ST. PAUL, Minn. - Let's get one thing clear: Tarah Kayne and Daniel O’Shea won their first U.S. pairs title with a free skate impressive in its own right.
But coming after the falls, stepouts, out-of-sync spins and slow-as-molasses skating that preceded them, what Kayne and O’Shea did seemed nothing short of spectacular.
Read MoreST. PAUL, Minn. - For the United States to have any chance at Olympic or world medals in the current state of men’s figure skating, it will take a skater with the attitude of Nathan Chen.
That Chen, only 16 and still competing at the junior as well the senior level, understands the sport’s new realities was evident in his adopting a mindset allowing him to make history before a distressingly small crowd at the U.S. Championships Friday night.
If only U.S. judges had a similar level of comprehension.
Read MoreST. PAUL, Minn. – It may have looked as if Polina Edmunds was just going through the motions Friday while doing a practice run-through of her free skate to selections from the “Gone With The Wind” film score.
This one was more of a walk-through, like a director blocking a scene.
Every place a jump was programmed, Edmunds simply popped lightly into the air and came straight down, with no attempt at a rotation. That was in stark contrast to the approach of the other skaters, who practiced executing the jumps the way they want to in Saturday night’s final at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
It was just another part of Edmunds’ game plan, the one she and her coaching team have stuck with during what seems like a long two years since she became an overnight sensation at this event two years ago.
Read MoreST. PAUL, Minn. -- The music is ethereal, as close as humanly possible to the ancient concept of celestial harmony.
That is what Beethoven created in the sonata called “The Moonlight.” On Thursday night, Polina Edmunds came as close as humanly possible to skating in perfect harmony with it.
Read MoreST. PAUL, Minn. -- It was a good thing only a few hundred (fool?)hardy souls were in the XCel Energy Center for Thursday afternoon’s pairs short program at the U.S. Championships.
That meant there was limited live exposure to some of the worst pairs skating ever at nationals.
And that is saying something, given the nadir the discipline has reached since three-time world medalists Jenni Meno and Todd Sand retired after 1998.
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Philip Hersh, formerly Olympic specialist for the Chicago Tribune, has covered 20 Olympic Games. He often uses sport as a way to write about the culture of a country or athlete. READ FULL BIO
