MOSCOW, 19 March 2005 — Russia’s Irina Slutskaya looked poised to claim her second world title yesterday when she held the lead ahead of Sasha Cohen after the short program at the world figure skating championship here.
Five-time winner Michelle Kwan of the United States is in fifth position with defending champion Shizuka Arakawa of Japan trailing one spot below in sixth going in today’s third round, the free skating final.
Slutskaya, the 2002 champion and three-time runner-up, has a combined 92.61 points with Cohen on 89.78 and Italy’s Carolina Kostner sitting third on 87.27 going into the free skating final.
Japanese teenager Miki Ando is in fourth position on 86.96.
Kwan, who had been trailing in seventh after the qualifying round, did all the required elements cleanly during her two-and-a-half minute routine to Spartacus, and scored the third highest marks in the short program.
But the 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2003 champion has 86.21 points overall and a battle to reclaim the title she lost last year when she won bronze in Dortmund, Germany.
“I know I can do it. I have a lot to pick up before the long program and this was a learning experience for me,” said the 24-year-old Californian.
“I felt good. I was smiling even before the program. I said to myself ‘Michelle get back together and wake up’.”
Slutskaya, runner-up to Kwan three times before taking the world title ahead of the American in Nagano, Japan in 2002, finished ninth last year after returning from a heart problem which requires her to take medication which causes fatigue.
The 26-year-old from Moscow fought to hold her triple lutz double toeloop opening jump and showed signs of tiredness at the end of her program to Shostakovich’s Tango when she was unable to complete the second part of her double Biellmann spin.
Cohen skated cleanly but made an error in one of her spirals, with 18-year-old Kostner the only one of the top three skaters to perform a triple-triple jump.
Meanwhile, Arakawa two footed her second jump a triple flip during her routine to Madame Butterfly.
“I was very nervous today,” said the 24-year-old.
“I wanted to show my best. I hope to gain more confidence for tomorrow’s free skating.”
Two-time world bronze medallist Fumie Suguri of Japan dropped to eighth after falling on her opening triple lutz. Russia’s Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov lead US champions Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto going into the ice dancing free skating final later yesterday.
