At the 2009 World Championships, Lysacek placed second in the short program. He then won the free skating segment to win the competition overall, becoming the first American man since Todd Eldredge in 1996 to win the World title. His placement, combined with that of Brandon Mroz, qualified the United States for three entries in the men's event at the 2010 Winter Olympics. At the World Championships, Lysacek competed with a stress fracture in his left foot, which prevented him from trying a quadruple jump at the competition. During the off-season, Lysacek took two months off from skating to give the injury time to heal. He was called the frontrunner for the 2010 Olympic gold by some journalists.