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Leading the pack

Kwan sweeps first-place votes on first day of Skate America

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Posted: Saturday October 30, 1999 10:13 AM

Michelle Kwan's performace was solid, even getting a perfect score of 6.0 from the Russian judge. Phil Cole/Allsport

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) -- Michelle Kwan took some time away from her college studies to return to competition and turned in a masterful performance to take the lead after the first day of Skate America '99 on Friday.

The 19-year-old UCLA freshman garnered first-place votes across the board from a panel of nine judges for her short program.

Showing no rust, Kwan skated to an orchestral version of the Beatles' "Day in the Life", garnering a perfect score of 6.0 from the Russian judge.

The two-time world champion and 1998 Olympic silver medalist was dressed in crimson and displayed a more womanly side than in the past in her routine.

"It's a little more provocative, a little more mature, sexy," said Kwan's coach Frank Carroll. "It's good for her to do as she grows up."

Skate America Results Men Short Program 1, Alexei Yagudin, Russia, .5. 2, Michael Weiss, United States, 1.0. 3, Timothy Goebel, United States, 1.5. 4, Elvis Stojko, Canada, 2.0. 5, Matthew Savoie, United States, 2.5. 6, Anthony Liu, Australia, 3.0. 7, Alexander Abt, Russia, 3.5. 8, Szaboles Vidrai, Hungary, 4.0. 9, Stannick Jeannette, France, 4.5. 10, Yosuke Takeuchi, Japan, 5.0. 11, Thierry Cerez, France, 5.5. 12, Michael Hopfes, Germany, 6.0. Women Short Program 1, Michelle Kwan, United States, .5. 2, Sarah Hughes, United States, 1.0. 3, Elena Sokolova, Russia, 1.5. 4, Julia Soldatova, Russia, 2.0. 5, Angela Nikodinov, United States, 2.5. 6, Alisa Drei, Finland, 3.0. 7, Julia Lautowa, Austria, 3.5. 8, Julia Sebestyen, Hungary, 4.0. 9, Yuka Kanazawa, Japan, 4.5. 10, Nadine Gosselin, Canada, 5.0. 11, Dorothee Derroitte, Belgium, 5.5 Compulsory Dance 1, Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh, Russia, .4 factored placements. 2, Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio, Italy, .8. 3, Kati Winkler and Rene Lohse, Germany, 1.2. 4, Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev, United States, 1.6. 5, Jamie Silverstein and Justin Pekarek, United States, 2.0. 6, Josee Piche and Pascal Denis, Canada, 2.4. 7, Kornelia Barany and Andre Rosnik, Hungary, 2.8. 8, Nozomi Watanabe and Akiyuki Kido, Japan, 3.2. Original Dance 1, Lobacheva- Averbukh, .6. 2, Fusar-Poli-Margaglio, 1.2. 3, Lang-Tchernyshev, 1.8. 4, Winkler-Lohse, Germany, 2.4. 5, Silverstein-Pekarek, 3.0. 6, Piche-Denis, 3.6. 7, Barany-Rosnik, 4.2. 8, Watanabe-Kido, 4.8. Overall Standings 1, Lobacheva- Averbukh, 1.0. 2, Fusar-Poli-Margaglio, 2.0. 3, Lang-Tchernyshev, 3.4. 4, Winkler-Lohse, Germany, 3.6. 5, Silverstein-Pekarek, 5.0. 6, Piche-Denis, 6.0. 7, Barany-Rosnik, 7.0. 8, Watanabe-Kido, 8.0. Pairs Short Program 1, Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, Canada, .5. 2, Peggy Schwarz and Mirko Muller, Germany, 1.0. 3, Sarah Abitbol and Stephane Bernadis, France, 1.5. 4, Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, Russia, 2.0. 5, Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman, United States, 2.5. 6, Danielle Hartsell and Steven Hartsell, United States, 3.0. 7, Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn, United States, 3.5. 8, Tatiana Totmianina and Maksim Marinin, Russia, 4.0.

Russian Alexei Yagudin was first after the men's short program, but the 19-year-old two-time world champion struggled in the high-altitude venue had to be given oxygen immediately after his two-minute, forty-seconds routine.

"Only one problem," he said, "to breathe here."

Yagudin will have little time to get acclimated before competition resumes Saturday night and the Russian could have trouble getting through the twice as long free routine.

Poised in second should Yagudin falter is U.S. champion Michael Weiss, competing a week after the birth of his second child.

Skating to music from the film "On the Waterfront", Weiss made only one error, stumbling on the landing of his quad toe loop.

"It's very important that I give the judges a signal early in the season that I'm a winner," said the 23-year-old Weiss.

Canadian three-time world champion Elvis Stojko, on the mend from a minor knee injury, failed in his quad attempt and is fourth behind American Tim Goebel.

The big surprise of the night came in the pairs competition as unheralded Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier stole the show. Sale and Pelletier confidently sailed through the eight required elements with great flair and flamboyance to take the lead over far more experienced couples.

"We're not surprised by the way we skated; we skate like this in practice," said Pelletier.

"We are shocked at our position," he admitted after placing first in a field that features six of the top 10 teams from last year's world championships.

Two-time world champions and 1998 Olympic silver medalists Elena Bereznhaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia incurred deductions for two major errors by Bereznhaya that left them languishing in fourth.

Russians and Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh led the ice dancing competition, which lost some of its luster with the withdrawal of twice world champions Angelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsyannikov of Russia, due to Krylova's back problems.

 

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