Mike wins Skate America!

October 24, 2003

Michael Weiss has trained all summer to adjust his programs to the new scoring system, and he used it to his advantage by winning Skate America at Reading, Pennsylvania.

Photo by Paul Harvath

It is Michael’s first scoring Grand Prix event this season and gives him the valuable maximum points for first place. This is Michael's second Grand Prix win. He won Trophy Lalique at Paris last year.

"This feels great. My focus last year was to get more wins than I was before, and I did. I was tired of skating really well and finishing second. First place is great," Michael said.

The three-time U.S. National champion packed his free skate program with triple jumps and performed to a medley of patriotic music. Takeshi Honda of Japan won the free skate but Michael built such a huge lead after the short program that Michael walked off with his first Skate America championship.

Photo by Paul Harvath Michael Weiss (with Takeshi Honda and Min Zhang) won gold at Smart Ones Skate America.

Michael made a split decision to cut a quad-triple combination to a triple-triple to accumulate more points under the new judging system. "It was definitely different than normal out there tonight. Doing a triple toe-triple toe is worth only a little less than a quad toe-triple toe. It's surprising. So when I opened up in the air on the quad toe, I said, ‘Get off a triple-triple, make sure.’"

Michael finished with 206.94 points to Honda’s 199.27.

Michael was dressed in a blue Union Army uniform and skating to a Civil War theme. Throughout the summer Michael has been working on transitions coming into jumps and his spins. During one spin he salutes the audience. "The crowd got into it at the end with the Battle Hymn of the Republic. I enjoy the end of the program and it’s good to hit the triples at the end to build to that. Skating to the music and skating with a little emotion is rewarded in this system."

Michael in first after short program

October 23, 2003

Michael Weiss is in first place at Skate America after the short program
Thursday night in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Photo by Michelle Harvath

It is Michael’s first ISU Grand Prix event of the season and it also marked the first time he has been marked under the new scoring system.

Ironically Michael was the first men’s skater, but under the new system it is not as meaningful. Michael’s marks of 73.85 points put some distance between him and China’s Min Zhang who is in second with 67.55 points.

Michael skated a new short program to the music of Henry V by Patrick Doyle and performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

"Going first is not as big a deal with this judging system. You’re not skating against the other skaters, you’re skating against the system," Michael said.

Michael, defending and a three-time U.S. Champion, objected to being marked for under-rotating a quadruple toe loop on his opening combination. Michael felt he rotated four times.

Michael said he had no idea what the numbers meant when they were put on
the scoreboard. "All I know is how I skate and how it feels, and it felt good. If they gave me a 20 or 120, I didn’t know the difference."

The new system used for the Grand Prix events, calls for marks on each element. All elements from spins, footwork and jumps have a base value. A judge can add from plus-3 to minus-3 points to the base value of the element. The technical and program elements are marked separately and added with the highest total score winning.

Michael will skate his new free skate program tonight. Michael will skate to When Johnny Comes Marching Home by Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore and Amazing Grace and Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe.