European champion Carolina Kostner leads American Caroline Zhang after the short program at the Cup of China.
Kostner had a triple-triple combination and scored 60.82 points Thursday after skating to Riders on the Storm by the Doors.
Caroline Zhang, of the United States, competes in the Ladies Short Program at the ISU Cup of China Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Harbin, in northeast China's Heilongjiang province Thursday Nov. 8, 2007.
(Greg Baker/Associated Press)
"I am very pleased with my short program today," Kostner said. "I was very nervous going into it."
Zhang, the world junior champion last season, is second with 58.76 points. She also hit a triple-triple, but was downgraded for a jump later in her program while skating to Spanish Gypsy.
Two weeks ago, Zhang finished third in her international senior debut at Skate America.
Kim Yu-Na of South Korea was third at 58.32.
Kostner competed in first Grand Prix competition since 2005. She missed the GP season last year with injured ligaments but came back to win the European title in January.
In the ice dance, Russians Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin led two-time world medalists Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto of the United States.
The Russians took the lead in the Argentine Tango compulsory dance, 38.77 to 35.89, even though Domnina fell in the warmup.
"I can't say what happened there, maybe we came too close, or maybe it was just bad luck," Domnina said. "Maybe I was one per cent scared after that. I tried to forget about it."
Belbin and Agosto were the 2006 Olympic silver medallists and winners of Skate America two weeks ago.
Former world champions Ping Qing and Tong Jian took the pairs short program with a score of 65.48 points. Americans Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker, making their international senior debut, were second with 59.22.
The Americans might have scored higher in their program to Moonlight Sonata, but McLaughlin fell on a triple salchow. They were undefeated in junior competition last year, finishing with the junior world title.
The competition continues Friday with the start of the men's competition, which includes former two-time world champion Stephan Lambiel of Switzerland and Americans Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek, who have taken the last four American titles between them.
The Cup of China is the third of the International Skating Union's Grand Prix series ending at the Grand Prix Final in December in Turin, Italy.
Related
Internal Links
More Figure Skating Headlines »
- Lambiel shines again on Turin ice
- Stephane Lambiel won the Grand Prix final men's figure-skating title Saturday, adjusting his Flamenco program after a pair of faulty jumps to edge Japan's Daisuke Takahashi.
- Sale, Pelletier to skate in gala at nationals
- Olympic gold medallists Jamie Sale and David Pelletier plan to perform in the Parade of Champions at the coming nationals.
- Japanese figure skater takes NHK men's title
- Japan's Daisuke Takahashi rallied to win the men's title Sunday at the NHK Trophy Grand Prix figure-skating competition in Sendai, Japan, beating early leader Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic.
- Canadian dance duo wins free skate but finishes second
- Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir threw down the best free program of the NHK Trophy Grand Prix competition in Sendai, Japan, but still came out with a second place finish behind France's Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder.
- Canadian pair skates to bronze in Japan
- Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison captured bronze in the pairs, while Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir finished first in the original dance portion of the ice dance Friday at the NHK Trophy Grand Prix in Sendai, Japan.
More Sports Headlines »
- Ribeiro, Stars end Flames' win streak in OT
- Centre Mike Ribeiro scored two goals, including the game winner just 57 seconds into overtime, to give the Dallas Stars a 3-2 win against the Calgary Flames Friday night at the Pengrowth Saddledome.
- Gionta rallies Devils past Oilers
- Winger Brian Gionta scored the game-winning goal early in the third period to lift the New Jersey Devils to a 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers Friday night at Rexall Place.
- Durant lifts Sonics over Raptors
- Seattle rookie Kevin Durant scored 27 points and the Seattle SuperSonics handed the Toronto Raptors their second straight loss following a 123-115 victory Friday night.
- Canada's VanderBeek 2nd in Austrian downhill
- Canada's Kelly VanderBeek captured her first podium spot of the World Cup alpine season Friday, finishing second in a downhill in St. Anton, Austria.
- Koe, Martin top quarter-final seeds at the National
- Kevin Martin is going after his fifth consecutive Grand Slam of Curling title, but he's got tough competition in fellow Edmontonian Kevin Koe, who has a perfect record at the National taking place in Port Hawkesbury, N.S.
Sports Features
- NBARaptors Basketball
- Sun, Jan. 6 at 1:00 pm ET: Cleveland at Toronto
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles
Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - link will open in new window
