i was happy to see the united states win gold in mens singles figure skating. what most impressed me was that “grade of execution” was the difference between gold and silver. far too often, over-the-top and “wow” factors overshadow more subtle aspects in grading talent and performance. not this time — here’s how it went down. the american began the final round in second place, with a routine that lacked a quad (the most difficult move to stick). his artistic and technical execution was sharp and ended triumphantly on point. the russian skater began in first position and nailed the quad and followed it with a triple (in combination). no one else had the guts to attempt a quad at the beginning of his program. however, the rest of his program included several wobbly and off-axis maneuvers (although all were landed). his choreography was lacking a bit. in the end, a single point decided the gold, with the american prevailing. congrats to evan lysacek!
