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Michelle magic at Worlds Kwan starts qualifications with top performance
Posted: Wednesday March 24, 1999 01:41 PM
HELSINKI, Finland (AP) -- Michelle Kwan began her journey to a third world title with a superb performance in her qualifying round Wednesday despite a cold that she caught on her way to the world championships. "I felt a little tired in my program but thought 'one thing at a time'," Kwan said. Completing six triple jumps with ease and grace, she easily won the qualifying group with marks mostly from 5.6 to 5.9. She received one 5.5 for technical merit from the Slovakian judge. Maria Butyrskaya of Russia won a controversial split decision in the other group despite three mistakes. Kwan did not make any errors but only did a triple-double combination and cut down another triple to a double lutz. Otherwise, she was solid in technique and exquisite in grace. "My jumps seemed solid but I could have done better," Kwan said. Highlighting her performance were two spiral sequences that emphasized the choreographic difference between her and the other competitors. Her marks were far ahead of the next best of the group, Vanessa Gusmeroli of France. Later Wednesday, the pairs title will be decided with Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, who won the short program on Monday, seeking their second straight world title. How Kwan would perform after having to take antibiotics was in doubt until she took off on her first jump, a triple lutz-double toe loop combination that was secure. Then she went into a long back spiral with her leg almost vertical to the ice and her skate well above her head. "I'm feeling a little weak. I'm taking my medication and hopefully my body will get used to it and I will be fine later on," Kwan said. She now has a day of rest before coming back for Friday's short program and repeating the long routine to "Ariane" on Saturday to defend her world title. Her coach, Frank Carroll, said they hadn't decided whether she would practice on her day off. Kwan said she is overcoming the cold, but feels only about "80 percent in energy." The qualification round counts for 20 percent of the final score. A misstep or a missed jump could have been costly for Kwan. But she now will be equal in points with Butyrskaya, who captured the second qualification group over Tatiana Malinina of Uzbekistan. Butyrskaya started strong with two good triple jumps. Then she faltered on the next three, including an awkward split coming down from a triple salchow. She ended with another triple, three in all. Malinina had four triples and did not make a major mistake, although cutting down two jumps. Julia Soldatova, a rising Russian who placed third in the qualifier, had six triple jumps. The first place votes from the judges were split among those three but Butyrskaya had the majority of firsts and got the overall top position. Under the new ISU scoring system, Kwan and Butyrskaya now enter the short program each with .4 factored placings. The key consideration was that Kwan would not be trailing anyone entering the short program, which could cost a skater a chance to win -- as happened in the men's event Tuesday. Elvis Stojko, the three-time world champion, finished third in the qualifying, followed by a third in Tuesday' short program for the men. Previously, a third place in the short would have kept him in solid contention for his fourth world title. Now he needs help -- in the form of mistakes from others -- if he is to vault past the Russians ahead of him in Thursday's free skate. The Russians in question -- Yevgeny Plushenko and Alexei Yagudin -- each won their qualifying rounds on Monday, meaning that either could win the title even if he comes in second to Stojko in the long program. Hoping for a mistake from the 16-year-old Plushenko would be risky. He was impressive with his jumps in the short, skating to "Hava Nagila." Yagudin landed a bit off on his opening triple axel-triple toe loop combination, but stayed in form or the rest of the circus-themed routine, full of vivid and amusing gestures. American champion Michael Weiss ended in fourth place after a program that was less technically ambitious than the others. Unlike Yagudin, Plushenko and Weiss, Stojko put a quad in his short program, but two-footed it. Russians also took the lead in the ice dance event with Angelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov putting in a smooth performance to the Paso Double and Tango Romantica. That put them solidly in first for the portion, counting 20 percent of the total score. There was a tie for second between Canada's Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz and France's Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat. Each ranked ahead of the other in one of the dances, although Anissin and Peizerat received a first place vote from the French judge.
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