Skate America champion Anna Shcherbakova of Russia is within striking distance of locking up a spot at the Grand Prix Final after leading the pack in the short program at the Cup of China on Friday.
Despite an edge call on the triple Lutz in her jump combination, Shcherbakova scored 73.51 points to out-distance Japan’s Satoko Miyahara by 4.6 points. Miyahara was called for under-rotations on the triple toe of her triple Lutz, triple toe combination as well as her solo triple loop.
The ladies’ short program rules don’t allow for quadruple jumps, but Shcherbakova executed two in her free skate at Skate America a few weeks ago. She’s expected to match that program content in her free skate in Chonqing.
A late addition to the field, American Amber Glenn, sits third with 67.69 points. In an event marred by under-rotations and edge calls, Glenn’s was the only clean short program.
Meanwhile, 2015 world champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia is fourth after falling on a triple Axel attempt. She won Cup of China in 2014. Countrywoman Sofia Samodurova, the reigning European champion, is fifth with 63.99 points.
China’s Yan Han and Jin Boyang lead the men’s field with 86.46 points and 85.34 points, respectively. Yan did not compete during the 2018-19 post-Olympic season, but Friday, skated to his short program from PyeongChang (“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri) with a new coach.
Jin, a two-time world championships bronze medalist, placed sixth at Skate America earlier this season. He fell on an opening quad Lutz attempt, but put two quads in his short program with a quad toe, double toe combination.
Italy’s Matteo Rizzo is third with 81.72 points while American Camden Pulkinen, in his first season on the senior Grand Prix, sits fourth with 78.92 points. They each fell one time: Rizzo on a jump combination, and Pulkinen on his opening quad toe attempt.
In ice dance, Russians Viktoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov have a five-point lead over Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates headed into Saturday’s free dance. Chock and Bates won a silver medal last weekend at Grand Prix France, while this is the Russian’s first Grand Prix event of the season. They are also expected to compete at home at Rostelecom Cup next weekend.
In pairs, it’s no surprise that two-time world champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong lead after the short program with 80.90 points after a clean performance that included side-by-side triple toes and a throw triple flip. Canada’s Liubov Ilyushechkina and Charlie Bilodeau are second with 69.98 points followed by China’s second pair in the field, Peng Cheng and Yang Jin (68.50 points).
The lone Americans in the field, Tarah Kayne and Danny O’Shea, sit fifth with 64.08 points.
All of the free skates at Cup of China continue Saturday morning. A full broadcast schedule is here.
Cup of China
Rhythm dance
1. Sinitsina/Katsalapov (RUS) — 85.39
2. Chock/Bates (USA) — 80.34
3. Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen (CAN) — 78.41
4. Wang/Liu (CHN) — 74.77
5. Hawayek/Baker (USA) — 74.70
6. Skoptcova/Aleshin (RUS) — 69.19
7. Evdokimova/Bazin (RUS) — 64.07
8. Chen/Sun (CHN) — 61.83
9. Guo/Zhao (CHN) — 57.10
10. Komatsubara/Koleto (JPN) — 56.60
Women
1. Anna Shcherbakova (RUS) — 73.51
2. Satoko Miyahara (JPN) — 68.91
3. Amber Glenn (USA) — 67.69
4. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS) — 65.57
5. Sofia Samodurova (RUS) — 63.99
6. Marin Honda (JPN) — 61.73
7. Young You (KOR) — 61.49
8. Yi Christy Leung (HKG) — 53.90
9. Yi Zhu (CHN) — 53.19
10. Kailani Craine (AUS) — 53.01
11. Hongyi Chen (CHN) — 49.44
12. Yujin Choi (KOR) — 48.75
Men
1. Yan Han (CHN) — 86.46
2. Jin Boyang (CHN) — 85.43
3. Matteo Rizzo (ITA) — 81.72
4. Camden Pulkinen (USA) — 78.92
5. Keegan Messing (CAN) — 76.80
6. Zhang He (CHN) — 76.03
7. Keiji Tanaka (JPN) — 74.64
8. Andrei Lazukin (RUS) — 74.31
9. Brendan Kerry (AUS) — 73.96
10. Conrad Orzel (CAN) — 72.22
11. Cha Junh-wan (KOR) — 69.40
12. Chih-I Tsao (TPE) — 64.07
Pairs
1. Sui/Han (CHN) — 80.90
2. Ilyushechkina/Bilodeau (CAN) — 68.98
3. Peng/Yin (CHN) — 68.50
4. Della Monica/Guarise (ITA) — 64.24
5. Kayne/O’Shea (USA) — 64.08
6. Efimova/Korovin (RUS) — 63.97
7. Tang/Yang (CHN) — 61.85
8. Ryom/Kim (PRK) — 60.50
MORE: Madison Chock, Evan Bates back on Grand Prix circuit with ‘new power’
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