dropped to fourth overall.

Trying to find some solution, Cohen left longtime coach Nicks and her Southern California home for the East Coast in 2002, training first with Tatiana Tarasova and then Robin Wagner.

But the change in scenery didn't change her results.

It wasn't until she returned home in December 2004 and reunited with Nicks that Cohen discovered she'd had what she needed all along right inside of her.

She began focusing more on her training and performance than the final placement, and the difference is plain to see.

She did seven triples, two in combination. But it's her presentation that sets her apart.

"I really tried to stay in the moment," Cohen said.

"I haven't done that program in long time. It's nice it turned out that well."

Cohen didn't need any help from the selection. She earned it all on her own.

"I've got a lot of silvers in different shoeboxes in storage units all over the place. But I think the gold one will have a special place," said Cohen, who couldn't take her eyes off the medal during the awards ceremony.

Kwan missed nationals because of a groin injury, but she's a nine-time U.S. and five-time world champion and the face of figure skating for the last decade. Hughes' best finish is a bronze at the junior world championships last year.

Kwan, who already has Olympic silver and bronze medals, was examined by a doctor chosen by U.S. Figure Skating on Thursday. She jumped Friday for the first time since Dec. 17.

Men

ST. LOUIS — Even when Johnny Weir isn't as majestic as usual, he's good enough to beat the American men and earn a spot in the Olympics.

Weir won his third straight U.S. Figure Skating Championships crown Saturday despite finishing third in the free skate.

The national champion automatically gets a berth for the Turin Games, where Weir will need to amp up the showmanship that is his trademark if he hopes to win a medal.

"Being the third-time national champion is really an awesome feat," Weir said. "I wasn't quite sure how I would achieve that after the year I've had so far.

"The program today definitely wasn't up to par with my previous two wins. A lot I could have done better."

Evan Lysacek, the reigning world bronze medalist, won the free skate with 150.44 points and finished second overall at 224.47 to Weir's 225.34.

They were followed by surprising Matt Savoie, whose clutch performance reversed a long downward career spiral.

Lysacek and Savoie will join Weir in Turin after they were selected by an international committee from U.S. Figure Skating.

Three-time U.S. champion Michael Weiss was fourth and walked out of the rink even as his marks were being displayed on the scoreboard.