By KEITH GRANT
By the time the fight was over, Weintraub triple-jumped his way onto the medal podium. The Lido skater took home the silver medal in the men's novice division at last week's U.S. National Figure Skating Championships in Dallas.
I never skated that routine that well before, Weintraub said of his free-skate program, which moved him into second place. [But] I felt like I was well prepared. I worked hard all season.
The Long Beach High School sophomore was bested only by Colin Pennington of Cleveland, a skater Weintraub beat in the Eastern Sectionals in Philadelphia last November to claim the gold medal.
Weintraub, who just turned 16, skated against competitors ranging in age from 14 to 18 and now will move up to the men's juniors, one division below Olympic-level. According to his coaches who include Olympic and world coaches Peter Burrows, Mary Lynn Gelderman and Patricia Johnson Weintraub has already shown the type of growth on the ice that should make him competitive at the next level.
His maturity definitely showed at Nationals, Johnson said. Weintraub is the only novice skater to land a triple jump, in which the skater rotates three times in the air. In fact, he has nailed seven different triples.
He's definitely a jumper, Johnson said. He has a great lift and technique. He's got lots of guts.
When she began coaching him four or five years ago, Johnson saw that Weintraub wasn't afraid to fall. Falling is a part of learning, he explained. You can't be afraid.
As much as his jumping sets him apart from his competition, Weintraub's maturity as a skater also showed in his artistry and his feel for his accompanying music, Johnson said. One of the skater's off-ice hobbies, playing the drums, has helped him develop a deeper feel for the music in his routines, Weintraub said. But he also credits choreographer Lee Ann Miller, formerly of Stars on Ice, who has worked with such skaters as Brian Boitano, Katerina Witt and Tara Lipinski.
School officials, Weintraub said, have also played a part in his success by supporting his training schedule, particularly guidance counselor Patti Kronick. Weintraub's daily regimen typically starts with a 6 a.m. wake-up call, followed by a skate of 45 minutes to an hour. He arrives at school as second period begins, then returns to the ice at the end of the school day for another 90 minutes of practice.
The high school has been wonderful to David, said Weintraub's mother, Nancy. Despite the grind, Weintraub says he maintains a high-80s average at school.
When not studying for this month's Regents exams, Weintraub is preparing to learn quad jumps as he moves up to the junior level, something his coaches aren't worried about. He has the heart and soul of a champion, Johnson said. It's that thing you can't explain but all champions have. He has it.
With his silver-medal performance, Weintraub earned an invitation to work out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in April. He has already seen much of the country and the world. Last year he competed in the Nationals in Los Angeles placing 11th and traveled to Denmark, where he won the Copenhagen Trophy invitational.
