EVAN LYSACEK'S Next Move: DANCING WITH THE STARS!

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100301&content_id=8634670&vkey=ice_news

The newly crowned Olympic figure skating gold medalist confirmed to icenetwork.com that he will be vying for his next title, the Mirror Ball trophy, as a competitor on Dancing With The Stars, which begins March 22 on ABC. He hopes to follow in the footsteps, er skates, of other Olympic champions such as Apolo Anton Ohno and fellow figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi to the TV crown.

Melissa Rycroft and Tom Bergeron announced the new cast for Dancing With The Stars Monday during ABC's telecast of The Bachelor.

"I am so excited,'' Lysacek said. "I watched Apolo do it and I went to about five or six tapings when Kristi was on the show. I was looking for my next challenge after the Olympics and I think this will be great.

"I'm getting really nervous right now because I'm not that good of a dancer and people expect me to be because I am a figure skater.''

Not long after Lysacek defeated Russian favorite Evgeni Plushenko for the Olympic men's title in Vancouver, two-time Dancing With The Stars champion, professional dancer Cheryl Burke, posted a message on Twitter suggesting that Lysacek be a part of the show's cast. Burke won the show's title with 98 Degrees member Drew Lachey and with retired NFL star Emmitt Smith.

Lysacek, 24, will have a delicate balancing act on the dance floor but he is not giving up his day job as a skater, either. In fact, he will continue to perform most of the dates on the Smucker's Stars on Ice schedule.

He has to be in Los Angeles on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays for rehearsals and for Dancing With The Stars broadcasts. The good news is when he is taping the show he can sleep in his own bed. He lives about five minutes from the studio.

Lysacek will take red-eye flights to tour dates for shows on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

The 41-date Smucker's Stars on Ice tour begins April 1 in Fort Myers, Fla., and concludes May 30 in Portland, Ore. In addition to Lysacek, the tour includes Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen and Olympic silver medalist ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto.

"I felt it was still important to see my fans and to skate,'' said Lysacek, the first American men's Olympic figure skating gold medalist since Brian Boitano won in 1988. "And the show is such a great platform to promote the sport.''

The biggest challenge for Lysacek will be learning how to dance.

"I know nothing,'' he said. "I don't even know some of the names of the dances.''

He is looking forward to working with the production staff, some of which he has met already, as well as being fitted for various costumes. As a skater, Lysacek is already accustomed to wearing different designs and he has even worked with Vera Wang. At the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Lysacek wore a black outfit with feathers for a routine to "Firebird,'' and his free skate outfit featured two snakes.

"They actually let you have some of your own input,'' Lysacek said of the show's wardrobing department.

"But I have to do a good job first,'' he added. "I feel like there will be an expectation. Kristi and Apolo are both skaters and they both did so good. And it will be a big adjustment for me. Skating is such an individual sport, at least in singles skating. So it will be new to work with a partner.

One advantage Lysacek will have as a dancer that has been considered an obstacle for him as a skater is his height. The 6-foot-2 skater laughed when his height was mentioned. "It's funny because you'd think that but everyone (in dance) is so short,'' he said. "The good thing the show might do is silence some of the critics who say I'm really robotic.''

Lysacek is used to performing in front of judges and worldwide TV audiences, having competed in two Olympics and having captured the world title last year in Los Angeles. In Dancing With The Stars, he'll have to impress fans, who also cast their vote for the winners.

And he's hoping he can count on his friends in the figure skating world to help bolster his vote tally. He should also have fans at the taping of some of his shows as well. He trains with U.S. Olympian Mirai Nagasu in Los Angeles. His longtime coach, Frank Carroll, might swing by, too.

"I hope that he'll be able to come and watch it,'' Lysacek said. "I'm just looking forward to all of it.''

Plushenko's Soviet Craftiness . . .

. . . tricky tricky tricky!

(The picture is hard to read -- it says under each medal --

"Silver" "Gold" "Platinum"

. . . . interesting, I thought that medal you got this last week was silver? My bad, I guess!)

UPDATE: Here is an article elaborating on the subject . . . http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/In-Plushenko-s-mind-and-website-he-s-the-plat;_ylt=AihofTXq1j.UnsYufgbZAQpotLV_?urn=oly,221408


and here is the link to the "OFFICIAL PLUSHENKO WEBSITE" (note: it is in SCARY RUSSIAN)

http://evgeni-plushenko.com/

SEXY FOLLOW-UP, Plushenko Denies Knowledge of "Platinum" Label:
23.02.10
Plushenko isn't creating new Olympic medals

By NANCY ARMOUR
The Associated Press
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Evgeni Plushenko isn't awarding himself a new medal. Or creating one, for that matter.

