as Carol Heiss' other pupil Lisa Ervin pulled up from fifth to second. Regardless, her third-place finish meant that she was on the World team and heading to the World Championships. However, she skated extremely poorly in the initial round, failing to even qualify for the main draw, leaving the U.S. with just two skaters in the ladies' event. After Ervin finished in 14th place, heavy favorite Nancy Kerrigan skated poorly and fell from first after the short program to fifth overall, leaving the U.S. with just two berths for 1994. While Kerrigan was the logical scapegoat for this outcome, some U.S. officials were rumored to harbor resentment against Kwiatkowski as well. Kwiatkowski did not skate well at the 1994 Nationals and finished a disappointing fifth, failing to qualify for an Olympic spot. According to an 11 February 1995 article in the Chicago Tribune, "After she placed fifth overall in the 1994 nationals last January, her coach, Carol Heiss, was being told by skating insiders that Kwiatkowski had no future in the sport." 1995 to 1998 Armed with her newly minted college degree, Kwiatkowski struck back with a strong performance at the 1995 U.S. Nationals, taking the lead after the short program and finishing third behind Nicole Bobek and Michelle Kwan, with a fall on a triple flip in the long program costing her a shot at the title (see 1995 Nationals review article written the following year, "Kwiatkowksi is no kid at U.S. Championships" AP News, January 17, 1996). But because of the Americans' performance at the 1994 Worlds, only two slots were available for American ladies figure skaters, leaving Kwiatkowski off the World team in 1995. Placing second in the 1996 Nationals behind Kwan assured Kwiatkowski a spot on that year's team, and she went on to place 8th at the Worlds in a scintillating performance which included a full arsenal of triple jumps. Overshadowed by Kwan's gold medal performance, Kwiatkowski's finish was something of a redemption, as she delivered the elements under pressure. In 1998, at age 26, Kwiatkowski was the "old lady" of figure skating, nine years older than rival Michelle Kwan and eleven years senior to Tara Lipinski. A heavy favorite to vie for the third Olympic spot behind the two youngsters, she had hoped to close out her career with a trip to the Olympics, but finished 4th at the U.S. National Championships behind