Women's favorites

Back to skating primer

Kimmie Meissner

2006 U.S. Championships finish: 2
Age: 17
Hometown: Bel Air, Md.
Short program music: “Snowstorm” by Sviridov
Free-skate music: “Galacia”
Personal best: 189.87, World Championships, 2006

Around the rink: Meissner has been moving up the ladder nicely: bronze at the 2005 nationals, silver in 2006; and the favorite to win her first national title in Spokane. While she enters with the confidence that comes with winning the 2006 World Championship, Meissner has other factors in her favor. No Sasha, but more importantly, this is the U.S. nationals - no Mao Asada, Miki Ando or the other Japanese athletes who make up five of the top 10 skaters in the world.

Emily Hughes

2006 U.S. Championships finish: 3
Age: 17
Hometown: Great Neck, N.Y.
Short program music: “Carmen” by George Bizet
Free-skate music: Music from the ballet “Sylvia”
Personal best: 165.72, U.S. Championships, 2006

Around the rink: A bronze medalist at last year’s nationals, Hughes still is most often described as the kid sister of 2002 Salt Lake City gold medalist Sarah Hughes and the skater who earned a spot on the 2006 U.S. Olympic team when Michelle Kwan pulled out because injury. Like her sister, the high school senior is a consistent skater and performs well under pressure.

Katy Taylor

2006 U.S. Championships finish: 4
Age: 17
Hometown: Houston
Short program music: “Legends of the Fall” by James Horner
Free-skate music: “Themes and Variations” by Tchaikovsky
Personal best: 164.05, ISU Four Continents, 2006

Around the rink: A strong finisher at last year’s nationals, Taylor has positioned herself to medal this year. Known for her power and jumps, Taylor’s best finish the past year was winning Four Continents. Her Grand Prix season has been less than spectacular. After finishing third behind Bebe Liang and Russian Arina Martinova at the Nebelhorn Trophy, Taylor followed with 11th- and 12th-place finishes at Skate America and Skate Canada, respectively.

Bebe Liang

2006 U.S. Championships finish: 5
Age: 18
Hometown: Granada Hills, Calif.
Short program music: “Firedance” by David Foster
Free-skate music: Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington’s “Caravan”
Personal best: 159.91 ISU Four Continents, 2006

Around the rink: Liang had a good Grand Prix season, winning the Neberhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany, and finishing fifth at the Cup of China and fourth at the NHK Trophy. The California skater is known for her artistry and intricate, original programs. Although she’s never finished higher than fifth at nationals, she’s always a threat and excels under pressure.

Alissa Czisny

2006 U.S. Championships finish: 7 Age: 19
Hometown: Bowling Green, Ohio
Short program music: “Prelude” and “Quadukka-I-Mayas”
Free-skate music: Excepts from the soundtrack from the 1954 movie “Sabrina”
Personal best: 168.32, Skate Canada, 2005

Around the rink: Czisny has struggled at past nationals, never living up to her billing. A favorite to medal last year, Czisny fell twice in her short program and finished in seventh overall. Known for her exquisite layback spins, the Ohio skater hasn’t had a memorable season. Because she wasn’t in the top five at last year’s nationals, she had to skate at this year’s Eastern Great Lake Regionals, but outdid the field by winning.

Men's favorites

Back to skating primer

Johnny Weir

2006 U.S. Championships finish: 1
Age: 22
Hometown: Quarryville, Pa.
Short program music: “King of Chess” by Silent Nick
Free-skate music: “Child of Nazareth” by Maxime Rodriquez
Personal best: 225.34, U.S. Championships, 2006

Around the rink: Weir has come a long way since stopping in his long program at the 2003 nationals. Since then, he’s won three straight U.S. titles and is attempting to put his name alongside Brian Boitano, who was the last male skaters to win four straight U.S. nationals (1984-1988). Weir doesn’t have a quad in his program, but it’s never hurt him on the national level. What may stand in the way is a bad hip on his right takeoff leg. He injured it at the ISU Grand Prix Final and withdrew about six hours before the free skate.

