The Drought Is Over

The cloud has lifted. The jinx is over. What other cliches can we throw at the surprise last night? Evan Lysacek broke all sorts of streaks last night with his win over heavy Gold medal favorite Evgeni Plushenko - and the win shocked everyone, including Lysacek.

Skating first in the final flight of men, Evan Lysacek was visibly nervous and tight - giving commentators Sandra Besic and Scott Hamilton cause to worry he wouldn't deliver. But, deliver he did. It was cautious, without the abandon that usually comes within his programs - especially during footwork - but he laid it down. And the others followed suit with only minor mistakes coming from most.

One has to wonder if Evan had resolved to "skate for silver" instead of Gold. Everyone seemed to assume that if Evgeni Plushenko stood up - and why wouldn't he? - he would just be handed the gold (this blogger believed that even though she chose Evan Lysacek for the USFSA's fantasy skating team). When the scores came up it was shock, joy, pain, frustration, a mix of emotions heard round the world. In sports history it goes down as one of the biggest upsets of all time.

Evan is the first American to win Gold in Men's Figure Skating since 1988 when Brian Boitano narrowly beat out Brian Orser of Canada to win the gold in Calgary. Evan is the first reigning World Champion since Scott Hamilton won in 1984 in Sarajevo. Evgeni got all the attention for trying to be the first since Dick Button (yes, another American) to win a second, consecutive Olympic title. It didn't happen. It was Evan's night.

It was Frank's night (finally, a gold medalist out of his camp!).

It was America's night.

But, ultimately, it was Evan's night.