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Slutskaya wins figure skating gold
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -- Irina Slutskaya got one back from rival American Michelle Kwan on Saturday, reversing their finish at the world championships to win gold at the Goodwill Games figure skating competition. In Vancouver, Canada, in March, Slutskaya led after the short program but Kwan surpassed her in the free skate to take the 2001 world title. Slutskaya, who settled for silver in Vancouver, led here after the short program but this time held on to skate a perfect long program and win the $40,000 first prize. On Saturday before a capacity 6,000-plus crowd at the Brisbane Entertainament Center, the Russian scored mostly 5.9s from the judges for presentation after Kwan had missed two triple jumps in her long program. The result left Kwan settling for silver and Japan's Fumie Suguri taking bronze ahead of fourth-place American Sasha Cohen. "I was pretty nervous again tonight, it's a new program," said Slutskaya. "I've worked hard on my artistic program and I think it's making a difference." Kwan said although she was happy with her program, she knows she could have done better. "I've practiced this new program but it's different doing it in front of an audience," said Kwan. "The music and the choreography is strong -- now I just have to back it up with some strong and powerful skating." Kwan paid credit to Slutskaya, "Irina skated really well," said Kwan. "I have to sit back and analyze my skating. I know I can do a better job." American Angela Nikodinov, seventh after the short program, had to pull out of the competition due to an eye infection. Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh, the world championship bronze medalists, won the ice dance competition. The couple, who married six years ago and have won three Russian titles, lost the 1998 Goodwill Games gold after a poor long program. Israeli national champions Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovsky held off a challenge to take the silver medal ahead of Russian couple Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomorov.
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