Goodwill Games

Previews and Reviews for Friday, September 7

Skating - Review and Preview:

BRISBANE – World champion Michelle KWAN (USA) will go into Saturday’s Free Skate program ranked in second place, after a surprise victory to Russian rival Irina SLUTSKAYA in the Short Program on Thursday.

SLUTSKAYA, the reigning world silver medallist, had no major errors during her difficult short program, scoring several 5.9’s and earn the number one ranking.

Japan’s Fumie SUGURI is currently in third position, while rising star Sasha COHEN (USA) is fourth.

Former world champion Maria BUTYRSKAYA (RUS) had a disastrous start to her Goodwill Games campaign, falling in her first jump sequence. Currently ranked fourth in the world, BUTYRSKAYA will need to perform well on Saturday night to improve from eighth.

Gold medal favourites Ilia AVERBUKH and Irina LOBACHEVA (RUS) lead the Ice Dance competition after the Original Dance routines.

World silver medallists, AVERBUKH and LOBACHEVA scored in the 5.8/5.9 range, well above the 5.7’s scored by Israel’s Galit CHAIT and Sergei SAKHNOVSKY who are currently second.

Naomi LANG and Peter TCHERNYSHEV (USA), who had several falls in practice on Tuesday, combined to finish in third place ahead of Russia’s Tatiana NAVKA and Roman KOSTOMAROV.

Medals for the Ladies’ and Ice Dance competitions will be decided on Saturday night.

The Ladies will perform the Free Skate programs, while the Ice Dance competition concludes with the Free Dance.

The two American teams of WONG and METZGER along with FONOIMOANA and HEIDGER will play for the men’s Bronze medal.