& 周末賞冰上芭蕾：來自楓葉之國的黛莎和斯科特

 & 周末賞冰上芭蕾：來自楓葉之國的黛莎和斯科特

Virtue and Moir, 2008　－　黛莎和斯科特，於2008年2月在韓國首爾舉行的的“四大洲”花樣滑冰大賽中獲得金牌

該冰上芭蕾的主題歌取自法國影片“The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”（1964），由法國優秀女演員凱瑟琳·德納芙主演

Virtue and Moir, 2008　－　於2008年2月在韓國首爾舉行的的“四大洲”花樣滑冰大賽中的表演

Virtue, Moir skate to lead at Four Continents

Last Updated: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 | 11:28 AM ET

The Canadian Press

Canadian champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were first in the compulsory dance and Jeff Buttle was third in the men's short program on the opening day of the Four Continents figure skating meet Wednesday in South Korea.

Virtue of London, Ont., and Moir of Ilderton, Ont., got 38.22 points for their Yankee Polka to edge Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who got 37.36. The two couples train on the same ice with the same coaches at Canton, Mich.

Canada's Tessa Virtue, left, and Scott Moir perform their ice dancing compulsory dance routine Wednesday at the Four Continents figure skating meet in South Korea.
(Lee Jin-man/Associated Press)

"We know we have to lay down three solid performances," Virtue said when asked how she and her partner felt to enter the meet as favourites. "We are well aware of who is coming up behind us.

"We're just trying to do our best and skate like we've been training."

Canadian silver medallists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Kitchener, Ont., were fifth with 30.94 and Canadian bronze medallists Allie Hann-McCurdy and Michael Coreno of Vancouver were sixth among 13 couples with 29.73.

World silver medallist Daisuke Takahashi of Japan led the men's short with 88.57 points for his hip hop version of Swan Lake that included strong footwork, a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, a sharp triple Axel and a triple Lutz out of footwork.

"It's all about the audience," said Takahashi. "They make me go faster.

"I'm feeding off their energy. The highlight of the program for me is the footwork because I feel like a true dancer when I'm doing it."

Takahashi promised to try two quads in his long program.

Evan Lysacek of the United States was second with 84.06 for his The Mask of Zorro routine that included outstanding spins.

Buttle of Smooth Rock Falls, Ont., was third with 83.85. Buttle landed a triple flip-triple toe combo, a strong triple Axel and three level-four spins in his program to Adios Nonino. Buttle is a two-time Four Continents champion.

Vaughn Chipeur of Edmonton was sixth with 70.83 and Shawn Sawyer of Edmundston, N.B., was 10th among 21 men with 60.79. Canadian champion Patrick Chan of Toronto is skipping the meet.

'A little bit tired'

First in the pairs short program were Olympic silver medallists Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang of China with 70.45. They included a triple twist, throw triple loop, side-by-side triple Salchows and a lasso lift in their program that contained no major errors.

"We are quite pleased with the performance but we are a little bit tired," said Dan Zhang. "We did a lot of competitions this season and we felt tired in the second half of the program."

Hao Zhang changed her skate boots two weeks ago and said she's "not yet so comfortable skating with them."

In second place were Qing Pang and Jian Tong of China, the 2007 world silver medallists who got 67.70. Americans Rena Inoue and John Baldwin were third with 57.40.

Vancouver-based Jessica Miller and Ian Moram were fifth with 54.88 and Mylene Brodeur of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and John Mattatall of Tatamagouche, N.S., were seventh among nine pairs with 52.50.

Canadian champions Anabelle Langlois of Grand-Mere, Que., and Cody Hay of Grande Prairie, Alta., withdrew last week after Langlois was admitted to hospital because of a kidney stone.

© The Canadian Press, 2008