Jeremy Abbott wins 2nd US skating title

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Any other year, those medals around the necks of Jeremy Abbott, Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir would be their most prized possession.

This year, though, the American flag tops them.

Abbott, Lysacek and Weir are on their way to the Vancouver Olympics, giving the United States its strongest team since Brian Boitano’s days. The three have had a stranglehold on the national title since 2004 and, with Abbott winning his second straight Sunday, each has won it multiple times. Lysacek is the reigning world champion, Abbott won last year’s Grand Prix final and Weir was the bronze medalist at the 2008 worlds.

Having just one of them would be a bonanza for most countries.

“Very strong,” Lysacek said when asked to assess the team. “I’m very honored to be part of this team and stand next to these two guys.”

This was the deepest men’s field in years at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and it figured to be a dogfight to make the Olympic team. But Abbott, Lysacek and Weir broke away from the pack in Friday’s short program, and it likely would have taken a total collapse to knock one of them out.

That didn’t happen.

While Lysacek and Weir both had flawed programs, Abbott provided a fitting end to the competition with a stirring performance. He showed off his entire arsenal of jumps, doing them with a grace and ease.

He opened up his program with a quadruple toe loop jump, landing it more easily than some guys do triples, and also did a triple axel-triple toe combination. With Lysacek falling on his quad attempt, those jumps might have been enough to put Abbott at the top. But he tossed off a triple lutz-triple toe-double loop combo for good measure.

Abbott’s classical program wasn’t as entertaining as his “A Day in the Life” short program, but he brought the house down with his final spin.

His score of 263.66 points was 25 more than Lysacek — a landslide for those still confused by skating’s new judging system.

“My goal was to be on the team and continue to peak at the right time and improve on each performance, and I feel I’ve stuck to that plan,” Abbott said. “Winning is just the icing on the cake, and I’m so honored to represent the United States as the national champion.”

His performance was a bit of redemption, too. After winning the title last year, he imploded with dismal performances at Four Continents and the world championships. That prompted him to make a coaching change last May, a decision many questioned because it was coming so close to the Olympics.

But the move was about more than skating. Abbott grew as a person, too, and his newfound confidence is what made all the difference Sunday.