Japan’s Riku Miura, Ryuichi Kihara in Second Place after Short Program at Worlds
16:03 JST, March 21, 2024
MONTREAL (AP) — Canadian pair Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps put forth an electrifying performance to place first in the short program at the world figure skating championships on Wednesday.
Stellato-Dudek of Chicago and Deschamps of Quebec shattered their season best with a 77.48 score while skating to Cirque du Soleil’s “Oxygène.”
The duo received a standing ovation from a mostly full lower bowl at the Bell Centre.
“This was our best short program of the year, and it being the program that we chose as a tribute to Montreal, I’m very happy that we can give the audience a good ride,” Stellato-Dudek, who pumped her fists at center ice in elation, said after the performance.
“It was definitely the most emotional performance of my career up to now,” added Deschamps.
Defending champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan finished second (73.53) and Italy’s Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii were third (72.88).
The free program is set for Thursday evening.
“Tomorrow’s a new day, a lot can happen in the long (program),” Stellato-Dudek said. “We just need to focus on what we can do.”
Local pair Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier of Quebec placed 14th with a personal best 60.18 to also qualify.
The three Canadian pairs received loud applause from passionate partisan fans throughout their routines.
“It was a very, very special feeling,” said Ethier. “People were telling us how special it was going to be, but there was no way we could prepare for that. It gave us wings and it really helped us get through that program.
“I had goosebumps. I was skating, and I was telling myself to stay concentrated but to live in the moment and use that energy, but it was really special to have the whole crowd behind us.”
All three American pairs qualified. Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea (64.44) advanced with a 10th-place finish, Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe (62.86) placed 12th, and Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez (61.64) finished 13th.
Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx, Isabeau Levito of the United States and Haein Lee of South Korea ranked first to third respectively after the women’s short program.
Two-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan ranked fourth. She could be the first woman to three-peat since American Peggy Fleming from 1966 to 1968. American Amber Glenn was ninth after the short program.
Competition continues Thursday with the men’s short program and ends Saturday night with the men’s free program.
It’s Montreal’s first time hosting the event since 1932 and the first world championship on Canadian soil since 2013. Canada has hosted the competition 11 times.
Montreal was supposed to host the worlds in 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the competition days before it was set to begin.
"Sports" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Japanese Paralympic Archer Chika Shigesada Withdraws from Paris Games in Wake of Defamation of Other Athlete
-
Swallows Star Norichika Aoki to Retire after 21 Seasons; Has Combined 2,723 Hits in Japan and Major Leagues
-
Kenya Karasawa Claims Silver in Men’s 5,000-Meter T11 Event at Paris Paralympics; Brazil’s Agripino dos Santos Wins Gold
-
Kyoto International Captures Japan’s High School Baseball Title for 1st Time; Edges Kanto Daiichi in 1st-Ever Use of Extra-Inning Tiebreaker at Koshien
-
Kimura Bags 2nd Gold in Men’s 100-Meter Butterfly; Broke His Personal Record from Tokyo Games
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Philippines Steps Up Defense of Northernmost Province with Eye on Possible Contingency Involving Taiwan
- Typhoon Shanshan Forms, Slowly Moves Toward Japan; Govt Says Typhoon No. 10 Likely to Approach Japan Next Week
- Tokyo Companies Prepare for Ashfall From Mt. Fuji Eruption; Disposal Of Ash, Possibly at Sea, A Major Challenge
- Shizuoka Pref. City Offers Foreigners Free Japanese Language Classes; Aims to Raise Non-Natives to Daily Conversation Level
- Typhoon No. 10 Forecast to Develop; Move into Pacific Ocean South of Japan on Aug. 26