2002 U.S. Nationals

Senior Dance

Skating in their first competition of the season, Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev won both compulsory dances of the ice dancing event.  The couple withdrew from all events this season due to Tchernyshev suffering from severe shin splints.  In the first dance, Lang stumbled entering their closing pose, but it was after the required steps had ended and the couple was placed a unanimous first.  In the second dance Tchernyshev skid badly on an edge in the second pattern.  Two of the judges placed them second in that dance, but the remaining seven placed them first.

Second place in both dances was taken by Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto.  The 2001 silver medalists are the favorites to repeat that here, but even if they finish second they are not eligible for the second spot on the U.S. Olympic team because Belbin is not a U.S. citizen.

Beata Handra & Charles Sinek took third place in both dances, down one place from their second place results last year in the compulsory dances but up one place from their fourth place finish that year.  If they maintain their position they are next  in line for the second spot on the Olympic Team.

Newcomers to the senior ranks, Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov, who married in February 2001, placed fourth in both compulsory dances, while 2001 bronze medalists Jessica Joseph & Brandon Forsyth were fifth.  Joseph & Forsyth did not look as sharp as last year and it appears they will not be a factor in this yea'rs medal hunt.

Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto also skated their routine and very well and earned unanimous second place marks from the panel.  Agosto described their routine saying, "Our original dance is a flamenco and a tango.  We really wanted to try to use the full spectrum of each of those dances so we tired to incorporate some slow and more intimate pieces of tango as well as very powerful and fast music.  As far as changes we've made -- we added some steps here and there since Lalique.  It feels a lot more solid to us and more comfortable."  Regarding the changes, Belbin said, "I think after our Grand Prixs were over this year, we got to have a good look at what was out there and what everyone was doing.  When we came back home we had a good idea of how we wanted to make the final touches to the program.  It feels pretty solid now."

After the top two places, the panel began to scramble the cards for the next three teams, but in the end placements did not change.  Beata Handra & Charles Sinek held third place with marks of third through fifth.  Said Handra, "Tonight's performance was the debut of our original dance.  We were unable to perform it earlier because we withdrew from our internationals due to injury.  We were really excited -- we couldn't wait to perform this OD.  We're pleased with our performance.  It was a good release of emotion to dance to a Spanish rhythm this year.  As far as having a spot on the Olympic Team, we're very hopeful.  If it does happen, it would be our dream come true."

Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev won the free dance on an 8-1 decision of the judges, making them the U.S. National Dance Champions for the fourth year in a row.   They are the first couple since Judy Blumberg & Michael Seibert to achieve that.  In the process they earned three marks of 6.0 for presentation giving them a total of four 6.0 for this championship and six total for their career, all at U.S. championships.  In accomplishing that, they have surpassed Blumberg & Seibert who received five 6.0s at the 19983 U.S. Championships.

Lang & Tchernyshev's free dance was adapted from their show program from last year.  Lang described it the day of the original dance saying, "We're very excited about this free dance.  We actually converted our last year's show program, 'Parisian Walkways,' into this year's free dance.  We had really good reviews with that show program and we feel this music very well.  We're excited to get it out there and show everyone what we can do."  Added Tchernyshev, "I think after last year we just decided to go with the wishes of our fans because they liked the show program so much.  It worked so well we decided to transform into our free dance, making it with all legal elements."  In the later regard, however, they did not totally succeed.  Despite the 6.0s, their marks for technical merit went as low as 5.4 with some judges taking deductions, questioning the length of some separations and also a move in which Lang is balanced on Tchernyshev's chest without a hand hold.  Following their performance Lang said, "We've been out for a half of a year, and we didn't really get to review our program before we got here with any judges.  It just goes to show that we need to fix a couple of things before we go into Four Continents."

Lang & Tchernyshev are the only Olympic Team members who are planning to make the trip to Korea for the Four Continents Championships before the Olympic Games.  Because the couple missed all of their international events they have not been seen by the international judges this season.  Said Tchernyshev, "Maybe the factor of surprise will play positive for us.  Plus we're hoping to show our program at Four Continents because we know that a few European judges will be there as well."  Lang described their performance and their goals at the Olympics saying, "Overall, I think we're just very happy with how we skated here at the nationals.   We've been out for half a year and to have the crowd response like we had today ... is just an incredible feeling.  We've had a lot of emotions this week and it all came out.  We're just so excited to be going to the Olympics and to have this chance.   As far as we're concerned about medals at the Olympics, we're just going to go and enjoy ourselves and try to have as much fun as we can and skate the best that we can for our country."

Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto "Sarajevo" routine was fast and well skated, if artistically muddled.  They received eight second place marks and one first place mark to win the silver medal.  It was their second consecutive silver medal at a U.S. Championships.  Because Belbin is not a U.S. citizen the couple did not make the Olympic Team.  "Like we said before," said Belbin, "we've known that we wouldn't be eligible for these Olympics since we teamed up and we're going to take the place any way we can have it.  We're very excited.  We've really been able to separate it and focus only on our skating and really enjoy what we're doing and be excited about how far we can go from here."

In a 6-3 split of the panel, Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov moved up to third place to win the bronze medal.  This is their first season together and their first appearance at U.S. Nationals.  Gregory was 1998 U.S. Junior Champion with her former partner James Shuford, and were tenth at the 1999 World Junior Championships.  Petukhov is a World Junior silver medalist with his former partner Oksana Potdykova when they skated for Russia.

Beata Handra & Charles Sinek dropped to fourth place in the free dance and fourth overall, which was still good enough to earn the second spot on the U.S. Olympic team.  Belbin, who is a Canadian citizen, and Petukhov, who is a Russian citizen, are not eligible to represent the U.S. at the Olympics under IOC rules.   Commenting on that, Gregory said, "You can't really let that factor go into your performance or into your mind.  It's been a big year for Denis and I.   There's been so many factors -- everything's new, he's in a new country, we just got married, it was out first year in senior dance and being third is just incredible and very overwhelming.  I think we're really very happy with what we got.  We're looking forward to next season."

Skating to Sampson and Delilah, Handra & Sinek gave a well skated performance in a style that was a welcome departure from past years.  The routine was choreographed by Shanti Ruchpaul who choreographed Klimova & Ponomarenko's 1992 free dance and Anissina & Peizerat's Romeo and Juliet free dance.   The stylistic similarities to the French team were unmistakable, with the routine even including one of their signature moves in which the woman lifts the man.  At 33, Sinek is the oldest U.S Olympian in figure skating since the games were resumed following WW II.  Said Sinek, "when I get back to the hotel and lie down and think about it, I think it's going to hit me a little more because I know my adrenaline is going."  And later, "This moment is worth it for us.  [It was] a lot of years, a lot of time, a difficult injury, which kept me off for two and a half months (mid-August through October 2001).  I had a blood clot after knee surgery.  I had a difficult recovery.  Blood clots are dangerous, you can't exercise for fear they'll break off."  Handra described their performance saying, "We felt great.  We really skated for the crowd; we skated for our families; we skated for our coach, Inese Bucevica.  We're really proud of the program and we just wanted everyone to see it and to see what we worked on; see how we've developed over the year.  It just felt great to hear the crowd -- It was very emotional for me."

Compulsory Dance 1

Compulsory Dance 2

Original Dance

Free Dance