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From the Olympics Toward Tomorrow
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Kwan leads after women's short in Olympic figure skating
 Michelle Kwan |
19:00- Start
Michelle Kwan beat top rival Tara Lipinski on Wednesday to finish in the lead after both American teenagers pulled off near flawless short programs in the women's Olympic figure skating.
Kwan, the 1996 world champion and silver medalist in last winter's worlds behind Lipinski, reeled off a triple lutz-double toe loop combination, a triple toe loop and the required double axel cleanly while stepping and spinning to a piano concerto.
''I felt really good out there. I knew that I had to do all the elements precise and clean and I think I was doing them one at a time, taking my time and just thinking all the way through my performance,'' the 17-year-old Californian said.
''In the beginning of my program, I heard everybody cheer and scream and I was like, 'God, I'm in heaven.' You know, people clapping and billions of people watching (all over the world on television),'' she added.
Kwan received 5.9s for presentation from all nine judges with scores for required elements ranging from 5.6 to 5.8 out of a possible six points.
Eight judges awarded Kwan their highest marks, while the French judge gave young reigning world titlist Lipinski her first-place vote.
Fifteen-year-old Lipinski nailed some jumps that were a little higher in difficulty with a triple lutz-double loop combination and triple flip to the soundtrack from the movie ''Anastasia.''
Lipinski said that she considered it her best performance ever -- even though it still fell short of Kwan.
''Not just technically, but emotionally, I think, out of all my performances it was (the best),'' Lipinski said. ''I tried to portray Anastasia and I did a great job. I really thought I was skating for myself.''
European champion Maria Butyrskaya of Russia, having the disadvantage of going on the ice first among 28 contestants, managed to place third to remain at striking distance of the gold medal going into Friday's free program, worth two-thirds of the total score.
Chen Lu of China, the 1995 world champion and bronze medalist at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, marked her comeback to top form, after sitting out most of last winter with an injury, with an elegant and almost error-free program to sit in fourth place.
''I'm very happy to come here and compete in the Olympics,'' Chen said. ''Last year was not really good (for me) and everybody wanted to see me. So I came here and I just want to perform for everyone and tell them I'm back.''
Japan's Shizuka Arakawa, one of the few women to nail a triple-triple combination jump, ended in 14th place.
''I didn't think of this competition as the Olympics and tried to create my own world in which to skate ,'' Arakawa said. ''I wasn't so nervous. All the cheers were in Japanese so everyone's feelings came through.''
The top 24 finishers in the short program advance to the free skating competition. (Kyodo News)
Results of the figure skating women's singles short program Wednesday in the 18th Olympic Winter Games at White Ring, Nagano:
1. Michelle Kwan, U.S. 0.5 point
2. Tara Lipinski, U.S. 1.0
3. Maria Butyrskaya, Russia 1.5
4. Chen Lu, China 2.0
5. Irina Slutskaya, Russia 2.5
6. Surya Bonaly, France 3.0
7. Elena Liashenko, Ukraine 3.5
8. Vanessa Gusmeroli, France 4.0
9. Tatyana Malinina, Uzbekistan 4.5
10. Elena Sokolova, Russia 5.0
11. Joanne Carter, Australia 5.5
12. Laetitia Hubert, France 6.0
13. Anna Rechnio, Poland 6.5
14. Shizuka Arakawa, Japan 7.0
15. Yulia Lavrenchuk, Ukraine 7.5
16. Lenka Kulovana, Czech Rep. 8.0
17. Nicole Bobek, U.S. 8.5
18. Yulia Vorobieva, Azerbaijan 9.0
19. Julia Sebestyen, Hungary 9.5
20. Alisa Drei, Finland 10.0
 Tara Lipinski |
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Copyright 1998 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun