Abbott wins fourth US men's figure skating crown

Jeremy Abbott captured his fourth men's title at the US Figure Skating Championships by finishing second in free skate and was named to the US Sochi Winter Olympics squad. Abbott, whose other US crowns came in 2009 and 2010 as well as last year, was a disappointing ninth at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics but will have a chance to improve on that performance next month in Sochi. A US Figure Skating selection panel named Abbott and free-skate winner Jason Brown to the Olympics, although they did not have to follow the meet placement order. "I didn't feel like I had to come here and win or have to skate lights out," Abbott said on Sunday. "I came here to do my job so I can move on to Sochi. "I have just been driven by such a fire inside." Brown took the free skate with 182.61 points to 174.41 for Abbott, whose victory in the short program where Brown was third enabled him to capture the overall title with 274.27 points to Brown's runner-up total of 270.08. Abbott, 28, has announced his retirement from Olympic skating after this season. "I knew I skated well enough to win and I knew this is my last US nationals," said Abbott. "I just wanted to soak it all in because it's never coming again. "Four times -- it's so great." Max Aaron, the defending US champion, was third in the free skate with 173.49 and third overall on 260.44. American Evan Lysacek, the 2010 Olympic men's champion, ended his Sochi bid last month due to injury. Source: AFP