Evan Lysacek

2006 U.S. Championships finish: 2
Age: 21
Hometown: Naperville, Ill.
Short program music: Soundtrack to "Last Temptation of Christ" by Peter Gabriel
Free Skate Music: "Carmen Suite" by George Bizet and “Carmen” by Rodian
Personal best: 224.47, U.S. Championships, 2006

Around the rink: Lysacek is the poster boy for Spokane’s big event, spending a day here last summer promoting the Champions on Ice tour and nationals. He’s excited about skating at the Arena, where he hopes to remember it as the rink where he won his first national title. Like his rival Weir, Lysacek enters nationals coming off an injury to his right hip. It happened on Dec. 15 during practice at the ISU Grand Prix Finals. He, too, pulled out and has had five weeks to rest and rehab.

Scott Smith

2006 U.S. Championships finish: 5
Age: 25
Hometown: Sandy Spring, Md.
Short program music: “Night Train” by Jimmy Forrest
Free-skate music: “Romeo and Juliet” soundtrack (1996 version)
Personal best: 208.03, U.S. Championships, 2006

Around the rink: Smith is making his 11th trip to nationals, eighth as a senior. At last year’s championships, he was the only skater to land a clean quadruple jump, but it wasn’t enough for him to leap into the top three spots. Smith’s highest finish was fourth in 2003. Now that Matt Savoie and Michael Weiss have retired, maybe Smith will move into a medal spot.

Ryan Bradley

2006 U.S. Championships finish: 8
Age: 23
Hometown: St. Joseph, Mo.
Short program music: Polka by Gigon Kramer
Free-skate music: Perez Prado medley: "Mambo en Sax," "Historia De Un Amor" and "El Cumbanchero"
Personal best: 200.87, Midwest sectionals, 2007

Around the rink: Bradley carries the title of back-to-back U.S. Collegiate winner, representing the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He opened the season at Skate America, finishing eighth overall behind fellow Americans Lysacek and Smith.

Stephen Carriere

2006 U.S. Championships finish: (1, juniors)
Age: 17
Hometown: Wakefield, Mass.
Short program music: “Stray Cat Strut” by the Stray Cats and “The Pink Panther” by Henry Mancini
Free-skate music: Buddy Rich medley: “Space Shuttle” and “God Bless the Child”
Personal best: 188.13, Junior Grand Prix Finals, 2006

Around the rink: The reigning junior national champion represents the best of the next wave. His season has been outstanding, winning junior events at the ISU Grand Prix Finals, the Netherland Grand Prix and the Hungary Grand Prix.

Pairs favorites

Back to skating primer

Rena Inoue/John Baldwin

2006 U.S. Championship finish: 1
Ages: Inoue, 30; Baldwin, 33
Hometowns: Both Santa Monica, Calif.
Short program music: “Soul of Spain” by 101 Strings
Free-skate music: Selections by G. Puccini
Personal best: 183.17, U.S. Championships, 2006

Around the rink: Since the Champions on Ice tour ended, the defending national champs won Skate America, finished second at Skate Canada and at Trophee Eric Bompard and finished fourth at last month’s ISU Grand Prix Finals.

Naomi Nari Nam/Themi Leftheris

2006 U.S. Championship finish: 5
Ages: Nam, 21; Leftheris, 24
Hometowns: Irvine, Calif./Palm Harbor, Fla.
Short program music: Jacob Gade’s “Jealousy” tango
Free-skate music: Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington’s “Caravan.”
Personal best: 161.32, Skate America, 2006

Around the rink: Skate fans will remember Nam as the singles skater who burst into the spotlight at the 1999 nationals and won a silver medal behind Michelle Kwan. In the 2000-01 season, Nam suffered a hip injury that ended her career in singles. Nam and Leftheris paried up in 2005 and have gained success with each event. They won a bronze at this year’s Skate America.

Tiffany Vise/Derek Trent

2006 U.S. Championship finish: 6
Ages: Vise, 20; Trent, 26
Hometowns: Both Colorado Springs, Colo.
Short program music: "Shall We Dance” movie soundtrack
Free-skate music: Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables”
Personal best: 153.78, U.S. Championships, 2006

Around the rink: Vise and Trent paired up in July 2003 after skating at the same rink since they were young. They won back-to-back Midwestern Sectionals and also have been competing internationally.

Kendra Moyle/Andy Seitz

2006 U.S. Championship finish: 1, juniors
Ages: Moyle, 16; Seitz, 21
Hometowns: Chelsea, Mich./Bettendorf, Iowa
Short program music: Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A” by Maksim Mrvica
Free-skate music: “Prince Igor” by Alexander Borodin
Personal best: 147.81, U.S. Championships, juniors, 2006

Around the rink: The defending junior champions have jumped up a class. As juniors, they also hold the title of 2006 World Junior silver medalists. The pair also won the Junior Grand Prix event in Norway and placed second at the Czech Republic.

