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Russians jump to early series leads
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) -- Figure skating's Grand Prix series returns to Europe with Russians looking to continue a domination built on success at two meets in North America.The Sparkassen Cup on Ice meet begins today. At Skate America in Detroit, reigning world men's champion Alexei Yagudin was victorious as Russians won three of the four events. At Skate Canada in Kamloops, B.C., Russian Evgeny Plushenko edged host-country hero Elvis Stojko in the men's event.
Yagudin goes after a second straight Grand Prix win here. Fellow-Russian Alexander Abt will be his toughest opponent. Abt was third at the European championships last winter but could not gain a spot at the worlds or Olympics because the Russians are so deep in men's singles.
Alexei Urmanov, the 1994 Olympic champion, is back competing. Ilia Kulik, the 1998 Olympic champion, is taking the year off from these kind of international competitions to earn money in shows and pro-am events.
Yagudin has changed coaches from last year and now is with Tatiana Tarasova, who guided Kulik to the Olympic gold medal. Tarasova knows how to bring out the best in skaters. In her 32-year career, her students have collected 33 gold medals, seven in the Olympics and the rest in world and European championships.
She worked with Yagudin in New Jersey, where she transferred from Marlborough, Mass.
"After a few practice sessions, I saw he had a great talent as an actor," Tarasoava said. "So I made a short program to bring out those talents."
Yagudin's short program, to be skated today, has a circus theme in which he stops at points to mimic a juggler.
Yagudin is tight-lipped about leaving former coach Alexei Mishin, who also coaches Urmanov and Plushenko.
"Let's just say I'm old enough to put myself in my own hands," said Yagudin, who turned 18 last March a few days after winning his world title in Minneapolis.
Representing Canada will be Jeff Langdon of Barrie, Ont., coming off a poor skate in Kamloops, and Jean-Francois Hebert of Warwick, Que.
In the women's competition, Russian Maria Butyrskaya, also is looking for her second Grand Prix victory of the season. She won gold in Detroit despite falling twice. Elena Sokolova, finished second at Skate America and will again challenge for gold here.
Jennifer Robinson of Windsor, Ont., looks to regain her form after a poor Skate America showing.
World champions Angelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov make their season's debut in ice dance. The world champions moved to the top after two-time Olympic champions Pasha Grishuk and Evgeny Platov stopped competing and eventually split up.
Shae-Lynn Bourne of Chatham, Ont., and Victor Kraatz of Vancouver, fresh from a victory at Skate Canada where the top Russians didn't compete, are present in Germany to challenge Krylova and Ovsiannikov. A new, non-stop free dance nicknamed Heart Attack by Christopher Dean who helped with the choreography, is the vehicle the Canadian champions hope will lift them to the top this season.
Marie-France Dubreuil of Ste-Catherine, Que., and Patrice Lauzon of Boisbriand, Que., also are entered.
The pairs field is a weak one. Germans Peggy Schwarz and Mirko Mueller are the top seeds. Valerie Saurette of Granby, Que., and Jean-Sebastien Fecteau of Montreal represent Canada.
Winners get $30,000 US, second is worth $18,000, and third $10,000. Points towards the Grand Prix final in St. Petersburg, Russia, in March can be accumulated from a maximum of two Grand Prix meets. The series continues next week with the Lalique Trophy meet in Paris.