|
SAN JOSE, Calif. Cleveland Cavaliers Black Friday Jersey . -- Ashley Wagner is the "Almost Girl" no more. Wagner won her first title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Saturday, salvaging what was an otherwise dismal night of splats and spills with a majestic rendition of "Black Swan." She finished with a score of 187.02 points and then watched as two-time champion Alissa Czisny and Agnes Zawadzki melted down. When the final results were posted, tears filled Wagners eyes and she rested a hand on the shoulder of coach John Nicks. She beamed when she climbed to the top of the podium, her smile as bright as the gold medal around her neck. "I cant even describe how happy I am," Wagner said. "Its been since the junior Grand Prix circuit since Ive been on top of a podium, and I almost forgot what it felt like. When I got up on the podium today, it was an incredible feeling and made me realize why I do this crazy sport." Czisny finished second and Zawadzki wound up third. Earlier Saturday, Meryl Davis and Charlie White claimed their fourth straight title with a performance that showed why they set the gold standard in ice dance these days. The world champions elegant and seamless routine to "Die Fledermaus" earned a total score of 191.54 points, nearly 13 better than siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani. The U.S. has been looking for someone -- anyone -- with the star power and skill to carry the Americans like Michelle Kwan did for almost a decade. The Americans have gone five years without a medal at the world championships, and they came home empty-handed from the Vancouver Olympics. For the fourth straight year, theyll have only two spots at the world championships. Its a drought the likes of which the Americans have never experienced, and the shortcomings were made all the more glaring this week by Kwans return to nationals to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Wagner has never been shy about saying she wants to be the best in the U.S., a skater who can hold her own against the Russians and the Japanese. "No ones going to say they dont want to be national champion so I think Im not being cocky, Im just saying what everyone else is thinking," Wagner said. "No one goes into nationals saying, I dont want to be a gold medallist , third place is good enough for me. Why not say what youre thinking instead of putting on an act?" But she always seemed to come up just short, finishing third in 2010 and missing a spot on the Olympic team. She also was third in 2008. Hence that "Almost Girl" nickname. Wagner had a particularly rough season last year. A head injury from when she was 13 was never treated properly, and the bones in her neck began pressing into her spinal cord, setting off "crippling body tremors." It took two hours of therapy each day with a chiropractor to correct the problem. When the season ended, Wagner decided she needed to make a radical change if she was ever going to achieve the goals she wanted. She left her family and friends on the East Coast and moved to Southern California to train with Nicks, best known as Sasha Cohens coach. "I was really nervous going out there because I felt like it was getting to the point where I wanted it so bad," Wagner said. "Then I remembered that Ive made all these changes for a reason. Ive learned so much in my time in California and I needed to use that new training. Mr. Nicks has done a great job of helping me refocus." Third after the short program, Wagner needed a spectacular performance and some help from others. She did her part, a refreshing departure after a night of lacklustre, one-dimensional performances. Wagner actually used her music and her portrayal of the "Black Swan" character was so vivid, its a wonder feathers didnt pop out of her back. Her technical elements were woven right in with her artistic elements, rather than standing alone as individual tricks, and she could have been a swan floating on the lake for how elegantly she moved across the ice. She wasnt perfect, popping a triple salchow and touching her free foot down on her triple flip. But it hardly mattered. None of the other top women skated cleanly, though some were much worse than others. Czisny got off to rough start, putting her hand down on her opening triple lutz, and things didnt improve after that. She fell on her second triple lutz and was crooked in the air on a few other jumps. She was saved by her spins, which were gorgeous as always, high component marks for her elegant presentation. "Im not really sure what to think about tonight," a subdued Czisny said. "I knew the program I put out there tonight wasnt my best, wasnt what I wanted to do. At the same time, I guess it got me where I needed to be." Zawadzki won the short program, and looked early on as she might hang onto the top spot. She opened with a double Axel-triple toe loop combination that was bigger and smoother than any other jump done any other woman did Saturday night. But Zawadzki is just 17, two years removed from winning the junior title, and she quickly became overwhelmed by the moment. "I think I started getting a little ahead of myself instead of staying in the present," she said. She fell twice, crashing on a triple lutz and a triple salchow, and popped a triple toe that