Czisny Wins US Figure Skating Title

CLEVELAND (Jan. 24) - Alissa Czisny put the woman back in women's figure skating, reminding everyone there's more to the sport than jumps.

"Throughout the years, there's been a lot of disappointments and hard times," said Czisny, known as much in the past for her inconsistency as for her considerable talent.
"I think I've been able to take all of them and learn from them. It's made me a better person, it's made me a better skater and I think I've learned a lot, a lot about life."

The 21-year-old made a rebound for the ages Saturday, winning the women's title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships one year after a dismal ninth-place finish had her re-evaluating herself. Tears filled her eyes when she saw the final results, and it'll be days before the smile leaves her face.