Belbin And Agosto Win- Again

No surprises in ice dance, just more surpassing excellence from Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. The Olympic silver medalists won their record-tying fifth title with a technically ambitious and beautifully executed performance to music by Chopin. They scored 216.07 points, easily beating training partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

"I said to Ben at the end, `This is the best in years,'" Belbin said.

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Source: Associated Press

14 Year Old Nagasu Second Youngest To Win U.S. Title

Now this is what figure skating has been looking for. Mirai Nagasu delighted the crowd — and herself — with a refreshing and entertaining show at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Saturday night. Oh yeah, the 14-year-old became the second-youngest woman to win the U.S. title, too.

That other mighty mite, Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski, ended up doing pretty well for herself.

When her scores flashed, Nagasu looked at the screen with curiosity. When she heard she'd won, she said, "What?" then clapped her hands to her face and broke into a grin.

"I am very excited and speechless for words," Nagasu said.

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Source: Associated Press

Former Skating Tour Rivals Likely To Merge

As creator of the Champions On Ice tour, Tom Collins remains bullish on figure skating. But the Twin Cities promoter confirmed Monday that the Champions tour is likely to combine with rival tour Stars On Ice.

Skating's once-soaring TV ratings have declined in recent years, as has attendance at events. Given the current state of the sport, Collins said, one tour makes more sense. The longtime skating promoter, who started as a performer and has spent more than 50 years in the sport, was at Xcel Energy Center on Monday for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

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Source: Star Tribune