Going back to America’s Heartland Omaha holds a special place in U.S. Figure
Skating history. While the photos are in black and white, the memories are in vivid color. In 1967, fans in Omaha witnessed a bold
performance by Peggy Fleming, who went on to become an American sports icon after win- ning the gold medal at 1968 Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France. Fleming came to Omaha as the odds-on fa-
vorite, having won the U.S. title three years in a row. But Fleming’s biggest challenge wasn’t on the ice, as the 18-year-old was recovering from the loss of her father, Albert, who died of a heart attack shortly after she won the 1966 World title. Albert Fleming loved nothing more than to watch his daughter compete. The 1966-67 season, Fleming recalls, was
particularly challenging for her. “I had a lot of growing up to do,” she re-
called recently. “I had to gather a lot of strength to compete in that competition.” With an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd be-
hind her, Fleming skated superbly to music from the ballet Giselle. She earned a fourth-con- secutive U.S. championship by defeating her 1964 Olympic teammate, Tina Noyes. Jennie Walsh, the most powerful jumper of the day, earned the bronze. Fans in Omaha also were introduced to a
young Janet Lynn, who fi nished fourth. Lynn, who won fi ve consecutive U.S. Championships after Fleming’s retirement, struggled in fi gures, placing seventh. SKATING magazine reported: “She shows great potential as a champion, pro- vided her fi gures improve.” The men’s competition was fi erce as well, as
Peggy Fleming glides to her fourth of fi ve U.S. titles at the 1967 U.S. Championships in Omaha.
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it featured one Olympian and three who would become Olympians. Gary Visconti stood atop the medals podium while Scott Allen earned silver and Tim Wood won bronze. A young star named John Misha Petkevich fi nished fourth. The following year, Wood earned his fi rst U.S. title and went on to win the silver medal at the 1968 Olympic Winter Games. The innovative pairs team of Cindy Kauff -
man and Ron Kauff man reclaimed their title while Lorna Dyer and John Carrell took home the gold in ice dancing. Now Omaha has the chance to again wit-
ness history. The prolifi c team of Meryl Davis and Charlie White are on track to win their fi fth U.S. title, which would make them the sixth team to do so. Davis and White, fresh off a re- cord-setting fourth-consecutive Grand Prix Fi- nal victory, are on a tear with their eyes on the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The 2010 Olympic silver medalists and 2011 World champions are also crowd favorites. Ashley Wagner is out to break an eight-
year-old trend by becoming the fi rst lady to repeat as U.S. champion. The last lady to do so was Michelle Kwan. Jeremy Abbott is seeking his fourth U.S.
crown against a wide-open men’s fi eld, which features a few stars of the future. And in pairs, the title will be up for grabs
as defending champions Caydee Denney and John Coughlin are sidelined by Coughlin’s hip injury. All this with just 13 months before the
Sochi Olympics. Yes, fans in Omaha again will have a front-row seat to history.