Skate America's Everett lineup set

EVERETT -- Top U.S. ice skating champions will battle for the gold in Everett this fall at the 2008 Skate America competition.

They'll join some 60 athletes from 15 nations at the three-day, Olympic-style competition at Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center.

The International Skating Union and U.S. Figure Skating announced the participating skaters Thursday.

The Americans skaters include:

Kimmie Meissner, the 2006 World champion, who captured gold at last year's Skate America in Reading, Pa.

Mirai Nagasu, the reigning U.S. champion and World Junior bronze medalist.

Rachael Flatt, the reigning World Junior champion.

Evan Lysacek, a two-time reigning U.S. champion.

Johnny Weir, a World bronze medalist.

Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker, reigning U.S. pairs champions.

Olympic silver medalist ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, who have won Skate America four times, will make their seventh appearance at the competition.

"The biggest surprise is how good the lineup is going to be," said Laura Lee, co-founder of Production Sports, the Mountlake Terrace-based company that is organizing the event. "There really isn't a weak event."

This will be the first senior Grand Prix season for both Nagasu and Flatt, both 15, who were too young to compete at previous national championships.

"These two teenagers are phenomenal," Lee said.

Flatt is scheduled to appear at the Evergreen State Fair on Aug. 23 to sign autographs.

Skate America is scheduled to begin Oct. 23, with practice for the skaters.

Competition will begin on Oct. 24, a Friday, and continue through the weekend.

It is the kickoff event for the international skating season which continues with competitions in Canada, China, France, Russia and Japan.

Skate American features competition in women's and men's singles, pairs and ice dancing.

Some events will be broadcast on NBC as well as foreign TV networks.

The women's event could be the most challenging.

Meissner had a rough ride at the last championships, but is expected to compete well against Japan's Miki Ando, the 2007 World champion, who suffered a shoulder injury last season.

"This could be a precursor for the Olympics," Lee said. "They're hot and they're hungry to show people where they are at."

The timing, ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C., could spark particularly intense competition.

Lee said ticket sales are on pace to make this the most well-attended Skate America event ever with 22,000 spectators coming from as far away as Great Britain.

Other notable international skaters who are scheduled to compete in Everett include:

Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder, reigning World ice dancing champions;

Sinead Kerr and John Kerr, five-time reigning British ice dancing champions;

Yu-Na Kim, a Korean skater, has won the gold medal at the International Skating Union Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final each of the last two years.



Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.