Rachael Flatt served notice Saturday that she can compete with the best in the world. In her debut at the World Championships in Los Angeles, she placed fifth with a personal best 172.41 points. U.S. champion Alissa Czisny, who fell twice in her 14th place short program, turned in the eighth best free skate of the competition, complete with three triple jumps. She improved to 11th overall with 159.78.

Rachael Flatt performed her best short program of the season at the 2009 World Championships in Los Angeles. In her World debut, she scored 59.30 points, for a seventh place standing. U.S. Champion Alissa Czisny (53.28) fell twice, on the planned triple flip and double axel, finishing the short in 14th place.

Evan Lysacek won the 2009 World Championship before a hometown crowd in Los Angeles. American’s Brandon Mroz (207.19) and Jeremy Abbott (204.67), the only U.S. man to win the Grand Prix Final, finished ninth and 11th, respectively. The combination of Lysacek and Mroz’s results earned Team USA three spots for next year’s Olympic Winter Games.

Skating before McLaughlin’s hometown of Los Angeles, the two-time U.S. Champions Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker made a series of mistakes in their free skate, which dropped them from ninth after the short to 11th overall. The duo placed 12th in the free skate.

The World Championship short program was no problem for Evan Lysacek. His electrifying performance to “Bolero” brought the Staples Center crowd to its feet before he even struck a final pose. Heading into the free skate, Lysacek is in second place. Brandon Mroz and Jeremy Abbott are eighth and 10th.

Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker finished ninth in the short program at the 2009 World Championships in Los Angeles. The two-time U.S. Champions have less than a point lead on national silver medalists Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett, who are 10th.

When the men’s competition opens at the World Championships, March 22-29 in Los Angeles, two American men are expected to be near the top of the standings. Jeremy Abbott is the Grand Prix Final Champion while Evan Lysacek is the two-time World Championship medalist hoping to save a disappointing season.

U.S. champion Alissa Czisny and two-time silver medalist Rachael Flatt head into the World Championships, March 22-29, with a lofty goal in mind. They want to skate well enough to secure three spots for American ladies at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada.

An Olympic beat columnist and reporter who also contributes to the Los Angeles Times, Phil Hersh has extensively covered the sport of figure skating since the 1980s, and is one of the only journalists still covering the major athletes and events outside of the Olympic season. He sat down with fans to answer questions before the World Championships.

An Olympic beat columnist and reporter who also contributes to the Los Angeles Times, Phil Hersh has extensively covered the sport of figure skating since the 1980s, and is one of the only journalists still covering the major athletes and events outside of the Olympic season. He sat down with fans to answer questions before the World Championships.