Lalika blog

Kostner leads Skate America after short program

PORTLAND, Ore. – Three-time European champion Carolina Kostner skated with elegance and ease to lead after the short program at Skate America on Saturday.

The Italian won the NHK Trophy in Tokyo last month, but she was battling a knee injury that limited her.

If she was still bothered by her knee in Portland it didn't show. Wearing a blue and black lace dress with a red flower in her hair, Kostner beguiled with her footwork to flamenco music and scored 60.28 points.

She said she wanted to start out with a triple combination, but did not pull it off.

"I skated clean," she said, "But it's hard to feel satisfied."

She was challenged by 16-year-old Kanako Murakami of Japan, who wore a black dress with pink polka-dots for her lively program to '50s-inspired rock and roll. The 16-year-old sprite was not only solid, she managed to ham it up, too, and was clearly the fan favorite at the Rose Garden.

Murakami earned a 54.75. Sweden's Joshi Helgesson was third at 51.17.

"This is the best short program I've done all season, so I'm happy to be here," said Helgesson, who had a big triple lutz in combination to open her short program.

American Rachael Flatt, sporting her more mature blond hairdo and a tasteful teal dress, was the NHK Trophy silver medalist. But her performance to "Summertime" did not impress, and she scored a 51.02.

Fellow American Alexe Gilles, resplendent in light blue, nailed a triple toe loop combination, but fell on a triple lutz. Canadian Amelie Lacoste finished atop the first group, but was visibly unhappy with her performance with its messy triple lutz.

Elene Gedevanishvili of Georgia was a surprise because of her newly blond hair.

Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, the silver medalists at the Vancouver Olympics, led after the ice dance short program despite White's fall on a twizzle sequence. They had a score of 63.62.

"`Don't fall' is always a good thing to remember," Davis kidded.

Canadians Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier followed with a 60.41, and Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, also of Canada, scored a season-best 59.48.