Figure skatingChan opens with amazing performance

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France’s Brian Joubert, the 2007 world champion and favourite coming into this event, trails Chan by almost eight points and sits in third place.

Takahiko Kozuka of Japan, who was deducted one point following a spill, is also ahead of Joubert in second place.

But the free program is another story.

Both Joubert and Kozuka have quadruple jumps in their long program, so Chan will have to be on top of his game if he hopes to win his second Grand Prix title of the season.

In the pairs competition, defending world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany appear to have learned their lessons from Skate America - where they got off to a sluggish start - to the lead the Paris event.

Although Russian rivals Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov sit in second, they really needed to be ahead of their German counterparts because the couple’s free program lacks the substance and style required to win from any other spot.

Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and Craig Buntin continue to improve after Buntin’s shoulder surgery this past spring. The Canadians made a five-point improvement in the short program from their Skate America effort, and are currently third.

There are no real surprises in ice dance as defending world champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder of France, lead going into the free dance segment.

Italians Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali, who won the original dance, and the Scottish brother and sister duo of Sinead and John Kerr sit second and third, respectively.

The original dance was one of the hotly contested events ever with only .54 separating the top three teams.

Canada’s Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier were fifth after the compulsory dance, but skated a strong enough original dance to move ahead of French tandem Pernelle Carron and Mathieu Jost into fourth place.

The ladies short program, meanwhile, left a lot to be desired.

Defending world champion Mao Asada from Japan singled the second jump in her combination and doubled a planned triple Lutz, putting her just behind leader Joannie Rochette of Canada by a 1.12 margin.

For her part, Rochette didn’t have a great skate, but only made one significant error to give her the lead going into the free skate. American Caroline Zhang is third.

Watch live coverage of the free programs on CBCSports.ca beginning Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET.

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