Big-time rally on ice
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Evan Lysacek wasn’t concerned with winning, just landing his quad toeloop.
He ended up doing both in the free skate to win the Four Continents men’s title Friday night.
Lysacek trailed Canada’s Jeffrey Buttle by 10.68 points after his short program disaster Wednesday night, but easily made it up as he turned in a personal-best score in international competition of 226.27 in the free skate. Buttle finished second and Jeremy Abbott, who trains in Colorado Springs, was third.
Lysacek over-rotated his quad jump to start his program, but was able to still land it.
“I think this one was a little scratchy,” said Lysacek, who also landed the quad in his win at the U.S. championships. “I’m satisfied at pulling it off.”
Buttle couldn’t land his triple axel at the start, but had the presence of mind to make it up later in the program with a triple flip followed by a triple toeloop.
“I was still happy for how tired I was,” said Buttle, who was affected by the altitude.
Lysacek had a surprise visitor arrive late in coach Frank Carroll, who had been in California for a trial and showed up a few hours before Lysacek went on the ice.
“He knows how to get inside my head,” Lysacek said.
Carroll simply told him to go out there and skate to the best of his ability. Carroll was stunned at how far back Lysacek was after the short program.
“I was like, ‘What did he do?’ ” Carroll said. “I was confident (he could make the points up).”
Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon of Canada won the ice dancing competition earlier in the day, ending the three-year reign of Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto.
Lauzon playfully choked on his water after being asked when he was going to finally marry Dubreuil.
The Canadian stammered and looked in Dubreuil’s direction for assistance. She smiled and stared back before coming to his rescue.
“I’ve been waiting for 10 years,” Dubreuil said. “I’m very patient. When we have time to really do a nice reception and enjoy it, we’ll do it.”
Lauzon simply nodded in agreement at her answer.
No wonder they’re a good team.
Dubreuil and Lauzon edged Belbin and Agosto by 1.61 points in their first appearance at Four Continents since 2004, when they finished second to the U.S. pair.
Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir finished third for the second straight year, turning in a personal-best score. Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the U.S. were fourth.
Belbin and Agosto feel a little behind as they attempt to polish a new free dance. The pair showed off their new program – set to the music “Amelie” – in a first-place performance at the U.S. Championships in Spokane. They were even better at Four Continents, but claimed the program still needs work before the world championships in March.
“It’s a gutsy move to change the free dance in the middle of the season,” Belbin said. “We need to work on finishing our elements and making our lifts stronger so that there’s no question in our minds when we’re skating that we will perform this element clean. Right now, it’s at a stage where we need to think so much during the program.”
Their original plan was to debut the music after Four Continents, or even wait until next season. But when Agosto tweaked his back leading up to the grand prix final in December, the pair decided it was time to make the switch.
“I couldn’t lift for the whole week,” Agosto said. “Instead of sitting around, we (could) get down to work and make something special.”