Meissner set for title defense

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Ask Caroline Zhang and Mirai Nagasu about being on the big stage at the national championships, and everything is still "fun" and "really exciting."

Ask Kimmie Meissner and -- scratch that, she's not talking.

Only a few short years after she was the one chasing Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen, it's Meissner's turn to feel the pressure. She's the defending champion at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and everybody wants to knock her off that top spot on the podium.

I's not just Zhang and Nagasu, American skating's latest phenoms, who are Meissner's competition, either. Throw in Ashley Wagner and Rachael Flatt, and there's more teenage depth in the women's field than there's been in years.

The women's competition begins today with the short program. The free skate is Saturday.

"To skate with up-and-coming skaters and stars like Kimmie Meissner is really exciting for me," Nagasu said Wednesday. "It's harder, but it just makes me more determined to do my best."

What does Meissner think about that? Hard to tell, considering she wouldn't talk after practice Wednesday and skipped the teleconference the defending champion usually does before the event.

"She just wants to keep her focus," coach Pam Gregory said.

But that's not like the normally bubbly Meissner. Then again, her recent performances haven't really been like her, either.

She finished fourth while defend her title at the world championships last spring, finishing fourth. After a shaky win at Skate America, she was slowed by a sprained ankle in her second-place finish at Trophee Eric Bompard. Still hobbled by the ankle, she finished dead last at the six-woman Grand Prix final last month.

Among those beating her: Zhang.

"She's skating very well right now," Gregory said of Meissner. "She did have a sprained ankle (at the Grand Prix final), but she's feeling strong right now. I think she's a lot more prepared for this event."

She's going to have to be.

With Kwan and Cohen off doing other things, American skating is still searching for its next big star and one of the youngsters just might be it. They've already shown they have the skill.

Nagasu was the surprise winner of the U.S. junior title last year, upsetting the favored Zhang in her first major competition. Zhang, Nagasu and Wagner, the U.S. junior bronze medalist, then went 1-2-3 at the junior world championships, only the third time a country swept the podium in the women's event.

Zhang and Nagasu have both drawn comparisons to Kwan, and not simply because they're from Southern California. Both are lovely, lyrical skaters so light on their feet they seem to float above the ice. They pop off triple jumps with ease, and the grace with which they do their spins would make a ballerina envious.

All that, and both are only 14.

"In practice, we are aware of the other excellent talent in this country," said Charlene Wong, Nagasu's coach. "However, when we come to the events, we just really focus on what is in front of us, doing a good job and for Mirai to go out and skate in a way that she can feel good about herself.

"This is only her second nationals. It's her first senior event nationally," Wong added. "It's easy to get caught up in the hype, but the bottom line is, I want her to be happy. This is a marathon not a sprint."

Because Nagasu didn't skate in the junior Grand Prix series last year, she chose to stay at the junior level internationally this season. She won both her Grand Prix events, then beat Flatt for the Grand Prix final title.

"Each step coming into this competition has been a learning process for me," said Nagasu, who grew more than 4 inches in the past year and is now 4-feet-11. "Here, it's the last competition of the year for me, so I just want to do my best and have fun."

Zhang moved up to the senior ranks this season, winning a bronze medal at Skate America and a silver at Cup of China. She finished fourth at the Grand Prix final.

"It hasn't really been that much of a difference for me," she said. "I just think it's more exciting because I'm against tougher competitors. I just think it's exciting."

Wagner also skated as a senior last fall. She won her first Grand Prix medal, finishing a close third to Meissner at Trophee Bompard.

Of the youngsters, only Wagner is old enough to go to the world championships in March if she finishes in the top three. Zhang, Nagasu and Flatt all missed the cutoff, though they could still go to junior worlds.

With the Vancouver Olympics two years away, face time with the judges is at a premium. While some might consider not being able to go to senior worlds a hindrance to the youngsters' development, Wong said true talent overcomes anything.

"These girls are developing their talent and doing what they love," she said. "Where's the drawback in that?"