http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=36518
U.S. Men in Second and Third After Cup of China Men's Short Program
(11/10/06) - This time Evan Lysacek will not have to jump too far.
At the Olympic Winter Games he moved from 10th to fourth with his memorable free skate in Torino. At the World Championships in Calgary a month later he went from eighth to his second consecutive World bronze medal.
Then, just two weeks ago at Skate America he came back from a mediocre short program to win the free skate and take second overall.
So moving from second after Friday's Cup of China short program to the title on Saturday could be a breeze. He is trailing Belarus's Sergei Davydov by just .25 points – 69.45 to 69.20. Scott Smith has almost the same margin over Emanuel Sandhu of Canada for third, 63.77 to 63.55.
Although he singled the flip, Lysacek said he was pleased with his performance to “The Feeling Begins” a Peter Gabriel composition from “The Last Temptation of Christ” soundtrack that Oksana Gritshuk and Evgeny Platov used to win a World title in 1997.
“My toe pick just slipped on the ice,” Lysacek said.
He did his triple Axel and triple Lutz-triple toe combination cleanly after he had trouble in Hartford.
“I think it was an improvement from my first Grand Prix appearance in Skate America, so that is all we can ask for at this point, just to keep building and improving,” he said.
Lysacek said that after so much touring over the summer with Champions on Ice he needs the competition.
“I was on tour for five months, so I had just a few weeks to get ready,” he said. “I am still sort of training and getting in shape for the season and doing it on the road at each competition. It is kind of exciting as it keeps me on my toes.”
Smith had planned a quad Salchow but scaled it down when he could not get the consistency down.< |