Skate America: Falls plague free skate
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Japan's Kanako Murakami wasn't immune to the falls that plagued the free skate Sunday but still emerged with the gold medal at Skate America.
It was the first senior Grand Prix title for the 16-year-old Murakami, who charmed Portland fans with her rock-and-roll short program the day before. While she struggled with one jump and later fell, Murakami's final score of 164.93 put her in front of American Rachael Flatt (162.86)
Italy's Carolina Kostner, who led Murakami going into the free skate but also had a hard spill on a triple loop, finished third at 154.87.
Flatt, with a striking red costume, wowed with her flapper-esque routine, nailing all her jumps for a standing ovation from the Rose Garden crowd. Afterward, coach Tom Zakrajsek was forced to do pushups in the kiss and cry area, apparently in return for her clean performance.
Flatt went into the free skate in fourth, putting pressure on Sweden's Joshi Helgesson, who sold her program with a broad smile and even a quick fist pump after her last combination jump. But her score of 146.90 wasn't enough to get her on the podium.
It was an afternoon marked by tumbles.
Canadian Amelie LaCoste fell on a triple toeloop near the end of her program to Sheherazade for a final score of 146.68. American Caroline Zhang spilled after popping her triple lutz.
Sweden's Viktoria Helgesson, Joshi's sister, opened the free skate and gave the best performance in the opening group. She was one of the cleanest skaters of the field until Flatt.
American Alex Gilles, stunning in purple and skating to a Queen medley, had a particularly rough time, as did Georgia's Elene Gedevanishvili. French skater Mae Berenice Meite shrugged after her free skate.
Earlier, Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White tangoed their way to the gold medal in the ice dance competition.
The duo, second in the Vancouver Olympics, both fell during complicated footwork in the free skate but earned a final overall score of 156.68.
Canadians Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier took the silver, skating to a haunting rendition of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," but Poirier fell to spoil the overall performance.
In the pairs competition, Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany nailed the opening throw of their free skate and skated toward the gold medal from there.
The event at the Rose Garden, home court of the NBA's Trail Blazers, was the fourth of six Grand Prix events.
First Published November 15, 2010 1:20 am
