Kwan, Yagudin take early leads
Both skate solid technical programs at world championships
Posted: Saturday December 12, 1998 11:15 AM
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Kwan, who calmly and almost routinely skated a stylish technical program, did seven triples AP |
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Michelle Kwan and Alexei Yagudin, world
champions on the Olympic-eligible level, are closing in on the same
crown for the professionals.
With the International Skating Union sanctioning the World
Professional Figure Skating Championships this year, both Kwan and
Yagudin -- who won their other world titles in Minneapolis in April
-- have taken advantage. Each of them dropped a perfect 6.0 on the
competition Friday night.
Kwan calmly and almost routinely skated a stylish technical
program. That peacefulness was missing during the Olympics, in
which she skated tentatively in the long program and finished
second to Tara Lipinski.
This time, Kwan hit everything with flair as she debuted her new
free skate, to "Lamento d'Ariane." The two-time world champion on
the Olympic-eligible level plans to use the same routine in the
nationals in two months.
"I felt more relaxed than I usually do," the 18-year-old Kwan
said. "Last year, I'd probably have done two internationals and a
couple of pro-ams and been exhausted. But now I feel ready for
nationals. I'm not worried and tense and stressed out."
Russia's Yagudin, who received his 6.0 from the Russian judge,
won the men's technical program by hitting seven triples, including
two triple axels.
"This is an important competition for me, but it is not so
serious as the Grand Prix and the worlds and Europeans," said
Yagudin, who plans to skate at the Russian championships and at
worlds. "It's OK. I'm happy."
He edged five-time U.S. champion Todd Eldredge, allowed to
reskate the second half of his routine after a cuff link fell off
his costume and landed in his way.
Eldredge, who fell on a triple lutz, got to redo the jump and
landed it perfectly.
"The referee asked if I wanted to start before or after the
lutz," he said with a smile. "I said, `Let me think about it.'"
Rudy Galindo was third, followed by Kurt Browning, winner of
this event the last three years.
Facing the toughest field she will encounter this season, Kwan
swept the seven-judge panel. Of course, none of the other
competitors came close to the seven triple jumps she nailed, or to
the flair she put into the performance, worth half the total score.
"Tonight was a very important night for us," coach Frank
Carrll said. "She did seven triples -- yea, team! -- and whether it
was slow or not, I'll take it."
Kwan's 6.0 from the Canadian judge was a surprise.
"You get a perfect score and you wonder, `Where do I go from
here?'" she said. "Everyone says, `Don't change a thing.' But I
have to change.
"I have to appreciate it now and start all over."
Nicole Bobek, who has had to start all over after her 17th-place
disaster at Nagano, also looked sharp in edging Japan's Yuka Sato
for second heading into Saturday night's artistic program. Back
training with Richard Callaghan, who oversaw her climb to the 1995
national title, Bobek nailed a beautiful triple lutz to begin her
rousing routine, to music from the film 'Zorro.'
"Basically, I'm looking at every competition as a step up,"
Bobek said. "We're working hard. I don't feel as nervous."
It was a rough night for the two Olympic champions in the field.
Oksana Baiul, the 1994 winner, finished fifth, and Katarina Witt
(1984-88) was sixth and last. Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Lu
Chen of China was fourth.
"I'm embarrassed," Witt said. "I skated very poorly."
The top three men all skated well. But Yagudin's far more
difficult program earned him the top spot.
"Last year, I skated good, but not good enough to win
everything," said Yagudin, who has been unbeatable this season.
"My artistry was not so good as it is now."
Five-time U.S. ice dance champions Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod
Swallow were a surprising first after the rhythm dance. It's rare
when Americans wind up ahead of Russian dancers in any competition,
let alone the world pros.
But they edged Maya Usova and Yevgeny Platov, and Pasha Grischuk
and Alex Zhulin. Grischuk partnered with Platov to win the last two
Olympics, while Usova and Zhulin, who once were married, also were
Olympians.
"We took a chance doing this long program for a technical
program," Swallow said. They received a 6.0 for presentation from
the Polish judge. "We were rewarded nicely. That's our first 6.0
from an international judge."
Nagano winners Oksana Kazakova and Artur Dmitriev of Russia led
the pairs.
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