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Fall from place Kwan blows jump, drops to fourth after short program
Posted: Friday March 26, 1999 01:43 PM
HELSINKI, Finland (AP) -- Michelle Kwan's hopes of retaining her world women's title took a severe blow when she fell on a jump and dropped to fourth after the short program Friday at the World Figure Skating Championships. Kwan went down to the ice on a double axel -- normally a simple jump for her -- and had trouble landing the first part of her triple lutz-double toe loop combination. She was marked down in technical merit from 5.1 to 5.5. Her presentation marks, mostly 5.8 and 5.9 with a 5.6, boosted her to fourth. But Russia's Maria Butyrskaya took advantage of Kwan's mistakes to move into first with a sultry number to "St. James Infirmary Blues." She won the short program with marks between 5.7 and 5.8 with a solo 5.6. That was good enough to rank her first by all nine judges with her Russian teammate Julia Soldatova second and France's Vanessa Gusmeroli third. For Kwan to win the title on Saturday she has to take the free skating portion -- not impossible for Kwan. However Butyrskaya has to finish third or worse. If the Russian is second, she takes the title no matter how well Kwan skates. "Now I don't control my own destiny," Kwan said of her chances of retaining her title. In the ice dance final later Friday, the free routine will decide the title between titleholders Angelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov and the French duo of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat. Kwan caught a cold on her way to Finland and was forced to take antibiotics earlier in the week to improve her condition in time for three skates within 75 hours. She said she'd largely overcome the cold. "Right now, I've been crying, so I'm congested" again, she said after her program. Although obviously shaken by her performance, she vowed to marshal the discipline that she's noted for. "I think the name of the game is to believe in yourself," she said. Even in an unfavorable position, Kwan is nonetheless formidable to her competition. "Michelle is still the best skater," Gusmeroli said. Kwan had looked firm, though unadventurous, in the qualification round Wednesday, but seemed tentative from the start of the short program on Friday. She lost her balance in the air on the opening jump but salvaged a one-foot landing and went into the second part slowly. Then she barely got off the ice for her double axel and crumbled as she landed. Even her spins and spirals seemed to lack the sparkle had highlighted her performances in the past. In fifth was the potential spoiler, Tatiana Malinina of Uzbekistan. Malinina had beaten Butyrskaya in the Grand Prix final two weeks ago and can push her down a spot in free skating if Kwan wins. However Butyrskaya took her second European title in January with a solid performance in all three phases of the competition. Kwan will skate last on Saturday. Thursday, Alexei Yagudin used his quad to create the difference between him and Yevgeny Plushenko to win the championship. American champion Michael Weiss gained a bronze medal. Weiss grazed the ice with his free leg on his quad attempt, not getting credit for it. Another American, Tim Goebel, competed the first quad salchow-triple toe loop in a world championship and came in 12th. Seven men completed quads bringing to 14 the number down in this competition. Yagudin unleashed a flawless quad, not only landing it firmly, but with flair. Then he knocked off an array of triples in one of the most difficult programs ever done at worlds. The program included two taxing triple-triple combinations. Plushenko missed his quad when he needed it the most, although he did eight triples. Russians defended their in the first two finals of the competition with Yagudin taking the men's event and Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharudlidze winning the pairs.
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