Jeremy Abbott - 2012 US Men's Figure Skating Champion

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Jeremy Abbott - 2012 US Men's Figure Skating Champion
« on: February 02, 2012, 01:14:11 PM »
Jeremy Abbott won his third US men's figure skating title with a fine free skate that blended elegance with technical sparks.

Abbott, who had led by more than seven points after the short programme, underscored his status as the country's best with a free skate that included the only clean quadruple jump of the competition.

He earned 183.35 points for his free skate to finish with a total score of 273.58.

Adam Rippon was a distant second with a total of 240.87 points and Ross Miner was third on 230.32.

"I skate to give a performance like that and so I felt really good," Abbott said. "I was really nervous when I started, I was shaking a little bit. But from the second I set for the quad I was like, 'I'm going to do this.'

"I just really took it into my hands and made sure that I did what I needed to do."

Caydee Denney and John Coughlin won the pairs title, their first since joining forces in May although each had won the national crown with a different partner in the past.

The success of their partnership in such a short period of time has raised hopes that the United States could end a long international medal drought in pairs skating.

Denney and Coughlin delivered a polished free skate to win with a total score of 189.70 points.

Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker were second while Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig, the silver medallists the past two years, faltered in the free skate and finished third.

At the end of the competition. US Figure Skating named the team to represent America at the World Championships in Nice, France, March 26-April 1.

It includes Abbott and Rippon and women's champion Ashley Wagner and Alissa Czisny.

In pairs it will be Denney and Coughlin and Marley and Brubaker.

The Americans have three dance berths at worlds, and will be led by reigning world champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White, with dance duos Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue and Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani also representing the United States.