final group. A fitter and faster Zhang hit her jump combinations and seam- lessly moved from one element to the next. She finished third in the free skate and fourth overall with 173.19 points. “I think from Champs Camp
on, Caroline had an idea of what she wanted to accomplish this year,” coach Peter Oppegard said. “It was definitely something that she set upon one step at a time, under her own power. We were there to guide her, if we could, when we could, but mostly she was quite deter- mined this year to find herself and get on track.” “Anyone who knows Caroline
knows that she is very strong-willed,” coach Karen Kwan-Oppegard said. “When she put her mind to it to achieve her goal, she did.” Wagner followed Zhang with her
“Black Swan” program, which was de- veloped by longtime choreographer Phillip Mills. From the opening note to the
ending pose, Wagner was in character, and in control. She delivered Mills’ in- tricate and balletic choreography with strength tempered by grace. She opened with a triple flip-dou- ble toe-double toe combination worth 9.10 points. She executed two more jump combinations and was steady with her spins and footwork. Wagner did pop a triple Salchow into a single and experienced a couple of imperfect landings, but at the end of the pro- gram, she stood at center ice, soaking in the audience’s love and appreciation for her skating. Wagner won the free skate with 123.96 points and posted an overall score of 187.02. “She’s a beautiful lady who did some beautiful skating,” Nicks said. “I am so pleased that I was able to let myself skate,” Wagner said as she came off the ice. “I was worried tonight that I was going to get in my own way. I think that I overcame that and proved that I can relax and perform and be competitive at the same time. I just have to get myself into the right mind- set. Once I got there, it was just so easy for me. It flew by, I wasn’t tired. It was just fun, I loved it.” Wagner credits Nicks’ no-non-
sense approach for much of her success. “I think the best thing is that he
doesn’t overcomplicate things, he’s very to the point. He says exactly what needs to be said, but is honest at the same time so I know what I’m getting is what I need to hear and it’s the truth,”
Wagner said. “I think that stability and that trust that I’m able to have in what he tells me to do has really helped me in my confidence.” Mills, who also choreographed
Wagner’s short program, has worked with the skater throughout her career. “She’s an elite athlete,” Mills said.
“She reminds me of (three-time U.S. champion) Jill Trenary. I haven’t had anybody since her that has had that same kind of fortitude until Ashley Wagner. She has it, she’s a fighter. She will let you push her until she drops.” Czisny and Zawadzki followed
Wagner, both hitting bumps in the road. Czisny fell on a downgraded tri- ple Lutz and reduced an intended dou- ble Axel-triple toe to a double-double. She did turn in a nicely executed triple flip and two triple loops, one as part of a three-jump combination. Her spins and footwork were, as usual, breathtak- ing.
She finished with the second-best
free skate and 180.00 points overall. “We are very proud of her (Alis-
sa),” coach Jason Dungjen said. “Physi- cally she’s completely healthy, but some doubts kind of lingered. At the end of the day, she did enough to move on. Tat’s what really counts. Worlds is the biggest prize.” Czisny, who won U.S. titles in 2009 and 2011, said it wasn’t her best performance, “but I kept fighting through it.” Zawadzki started strong but end-
ed up seventh in the free skate, falling on a triple Lutz and a triple Salchow. Despite being unable to maintain her lead, Zawadski’s coach said the sky is the limit for the teenager. “She came a long way, even in the
span of this week,” Santee said. “Tat’s a lot to handle, but these are all good experiences and experiences to get her where she wants to go. “She has so much talent; it’s just going to take time. She trains hard; she does everything we ask of her. We’ve all been through this. You have ups and downs and it feels bad when you have them but you learn from them. And when you get where you want to go, you appreciate it so much more.” Flatt finished on a strong note,
turning in the fourth-best free skate of the night and placing sixth in the 19-woman field. She landed five triple jumps.
“Tat was the most relaxed I’ve been all season going into a program,” she said. “I had an amazing time.”
For the second consecutive year, Agnes Zawadzki shows she's one of the sport's rising stars. The 17-year-old earned the bronze.
Two-time U.S. champion Alissa Czisny gives the fans in San Jose a treat, with her signature elegance and grace. She captured the silver medal.
SKATING 15
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