LOS ANGELES " Whichever women represent the United States at the Vancouver Olympics next year, there will be only two of them.
For the first time since 1994 " anyone remember Tonya and Nancy? " and just the second time since the Winter Games began in 1924, only two American women will compete. That disappointment was confirmed Saturday when national champion Alissa Czisny finished 11th, six spots behind teammate Rachael Flatt, at the World Figure Skating Championships.
"I don't know ... whatever happens," Flatt said, more eager " and rightfully so " to discuss her strong showing at her first worlds.
"I think there were a few things I could've changed, but I think it was a great performance. This experience was irreplaceable. I couldn't ask for anything more."
Even if the U.S. skating public might.
American women have won a medal in every Olympics since 1964, but the current crop has little experience and even fewer credentials on the international scene.
Unless Sasha Cohen and/or Michelle Kwan are serious about coming back to competitive skating " or 2006 world champion Kimmie Meissner recovers from a string of injuries and bad performances " prospects for a spot on the Vancouver medals podium could rest with Flatt, which might be a long shot considering the strength of the rest of the international field.
Then again, the 16-year-old Flatt, from Del Mar, Calif., made such rapid progress this season that a leap into the truly elite level world champion Kim Yu-na and the top four here inhabit is not unthinkable.
"It always has been a dream of mine," Flatt said of going to the Olympics. "It really was starting to become a reality since nationals this year. It's not set in stone or anything, but this is making it a realistic goal. It's exciting to think I could actually be competing at the Olympics."
In her debut at worlds, she made two major mistakes, cutting short a combination jump she landed on two feet anyway, and messing up here final spins. But her on-ice presence, her willingness to try the most difficult elements " Flatt practices a triple axel " and her positive outlook could help elevate her.
"I thought she showed a lot of poise," coach Tom Zakrajsek said. "I think she improved in a lot of ways since Four Continents (in February) and nationals (in January, where she was second to Czisny).
"There's certainly a lot of work to get done, but she's on the right track and can't be anything but helped by this experience."
Czisny, 21, has been around a lot longer than Flatt. She's competed in eight national championships, her best showing before this year's win being a third in 2007. That got her to worlds, where she wound up 15th.
When Czisny struggled in the short program, it was a foregone conclusion the United States would not reach a combined placement of 13 to secure three spots in Vancouver.
To her credit, she was much better in the free skate, placing eighth to get her to 11th overall.
"I came here and tried to do my best. The outcome is not in my hands and there is nothing I can do about that," she said of falling short of three Olympic berths.
That might not go over too well with her federation, but Czisny, of Bowling Green, Ohio, is like any other skater. To concentrate on something other than her programs would be self-defeating.
"I just had to go back and figure out what went wrong (in the short program) and what I had to fix today," she said. "I went out there and tried to focus on each element. I was a little bit disappointed with my short program, but I can take what I learned from this competition and continue to improve."
Czisny will need to. There's one fewer spot than usual available on the Vancouver team.