AMERICA ON ICE - AT 4:07 P.M. ET:  I had an essay on figure skating at the Angel's Corner this week.  My wife and I are fans.  I mentioned that figure skating has declined in popularity in the United States since Tonya Harding arranged for Nancy Kerrigan to be whacked in the knee in 1994. 

The interest level in this beautiful sport won't be helped by what happened last night at the world championships in Los Angeles.  South Korea's Yu-Na Kim won the gold, a well-deserved victory after a superb performance.  Canada's Joannie Rochette won silver.  I thought the judges were a bit generous.  Japan's Miki Ando got bronze.  Okay, but I thought that should have gone to the fourth-place finisher, Japan's Mao Asada. 

The Americans?  Spirited Rachel Flatt came in fifth, and our national champion, the stylish Alissa Czisny, finished a crushing eleventh.  That is a catastrophe for this country's skating program.  The placements mean that, for the first time since the Harding/Kerrigan convulsion in 1994, and only for the second time since the winter games began in 1924, the U.S. will be permitted only two women for the individual ladies' competition in next year's Olympics in Vancouver.  The combined placements of Flatt and Czisny had to add up to 13 or less to guarantee three slots.   

American women have medaled in every Olympics since 1964.  The ladies' individual competition is the most popular event in the winter Olympics, and brings in masses of TV viewers.  A poor showing by the U.S., now cut to two skaters, could further depress figure skating in this country.

There is serious talk that ultra-champion Michelle Kwan and 2006 Sasha Cohen may come back into competitive skating to try for next year's Olympics.  That would give us star power...and at least a chance.  Would be a great news story, too.

March 29, 2009