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Kwan sets sights on seventh straight US figure skating title

ATLANTA (Georgia): Michelle Kwan looks to add to her stack of national titles – and keep her 2006 Olympic ambitions on track – at the US Figure Skating Championships here this week.

Less than a year after capturing her fifth world title, Kwan arrives in Atlanta seeking the eighth US title - and seventh straight - of her career. Still only 23, Kwan last month changed coaches as part of her bid for an elusive Olympic gold in Turin in 2006, calling on jump specialist Rafael Arutunian. “He’s very aggressive... I need to start training hard and skate more,” Kwan said of the move. “I have to keep on pushing myself and keep moving because the competition is becoming extreme, with triple-triples and triple axels. I have to keep up with the times.”

While Kwan has limited her competition this season, 19-year-old Sasha Cohen has sparkled on the international scene, with three Grand Prix victories. However, Cohen surrendered her ladies title in the Grand Prix Finals, finishing second to Japan’s Fumie Suguri in Colorado Springs on December 13.

Cohen now bids to unseat Kwan at nationals with a new coach of her own, having joined up less than three weeks ago with Robin Wagner, who guided Sarah Hughes to a stunning Olympic gold in Salt Lake City in 2002. If she can avoid mistakes in both her programmes, Cohen has a chance to dethrone Kwan and the US title to the Skate America, Skate Canada and Trophee Lalique titles she won this season.

On the men’s side, defending champion Michael Weiss will be seeking the fourth national crown of his career. Tim Goebel, the 2001 US champion, will try to regain the title he gave up last year with a mistake-strewn free skate. Goebel withdrew in December from the Grand Prix Finals to sort out problems he’s had with his skates in time for the national championships.

In pairs, Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn defend their title, while in dance Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto hope to build on their third place in the Grand Prix Finals as they take aim at five-time defending champions Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev. —AFP

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