NBC to broadcast USFS events

U.S. Figure Skating has signed a three-year deal with NBC to broadcast the national championships and Skate America.

Chicago Tribune article
L.A. Times article

I suppose I'm glad that at least *someone* has picked up the rights to broadcast U.S. figure skating events for the next few seasons. For a while after ABC/ESPN didn't renew their agreement, it was looking like skating would be relegated to webcasts (or YouTube, heh). I wonder if NBC or another major network is thinking of picking up the broadcast rights for ISU events as well, after that contract with ABC expires next year.

2007 Worlds

Well, the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships have come and gone. Some new stars emerged in the post-Olympic year, such as Mao Asada (JPN) and Yu-na Kim (KOR) in ladies' singles, and Virtue & Moir (CAN) and Davis & White (USA) in dance. Belbin & Agosto captured the bronze again at this Worlds... who'd have thought that the USA would get its only medal in *ice dance*?! Kimmie Meissner performed fairly well but couldn't keep up with new champ Miki Ando, Mao, and Yu-Na. Evan Lysacek, Johnny Weir, and Ryan Bradley all had problems in the men's event, and Inoue & Baldwin and Castile & Okolski struggled in pairs. Hopefully the USA will have better luck at next year's Worlds!

2007 U.S. Nationals

The 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships are underway! I didn't make plans to attend this event in person like I did last time, so I'll have to settle for watching it on tv. :-)

I'll make some early predix for the outcome of the senior events:
Men:
1) Evan Lysacek
2) Johnny Weir
3) Scott Smith

Dance:
1) Belbin/Agosto
2) Gregory/Petukhov
3) Matthews/Zavozin

Pairs:
1) Inoue/Baldwin
2) Nam/Leftheris
3) Evora/Ladwig

Ladies:
1) Kimmie Meissner
2) Emily Hughes
3) Rachel Flatt

Not particularly daring predictions, but there they are. :-) We'll see how many I get right by next weekend!

GPF 2006

The USA came away with no medals at the ISU Grand Prix Final this weekend. No US ladies qualified for the final, both US men (Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir) withdrew during the competition with similar hip injuries, Rena Inoue & John Baldwin finished 4th in pairs, and Gregory & Petukhov came in 6th in dance (Belbin & Agosto had withdrawn prior to the event). Oh well. Hopefully everyone will be back in form for US Nationals and Worlds!

Michelle Kwan, US Ambassador

Michelle Kwan has been named Public Diplomacy Ambassador for the United States.

Excerpt:

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named Michelle Kwan, the Hong Kong-born US figure-skating superstar, as Washington's first Public Diplomacy Ambassador tasked with promoting American values around the world.

Kwan, a two-time Olympic medalist and the most decorated figure-skater in US history, will visit China early next year on the first mission of her non-salaried career as goodwill envoy, Rice said.

What a neat honor for Michelle!

Edit: Here's the USFS story about the announcement.