Going through the motions
Russian skaters continue to impress, dominate the competition
Posted: Thursday December 03, 1998 01:20 PM
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Olympic bronze medalists Annissina (right) and Peizerat are the top contenders, currently on 12 points Matthew Stockman/Allsport |
SAPPORO, Japan (AP) -- The NHK Trophy, the sixth and final event
of the figure skating Grand Prix, opened Thursday with French pair
Marina Annissina and Gwendal Peizerat leading in the compulsory
program of ice dancing.
Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh of Russia were second,
followed by Lithuanians Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas,
Kati Winkler and Rene Lohse of Germany and Tatijana Navka and Roman
Kastamarov of Russia.
It is a non-point event for Lobacheva and Averbukh, who have
already qualified for the Champions Series final in St. Petersburg,
Russia, in March.
Figure skaters are allowed to compete in only three of the six
events in a season, designating two for points scoring in order to
be able to compete in the series final.
Three dance couples have qualified, leaving two places to be
settled at the NHK Trophy. Top contenders are Olympic bronze
medalists Annissina and Peizerat, currently on 12 points.
Drobiazko and Vanagas are currently tied in fourth place at 16
points with Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio of Italy, who
re not competing here.
There are two couples in the field on 7 points - Winkler and
Lohse, third in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and the new paring of Navka
and Kastamarov, third in Russia last month.
If there is a tie for the fifth after the competition here, both
couples will qualify for the final.
The NHK Trophy has fewer big-name skaters this time, with
Russians Elena Sokoiova, Maria Butyrskaya, Alexei Yagudin and
Alexei Urmanov and other leaders on the standings skipping the
event after qualifying for the series final.
Even without Olympic champions competing this season, the
Russians have so far won 14 of 20 titles.
In Skate America and Skate Canada, the Russians won four of the
eight events. They swept the titles in Gelsenkirchen and added two
more at the Lalique Trophy competition in France. Like
Gelsenkirchen, they swept all four in Moscow.
Men's gold medalist Ilia Kulik and pairs champion Oksana
Kazakova and Artur Dmitriev have bypassed the Grand Prix series
this year, preferring to enter pro-ams and do the show circuit
while staying eligible for future Olympic competition.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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