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"We have our own plans," Arutunian said.
Meissner and Asada have until Saturday night to determine whether they will try the 3½-revolution jump.If Meissner doesn't do the triple axel in her long program, she will replace it with a double. With or without the triple axel, Meissner's program is still jammed packed with technical difficulty, including two triple-triple combinations, and tricky footwork sequences.
But the triple axel ... There's always been a fascination with this jump. Perhaps it's because it's so rare among the women that gives it that extra cache. Perhaps it's just because the average American might not have heard of a salchow or a toe loop but they hear figure skating and know an axel is a jump. For Meissner, it's the jump that has set her apart from the rest. When she landed it at the 2005 U.S. Championships, it put her on the skating map as she was just the second American woman to have landed a triple axel in competition (Tonya Harding was the first). But she hasn't landed one since, and she desperately wants to prove that it wasn't a one-shot deal. Meissner failed in her attempt to land one earlier this month at the Campbell's Cup in Cincinnati. The stakes are higher at Skate America, one of six international Grand Prix events. The Campbell's competition was a TV production. "Pretty much, we go on numbers," said Gregory, who diligently tracks every single attempt Meissner makes in a notebook. "If her percentages are high, then she'll have confidence." Although Meissner, 17, will forever be linked to the triple axel, she is trying to get the judges to notice the other parts of her programs, as well. She is working with two of the sport's top choreographers and also enlisted help from Olympic gold medalist ice dancer Natalia Linichuk. Her short program to "Snowstorm," is what she describes as "a very emotional piece of music." Her long program is skated to "Gallicia," a Spanish piece.Meissner skated her first practice on the Hartford Civic Center ice early Thursday morning. She opted to train at her home rink in Delaware on Wednesday, and then made the 4½-hour drive to Hartford with her parents Wednesday night. She didn't try any triple axels in that session since she was focusing on her short program (only her long has one). She did, however, have trouble with a different triple -- the triple flip.
But everyone wants to talk about that other triple. And the talk is part of what makes the sport. Will they do it? Can they do it? It's skating's version of a quarterback controversy. Skaters often do jumps in practice and then skip them in competition. In this case, however, both skaters Meissner and Asada have shown they can land these jumps. At a practice session at the University of Delaware earlier this month, I personally saw Meissner land five out of seven. And she landed them easily. Asada has landed a handful in practices here. No problem. It's not like some skaters who land one in 100 and then make claims that they'll miraculously pull off a clean landing when the spotlight is on. And who knows? Maybe Meissner will try one after all. Skaters have been known for saying they'll do one thing and then doing another. She wants to do it. She can do it. And she was downright bugged about not doing one all last season. And if she does it here, the roof might fall down in the Hartford Civic Center. But as big as Skate America is in skating circles, the U.S. Championships is even bigger. Meissner won a world title in March, but has never been crowned national champ. (She was second in 2006 and third in 2005.) So, in the big scheme of things, landing a triple axel this weekend would be nice, but if it happens at nationals in Spokane, Wash., instead, Meissner won't be upset. Amy Rosewater, a freelance writer based in Baltimore, is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com.