Canadian champs lead ice dance in Japan
Quebecers Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon led with 38.28 points at NHK Trophy
Last Updated: Thursday, November 30, 2006 | 10:22 AM ET
The Canadian Press
Defending champions Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon of Canada led the ice dance competition after the compulsory rumba Thursday at the NHK Trophy in Nagano, Japan — the sixth and final event in the International Skating Union's Grand Prix series.
Dubreuil, from Montreal, and Lauzon, from Boisbriand, Que., led with 38.28 points. They were followed by Russians Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski, who had a slight edge over Americans Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov.
Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon perform Thursday in Japan.
(K. Kasahara/Associated Press)
"It was OK," Dubreuil said. "We didn't get to work that much on it because since Skate Canada [in Victoria], we have been working on a new OD [Original Dance] with new music."
The original dance competition is Friday, followed by the free dance on Saturday.
Plenty of mistakes in pairs
The pairs competition began with a Chinese duel at the top.
Former two-time world champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo led compatriots Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao, the Olympic silver medallists. Shen and Zhao have 65.58 points while the Zhangs, who are not related, have 63.82.
Third were Valerie Marcoux of Gatineau, Que., and Craig Buntin of Kelowna, B.C., with 55.62 despite a fall.
Zhao had a major mistake on a spin as he lost his balance and was far behind his partner. At one point she was upright and he was still in a sitting position.
"I caught an edge in a tracing on the ice," Zhao said. "Perhaps it was even a tracing of mine from before."
Zhang Hao fell on a triple salchow and Marcoux hit the ice on a throw triple loop move.
"Many of us did not skate well tonight," Shen said.
The free program for pairs is Friday.
Swiss champ forced to withdraw
Two-time world champion Stephane Lambiel was a late withdrawal from the men's singles.
The Swiss skater has a virus infection and was told by doctors to stop all physical activity for a week, the event organizers said. He withdrew late Wednesday.
Although he won Skate Canada, his absence here will cost Lambiel a berth in the Grand Prix Final in St. Petersburg, Russia, Dec. 14-16.
With Lambiel out, the favourites here are Japanese skaters Nobunari Oda, who won at Skate America, and Daisuke Takahashi who, after a second at Skate Canada, could also qualify for the final.
Battle among Japanese in women's event
The women's event has a trio of Japanese women bidding to make the final. Mao Asada, who won last year's Grand Prix final but was not eligible for the Olympics because she was too young, comes in with just a third-place finish from Skate America.
After looking so good in the short program there, she faltered in her trademark triple Axel and several other jumps.
Fumie Suguri and Yukari Nakano have seconds from Skate Canada and the Cup of China respectively.
With the top three positions worth 15, 13 and 11 points, it will come down to whatever way the Japanese finish as they are the top skaters in the women's field. The top six scorers from the season in each event qualify for the final.
The competition is being held in the city that staged the 1998 Winter Olympics at the Big Hat Arena, site of the Olympic ice hockey events. The 2002 world championships were also held in Nagano but at the M-Wave rink, where Olympic speed skating was held.
