Lysacek Gold Also is First For Legendary Coach Frank Carroll

"He was really keeping me calm all day and reminding me that is not about being tentative and not about one or another jump jump," Lysacek said. "It's about the entire program from start to finish and selling it and pushing everything out. I think that's kind of what I did well tonight."

Lysacek won without a quad, the first to do so since 1994. Carroll was publicly critical of defending Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko, saying his jump-heavy programs are not suited for the new scoring system. Plushenko won at the 2006 Turin Olympics under the current system then retired for three years before returning in an Attempt to extend the Russian / Soviet men's gold dominance to a sixth Olympics.

That did not happen on Plushenko had enough trouble with his first two jumps for Lysacek to make up a .55 deficit after the short program and win by 1.31 points.

Lysacek stuck with a black costume with two snakes that goes with the story of his free program music, Sheherazade.

"One of the skaters we are told that in China snakes bring prosperity," Lysacek said. "I had a new (Vera Wang-designed) costume for the Olympics, but I was like I'm not wearing it, I want to wear the snake one."Read More Story,http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/jeffmetcalfe/74302

Lysacek Gold Also is First For Legendary Coach Frank Carroll