Flatt wins US skating title, Cohen falters

Rachael Flatt won the ladies' title at the US Figure Skating Championships, surging to victory with a solid free skate as Sasha Cohen's comeback hit the skids.

Flatt, who was lying third after the short programme behind Mirai Nagasu and 2006 Olympic silver medallist Cohen, turned in a clean free skate to Rachmaninoff that included seven triple jumps.

"It was a great programme," Flatt said. "I was very excited with how things went. I finally competed with how I've been training and I built throughout."

The 17-year-old won with a total of 200.11 points, while Nagasu was second with 188.78, the two punching their tickets to the Vancouver Olympics next month.

Nagasu, 16, had claimed the hearts of the crowd with her stylish "Carmen" programme.

But she was downgraded for technical flaws - to the spurprise of many including the skater herself.

"I was downgraded on three elements?" she asked.

But Nagasu will have a chance to fix those faults in Vancouver, where the US women will have their work cut out in a competition headlined by South Korean Kim Yu-Na.

"The Olympics were always in the back of my mind," Nagasu said. "We don't have a Michelle Kwan or Kristi Yamaguchi to lead us on. Even though we're young, we still have our big dreams to lead us on."

Ashley Wagner, the only US woman to reach the Grand Prix Final this season, jumped from fourth to third with a total of 184.70, not enough to punch her Olympic ticket.

Cohen, the charismatic skater who hadn't competed since taking bronze at the 2006 world championships, settled for fourth after a free skate marred by one fall and assorted errors.

Earlier Saturday, Meryl Davis and Charlie White won their second straight US ice dancing title, this one coming with the extra satisfaction of a victory over Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto.

Davis and White won their first national title last year with Belbin and Agosto, the five-time national titlists and 2006 Olympic silver medallists, sidelined by injury.

But with the Vancouver Olympics beckoning, Davis and White showed they had what it took against their illustrious compatriots, winning all three phases of the ice dance competition and capping their win with a dramatic free dance to music from "Phantom of the Opera."

They garnered 108.76 points for the free dance for a total of 222.29.

"There's nothing quite like skating your best," Davis said. "After so many days and weeks and years training so hard, to put in a performance like that in front of a home crowd, is just amazing."

Belbin and Agosto were second, earning 106.60 for their free dance for a total of 218.51. Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates were third with an overall total of 190.69 points.

The United States will send three ice dance teams to the Vancouver Olympics next month.

The men's and pairs Olympic contenders were decided here last weekend, with Jeremy Abbott, 2009 World Champion Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir booking their tickets to Vancouver, along with pairs Caydee Denney-Jeremy Barrett and Amanda Evora-Mark Ladwig.