Congratulations Tomas! 
Figure skating: Verner wins in men's title at Euros
By SALVATORE ZANCA
Associated Press Writer
ZAGREB, Croatia — Czech Tomas Verner won his first major international championship today, taking the European men's title over a pair of skaters with three world titles between them.
Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland, the 2005-06 world champion, and Brian Joubert of France, the current world champion, were second and third. Joubert was the defending European champ.
The 21-year-old Verner skated early in the last group and did enough to hold onto his lead after the short program. He tried a quad, but put his hand down. Then he completed seven triple jumps, all relatively clean.
"I didn't skate my best, but I put my heart into it," Verner said.
Verner slowly rose through the rankings after failing to get past the qualifications at the 2005 world championships that Lambiel won.
"I have had a lot of injuries in my short sports career," Verner said. "I have had good training in the last three years.
"I look forward to being fresh now."
He scored 153.64 points for his free program to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
His total of 232.67 overall was high enough to all but clinch the title. He had a large enough lead after the short program so that neither Lambiel nor Joubert could catch up without perfect efforts.
But neither had been skating well and each continued struggling in the free program.
"Tonight was very special. You could feel the stress in the dressing room," Lambiel said. "I tried to use that stress on the ice."
It didn't work.
Lambiel make several mistakes. Although he did a quad in combination, there wasn't much else in his Flamenco routine to challenge Verner's score.
Lambiel's score was changed well after the competition ended when the review of the protocol by the referee gave Lambiel additional points for a jump combination. That resulted in a free score of 153.46 and a total of 225.24, more than five points better then he was originally credited with.
However, he still remained in second place.
Joubert skated last and ran out of steam. He nearly fell twice in the second half of his program and bent over in fatigue after he finished. He had 144.20 points in the free and 219.45 overall for third.
'It is difficult. I am disappointed with my third. I have had a lot of problems. I was sick, I had back problems," Joubert said. "I didn't have a good condition to be ready."
After being unbeaten through the 2006-07 season, he won Skate Canada in November, then caught a strength-sapping virus. It caused him to miss the Trophee Bompard in Paris, and Joubert didn't qualify for the Grand Prix final he won the previous year.
Last year, Verner led the short program at Europeans before being overtaken by Joubert. This time, the Czech finished the job.
Verner came in fourth at the world championships last March and was the only skater to do two quads in the free program, including one in combination.
Both Lambiel and Joubert expressed hope they could do better at the world championships coming up in March in Sweden.
" I am thinking about the world championships. I don't like to be third. I like to be first," Joubert said.
Yet Verner had an answer for them.
"Everyone wants to fight for the title. I am the European champion now. I will fight for it too, he said. |
显身卡
楼主
恭喜电眼欧锦赛冠军，撒花
虽然这冠军是建立在小蓝和小猪都严重失误的基础上
