LOS ANGELES — Jeremy Abbott’s breakout season broke down Wednesday afternoon. Those mental demons the Aspen native had slain on his way to the national championship had an ugly reunion with him in the World Championships at the Staples Center.
Trying too hard to recapture the magic of winning the Grand Prix finals and nationals, Abbott faltered on his first two jumps and stands 10th after the short program. He scored 72.15 points, well below his season best of 78.26.
“I’m really upset with myself for allowing that to happen,” Abbott said.
He’s trailing France’s Brian Joubert, who faltered on his first combination yet still scored 84.40. Skating in the last group after Joubert and a near flawless program from two-time U.S. champion, Evan Lysacek, who stands second, Abbott’s program died early. On a triple flip-triple toe loop, he put his hand down on the toe loop then stumbled on the ensuing triple axel.
From there, not enough of his trademark footwork and artistry could make up for it. Brandon Mroz, who trains with Abbott in Colorado Springs, stands eighth at 76.10.
“I tried too hard for that instead of creating a new moment and staying within myself and staying focused,” Abbott said.
He said it wasn’t pressure. It was more abstract.
“Each of those competitions I took them for what they were and didn’t try to do something I’d already done,” he said. “I tried to create a new moment because it’s a different competition and a different frame of mind and different set of circumstances at each of them so I can’t expect to be the same person I was in (the Cup of) China when I had no pressure and here at Worlds.”
The approach sabotaged his technique. He didn’t bend his knee on the landing of the triple toe or the axel. Now with nothing to lose, he’s contemplating using a quad in tonight’s long program.
Ranked 17th in the world, Mroz landed all three of his jumps, including a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination. It’s his first Worlds and he handled it as if he’s gone every year.
“I know they have more experience,” Mroz said. “They’ve been doing this a lot longer. We have world champions in here. It’s me pushing maybe my own boundaries, trying to top what I’ve already done. Maybe I feel a little inexperience but I when I put together a top performance like that I can stay up with the top guys.”
Joubert, the 2007 world champion, had popped off a year ago about Canada’s Jeffrey Buttle beating him at Worlds without a quad. Well, Joubert was the only one of the top three to try one and he landed it but touched his hand on the second half of the combination, a triple toe loop.
He landed his other jumps and his footwork was judged superior to the entire field.
Lysacek, who trains in Los Angeles, skated a clean program and may add a quad tonight. He was overjoyed, pumping his fists to a huge ovation of a crowd waving American flags. He trails Joubert, 84.40-82.70, just ahead of Canada’s Patrick Chan at 82.55.
In the pairs long, two-time U.S. champion Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker of Colorado Springs bombed. They both missed on triple salchows, and she fell on a triple toe loop, ruining a combination. Their 90.12 was well below their season best of 115.67. They fell from ninth to 11th.
“It’s one of those things,” Brubaker said. “We started strong — good twists — and I think we got a little excited, a little out of sync. That’s kind of how skating goes.”
Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany defended their world title.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com
