Kwan Rallies to Record With a Perfect Program

ATLANTA —  Tears flowed down Michelle Kwan’s face as she stood at center ice at Philips Arena on Saturday, a tiny figure in a coral-colored dress. Teddy bears and flowers rained down from above, tributes from fans she mesmerized for 4 1/2 minutes while serving them a slice of figure skating history.

“I’ve always been emotional,” she said after she rallied past Sasha Cohen to win a record seventh consecutive U.S. title and eighth overall, earning seven perfect 6.0s for her presentation of her “Tosca” long program.

“It was like I was laughing and crying at the same time. I don’t know how to describe it. The intensity of the moment, when you’re sitting in the locker room, putting on your skates and getting ready, hearing the marks” of previous skaters.

“You try to be present, here. Just being.”

Being Michelle Kwan means owning more U.S. titles than any woman but Maribel Vinson Owen, who won nine in the 1920s and ‘30s. It means finishing in the top three places 11 times in 12 appearances at the senior national competition, recording 35 6.0s at the U.S. championships and at least one 6.0 at four consecutive U.S. competitions.

“I don’t think it’s about stacking medals,” the Manhattan Beach resident said. “For me, it’s just doing the performance I want out there.”

Her performance was bold at the start and airy in the middle as the music demanded, drawing the crowd of 13,787 into it. It vaulted her past the ever-on-the-brink Cohen, who led after the short program but fell during her “Swan Lake” routine and completed merely five triples.

“It’s been a magical night and a crazy couple of months for me,” Kwan said, referring to her coaching switch to jump technician Rafael Arutunian in late November. “For a couple of months I didn’t know if I’d be at nationals. It makes this a cherry on top of a perfect sundae. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Cohen, a Laguna Niguel native, again failed to deliver on the promise she has shown for several years, promise that inspired commentators Dick Button and Peggy Fleming to predict she would win.

Despite her inelegant splat on a triple toe loop, Cohen unaccountably earned a 6.0 for presentation. For Cohen, who last month switched coaches to work with Robin Wagner -- who guided Sarah Hughes to gold at the Salt Lake City Olympics -- that was no consolation for squandering a chance to earn a first U.S. championship.

“I guess I’m still at the point where I’m waiting to put my best out there at the right time,” said a subdued Cohen. “It’s getting better.”

But not good enough to unseat Kwan. “She will get to a place where she can do that performance,” Wagner said. “I truly believe that, and she’s starting to understand how to do that.”

Jennifer Kirk, third after the short program, held that spot for her best finish at the U.S. competition and said she was “almost privileged” to sit beside Kwan.

“I went to the ’95 nationals in Providence and I’d only been skating a couple of months and I was in awe of her,” said Kirk, who earned 5.5s and 5.6s for technical merit and 5.6s and 5.7s for presentation of her program to Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus.” “Her career is something I dream of having.”

Amber Corwin of San Pedro, 25, moved up from fifth to a career-best fourth in her 10th U.S. nationals appearance, sharing with Kirk the distinction of being the only top-five finishers to land a triple-triple combination jump.

“I’m kind of in shock,” said Corwin, who trains with Charlene Wong in Harbor City. “I feel like I’m finally seeing all my work paying off. So many times I thought of throwing in the towel, even though skating is my passion. It’s so nice to be rewarded.”

Angela Nikodinov of San Pedro simplified many jumps and finished fifth, but her presence was a triumph. In a little more than two years she has endured the death of her coach, two coaching changes and shoulder surgery, not to mention evacuation from Lake Arrowhead ahead of the autumn wildfires that ravaged the community.

“Considering everything I went through, it’s OK,” said Nikodinov, who was third at the 1999 and 2001 nationals. “It sets me up for next year, and that, basically, was my goal.”

Kwan’s goals are to be stronger, perhaps add a triple-triple combination. Arutunian said those are within the five-time world champion’s grasp.

“Figure skating grows up and develops, and she should go faster than anything develops,” he said. “She’s No. 1. Everyone wants to beat her. I will try to make her do some new stuff.... I knew her [before their collaboration] but I didn’t realize what kind of strong person she is.”

She was, on Saturday, a tired but happy person. “I felt solid out there,” she said. “I feel like the luckiest person to skate my very, very best at the right time.”

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Highlights of Michelle Kwan’s career

* Eight-time U.S. women’s champion, second to Maribel Vinson Owen (nine).

* Only woman to win seven consecutive U.S. titles. Only Dick Button and Roger Turner have done so among the men.

* Has won 11 medals in 12 appearances at the U.S. senior championships, eight gold, three silver.

* Has been awarded 35 perfect 6.0 scores at the U.S. championships, a record. Brian Boitano is second with nine.

* Has been awarded a 6.0 at four consecutive U.S. championships.

* Made her debut at U.S. senior nationals in 1993, finishing sixth.

* Two-time Olympic medalist, winning silver at Nagano in 1998 and bronze at Salt Lake City in 2002.

* Five-time world champion, tying her for most among U.S. women with Carol Heiss Jenkins.

* Has won eight world medals, most by a U.S. skater (five gold, three silver).

* Tied with Carol Heiss Jenkins of the U.S. for second-most world titles, trailing only Noway’s Sonja Henie (10).

PERSONAL

* Born in Torrance, Calif., July 7, 1980. Resides Manhattan Beach, trains at Lake Arrowhead. Has NBA All-Star Karl Malone’s autograph on the outside of each skate boot. -- Helene Elliott