MOSCOW, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian skaters showed their prowess on the first day of the ISU figure skating Grand Prix Rostelecom Cup in Sochi, Russia on Friday, as three Russian pairs were on top and two Russian women skaters finished 1-2 after short program.

Daria Pavliuchenko and Denis Khodykin set a season's best of 73.91 points by hitting a triple toe, throw triple loop and got a level four for the twist, lift and side-by-side spin.

"We are happy that our performance worked out well, we were able to enjoy it and have the emotions. Thanks all who supported us - the audience and the TV audience," said Khodykin.

The 2016 world junior champions were ahead of reigning 2021 world champions Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov, who scored 73.64.

Iasmina Kadyrova and Ivan Balchenko achieved a new personal best score with 69.37, sitting in third place.

Kamila Valieva, 15, set a new record score with 87.42 points en route to lead the women's short program. Valieva delivered an excellent performance to "In Memoriam" by Kirill Richter, reeling off a triple Axel with both arms raised above her head, a triple flip, triple Lutz-triple toe and level-four spins and footwork.

"I almost did my maximum today. There is always a place for improvement, the combo was not so great," said Valieva.

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, the 2021 ISU world silver medalist, came second with 80.10 points. Mariah Bell from America finished third, netting a season's best of 69.37 points.

In men's short program, Japan's Kazuki Tomono grabbed a narrow lead over Morisi Kvitelashvili of Georgia, and Canadian Roman Sadovsky sits in third place.

Skating to "Cinema Paradiso", Tomono produced a quad toe-triple toe, quad Salchow and triple Axel as well as difficult spins and footwork to set a personal best score of 95.81 points.

Last year's European bronze medalist Kvitelashvili featured a quad Salchow-triple toe, quad toe and triple Axel, picking up a personal best as well with 95.37 points.

Sadovsky landed a quad Salchow and triple Lutz-triple toe to "Breathe For Me", but stepped off his triple Axel to score a season's best of 84.59 points.

Reigning world ice dance champions Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov of Russia danced into a confident lead in the rhythm dance with a season best of 86.81 points, and Italy's Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri finished second with 79.56 points. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Canada, the 2021 Skate America bronze medalists, scored 76.39 points to secure the third place. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)