At 29, Eldredge Jumps Back Into the Pre-Olympic Grind

Todd Eldredge could have taken the easy way out.

The five-time U.S. men’s figure skating champion could have extended his venture onto the lucrative professional circuit, performing in shows and made-for-TV pro-am competitions in which flair counts more than technique. He didn’t have to go back to practicing difficult programs that include seven triple jumps--and on good days--a quadruple jump.

He could have relinquished his Olympic dream after his 10th-place finish at the 1992 Albertville Games or his fourth-place finish at Nagano in 1998, the latter a stinging disappointment because he was third entering the long program. No one would have blamed him. Many of his contemporaries have already given up serious competition and skated off into the sunset of professional ice shows.

But Eldredge, 29, cared less about what the calendar said than what his heart said. And his heart told him to retain his Olympic eligibility and try once more to give the performances he knew he was capable of but didn’t produce in Albertville or Nagano.

“I pretty much approach competition the same now as I did 10 years ago,” said Eldredge, the 1996 world champion. “I have to have a little bit more of a positive outlook. I know that 15, 16 months down the road is what I’m looking for--Salt Lake City. I’m in pretty good shape right now, and I want to build toward that.”

He got off to a good start two weeks ago, when he landed his first quadruple jump in competition en route to winning the Masters of Skating event in Boise, Idaho. But he faces another tough test this weekend at Skate America, the first major competition of the figure skating season.

Skate America, which begins today at the Colorado Springs World Arena, is the first of six events in the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix Series. The others are Skate Canada, Nations Cup (Germany), Trophee Lalique (France), the Cup of Russia and NHK Trophy (Japan).

The 12-skater Skate America men’s field includes Alexei Yagudin of Russia, who has won the last three world titles but lost to Eldredge two weeks ago at Boise, 2000 U.S. silver medalist Timothy Goebel and 2000 U.S. bronze medalist Trifun Zivanovic, a Beverly Hills High graduate who trains in Torrance. Eldredge replaced Michael Weiss, the 2000 U.S. champion and world bronze medalist who withdrew because of stress fracture in his left ankle.

“This has been a great competition for me, and hopefully, it will be one more time,” said Eldredge, who has won the Skate America title five times. “It’s the start of the season for everybody and it’s a good test for where you stand at the beginning of the season and what you need to work on by the time our national championships and the world championships roll around.”

Eldredge, who plans at least one quadruple jump--probably in combination with a double toe loop--took pride in learning he was the oldest skater to complete a quad in competition.

“If I’m the oldest guy to do it, it shows the sport has grown so much,” he said. “You don’t have to win everything by the time you’re 18 and turn pro. . . . In ’98 there were only a handful of guys who could do quads. Now there are 20 to 25 skaters who do them. Technically, the sport has progressed quite a bit. Everybody has stepped it up, and I’ve had to do the same.”

Michelle Kwan, a three-time women’s world champion and four-time U.S. champion, heads the women’s field. Kwan, who trains in El Segundo, recorded a perfect 6.0 in winning at Boise two weeks ago. Like Eldredge, she’s also priming for an Olympic reprise.

Kwan was first entering the long program at Nagano, but as she later acknowledged, she held back a bit--leaving just enough room for Tara Lipinski of Sugar Land, Texas to skate a technically more difficult program and pass her to win the gold medal.

Although Lipinski relinquished her Olympic eligibility, Kwan decided to continue competing. She also took on the burden of enrolling at UCLA, although she lightened her course load after a frazzled first freshman semester.

Despite being challenged by youngsters such as Sarah Hughes, who will compete at Skate America, Kwan hasn’t lost her resolve. After finishing second to Maria Butyrskaya of Russia at the 1999 World Championships, Kwan regained the title last spring at Nice, France. She was third after the short program but rallied to win by mixing seven difficult triple jumps--including a triple toe loop-triple toe loop combination--with her trademark grace and expressiveness.

“I think this is the most satisfying championship for me,” she said afterward.

*

Three-time world champion Elvis Stojko of Canada withdrew from next week’s Skate Canada event because of tendinitis in his left heel.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Calendar

Key events of the 2000-01 figure skating season:

* Oct. 26-29--Skate America, Colorado Springs, Colo.

* Nov. 2-5--Skate Canada, Mississauga*

* Nov. 9-12--Sparkassen Cup on Ice, Gelsenkirchen, Germany*

* Nov. 16-19--Cup of Russia, St. Petersburg*

* Nov. 23-26--Trophee Lalique, Paris*

* Nov. 30-Dec. 3--NHK Trophy, Asahikawi, Japan*

* Jan. 13-21, 2001--U.S. championships, Boston

* Jan 21-28--European championships, Bratislava, Czech Republic

* Feb. 7-10--Four Continents championships, Salt Lake City

* Feb. 15-18--Grand Prix Final, Tokyo

* March 18-25--World championships, Vancouver, Canada

*--Grand Prix event