While the outlook for American pairs skating remains rather bleak, the men's free skate gave us hope. Fresh faces like Johnny Weir and Ryan Bradley showed promise and potential with strong technique and inventiveness. Timothy Goebel's withdrawal, caused by distinct changes to his anatomical structure, eliminated the pressure to complete overrated quads and allowed the others to focus on clean performances, which set the stage for one of the most impressive free skates in recent memory. On the ladies side, the buzz leading into the championships heavily favored Sasha Cohen, who recently switched coaches. She led Kwan after the short program, which worried me endlessly and had me bracing for a disappointment that never came. Sasha took a spill late in her program of Swan Lake, leaving the door open for Kwan, who then skated flawlessly to Tosca. She received an incredible seven perfect 6.0s for presentation and captured her eighth title in nine years. The swell of emotions from the crowd and skater were evident as Kwan landed her final jump, a triple lutz, and began her triumphant and dramatic straight line footwork. It brought back memories of last year's unforgettable performance. Of course, my mom taped Michelle's routine this year so we could watch those four glorious minutes for years to come, at least while VCRs still exist.