World champion Mao Asada’s skill with the triple axel earned her a victory over longtime rival Kim Yu-na at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating finals on Saturday.

Jeremy Abbott of the United States won after hitting every jump in the free skate.

Asada’s triple axels — two launched at the start of her free skate_ proved decisive as she won with a total of 188.55 points, just 2.2 ahead of South Korea’s Kim at the Goyang Ice Arena north of Seoul.

“I am happy that I could land two triple axels in my program and that I was able to win here in Korea,” Asada said. “It is really special.”

It was a particularly satisfying victory for Asada of Japan, who had finished second to Kim at the last two Grand Prix finals.

Abbott breezed past Takahiko Kozuka of Japan for gold in his first Grand Prix final. Abbott earned 237.72 points, while Kozuka had 224.63.

Ice dancing world champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder capped off a victorious Grand Prix season with gold, and Pang Qing and Tong Jian of China rallied to win the pairs title.

But it was the showdown between Kim and Asada, rivals since their days as juniors, that took center stage at the sellout event. Even South Korea Prime Minister Han Seung-soo was in the audience.

Kim, the world bronze medalist, had won her last five consecutive Grand Prix series events. Asada, the reigning world champion, won the NHK Trophy but the finals title had eluded her.

Kim admitted to nerves Friday but pulled off a narrow, half-point lead over Asada in the short program. Fans showed their love for “Queen Yu-na” by throwing more than 550 stuffed animals and 500 flowers onto the rink, organizers said.

Asada showed her competitive mettle Saturday by kicking off her free skate with two triple axels, the only woman to perform such a feat. She skated with assurance and elegance but later fell attempting another triple jump, leaving room for Kim to claim the title.

The crowd waited for Kim’s opening jump and erupted with cheers when she landed the triple flip-triple loop combination. But without a triple axel in her repertoire, a fall on a triple salchow guaranteed a close finish.

In the end, Kim scored higher than Asada on artistic points but Asada was nearly four points ahead on technical elements.

Kim said she felt tired and was fighting a cold, along with the pressure of wanting to do well at home after wins at Skate America and the Cup of China.

“It was wonderful to skate at home,” Kim said. “I am a little disappointed about my mistakes, but it’s OK. I will do better next time.”

Reigning European champion Carolina Kostner of Italy skated away with the bronze.

Smooth and relaxed, Cup of China winner Abbott performed with speed and artistry Saturday.

“I was so nervous,” he said. “So to be able to control my nerves and to focus through that and put out the performance that I did was definitely most satisfying.”

Abbott easily topped short program winner Kozuka, who held onto his opening quadruple loop but fell twice as his energy flagged. Still, it was enough for silver overall, giving the Japanese men a fourth straight medal finish at the Grand Prix finals.

Opening with a big combination jump, Johnny Weir came back from an inconsistent short program to place second in the free skate and third overall, putting two Americans on the podium. The 17-year-old Canadian phenom Patrick Chan, the series leader going into the finals, finished last.

Ice dancing world champions Delobel and Schoenfelder, winners at Skate America and Trophee Bompard, capped off a victorious Grand Prix season with gold at the finals. The duo — skating for the 19th season together — moved with speed and flow to moody Pink Floyd.

Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin of Russia took the silver while Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States won the bronze in their first Grand Prix finals.

Two ice dancing pairs withdrew from the competition: American pair Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto due to injury, and Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski of Russia due to illness. Delobel also said she spent the afternoon fighting off a stomach ailment.

Chinese competitors topped the podium in the pairs competition, with Pang and Jian winning gold and Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao silver. World champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany finished third.

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GOYANG, South Korea : South Korean starlet Kim Yu-Na took first place in the ladies short programme at the ISU Grand Prix Friday, held in Goyang on the outskirts of Seoul.

In front of a huge home crowd, Kim scored 65.94 points to take top ranking despite making one mistake in her routine.

After nailing her opening jump combination of triple flip and triple toeloop, she botched the takeoff on her triple lutz, managing only a single rotation in the air.

A solid skate in the remainder of her routine enabled Kim to narrowly edge her Japanese rival Mao Asada, who is second at 65.38 points.

The 18-year-old, who was last out of six skaters to take to the ice, admitted to suffering nerves while waiting her turn.

“I knew the fans would be behind me, but I was actually surprised at how loud and raucous they were,” Kim said of the cheering partisan crowd that threw flowers and dolls onto the ice after Kim’s programme.

“I was so wound up beforehand and when it was all finished, tears just started flowing,” she said.

Asada skated a cleaner programme and beat Kim in the technical element score by 0.20 points. But the reigning world champion scored lower than her Korean rival in programme component score.

“I am happy that I landed all jumps cleanly,” Asada said. “I think this is my best short programme so far.”

Asada’s compatriot Yukari Nakano ranked third at 62.08.

The defending pairs champions, Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany, lead after a planned programme which saw them score 70.14 points to edge out Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao of China on 68.34 points.

Another Chinese duo, Pang Qing and Tong Jian, finished third with 66.24.

Japan’s Takahiko Kozuka took the lead in the men’s competition with a powerful, clean performance in the short programme.

Kozuka, competing in his first Grand Prix Final, scored 83.90 points to take the lead over American Jeremy Abbott, in second place with 78.26 points, and former world champion Brian Joubert of France, in third at 74.55.

“I am very happy I could land all the jumps, all spins, all the steps,” the Japanese skater said.

In the ice dancing competition, world champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder of France scored 60.35 points in the original dance to take a slim lead into Saturday’s free dance.

The Russian duo of Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin were in second place on 59.33 points. Italians Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali finished in third with 57.89 points. Another Russian team, Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski, withdrew from the competition due to illness.

source: channelnewsasia.com

Jungjoo Kim from South Korea and Silamu Hanati from China have won bronze medals.

Alexandros Nikolaidis from Greece won the silver medal and bronze medals went to Chika Yagazie Chukwumerije from Nigeria and Arman Chilmanov from Kazakhstan.

The United States beat Japan in an earlier game to win the bronze medal.

Karine Sergerie from Canada won the silver medal. Sandra Saric from Croatia won the bronze medal together with Gwladys Patience Epangue from France.

Ilya Frolov from Russia won the silver medal and Nicola Benedetti from Italy won the bronze.

Servet Tazegul from Turkey and Yu-Chi Sung from Chinese Taipei won bronze medals.

Martina Zubcic from Croatia picked up the bronze along with Diana Lopez from the United States. Diana Lopez is one of three Lopez’s competing in the Beijing Olympics.