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Quadruple-triple-double Plushchenko tops Yagudin at Russian Nationals
Posted: Saturday December 25, 1999 02:08 PM
MOSCOW (AP) -- World silver medalist Yevgeny Plushchenko landed a quadruple and seven triples Friday to win his second consecutive Russian Figure Skating Championship over world champion Alexei Yagudin who failed on a quad toe loop. Plushchenko, 17, unleashed a quadruple-triple-double, the only skater in the world to do such a combination. "I landed it first in Japan during practice preparations for the triple-triple. I liked it and I decided to keep it," Plushchenko said. He received straight 5.9s for presentation and had six technical 5.9s. Yagudin performed seven triples but had several rough landings, along with doubling his quad attempt. "I lost today but I am happy because it is a good tradition," Yagudin said. "When I lose here I win the other events." In the last two years Yagudin has won the Europeans and worlds after not winning the Russians. Alexander Abt missed a quad but moved up one position after the short program to get the bronze. In the pairs, world champions Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, third after the short program, took advantage of their opponents' mistakes to capture their second consecutive national title. They got straight 5.9 presentation marks for their routine to Tchaikovsky's "Sentimental Waltz." Maria Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov took the silver despite Petrova's fall on a throw from a triple salchov. Tatyana Totmyanina and Maxim Marinin, who were first after the short program, made several mistakes and finished third. In the tense women's short program, all the top skaters made minor slips. World champion Maria Butyrskaya prevailed on artistry to take the lead. Her presentation marks were all 5.9s except one 5.8. Victoria Volchkova, 17, impressed the judges with clear jumps and finished second, followed by two-time European champion Irina Slutskaya, on a comeback after failing to make the Russian team last year. Julia Soldatova, third in the world last year, made no mistakes but finished fourth. Irina Lobacheva and Ilya Averbukh led the ice dance competition after original dance in the absence of the world champions Angelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov. The top three finishers in each event earn spots for the European Championship in Vienna in February.
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