Prost -- to his health
Urmanov returns to major championships
Posted: Sunday January 24, 1999 06:24 PM
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Room for improvement: Urmanov finished second at the Goodwill Games and third at the Russian championships Matthew Stockman/Allsport |
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- The last two times Alexei Urmanov skated in major championships, he won the 1997 Europeans and was leading the Worlds that year before an injury forced him out for more than a year.
The 1994 Olympic champion returns to the European Figure Skating Championships this week, opening with the men's qualifying Monday, as a mere outsider with no important victories in two years.
At the Worlds in Lausanne in 1997, the Russian suffered a groin injury and had to withdraw minutes before he was scheduled to skate the long program. The injury forced him to miss a chance to defend his Olympic crown, which went to fellow Russian Ilya Kulik, whom Urmanov beat at the 1997 Europeans.
Urmanov returned to skating this season, winning the Cup of Russia, his only victory. He took second in the Goodwill Games to American Todd Eldredge and third at the Russian championships behind Yevgeny Plushenko and Yagudin.
The two other Russians have been in form this season. World champion Alexei Yagudin won six straight competitions before he lost to Plushenko at the Russian championships.
| European Figure Skating Schedule |
| Date |
Event |
Time |
Monday, January 25
Tuesday, January 26
Wednesday, January 27
Thursday, January 28
Friday, January 29
Saturday, January 30
Sunday, January 31
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Men's qualifications group A
Men's qualifications group B
Pairs short program
Ice Dance compulsories
Men's Short Program
Women's qualfications group A
Women's qualfications group B
Pairs long program
Ice Dance original dance (Waltz)
Men's long program, 1730
Women's short program
Ice Dance free dance
Women's long program
Exhibition
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1045
1415
1830
1100
1730
0930
1300
1730
1230
1215
1730
1230
1400
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| All times GMT |
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Urmanov skated impressively during practice Sunday, hitting triple after triple with ease while his teammates -- and top competitors at Prague -- faltered one at a time.
The Russian troika envision another 1-2-3 Russian sweep as last year when Yagudin, Plushenko and Alexander Abt swept the European men's medals. Abt is injured and missed the Russian national competition, which qualified skaters for Europeans.
A Russian sweep is not unprecedented. Last year the Russian team took 1-2 in all four events in winning all the titles for the second year in a row. The former Soviet Union never did that.
For the first time, the qualifying rounds will count for 20 percent of the total score, forcing the top men to skate their best rather than going through the motions when virtually assured of advancing.
The pairs short program also will be held Monday.
The top 15 men from each of the two groups advance to Tuesday's short program, counting another 30 percent.
The men's final free program is scheduled for Thursday.
The pairs have defending champion Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. The couple won the Olympic silver medal last year behind Olympic champions Oksana Kazakova and Artur Dmitriev.
Kazakova and Dmitriev, like Kulik and Eldredge, are not competing in major championships this year although retaining their Olympic eligibility.
American Tara Lipinski, the women's Olympic champion, opted for more professional shows and gave up her chance for another Olympic title.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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