Reports Tuesday said a picture of the Olympic silver medalist's latest prize was labeled "platinum of Vancouver" on Plushenko's official Web site. His medal from the Salt Lake City Games was properly identified as silver. But agent Ari Zakarian said no one had authority to do this "stupid thing," and Plushenko himself was not aware of it.

There were no labels beneath the pictures of Plushenko's three Olympic medals as of Tuesday afternoon. The Russian also has a gold from the Turin Olympics.

"It's absolutely a mistake. Evgeni has absolutely no idea about this. Absolutely no idea," Zakarian said. "Nobody from our team is awarding a platinum medal."

Plushenko just wants to move on, Zakarian said, and incidents like Tuesday don't help.

"Of course he's sad. He wanted to do his best," Zakarian said. "But it's past, it's done and he's looking forward to the next competition. This is history. It's over."

Look at the article in the Press part

Evgeni Plushenko - SEX BOMB?

True, there has been a lot of sarcasm and maybe even a little nastiness directed towards Mr. Evgeni Plushenko over the last week (and maybe even a suggestion or two he may be sparking off the next Cold War -- but Dickkk Button started it).

However, his performance of "Sex Bomb" has proven that, for as creepy and evil he may be, he also has quite a sense of humor!

Enjoy Plushenko and his bowl-cut mullet golenlocks perform a "rousing" rendetion of Tom Jones's classic "Sex Bomb."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVpgQQUiBh8&NR=1



(Thanks to L.M. for this sexy update)

Evan Lysacek Bob Costas Interview etc.

I have no idea how to share videos (so jealously protected by NBC) but there are a lot of good video links on the NBC Olympics website of our Olympic champion.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/search/video/results.htmx?q=evan%20lysacek



Also, there are video clips of our favorite performances by our other favorite skaters.

Memories . . . like the corners of my mind . . .

EVAN LYSACEK WINS GOLD!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVAN LYSACEK FOR AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE THIS EVENING! NOT ONLY DID YOU REPRESENT YOUR COUNTRY WELL (U.S. OF A.) BUT YOU TOOK EVGENY'S SLEDGEHAMMER AND SHOVED IT UP HIS YOU-KNOW-WHAT.

Yevgeny Plushenko the SLEDGEHAMMER

Yevgeny Plushenko the SLEDGEHAMMER.

Will his mind games pull through or backfire?

"It's so unfair -- he's an f*&king robot" A.W.

He's a jumping machine. Quad into triple toe. It is impressive, I will give him that. Triple axle a little off but he held onto it. He's just knocking out these jumps and jump combos.

I love watching him try to do the bally spin -- not for the heggy among us!

WOW -- was that some crotch grinding/hip thrusting?! Uncomfortable, Yevgeny.

Another awkward ballyspin provides some comic relief.

Now he is making love to the judges with his eyes. "No pervy points." -A.W.

"This guy's a cat! I don't know how he landed that!" Soviet deal with the devil? Or wait, no religion, Soviet deal with Lenin?

High kick high kick. Hip hop time!

He is dancing like Will Forte in that SNL Basketball sketch! WTF! It is kind of sweet how geeky he is, but it also makes me want to cross my legs tightly.

And end with blowing kisses.

"This guy is special . . . This guy deserves whatever he gets." - Scott Hamilton

"He's got the quad, he's got flair, he's got charisma . . . nowhere near as good as Evan."

"that triple axle was wonky" -A.W.

This guy is like rweeaarrrr -- he's a cat!" - Scott Hamilton

SCORE: WHO THE HELL CARES!?!?! EVAN WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Johnny Weir!!!!!

Johnny Weir! Crossing himself as usual. And, who knew? His coach is VICTOR PETRINKO?!?! Holy hell! He was such a sex symbol in the early 1990s and it was such a *thrill* when he came and performed at Kemper Arena in KC and I got to see him. He did a lot of hip thrusting and had his shirt unbuttons.

Oh Johnny . . . you are soooo beautiful to meeeeeee.

Triple flip well landed! As usual, he is so stylish and holds himself so well. The epitome of GRACE. All he needs are some Jackie O. glasses.

Dear lord his triple axles are beautiful. They are what you will see upon arriving at the gates of heaven. Many Johnny Weirs doing triple axles!

"Fallen Angel" 0 but without his signature costume in response to PETA. It was such a lovely malibu fur-trimmed thing. But this costume is also quite lovely and, perhaps, more suited to the formality of the Olympics.

He makes it look almost easy. He is so loose in his movements. And he is thin enough that his proportions look so nice -- like with Evan. Long arms and legs flailing around but with also controlled.

Spinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnand spinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

YAYYYY!!!! STANDING OVATION!!!!!!! "He skated his life out here!"

What a good little Catholic boy. "He's done everything he can and he should be so so proud of that." "That was wonderful!"

And here comes the crown of roses!

SCORE: 156.77 TOTAL: 238.87

WHAT THE HELL! Disappointing!