(Reuters) – An inspired Alexandra Trusova of Russia landed three quadruple jumps as the Russian teenager won Skate Canada’ ladies program in British Columbia on Saturday.
The 15-year-old, despite falling on her first of four quadruple attempts, scored a world-leading 241.02 points in her senior International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix debut.
Japanese double Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu was equally dominant in the men’s program.
The two-time world champion overwhelmed the field with a strong free skate to tally 322.59 points, nearly 60 more than Canadian champion Nam Nguyen.
Japan’s Keiji Tanaka claimed the bronze (250.02).
Trusova, twice the world junior champion, used a massive 166.62 points in Saturday’s free skate, another 2019 best, to ensure her victory in Kelowna.
Skating to “Games of Thrones”, Trusova completed a quadruple lutz, quadruple-triple toeloop, quadruple toeloop-Euler-triple Salchow as well as a triple lutz-triple loop and a triple flip. The only glitch came when she fell on her opening quadruple Salchow.
“Overall I am pleased with my performance, I am only upset that I missed the Salchow,” Trusova told reporters. “It happens in practice quite often that I miss the first jump, but I just pull myself together and carry on.”
Trusova had been only third after Friday’s short program but dominated Saturday’s competition.
Japan’s Rika Kihira, the short program leader, finished second with 230.33 points and South Korean You Young joined them on the podium with 217.49 points.
Both Kihira and You fell on triple axel attempts.
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier gave Canadians their own reason to cheer when they overcame two-time world medalists Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the United States to win the ice dance competition.
Gilles and Poirier, second after Friday’s rhythm dance, surged to the top in Saturday’s free dance to claim their first International Skating Union Grand Prix gold medal with 209.01 points.
Hubbell and Donohue took second (206.31) with Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson third (195.35).
In pairs, Russians took gold and bronze.
Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii won with 216.71 points with compatriots Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov earning third (202.29)
The silver went to Canadians Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro (208.49).
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by Sandra Maler/Amlan Chakraborty)
