Takahashi holds off Lysacek for win
READING, Pa. - Japan's Daisuke Takahashi was outpointed in the free skate last night by US champion Evan Lysacek, yet still won Skate America thanks to his overwhelming margin from the short program.
Takahashi fell twice and tired toward the end of the routine. But his lead of more than 12 points from Friday was enough to hold off Lysacek.
The world silver medalist looked spent at the conclusion of his performance to "Romeo and Juliet." Unlike Shakespeare's tragic hero, though, Takahashi survived, winning, 228.97 to 220.08.
Lysacek was at his most expressive in a program to "Tosca" that was exhausting to watch, let alone skate. Although he two-footed the quadruple toe loop (barely) on his first element, he nailed everything else with an energy that built throughout the 4 1/2 minutes. When he was done and the crowd was on its feet, Lysacek held his pose - arm fully extended like the pirate he was portraying wielding a sword - for nearly 10 seconds.
In all, Lysacek landed eight triples, but it was the emotion he put into the show that charged the arena.
Takahashi couldn't come close to his stunning short program 24 hours earlier, falling on a triple axel and a lutz. He left the ice shaking his head slowly, but in the end he was wearing the gold.
Stephen Carriere of Wakefield, Mass., finished fifth overall.
Earlier, in a matchup of world champions, it was a 14-year-old newcomer who stole the spotlight.
While 2006 world winner Kimmie Meissner was beating current world champ Miki Ando in the short program, junior high schooler Caroline Zhang wowed everyone in her debut as a senior skater.
Meissner was no slouch, of course, and her array of jumps and a strong opening spiral sequence - rare in figure skating - earned her 59.24 points for a solid lead over her Japanese rival.
But most memorable will be the way Zhang smoked the ice. From her opening triple flip-triple toe loop combination to an incredible finish, Zhang, of Brea, Calif., was mesmerizing.
Zhang's jumping was reminiscent of an equally young Tara Lipinski a decade ago. And her long, flowing spirals recalled Michelle Kwan at her best.
Neither, though, could pull off the kind of layback spin that topped off Zhang's breakthrough performance. The top half of her body was almost perpendicular to the ice as she twirled and twirled, with the crowd standing and cheering.
Ando, skating with an injured right shoulder, made a silly mistake that cost her. Although Ando probably wouldn't have caught Meissner, she stumbled during footwork late in her routine.
Otherwise, her jumps were solid and her spins were precise. But the program, to "Samson and Delilah," lacked spark, and Ando has some work to do in today's free skate.
Also yesterday, Canada's Jessice Dube and Bryce Davison upset China's 2006 world champions Pang Qing and Tong Jian in an uninspiring pairs event.
US champions Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto won the original dance with their bluegrass hoedown routine.
