| |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
BEIJING : South Korean teenager Kim Yu-Na paid tribute to Asian fans after winning her second International Skating Union Grand Prix title of the season in the Cup of China here on Saturday.
American Jeremy Abbott also won his first ever title and Russian pair Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin claimed the ice dance prize at the Beijing Capital Gymnasium.
Kim's accomplished free skating routine gave her a total score of 191.75, well clear of Japanese 2007 world champion Miko Ando in second place, adding to the Skate America title she won last month.
"I really appreciate the fans in the arena. It feels just like home. There are a lot of Korean fans here," the 18-year-old high school student said.
Kim will now bid for an unprecedented third consecutive Grand Prix final title in Seoul next month, after winning both the 2006 and 2007 events in Russia and Italy.
Kim made history at the senior world championships in Japan last year when her short programme blew the competition away, earning the highest score ever awarded under the current International Skating Union (ISU) judging system.
While Kim looks increasingly likely to light up the ice at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, Ando, who scored 170.88 points for second on Saturday, warned she should not be overlooked.
"I know I can improve and do better in Vancouver," said Ando, sitting next to Kim at a post-competition press conference.
The 2008 European bronze medallist, Laura Lepisto of Finland, finished third on 159.42.
Jeremy Abbott stunned himself and fans when he scored 233.44, smashing his personal best of 206.40 to claim the men's title and his first on the Grand Prix circuit.
His free skating score of 145.53 was also a new best.
Fellow American Stephen Carriere won the silver medal with a 217.25 total. Pre-competition favourite Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic made several errors and was third on 205.48.
Russia's 2008 European champions Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin won the ice dance title by a fraction after scoring 91.19 for their free dance routine to achieve a 186.77 total.
Americans Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto, 2006 Olympic silver medalists, were second with a 186.41 total after scoring 91.18 for the free dance.
Russia's 2008 European and world bronze medalists Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski were third on 179.50.
- AFP /ls
|
