China wins pairs at Four Continents
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-18 09:35

China finished first and second in the pairs final at the Four Continents Championships on Thursday while Katie Orscher and Garrett Lucash of the United States were third.

U.S. champions Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto lengthened their lead in the ice dance as they attempt to successfully defend their title.

China's Dan Zhang, left, and Hao Zhang perform in the Pairs' Short Program during the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2005 at Gangneung Ice Center, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005. [AP]

Fumie Suguri of Japan led the women's event after the short program. Countrywoman Yoshie Onda was second and Jennifer Kirk of the United States, who won this event in 2002, was third.

China's Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao held the pairs lead after the short program and finished with 181.61 points in a routine highlighted by a double axel-triple toe loop combination.

"We landed it, and we're very pleased about that," Zhang Hao said. "There were some minor mistakes, but I guess they don't matter now."

Pang Qing and Tong Jian, last year's Four Continents pairs champions, were second with 177.80. This was the first time that Zhang and Zhang beat their teammates in an international competition.

China's top pair, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, world champions in 2002 and 2003, withdrew Monday after Zhao injured a foot. They were not replaced and China has just two pairs in competition.

Orscher fell on a triple jump but the pair completed a throw triple flip. The U.S. champs are one of the few couples who do that move.

Belbin and Agosto finished first in the original dance and have 109.20 points, ahead of two other American couples. Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov were second with 93.12 points while Lydia Manon and Ryan O'Meara were third 86.25.

Belbin and Agosto produced a lively performance in the original dance to a program from "Cabaret" and rhythms of the Charleston and quickstep.

Belbin was born in Canada and is ineligible to skate for the United States in next year's Olympics. The pair finished fifth at the 2004 world championships and are the only top-10 ice dancers at Four Continents.

The three American couples all had problems: Belbin and Agosto's luggage was lost on the way to South Korea, Gregory is recovering from food poisoning and Manon has a bruise from practice.

"We were actually talking to each other and were saying that this is a great test of a competition because everything that could go wrong, is going wrong," Belbin said.

Suguri went through her eight elements without a major mistakes and scored 61.44 while Onda earned 58.02 points. Suguri, a two-time world bronze medalist, must finish this tournament as the best Japanese woman to qualify for her nation at next month's world championships.

Kirk skated a jazzy routine to "Chicago" that gained 51.24 points. Although fourth in the U.S. championships, she is on the world team because Kimmie Meissner, who did a triple axel, is too young for this year's world championships.

The Four Continents competition is the second major championship to adopt the new scoring system instituted after the pairs skating scandal in the Salt Lake City Olympics. It also will be in place at the world championships at Moscow in March and the 2006 Winter Olympics.

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