Perfection

Yagudin gets record amount of 6.0s at worlds

Alexei Yagudin earned a total of six 6.0 scores. AP

NAGANO, Japan (AP) -- Olympic gold medalist Alexei Yagudin had an unprecedented number of 6.0s Tuesday -- including the first ever for required elements -- to win the men's short program at the World Figure Skating Championships.

Skating to "Winter," Yagudin landed all his elements at M-Wave, including a textbook quad-triple combination, and earned a total of six 6.0 scores, the highest number an individual has received in a world championships in a short program.

Yet Yagudin said he was not quite awake.

"I felt sleepy," said Yagudin said after the program.

Yet he wasn't like that during the program. He picked up ice shavings as if to throw snow in the air and the Japanese crowd cheered at these gestures. "At the Olympics, I was not sleepy and scored four 6.0s and was satisfied with those scores."

Yagudin even received a 6.0 in required elements and a 6.0 for presentation from the Ukrainian judge Yuri Kliushnikov.

In a night of excellent skating, Yagudin was the best. All of the last six skaters had virtually clean programs.

Yagudin said it was easier for him to skate here than it was at the Olympics and that skating last in the short program gave him an advantage.

"I didn't have another chance like this to score 6.0s for this great short program. I'm really happy to have the chance to skate last and clean."

Fellow Russian Alexander Abt was second while American Timothy Goebel was third. Japan's Takeshi Honda came in fourth and was showered with roses by his loyal fans.

Abt also hit a good quad-triple combination and beat Goebel on his artistic moves. Goebel, although completing a good quadruple salchow-triple toe loop move, lacked the polish of the two Russians in between the jumps.

Abt's top scores were up to 5.7 and 5.8s while Goebel was fourth in the short program even behind Honda. Still Goebel was third overall.

Yagudin and Goebel led after Monday's qualifying. The short program is worth 30 percent and the men's free program on Thursday is worth the remaining 50 percent of the total score.

Earlier, Olympic silver medalists Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh of Russia took the lead after the compulsory dance program.

Victor Kraatz and Shae-Lynn Bourne of Canada were second while Povilas Vanagas and Margarita Drobiazko of Lithuania were third.

The Russians, who were in the top position after Tuesday's first dance, received marks ranging from 5.5 to 5.8 for technique and mostly 5.7s for timing and expression in the second quickstep dance.

Tuesday's event was missing some of ice dancing's biggest names and the Russians said it felt a little strange to be on top. "For the first time in our career we our world champions -- in the compulsory dance," said Averbukh.

The compulsory dances are worth 20 percent of the final score while Thursday's original dance is worth 30 percent. Friday's free dance makes up the other 50 percent.

Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat of France -- The Olympic gold medalists and 2000 world champions -- decided to retire from competition after Salt Lake City and plan to hit the show circuit.

Italy's Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio, who won the bronze medal at Salt Lake City and are the 2001 world champions, said they lost their enthusiasm for competition this year and decided not to compete at this event.

"We always wanted to beat them in competition," said Averbukh. "We are not used to the role of leaders yet. We've never even won a grand prix event and are usually second."

Americans Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev finished Tuesday's compulsory dances in ninth place.

 

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