Japan's Ando steals Skate America title

Japan has swept the singles titles at Skate America, with a surprise winner leading the way. 

With the far more heralded Mao Asada having one of the worst performances of her young career, it appeared American world champion Kimmie Meissner would grab the gold after a sensational free skate Saturday night in Hartford, Conn.

Japan's Miki Ando, pictured during her short program, nailed a personal-best free skate Saturday to win the ladies' competition at Skate America.
(Gérard Châtaigneau/FSC-SportIms)

Then Miki Ando went her one better.

Actually, quite a few better. Ando landed 10 jumps in the first 2½ minutes, posting a personal-best 125.85 points for the free skate and 192.59 overall. That outdistanced Meissner and the disappointing Asada in a three-way battle of teenagers.

Vancouver's Mira Leung finished eighth.

For Ando, it was a sizzling start to the season after a distressing Olympics, where she could barely land a jump and finished 15th. And for her nation, which owns the women's Olympic gold thanks to Shizuka Arakawa, it completed a dominant showing at the first Grand Prix event — Nobunari Oda took the men's title on
Friday night.

After injuries to her right foot and some coaching problems a year ago ruined her season, Ando, 18, was determined to have a strong start in 2006-07.

"I couldn't concentrate that much even though [2005] was a big season," she said through a translator. "It was not easy for me.

"I wanted to perform this way, that I did tonight, in the Olympics. Last year … I didn't have the attitude of a member of the Japanese team. This year, the image and attitude is very strong and that's why I skated so well."

Her program, to a Mendelssohn concerto, sizzled from the outset. Skating directly after Meissner, Ando nailed seven triple jumps, four in combination. At the end, she struggled to catch her breath.

So did the crowd.

Bulgarians, Americans win gold

The bubbly Meissner, 17, from Bel Air, Md., vowed after a mediocre short program that she always does better in the free skate. That, after all, was how she won the worlds in March — and how she almost won here.

Her flamenco routine was punctuated by six triple jumps and some enchanting footwork, not a strength in her previous two years as a senior. She threw kisses to the crowd as she left the ice, while tending to a finger she cut during a catch spin.

"In the Grand Prix, it's good to know I am getting better," she said, noting her best previous GP finish had been fifth. "The program felt great and the crowd liked it, I think."

The crowd wanted to love Asada, the 2005 Grand Prix champion who was too young to compete at worlds and in Turin. She mesmerized the audience in the short program, but everything went wrong in the long.

Her opening triple axel, something few women even practise, turned into a single. She didn't complete a triple jump until 2:31 into the program. Her spins were very slow and other than her smooth, lengthy spirals, the 16-year-old Asada struggled, falling to third.

Earlier, world champions Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski overcame a crash, a cut and a bloodied costume to win the ice dancing gold medal.

The Bulgarians swept all three stages in finishing ahead of Americans Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov. The free dance wasn't easy, though, after they were involved in a morning practice collision with Britain's Sinead and John Kerr.

Staviski tweaked his hip and Denkova cut the back of her right leg, with the blood running on to her partner's white outfit.

"Ice skating is dangerous," Staviski joked after the veteran couple won the first event of the season.

Canadians Chantal Lefebvre and Arseni Markov finished ninth out of 11 pairs, while Allie Hann-McCurdy and Michael Coreno were 11th.

Rena Inoue and John Baldwin gave the home crowd at the Hartford Civic Center the U.S. victory they hoped for, winning the pairs title ahead of the Polish husband-and-wife team of Dorota Siudek and Mariusz Siudek.

Americans Naomi Nari Nam and Themistocles Leftheris completed the podium, taking the bronze in their first grand prix competition.

Canadians Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay finished fourth out of eight pairs.

© The Canadian Press, 2006