Bantam Challengers Leave Kwan With No Small Task

It’s the longest-running show on ice: “Michelle Against the Munchkins” at the U.S. nationals.

Every year, it’s another interpretation of “Gulliver’s Travels,” with sequined Lilliputians bouncing all over the rink, pestering the giant of the sport, turning themselves into pint-sized pains in the neck.

First it was Tara Lipinski.

Then, Naomi Nari Nam.

Now, they’re coming at Michelle Kwan in waves. A Sasha Cohen here, a Sarah Hughes there, together forming the tiniest double-team ever seen inside Gund Arena.

Effective too. During Friday’s women’s short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Cohen (15 years old, 4 feet 9 inches tall) and Hughes (14 and 5-3) skated cleanly, whereas Kwan did not, resulting in some rather surprising mid-competition standings: 1. Cohen; 2. Hughes; 3. Kwan.

Kwan performed her short program to the accompaniment of the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life,” and to borrow a phrase, “She read the news today, oh boy.”

Kwan, three-time national champion and two-time world titlist, finds herself trailing a pair of girls who look at Kwan, a 19-year-old UCLA freshman, as a long-standing legend from a long-ago generation.

“I have always really looked up to Michelle,” said Cohen, who lives in Laguna Niguel and trains in Costa Mesa. “I looked up to her artistry and how polished she was and how well her programs flowed together. . . . I skate at Lake Arrowhead [where Kwan trains] once a week, and I probably met her one of those times.”

Giggling, Cohen sounded almost star-struck.

“She was really nice and personable.”

Now, Cohen is beating Kwan in short programs. Or, rather, as is her occasional habit, Kwan did herself in--this time falling on the jump she considers the easiest in her short program, the triple toe loop.

That one mishap saddled Kwan with technical marks of 5.3 and 5.4--and continued her curious streak of not having completed an error-free competition, short and long programs combined, in eight Olympic-eligible events since the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

In those events, Kwan has either fallen or failed to complete a triple jump at least once. Usually, it hasn’t cost her much--in five of the first seven competitions, she eventually placed first.

But to overcome another short-program miscue today, Kwan needs to skate a clean long program and do so convincingly enough to climb past not one but two precocious challengers.

Cohen, who wears braces and collects Beanie Babies, received a standing ovation after hitting all four of her jumps, impressing the judges with creative and flexible footwork.

“I had no expectations of beating her,” Cohen said of Kwan. “When I did, I was, like, ‘Wow!’ ”

Hughes, fourth at last year’s nationals, followed Cohen onto the ice and while admitting, “It’s not always easy to go out there after a standing ovation,” she too skated cleanly, earning two presentation scores of 5.9--enough to move her past Kwan in the standings as well.

Angela Nikodinov, third at last year’s nationals, finished the day in fourth place, followed by Nari Nam, the 1999 U.S. silver medalist.

Afterward, Kwan was kicking herself for botching a jump, the triple toe, she hadn’t missed in competition since 1996.

“Frank [Carroll, Kwan’s coach] always says, ‘Don’t take the easy jumps for granted,’ ” Kwan said. “I felt so at ease, I was almost too comfortable on my feet. I walked into it.”

Looking at Cohen and Hughes, seated next to her in the interview room, Kwan acknowledged the challenge they have issued entering today’s long program.

“When I look to my right,” Kwan said, “I see a lot of potential, a lot of athleticism, a lot of technical ability. I know I have to keep on top of things. You just can’t maintain things anymore. You have to keep going forward.”

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After finishing second at the 1999 nationals during their first few months as a partnership, Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman won the U.S. pairs championship Friday night. It marked Ina’s third pairs gold medal at the nationals; she placed also placed first in 1997 and 1998 when teamed with Jason Dungjen.

Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn took second place after finishing fifth in 1999.