Russian Skaters Scoop 5 Medals in China

MOSCOW, November 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia’s figure skaters fell just short of victory at the Cup of China this weekend, picking up three silvers and two bronzes.

Japan’s Mao Asada and Tatsuki Machida took gold in the women’s and men’s singles, respectively, with Machida relegating former world champion Daisuke Takahashi to second place.

The Cup also saw a bright new talent emerge as 14-year-old Russian Julia Lipnitskaya took silver in the women’s singles in her first Grand Prix competition.

Lipnitskaia won every major trophy in junior skating last season and made her mark last month with victory in the senior Finlandia Trophy.

The youngster was first in the Cup of China standings after the short program, but lost out to Asada in Saturday’s free skate, finishing with a total score 177.92 points to Asada’s 181.76. Finland’s Kiira Korpi was third.

There was a strong Russian challenge too in the men’s singles, where Sergei Voronov was third with a score of 217.61 points, 19.31 behind winner Machida and 14.14 adrift of second-placed Takahashi, who had led after the short program.

China’s Pang Qing and Tong Jian brought the home crowd some joy in the pairs for the first win of the Olympic silver medalists’ comeback since missing last season.

Pang and Tong’s score of 188.82 was enough to edge out two in-form Russian pairs, as Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti were forced to settle for silver with a score of 183.53 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov were third.

In ice dance, France’s Fabian Bourzat and Nathalie Pechalat won their second Cup of China with a score of 169.73 as Russian and Canadian pairs battled for second place.

A strong showing in the free skate saw Russia’s Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitry Soloviev surge past Canada’s Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje to take their second silver of the season. When Bobrova and Soloviev finished second at Skate America last month, they edged out the same Canadian pair on that occasion.

Three Grand Prix events remain, with the Cup of Russia in Moscow next weekend, followed by the Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris and the NHK Trophy in Tokyo.

The Grand Prix Final will be held in December in Sochi as the first top-level competition to be held at the 2014 Olympic venue.