Surprises at the Top After Men's Short Program at Worlds
by Sal Zanca, Special to U.S. Figure Skating Online |
| Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland Photo by Michelle Wojdyla |
Event Results, News and Photos
(3/15/05) — “Stephane — Swiss like chocolate,” read one of the signs for Stephane Lambiel around the Luzhniki Sport Palace Tuesday. Like chocolate might be one of the analogies for his short program performance at the 2005 World Championships, but there are others as well.
While others struggled in their performances, Lambiel was like, well, a Swiss watch, finely tuned and on the verge of breaking a long victory drought for Swiss men. The last time a Swiss man won a World title was in 1948.
Now Lambiel, last year's surprise fourth-place finisher at Worlds, has a new personal best score and a nearly a six-point lead heading into Thursday's free skate.
“Yesterday was wonderful and today was just ... magnificent,” said Lambiel about his strong qualifying skate and short program.
Lambiel's program to George Winston's “Spanish Caravan” included a quad toe-triple toe combination, triple Axel and triple Lutz out of footwork, and his performance gave him a six point lead over second place Brian Joubert of France.
Joubert was hot, too, also doing a quad-triple combination, triple Axel and triple Lutz, and he finished just behind Lambiel, 80.28-79.66. But Lambiel's excellent qualifying skate moved him well ahead of the reigning World silver medalist overall.
Defending champion Evgeny Plushenko, often seemingly invincible, was anything but that during the short program. Suffering from numerous aches and pains, Plushenko finished fifth in the short program and is third overall headed into the free skate — seven points behind Lambiel.
After taking an injection for his pain, it wasn't a surprise when he went sprawling on his opening quad and struggled to stay on one foot on the triple Axel.
“I have a very bad situation right now because I've been skating only for two weeks,” Plushenko said. “For two weeks I was not practicing and gained four to five kilos (9 to 11 pounds). And when I started to practice again, some old injuries emerged again.”
With two-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir and Timothy Goebel both falling in their short programs, it was left for U.S. bronze medalist Evan Lysacek to jump for joy after his good short program left him in the top five.
Lysacek performed a near flawless short to put himself in fifth place going into Thursday's free skate. Skating to “Carmen” he landed a triple Axel and triple Lutz-triple toe combination.
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| Evan Lysacek celebrates his short program performance at Worlds. Photo by Michelle Wojdyla |
“I was having a really great time in practice today and tonight,” Lysacek said. “It was so obvious there was energy in the building. I had fun. I was excited my mom and dad are here; I was psyched they could experience this with me. I worked really, really hard this season.”
Weir, meanwhile, is not having the competition he expected, falling to seventh place overall after a ninth-place finish in the short program. He looked good in warm-up, and said he chose not to have any pain medication this time for his injured foot.
“My foot was so sore and tender and bruised I didn't want to go through more injections to have it hurt more,” Weir said. “So I skated and toughed it out. Even if I am hurt and still sore I am going to go out there and compete the best I can, and that is all I can really ask.”
Weir said he is also feeling he has let down his numerous Russian fans with his performances.
“I feel I disappointed myself and the people here,” Weir said. “That is a definite plus when everyone wants to see you and want you to skate well.”
Goebel fell on his opening quad combination and was just 14th after the short program.
“I am really disappointed I missed the quad,” Goebel said. “I have been hitting them really consistently in practice all week, and I felt really good in the warm-up. I think it is just an issue of confidence.”
Goebel also talked about the tough road he's traveled over the last six months.
“It's been a pretty difficult year,” Goebel said. “Not many people move cross-country in mid-season. It has been a hard fight all season. It has not been an easy year.”
But he sees a bright spot.
“In the long term I am in a much better place,” he said. “I will be able to come back next year and do better than I have. I think I have improved a lot of aspects of my skating. I think the quality of my jumps has really improved. I think the quality of the quad has improved. Just the consistency is not there any more.”
The men's competition concludes Thursday night with the free skate.
