Kolyada dominant in short program at Cup of China
BEIJING — Canada’s Gabrielle Daleman was in first place after Friday’s women’s short program at the Cup of China, the third event of the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix series.
Skating to Carmen, Daleman opened with a triple toeloop and added a triple lutz and a double axel for 70.65 points. The 19-year-old from Newmarket, Ont., was less than a point ahead of Wakaba Higuchi of Japan and Elena Radionova of Russia.
”I was very happy with how today went,” said Daleman. ”It’s another stepping stone in a long season and it’s a great way to start my year on the Grand Prix. There’s lots more to improve and I can’t wait to keep building on it.”
Russian skater Mikhail Kolyada upstaged two-time world champion Javier Fernandez to take the lead after the men’s short program. Kolyada turned in a near flawless routine that featured a quad lutz, a quad-toeloop-triple toeloop and a triple axel for a personal-best 103.13 points.