For Eldredge, the Worlds Is Not Enough

Todd Eldredge seemed puzzled to be asked why he honored his commitment to compete in the Four Continents figure skating competition at the Delta Center, a test event for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

U.S. champions Timothy Goebel and Michelle Kwan chose instead to prepare for next week’s Grand Prix final in Tokyo, where the top man, woman, pair and dance team will each earn $50,000. Eldredge could have begged out to practice the long program he must perform in Tokyo and polish his programs for next month’s World Championships at Vancouver--and his coach, Richard Callaghan, wishes he had.

“His schedule leading up to worlds is difficult,” Callaghan said. “In a perfect world, I’d like him to be home, just training for worlds.”

Why, then, is he here?

“Why not?” said Eldredge, who finished second at last month’s U.S. Championships in his return to Olympic-eligible competition.

“The most important competition coming up for me is worlds, and this event will be good practice. I’ve got plenty of time after the Grand Prix final to prepare for worlds. Every day here is like a normal training day at home.”

Eldredge, a five-time U.S. champion and 1996 world champion, will replace Kwan in a ceremony Thursday at Gallivan Center in downtown Salt Lake City to mark the one-year countdown to the Winter Games.

“That should be exciting,” he said. “I haven’t ever done anything like that.”

Of course, he hopes to be here a year from now to participate in the Olympic opening ceremony.

“That’s the most important thing,” said Eldredge, who was 10th at the 1992 Albertville Games and fourth at Nagano in 1998.

Eldredge and Michael Weiss, whose disastrous long program at the U.S. Championships cost him a third consecutive title and a trip to the world competition, lead the men’s field. The third U.S. representative is Matt Savoie, who was third at nationals. The men’s competition begins tonight with the short program.

Other contenders include Chengjiang Li of China, a jumping sensation who was fifth in last year’s world competition, and Takeshi Honda of Japan, 10th at last year’s world meet.

The ice dancing and pairs events also start today.

Three-time U.S. dance champions Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev are the defending Four Continents champions. They will be challenged by four-time world bronze medalists Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz of Canada.

The pairs event is highlighted by Xue Shen and Hangbo Zhao of China, the 2000 world silver medalists, and rising stars Jame Sale and David Pelletier of Canada. Also competing are the top U.S. finishers, Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman, Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn, and Danielle and Steve Hartsell.

The women’s competition begins Thursday. Defending Four Continents champion Angela Nikodinov of San Pedro, third at the U.S. championships, is joined by fourth- and fifth-place finishers Jennifer Kirk of Boston and Amber Corwin of Hermosa Beach.