Sports

Olympics

Hip ailment moves Lysacek to take break

Compiled from staff and wire reports
Published December 11, 2005

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Evan Lysacek made fellow figure skaters take notice last year when he finished third at the world championships. But one of America's bright lights for the Winter Olympics had a setback last week.

Bursitis and tendinitis in his right hip forced him to withdraw from U.S. Figure Skating Challenge in Boston today and the Grand Prix Final in Tokyo this week.

Lysacek had been experiencing pain the past three weeks, and the condition was worsening, forcing him to refrain from training the next two weeks. In 2004, he was plagued by a stress fracture and break in his left hip socket. Still, Lysacek insists the new injury won't derail him long.

"I think in the Olympic year it's a pretty big deal to qualify for the Grand Prix Final," he said. "For me to not be there is a disappointment, but my major goals this year are going to be at the U.S. Championships and the Olympics."

Hip injuries also have been a factor on the women's side, causing medal contenders Sasha Cohen and Michelle Kwan to miss several weeks of training during the fall.

FLYING HIGH: The U.S. ski team is soaring toward the Turin Games after a strong performance last week on home slopes.

Spurred by Bode Miller's first victory of the season, the Americans took the first, second and fourth spots in the giant slalom at Beaver Creek, Colo. Daron Rahlves, who defeated Miller the day before in the downhill, finished just 0.49 seconds behind Miller for second place, followed by Erik Schlopy, only 0.01 behind third-place finisher Kalle Palander of Finland.

"I was fully, fully aware of being on the edge the whole time," Miller told the Associated Press. "I was definitely taking a risk. Those are the kind of runs that are fun for me."

The U.S. men nailed down two firsts, two seconds, and a third, fourth and fifth in the event that serves as a pre-Olympic gauge. "Hopefully it does send a good message to everybody else and gets them thinking a bit more," Rahlves said. "And that just gives us more power as a team."

Lindsey Kildow, meanwhile, gave the women's team plenty to smile about by winning the downhill and nabbing two other top-six finishes in a World Cup event at Lake Louise in Alberta. She defeated Switzerland's Sylviane Berthod by 0.03 seconds to score her second World Cup victory.

Kildow is viewed as a successor to her idol, Picabo Street , and is the first U.S. woman to win multiple downhill titles since Street in 1996.

FOLLOW THE FLAME: Are you burning to know where the Olympic torch is at this very moment? No problem. Click on torino2006.org, then the "Follow the Olympic Flame" link. The torch relay began Thursday and will travel all over Italy the next two months. You can keep track of it with online video clips and a Web diary of the event leading up to the Feb. 12 Winter Games.

UPCOMING: If you're keeping track, here's a look at key pre-Olympic events in the next week:

Monday-Friday: U.S. Short-Track Championships, Marquette, Mich.

Tuesday: Freestyle Skiing World Cup, Tignes, France.

Tuesday-Saturday: U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix, Breckenridge, Colo.

Friday-Dec. 18: ISU Grand Prix Figure Skating Final, Tokyo.

Friday-Saturday: USA Luge World Cup No. 5, Lake Placid, N.Y.

Saturday-Dec. 18: U.S. Speedskating World Cup Long Track, Inzell, Germany.

MISCELLANY: If you're thinking of going to Turin, tickets remain for all sports - and will have a new look. For the first time, they'll feature a graphic designed for each sport. They also feature 14 elements to thwart forgeries, from holograms to special ink and paper. ... Among the musical acts at the Olympics are Andrea Bocelli, Lou Reed, Ricky Martin and Avril Lavigne, who will perform at the downtown medal plaza. ... In biathlon competition last week, Rachel Steer of Anchorage, Alaska, hit all 10 targets in the women's 7.5K sprint to defeat Germany's Magdalena Neuner by 6.5 seconds in the Europa Cup event in Obertilliach, Austria. Teammate Jill Krause (St. Cloud, Minn.) was 12th. ... Curling will be featured along with luge, bobsled and skeleton as part of ICE 2005 airing from 4-6 p.m. today on Ch. 8. The curling segment features an offensive-laden duel between the men's and women's 2006 U.S. Olympic teams, with skippers Cassie Johnson and Pete Fenson of Bemidji, Minn.

Compiled by Times staff writer Dave Scheiber, using information from Times wires and USOC reports.

[Last modified December 11, 2005, 02:15:36]