Julia Vlassov/Drew Meekins

2006 U.S. Championship finish: 3, jumiors
Ages: Vlassov 16; Meekins 21
Hometowns: Hudson, Mass./Wellesley, Mass.
Sport program music: “Sarabande” by Maksim Mrvica
Free-skate music: “Warsaw Concerto” by Richard Addinsell
Personal best: 153.78, U.S. Championships, juniors, 2006

Around the rink: They also moved up a class since last January’s nationals, followed by their gold medal at the 2006 World Junior Championships. In October, they finished second at the Neberhorn Trophy, behind Americans Brooke Castile and Benjamin Okolski, also competing here.

Ice dance favorites

Back to skating primer

Tanith Belbin/Ben Agosto

2006 U.S. Championship finish: 1
Ages: Belbin 22, Agosto 24
Hometowns: Kirkand, Quebec/Chicago
Original-dance music: "Concierto Para Quinteto" by Astor Piazzolla, played by Gidon Kremer
Free-dance music: Overture from "That’s Entertainment"
Personal best: 221.26, World Championships, 2006

Around the rink: Any observant driver who has zipped past the expanded convention center can’t miss the giant poster of Belbin and Agosto who are America’s “it” couple of ice dancing. The pair has earned the title by winning silver at the Turin Olympics, three straight national titles and a silver medal at the 2004 Worlds. They also are known for ringing out the old judging system with perfect 6.0s for presentation in free dance at the 2004 nationals.

Melissa Gregory/Denis Petukhov

2006 U.S. Championship finish: 2
Ages: Gregory 25; Petukhov 28
Hometowns: Chicago/Hartford, Conn.
Original-dance music: “La Cumparsita” by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez and the Argentinean tango “Tanguera”
Free-dance music: “Adam and Eve” by Yoav Goren
Personal best: 185.26, U.S. Championships, 2006

Around the rink: The three-time U.S. silver medalists are coming off a sixth-place finish at last month’s ISU Grand Prix Finals, behind teams from Bulgaria, Canada, Russia and France. It was their first Grand Prix Finals appearance. Top Americans Belbin and Agosto pulled out when Agosto reinjured his back. Gregory and Petukhov met through e-mail when both were looking for new partners in 2000. They married less than two months later. Petrukov, born in Kirov, Russia, became a U.S. citizen in 2005.

Morgan Matthews/Maxim Zavozin

2006 U.S. Championship finish: 4
Ages: Matthews, 19; Zavozin 21
Hometowns: Chicago/Ashburn, Va.
Original-dance music: Astor Piazzolla’s “Autumn in Buenos Aires”
Free-dance music: Maksim Mrvica medley
Personal best: 187.51, World Junior Championships, 2005

Around the rink: The pair had an ambitious Grand Prix series schedule, skating in the Nebelhorn Trophy (2nd), Skate America (4th) and Cup of Russia (6th). Zavorzin, from Moscow, became a U.S. citizen on Dec. 31, 2005. They won the Junior Worlds in 2005.

Kimberly Navarro/Brent Bommentre

2006 U.S. Championship finish: 5
Ages: Navarro, 25; Bommentre, 22
Hometowns: Santa Rosa, Calif./Chestnet Hill, Pa.
Original-dance music: John Powell’s "Assassin’s Tango" and Tom Waits’ "Little Drop of Poison"
Free-dance music: Beatles medley
Personal best: 173.76, U.S. Championships 2006

Around the rink: In their third season, Navarro and Bommentre own a fifth-place finish at nationals. They competed in three events this season and their best finish was third at the Karl Schaefer Memorial in Vienna, Austria.

Meryl Davis/Charlie White

2006 U.S. Championship finish: 1, juniors
Ages: Davis, 20; White 19
Hometowns: West Bloomfield, Mich./Bloomfield, Mich.
Original-dance music: Astor Piazzolla’s “A Los Amigos”
Free-skate music: Borodin’s “Prince Igor Polovtsian Dances”
Personal best: 178.86, U.S. Championshps, junior, 2006

Around the rink: U.S. Figure Skating is high on these 2006 World Junior bronze medalists and defending junior national champs. In their Grand Prix senior debut at Skate Canada, they finished fourth. They followed with another fourth place at the NHK Trophy.