CBS SportsLine wire reports
Oct. 31, 1998

DETROIT -- Even the Merlin soundtrack couldn't bring back Elvis Stojko's magic Saturday.

Showing rust from eight months away with a groin injury, Stojko capped his return to competition with a shaky Skate America routine that left him fourth behind two

Related Links Skate America results Forum: Who will win the world championships next March?

Russians and an upstart American.

Reigning world champion Alexei Yagudin triumphed in the international event, withstanding runner-up Michael Weiss of Fairfax, Va., and his equally flawless routine.

Yagudin won $30,000 for the victory, which came despite a minor deduction for doing one more than the eight allowed triple jumps.

"When I'm skating, it's so hard to think about which jumps I did, which not," he said, awed by his feat against a heady field. "It's a pleasure for me."

Said Stojko: "You can't win them all."

Alexei Urmanov finished third, unable to rekindle the rivalry some had expected this week with three-time world champion Stojko, whom Urmanov edged for Olympic gold at Lillehammer in 1994.

"I have to work more, I believe, because the other skaters are better than me," said Urmanov, also trying to work his way back from a groin injury. "But I feel good."

MARIA BUTYRSKAYA, WHO WON THE BRONZE medal at this year's world championships, won the women's title, edging fellow Russian Elena Sokolova -- an outcome the crowd of nearly 2,900 resoundingly booed. Butyrskaya landed two triple jumps, tumbled trying two others but still scored mostly 5.7s and 5.8s for presentation. Sokolova stuck four triples in a largely clean routine but drew one 5.7, the rest 5.3 to 5.5.

Sokolova's marks still vaulted her into second place past American Angela Nikodinov, followed by Nicole Bobek of the United States.

Afterward, Sokolov was gracious in defeat.

"I can skate more better, and the judges think so, too," she said, acknowledging the crowd's viewing her marks as too low. "I'm happy the fans think so, but the next time will be better."

Butyrskaya acknowledged her routine wasn't at its best, that at times she lacked focus and fell but fought on.

"I thought I did my most difficult jumps, now I'm going to win," she said. "This was my first competition, and I never skate very well in my first competition."

EARLIER SATURDAY, REIGNING WORLD CHAMPIONS and Olympic silver medalists Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia held their lead and won the pairs title. France's Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat -- second in this year's world championships and Olympic bronze medalists in February -- won the ice dance competition.

Guided by a new coach, the 18-year-old Yagudin cleanly landed all of his jumps during Saturday's routine to Lawrence of Arabia music and skated away with marks never lower than 5.8, two-tenths shy of perfection.

Yagudin had entered the decisive free skate leading after the short program two days earlier, then fended off a charge by Weiss, runner-up in the U.S. championships the past two years.

To the music of Disney's Mulan Weiss skated his way to a standing ovation and the tearful embrace of his wife and choreographer, Lisa. Stuffed animals and bouquets rained onto the rink.

"When I first found out who was going to be here, I knew it wasn't only our first event of the season, but this was going to be a big event," said Weiss, 22. "This is like the world championships.

"To come out and skate that well, to get the confidence because the judges rewarded me, it was very encouraging."

HE WON THE WORLD JUNIOR championships in 1994, finished seventh at Nagano and placed second last month at the Keri Lotion Figure Skating Classic in Florida, two spots ahead of Olympic champion Ilia Kulik.

Urmanov missed all of last season -- including a chance to repeat as Olympic champion -- but made his return a rewarding one: a silver medal at last summer's Goodwill Games in New York.

Before this week, Stojko hasn't competed since February, when he braved a torn groin of his own en route to the silver at the Nagano Games.

The rust showed Saturday for Stojko, who landed several of his jumps shakily but escaped with marks no lower than a 5.5 from an American judge. Urmanov skated cleanly, sticking all of his jumps and finishing with kisses blown to the crowd.

"It's a situation where I concentrate a little more on certain things just to make sure that I'm over my feet and I don't do a technique that's going to aggravate an injury," Stojko said.

"I wasn't really worried about that while I was out there, but it's still in the back of my mind."

CANADA'S KRISTY SARGEANT and Kris Wirtz finished second in the pairs. Russians Victoria Maksuta and Vladislav Zhovnirsky were third, overtaking American siblings Danielle and Steve Hartsell of nearby Westland, Mich.

Americans Kyoka Ina and John Zimmerman vaulted four spots and finished fourth in their first competition together. Ina and former partner Jason Dungjen won two U.S. pair titles -- in 1997 and 1998 -- before Ina broke up the duo last season.

In ice dance, Russia's Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh edged Italy's Barbara Fusar-Poli and Mariusz Margaglio for second place.

The first event in the International Skating Union's Grand Prix series, Skate America features Olympic-eligible skaters. The series ends in Russia in March, two weeks before the world championships in Finland.

American wins junior skate competition

Weir was first in both short and long programs.