Ina, Zimmerman get figure skate gold

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman used a solid performance during Friday's free skating portion of the championship pairs competition to capture first place at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

The performance was good enough to defeat 12 other pairs and earn the duo a spot in next month's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Also qualifying for next month's competition were Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn, who finished second.

Missing out on a chance to share in the Olympic spotlight were Stephanie Kalesavich and Aaron Parchem, who finished a close third. Brother-sister combo Danielle and Steve Hartsell, who were fourth after the first portion of the program, were forced to withdraw Friday when Steve Hartsell fell and re-injured his groin.

"If I could have fought it, I would have," Hartsell said. "I just knew it wasn't going to happen. We'll just have to discuss it when we try to figure out what we're going to do from here."

The night belonged to Ina and Zimmerman. For Ina, the Olympics will be her third after competing with Jason Dungjen in 1994 and 1998.

"It is so exciting to make the Olympics," said Ina, who was born in Japan but lives in Connecticut. "I can't even imagine what it is going to be like to represent the U.S. in Salt Lake City. You hear so much about being the home team, it's just so exciting."

"I think we're pretty much where we anticipated being," said Zimmerman, who lives in Birmingham, Ala. "We always want to have a great performance. ... We still have some room to grow for the Olympics."

Scott, from Massachusetts, and Dulebohn, from Maryland, will be competing in their first Olympics. The pair endured a tough last six months as Dulebohn battled a stress fracture in his hip.

"We never lost the faith," Dulebohn said. "We never stopped. Now we are on the Olympic team and that's the best thing that has ever happened to us."

On Saturday, Michelle Kwan shoots for her sixth national title when the ladies' long program gets under way.

Sasha Cohen, Sarah Hughes and Angela Nikodinov likely will fight for the other two Olympic spots in Salt Lake City.

Kwan took the lead with a flawless routine in the ladies' short program Thursday. Continuing her pursuit of an Olympic gold medal, Kwan received seven perfect 6.0s.

A winner of four world titles and five nationals, Kwan settled for a silver medal at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. She will have a chance to seal a berth in Salt Lake on Saturday in the free skate, which will make up two-third of the score.

Cohen was brilliant in finishing second Thursday, one place ahead of Hughes. Nikodinov was fourth.

Todd Eldredge won his sixth national title Thursday night, outdueling defending champion Tim Goebel. Tied with Goebel after the short program, Eldredge won the free skate, even after hitting a rut just before a planned quad toe jump and settling for a triple.

Eldredge won't be playing it safe in Salt Lake, where he will seek the Olympic medal that twice has eluded him. He took two years off after a disappointing showing at Nagano.

Matt Savoie entered Thursday night third but was overtaken by Michael Weiss, who will join Eldredge and Goebel in Utah.