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French connection Russian world champions win in Paris
Posted: Sunday November 21, 1999 12:40 PM
PARIS, France (Reuters) -- Russian world champions Alexei Yagudin and Maria Burtyrskaya won the individual titles at the Lalique Trophy grand prix event on Saturday. Yagudin won the men's competition from Frenchman Vincent Restencourt, a surprise second after placing only fifth in Friday's short program. Bulgarian Ivan Dinev was third. Butyrskaya took the women's title ahead of compatriot Victoria Volchkova and American 15-year-old Sarah Hughes after Saturday's free programs. France took both team events in the Bercy stadium, Sarah Abitbol and Stephane Bernadis winning the pairs competition for the second successive year and Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat the ice dance for the third time. Bernadis said he and his partner had made a huge improvement under Russian coach Stanislav Leonovich. "It's the second year we've trained under him with the objective of being ready for the major championships," Bernadis said. "He's a great professional and on top of that he's Russian. That's essential in a discipline dominated for decades by the Russian school." The pair finished ahead of Russians Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin, with Poles Dorota Zagorska and Mariusz Siudek third. Italians Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio was second in the ice dance, with Margarita Drobziako and Povilas Vanagas of Lithuania third.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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