Neuqua Valley grad Evan Lysacek wins World Figure Skating Championship

By Sun-Times Wire

Pride of Naperville Evan Lysacek won the men’s World Figure Skating Championship last night in Los Angeles.

Wearing a snazzy tuxedo and skating to “Rhapsody In Blue,” the 23-year-old Lysacek gave a nearly flawless performance.

The ovation for Evan Lysacek began 10 seconds before the music ended Thursday night at Staples Center. The crowd was on its feet as Lysacek finished his final element, a combination spin, and put his hands on his head in a gesture of delighted disbelief.

Lysacek, a 2003 graduate of Neuqua Valley High School, is the first American man to win the title since Todd Eldredge won it in 1996.

Lysacek won with a final score of 242.23. Patrick Chan of Canada won the silver, and Frenchman Brian Joubert took the bronze.

“I wasn’t thinking about winning or medaling. I just wanted to skate well in front of my hometown crowd,” Lysacek told USA Today. “I love this building. I’m here to cheer on the Lakers and the Kings as much as I can. I think that nervous energy was a positive for me because I turned it into adrenaline.”

Previously, Lysacek finished third in 2005 and 2006. He placed fourth in the 2006 Olympics.

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