Day Four Press Report

Skate America International concluded in Colorado Springs on Sunday afternoon with the Men's Free Skating Program (final standings attached).

Men

Timothy Goebel (USA) completed three quads to upset three-time World champion Alexei Yagudin (RUS) in the final competition of Skate America 2000 on Sunday. Goebel's victory ended Yagudin's two-year hold on the Skate America title. Goebel picked up his first Grand Prix gold medal and skated the only technically clean program of the afternoon. This marks the third time Goebel has completed three quads in one program (he also did it at Skate America '99 and the 2000 U.S. Championships), but it's the first time he has accomplished the feat and also won the competition.

Skating first in the final group, Goebel hit a quad Salchow-triple toe combination, a quad toe and another quad Salchow. The American also hit five triples, including two triple Axels. His marks for technical merit ranged from 5.7-5.9, and from 5.5-5.7 for presentation. "I'm very surprised," said Goebel about his victory. "Skating so early in that particular warm-up with the quality of skating that was coming after me…it was good for my skating standpoint to be fresh off the warm-up, but they had to save marks and there were a lot of great skaters coming after me. I got a little help from Alexei. Really I think it's anybody's game. We're all doing quads and we're all doing triple Axels. I skated really well, but you don't know until the marks come for the last skater where you're going to be."

Yagudin did not have his best skate, doubling his first two quadruple toe attempts, then putting his hand down on a triple Axel. He later doubled the Lutz and finished with five triples. His technical merit scores ranged from 5.5-5.7, and from 5.7-5.8 for presentation. He received three first-place marks. "Today was his best skating and today was my worst skating," said Yagudin of Goebel. "I see what I have to work on. He's pushing me forward."

Todd Eldredge (USA) made an impressive comeback in the Free Program, moving up from fifth place to grab the bronze medal. Eldredge bruised his back during practice on Saturday in a collision with German skater Silvio Smalun. He chose to continue the competition on Sunday morning and completed seven triples, including a triple loop-half loop-triple toe combination. He did not attempt a quadruple jump. Eldredge said he didn't expect to be on the podium after his Short Program performance. "You never know what's going to happen," said Eldredge. "After I skated I knew there were a lot of guys left to skate."

Eldredge has now won a record nine Skate America medals - five gold and four bronze. Canada's Emaunel Sandhu fell on both his quad toe attempt and triple Axel and dropped to fourth.

The Grand Prix of Figure Skating continues on November 2-5 with MasterCard Skate Canada International in Mississauga, (CAN).

For further information please contact:

Grand Prix of Figure Skating & Final		Skate America International
Aline Bussat, ISU Media Coordinator		Bob Dunlop, USFSA Director of Media Relations
Tel:	+41 21 612 66 66				+1 719 635 5200
Fax:	+41 21 612 66 62				+1 719 635 9548
E-mai:	 bussat@isu.ch				bobdunlop@aol.com 

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