skating

Kostner, Joubert win Russia Cup

Sunday 23 November 2008

France's Brian Joubert returned to sparkling form in Moscow as he skated to gold in the Russia Cup, the fifth leg of the ISU Grand Prix. Italy's European champion Carolina Kostner proved a class above the rest in the women's event.

Italy's Carolina Kostner and Brian Joubert of France won the Cup of Russia on Saturday, the fifth leg of the ISU Grand Prix series at Moscow's Khodynka Ice Palace.

Joubert, who took the lead after the short programme with his personal best performance on Friday, kept advantage to win the men's title though his free programme was not perfect.

Czech Tomas Verner remained in the second position, while another Frenchman Alban Preaubert managed to lift himself one place up to take the third spot.

In the women's section, Kostner, who was second after short programme, leapfrogged opening day leader Fumie Suguri of Japan with a flawless presentation of her free routine.

Meanwhile, America's teenager Rachael Flatt also performed her free programme better than the 27-year-old Japanese skater, who dropped into third.

"The win here is a big step forward for me," Kostner said. "It wasn't my best presentation but it's just the beginning of the season and, I believe, I will reach my top form a little bit later."

In the pairs, 2006 Olympic silver medallists Dan Zhang Dan and Hao Zhang of China, who won Cup of China this season, extended their winning ways scoring 177.42pts after their free skate routine.

The hosts Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov, Skate Canada winners, remained second eight points behind, while Ukraine's Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov were third.

In ice dance, the hosts' Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin, Cup of China winners and leaders after compulsory dance, were second in the original dance but remained in the lead with their season's best overall mark of 97.41.

Another Russian duo Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski performed their season's best original dance to earn an overall 95.52 mark to stay in the race for the win.

Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy, who were fourth after compulsory dance, performed a smooth original dance to jump into the third spot.

The ice dancing title will be decided on Sunday after free dance presentation.