U.S. skaters Max Aaron, Ross Miner qualify for men's world championships OMAHA -- It looks as if the next generation of U.S. men's figure skaters has arrived. But the timing might be all wrong. For the second time in a row, and only the second time since the elite of U.S. skating died in a 1961 plane crash, the men's team at the world championships will not include at least one skater who had competed the year before. That who's-on-first situation in a sport where past achievements carry substantial weight can only make it harder for the team to earn a third men's spot for the 2014 Olympics. The U.S. has failed to have three men only twice in the last nine Olympics, most recently 1998. "Not to put any pressure on them, but they better get three spots for next year," three-time U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott said. "They" are Max Aaron, 20, and Ross Miner, 22, who earned the two places for the March world meet after Abbott, the defending champion, botched the last - the simplest - individual jump in his free skate Sunday. That mistake was enough to give Miner (251.29 points) second place over Abbott (249.33). "I had a stupid lapse of judgment at the end," Abbott said. Aaron, who finished eighth last year, was the most surprising U.S. men's champion since Rudy Galindo in 1996. Aaron's victory, with 255 points, owed largely to his stunning jumps - two huge quadruple salchows in the free skate after one in the short program. "I just wanted to be competitive," Aaron said. I never really thought of being national champion. Joshua Farris, 18, made as impressive a leap in the standings. After finishing 16th and 21st the last two years, the elegant Farris wound up fourth, less than seven points from Miner. Aaron will go to the world championships with minimal international experience on the senior level. He has competed in only two senior "B" events. "I know what to expect," Aaron said. I do train with a two-time world champion [Patrick Chan of Canada] ... he's taught me how to compete, what it's like to be on the world stage. Miner, third in the national championships the last two seasons, has considerably more experience, even getting to the world championships in 2011. Then he was the second U.S. finisher (11th) in an overall performance so poor it cost the team a third spot for the first time in a decade. The placements of Miner and Aaron must add up to 13 or below to regain the third spot. twitter.com/olyphil