Artistry on ice
Butyrskaya glides into first place at Skate America
Posted: Saturday October 31, 1998 12:10 AM
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Butyrskaya earned all 5.7s for presentation in taking a lead in the women's short program AP |
DETROIT (AP) - Despite falling an attempted triple lutz, world bronze medalist Maria Butyrskaya of Russia won the women's short program Friday night at Skate America.
Butyrskaya earned all 5.7s for presentation in taking a lead over American Angela Nikodinov, who is in second place after skating a clean program that included a triple lutz-double toe combination.
Russia's Elena Sokolova - also among the few women to complete a combination jump Friday night - was third entering Saturday's decisive free skate. Nicole Bobek, the 1995 U.S. champion, fell on her triple flip and finished fourth.
The ladies' short program accounts for 33.3 percent of the total score.
France's Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizert - runners-up in this year's world championships and Olympic bronze medalists at the Nagano Games - retained first place in ice dancing after their original dance Friday night.
Russia's Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh, second heading into the original dance, stayed in second place. Barbara Fusar-Poli and Mariusz Margaglio of Italy finished third.
Americans Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev had held fifth place after Thursday night's compulsories but dropped to sixth after Tchernyshev fell during their routine Friday night.
The original dance is worth 30 percent of the skaters' total score.
As the first event in the International Skating Union's Grand Prix series, Skate America features Olympic-eligible skaters. The series culminates with the March final in Russia, two weeks before the world championships in Finland.
This year's event concludes Saturday with free skates in the men's, women's and pairs competitions, as well as the free dance.
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