Takahashi sizzles en route to gold
Source: Agencies |
March 27, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
JAPAN'S Daisuke Takahashi produced a captivating free program to become the first Asian man to strike gold at the world championships in Turin, Italy, on Thursday.
The Vancouver Games bronze medallist, who led after Wednesday's short program, took full advantage of Olympic champion Evan Lysacek and Yevgeny Plushenko skipping the event.
Takahashi, 24, started his routine with a quadruple flip and did not look back having fully recovered from knee ligament damage which destroyed his 2008-09 season.
"I really felt the fans supporting me," he told the crowd before dwelling on his eighth place at the 2006 Turin Games here. "I was able to perform my best, four years ago in Turin I had a difficult time but today I did my best."
He triumphed at the world championships, with an overall score of 257.70, only a month after becoming Japan's first Olympic men's figure skating medallist and he will now target a repeat in next year's worlds in Tokyo having put off retirement.
Canada's Patrick Chan, gyrating to the music from Phantom of the Opera, finished second for the second straight year with France's Brian Joubert, the only one of the top three to produce a quad on Wednesday, taking bronze after a tumble.
A debate has raged since Vancouver over whether skaters should be more handsomely rewarded for the most difficult jump.
Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic shone but ended up fourth amid a cacophony of boos from a favorable crowd.
Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir earlier flashed some Flamenco flair to strengthen their grip on the ice dance competition as they seek a first world gold.
The Canadian duo, who topped the compulsory dance on Tuesday, maintained their lead by again finishing first and setting a season's best with an original dance filled with complicated lifts and Spanish hand claps.
With free dance left, Virtue and Moir have 114.40 points overall ahead of Meryl Davis and Charlie White in second.
The Vancouver Games bronze medallist, who led after Wednesday's short program, took full advantage of Olympic champion Evan Lysacek and Yevgeny Plushenko skipping the event.
Takahashi, 24, started his routine with a quadruple flip and did not look back having fully recovered from knee ligament damage which destroyed his 2008-09 season.
"I really felt the fans supporting me," he told the crowd before dwelling on his eighth place at the 2006 Turin Games here. "I was able to perform my best, four years ago in Turin I had a difficult time but today I did my best."
He triumphed at the world championships, with an overall score of 257.70, only a month after becoming Japan's first Olympic men's figure skating medallist and he will now target a repeat in next year's worlds in Tokyo having put off retirement.
Canada's Patrick Chan, gyrating to the music from Phantom of the Opera, finished second for the second straight year with France's Brian Joubert, the only one of the top three to produce a quad on Wednesday, taking bronze after a tumble.
A debate has raged since Vancouver over whether skaters should be more handsomely rewarded for the most difficult jump.
Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic shone but ended up fourth amid a cacophony of boos from a favorable crowd.
Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir earlier flashed some Flamenco flair to strengthen their grip on the ice dance competition as they seek a first world gold.
The Canadian duo, who topped the compulsory dance on Tuesday, maintained their lead by again finishing first and setting a season's best with an original dance filled with complicated lifts and Spanish hand claps.
With free dance left, Virtue and Moir have 114.40 points overall ahead of Meryl Davis and Charlie White in second.
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