Canadians dance to gold
Posted: Saturday February 27, 1999 11:07 AM
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Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz skated to gold at the ISC Four Continents Championships. AP |
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (Reuters) -- Canadian ice dancer
Shae-Lynn Bourne skated through the pain of a torn knee ligament
to capture gold with partner Victor Kraatz at the new ISU Four
Continents figure skating championships Friday.
The three-time world bronze medalists also picked up $33,000
in prize money for their four-minute routine skated to a driving
techno beat and at an unrelenting pace.
"This program is very taxing on the knee. Because we do a
lot of low moves, I knew it would hurt a lot more," Bourne
said.
The battle for silver and bronze -- a case of dueling tangos
-- went to Canadians Chantal Lefebvre and Michel Brunet.
Americans Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev took third.
In the men's opener, Canada's three-time world champion
Elvis Stojko was bettered by his 17-year-old Japanese training
mate Takeshi Honda and China's Min Zhang, an international
unknown.
"Training with Takeshi has been wonderful for me to have
that level at the rink, to push each other and have the spirit
of good sportsmanship," Stojko said.
Zhang, 22, made a bit of skating history when he became the
first to land a quadruple jump in the short program at an ISU
championship or senior international event. A rule change made
last June allows a quad in the short program.
In their free dance, skated to ultramodern music called
"Meet Her at the Love Parade", Bourne and Kraatz demonstrated
innovative footwork, angular body positions, and creative pair
spins.
The program was designed by British greats Jayne Torvill and
Christopher Dean, who nicknamed the physically punishing
routine "Heart Attack."
Bourne, who injured her knee in a training spill last month,
will decide Monday if she feels fit enough to compete at next
week's Grand Prix series final in St. Petersburg, Russia.
With the 1999 World Championships coming two weeks later,
competing in Russia could be hazardous to her health and their
hunt for gold in Helsinki.
Because his pre-Olympic groin injury is not fully healed,
Stojko has already asked to be exempted from the Grand Prix to
prepare for Worlds. If the ISU grants Stojko's request, Honda
would take his place.
Honda's error-free short program featured a triple
axel toe jump combination and triple lutz.
Stojko landed a quad during his warm-up but two-footed the
trick when it counted.
With Saturday's final free skate worth two-thirds of the
total score, Stojko could still come out on top.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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