VANCOUVER, B.C., March 21 (Reuters) - Michelle Kwan, the
United States' reigning world figure skating champion, over
came a potentially disastrous loose skate blade to take top
marks in her qualifying group at the World Championships on
Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Kwan's Russian rival Irina Slutskaya
won her session, setting the stage for a heated battle of the
gold medal co-favorites in Friday's short program round.
Two other American contenders -- Sarah Hughes and Angela
Nikodinov -- settled in behind Kwan in the rankings, while
Slutskaya's teammate Viktoria Volchkova and France's Vanessa
Gusmeroli claimed the second and third spots in the morn
ing qualifier group.
Russia's 1999 world champion Maria Butyrskaya stumbled
several times in her freeskating routine. A look of distress
crossed her face as her name flashed on the scoreboard below
the three American women.
On the warm-up, Kwan felt her blade come loose from the
heel of her boot. Fortunately, there was ample time to make
repairs because Kwan was the last of the six women in her
grouping to compete.
"I don't usually have equipment problems. For some reason,
the landing on the double Axel pryed open the heel and I was a
little frightened," said the triple world titleholder.
Kwan's father, Danny, reattached the blade.
"I just let everyone else handle it. I went backstage and
stayed focused while they worked on my skate," added Kwan.
She gave the blade a brief test run when she returned to
the ice and then skated a near flawless performance of her Song
of the Black Swan routine.
Kwan, who has been criticized for not upping her technical
ante with triple-triple jump combos, was the only one of
the top contenders to execute the move in the qualifiers.
"I wanted to send a message to myself, that I could do it,"
said Kwan who nailed seven triple jumps. "The more I do the
better I feel."
Slutskaya, who posted wins this season at the Russian
nationals, Europeans, and Grand Prix final, exuded confidence
throughout her Don Quixote program which featured five solid
triple jumps and her trademark change-foot Biellmann spin.
The qualifier is worth 20 per cent of the final score, with
the top 15 skaters in each of two groups advancing to the
short program round on Friday.
"This year I am in the weaker (qualifying) group. It's like
justice for having had to skate in the harder group last
year," said Slutskaya, twice the world silver medallist.
Volchkova, who came out on top in the triple jump count,
landing six, noted, "It is important to place well in the
qualifying otherwise you end up scrambling later on."
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