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Russian revelation

Butyrskaya wins world skating title over Kwan

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Posted: Saturday March 27, 1999 11:28 AM

Butyrskaya's victory gives Russia a sweep of all four titles, the first time a country has done it at the world championships. AP

HELSINKI, Finland (AP) -- Maria Butyrskaya of Russia dethroned Michelle Kwan for the women's title at the World Figure Skating Championships Saturday, beating her in both the free skating and the short program.

Butyrskaya needed to finish at least second to be sure of the title, no matter what Kwan did.

Butyrskaya, aged 26, with a history of nerves, was magnificent in her first chance to win the world title.

She completed seven triples with mature artistry to gain marks of 5.7 and 5.9 from the judges.

Kwan, 18, who placed fourth in the short program, said she had recovered from the cold that had plagued her earlier in the week, but that her earlier weakness "played a little game with my head."

Sitting with her coach Frank Carroll, before she received her marks, Kwan said she had been thinking of what not to do rather thinking positively.

"It was all negative," she said.

Butyrskaya would have had to finish third or worse in the free skating for Kwan to have a chance to win the title. After Butyrskaya's strong performance, Kwan was clearly out of the running when she took the ice.

Kwan heard the cheering backstage after Butyrskaya skated but did not know her marks yet.

"It's the same old thing.... I just had to focus on my own thing" Kwan said.

A chance to win the free skating evaporated when she stepped out of her opening triple lutz. Later she only had a single axel, worrying about the jump that she missed in the short program when she fell and dropped her to four.

Kwan said she wasn't thinking about her result in the short program.

"I tried to focus. It's over with. The short program's gone. Forget about it. I'll never do it again," Kwan said.

Julia Soldatova of Russia took third, completing a triple salchow-triple toe loop, the only skater to do that in the final programs. She matched Kwan in completed triples with six.

Butyrskaya's victory gives Russia a sweep of the four titles, the first time a country has taken all four at the world championships.

American Sarah Hughes, 13, came in seventh in her first world championships.

 

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