Goebel Jumps to the Front

Timothy Goebel wants to become a figure skater who does great jumps, not a jumper who skates a little. He moved a step closer to crossing that threshold Friday.

Goebel, the defending U.S. men’s champion, blended a perfect quadruple salchow-triple toe loop combination into a program that displayed his advancing artistry. Although his “Danse Macabre” routine had a stumble and two imperfect landings, Goebel was the class of the shaky Skate America field. The first of seven skaters to avoid a fall, Goebel was the leader after the short program, worth one-third of the final score. Alexander Abt of Russia was second, followed by Takeshi Honda of Japan.

“The judges don’t question that I can do jumps. They question if I can do other stuff,” said Goebel, who got higher presentation marks than technical marks from five of the seven judges.

“Obviously, I’m very disappointed in making a mistake. I do clean run-throughs at home in the short and the long all the time.

“When I went out there, I didn’t focus on doing a clean program jumps-wise. I wanted to skate for the sake of the program, and I skated it well artistically.”

Enhancing his artistry was the reason he moved to El Segundo a year and a half ago to train with Frank Carroll, who also coached Michelle Kwan until last week. Goebel won’t get more time with Carroll now, but he will get more time with choreographer Lori Nichol, who was also discarded by Kwan. That should help Goebel’s quest to keep his artistic scores above his technical scores.

“That’s what I plan on this year,” said Goebel, who made history at World Arena two years ago by landing three quads in one program and won the event last year. “Frank and Lori and I have worked all summer working on artistry, instead of thinking, ‘I have X amount of jumps to do.”’

Michael Weiss, a two-time U.S. champion, fell on his opening jump and stumbled out of his triple axel, placing him seventh. Matt Savoie, who was third at this year’s U.S. championships, fell on a required triple lutz but was fourth.

“I just got out there and didn’t feel it tonight,” Weiss said. “I’ve got to go back out there [tonight] and come back with a good long program.’

World pairs champions Jamie Sale and David Pelletier of Canada debuted a stylish and smooth long program to Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, clinching their third successive Skate America title. Their marks ranged from 5.7 (out of 6.0) to 5.9, a fitting reward for their excellence on a generally uninspiring evening. Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman of the U.S. were second, with Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin of Russia third.

Sale and Pelletier’s routine had one flaw--she did a double toe loop while he did a triple on their side-by-side jumps--but its beauty shone through. “You can’t be perfect all the time,” said Sale, who is supposed to be an orchid in their tale of a flower blooming.

“I was just too quick. I got a little ahead of myself.”

Ina, who is competing despite an injured shoulder, said she and Zimmerman were pleased with their effort.

“We were extremely prepared for this one,” she said.

In tonight’s women’s free skate, Kwan will try for her first victory in three competitions this season and her first since leaving Carroll. Her short program Thursday lacked its usual resonance and precision, but in practice Friday she did her long program elements cleanly and with panache.

Her father, Danny, watched from the first row of seats, as he has at every practice since she surprised him by ending her association with Carroll. Danny Kwan said he had no inkling until last Friday that his daughter wanted to compete on her own.

“This maybe was in her mind for a little while,” he said. “When she made the decision, I think it was a release for her.... I will support every decision she makes. I always support any decision she makes.”

He also said he won’t be her coach, but he’s always ready to offer a shoulder to lean on. “I don’t know nothing about skating,” he said.

“Sometimes you talk and give encouragement. That’s a father’s job.... She’s strong in her way, I hope. I have my fingers crossed for that.”

Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz of Canada won the original dance to maintain their ice dance lead heading into tonight’s free dance final. Margaritz Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas of Lithuania are second, ahead of Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovsky of Israel.