Russians dominate Skate America
Reuters, Spokane, Washington
Russian pair Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin claimed their first Grand Prix title at Skate America on Friday, while their countryman Alexei Yagudin laid the groundwork to extend his year- long winning streak.
Totmianina and Marinin, the 2002 world silver medalists, held top spot and the US$30,000 that comes with it despite a tentative performance which included a fall on the individual triple jumps.
Canada's Anabelle Langlois and Patrice Archetto climbed one spot in the finale to take silver and $18,000 in prize money, while China's Pang Qing and Tong Jian earned $10,000 for their bronze medal finish.
"It's hard to present a new program," said Marinin, who trains in Chicago with Russia's 1984 Olympic pairs champion Oleg Vasiliev.
"We were both a bit nervous. We're happy, but we didn't skate perfect."
All three couples will have a chance to add to their winnings next week at Skate Canada in Quebec City, the second of six events in the Grand Prix series.
Meanwhile, Olympic and four-time world champion Yagudin nailed a quadruple-triple jump combination and triple Axel in his short program, earning a standing ovation and the early lead in the 11- man field. The competition will be decided on Saturday.
Afterwards, an emotional Yagudin spoke of seeking a medical solution to a nagging hip problem that forced him off the ice for three weeks in August. He was in tears when he suggested it could force him out of competition permanently.
Still, the gregarious Russian, who won the Grand Prix, European, Olympic and world titles last season, appears to have another hit on his hands with his new car race-themed program which features his trademark, innovative footwork steps set to techno music.
Despite doubling out of his planned triple lutz jump, Yagudin held French newcomer Brian Joubert to second place and fellow Russian Alexander Abt to third.
Joubert, who landed a quadruple of his own, earned the biggest ovation of the night for his inspired and technically-clean performance.
When the scoreboard showed Joubert in second, a wave of discontent rumbled through the crowd. But, given the new secret judging system, no one knew which judges to boo.
Ten marks flash on the scoreboard here for each competitor, but the marks are not attributed to a particular judge as they were in the past.
The new system is a response to the ice pairs judging scandal at the Salt Lake Winter Olympics in which a Canadian couple were surprisingly denied gold by a Russian combination. The Canadians were later also awarded gold.
Yagudin has been an outspoken critic of the system overhaul here this week, despite drawing a rebuke from ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta for his stance.
"It's like watching The Discovery Channel of the unknown worlds," Yagudin suggested.
"I really dislike it. I don't see how the new system can help. The judges, they are more uncontrolled," he added, in reference to keeping the scores sealed until the season ends.
Earlier on Friday, Ukrainian ice dancers Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov solidified their lead in the original dance round. They are now training with Yagudin's coach, Tatiana Tarasova, in the U.S.
Russians Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov remained second, while Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto held on to third heading into Saturday's free dance finale. In fact, there was no movement at all among the nine couples.
Israel's Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovsky, the 2002 world bronze medalists, are stuck in fourth, a stunning result given that they had ranked well ahead of the three leading couples in the past.