was supposed to be the opening jump of a combination. She also brushed up against the boards on a triple lutz-double toe combination. She dropped all the way to seventh in the long program and barely managed to hold off Caroline Zhang for third place. "Ive never been in this position so its a different feeling for me," Zawadzki said. "Im happy with what Ive accomplished. Im a little down on the long but happy with the overall result." Wagners next challenge will be at the world championships in March. Wagner and Czisny will need to finish with a combined placement of 13 to earn the Americans to spots at next years all-important world championships, the qualifier for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. "I was on the team that lost the spot, so I really would like to be on the team that gains that spot back. I think that would be nice to tie that back up and put an end to my mistakes," said Wagner, who was 16th in 2008. "Its time the United States makes a claim in womens figure skating, and I think we have the talent here, we have the skaters. We just need to be able to go out there and put out consistent programs with triple-triples and show people that ladies figure skating in the U.S. is not over." Golden State Warriors Black Friday Jersey . "Its time that you look at it," chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel said, setting the stage for a rigorous first day of cross-examination of Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympian charged with premeditated murder for shooting Reeva Steenkamp three times through a toilet door at his home. Washington Wizards Cyber Monday Jersey . And the Ottawa Redblacks linebacker wanted to be sure his words delivered their full effect. "Its an insult," he said over the phone Wednesday after the CFL Players Association lifted its media ban, giving its members the ability to speak openly about stalling collective bargaining talks. DALLAS -- The Mavericks and New York Knicks agreed Wednesday to a six-player trade that returns centre Tyson Chandler to Dallas three years after he helped win a championship only to leave right away in free agency. The Mavericks sent guards Jose Calderon, Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington and centre Samuel Dalembert to the Knicks for Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton. The Knicks also get both of Dallas draft picks Thursday night, a pair of second-round selections at Nos. 34 and 51. New York didnt have a draft pick before the first major personnel move since Phil Jackson took over as team president. "The journey to build this team for the upcoming season and beyond continues," Jackson said. "We have added players with this move that will fit right in to our system while maintaining future flexibility." New York is hoping to keep Carmelo Anthony despite the star forward planning to opt out of his contract and become a free agent on July 1. The Mavericks are reportedly on a short list of new destinations Anthony will also consider. Chandler was the emotional catalyst for the Dirk Nowitzki-led Mavericks when they beat the Miami Heat in six games to win the franchises first title in 2011. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made the much-debated decision not to offer him a long-term contract because of concerns over how the new labour deal would keep Dallas from making other moves. Chandler, who had a history of injuries, turned down a one-year deal worth about $20 million for the security of a four-year, $55 million contract with the Knicks. The 31-year-old Chandler is going into the final season oof that deal at $14. Phoenix Suns Black Friday Jersey. 5 million, and Felton has one year at $3.8 million with a player option for another season in the same range. Calderon just finished the first season of a four-year, $28 million contract with the Mavericks, who also signed Monta Ellis to a multiyear deal last summer. It was the first time Dallas had committed to any player beyond one year since Nowitzki signed his most recent extension in 2010. Nowitzki will join Anthony in free agency, but he is expected to re-sign with the Mavericks. The Knicks are getting one of the best 3-pointer shooters and a steady hand at the point in Calderon, but he sometimes sat late in close games because he was a defensive liability. He averaged 11.4 points and shot 45 per cent from 3-point range last season. Felton is coming off a trouble-plagued season that included his arrest in February in a felony gun possession case. He was expected to plead guilty in exchange for community service and a $5,000 fine. Felton, who turns 30 on Thursday, averaged a career-low 9.7 points and saw a significant drop in his shooting percentage last season. Dalembert had an up-and-down season in the first year of a two-year deal with Dallas, while Larkin and Ellington were used sparingly. Larkin, the son of Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin and a first-round pick a year ago, saw his playing time drop dramatically when Devin Harris returned from toe surgery at midseason. Harris is a free agent and wants to return to Dallas, but he would like the three-year contract he and the Mavericks agreed to last year before the toe injury scuttled the deal. He settled for a one-year contract. ' ' ' |
