Asada, Abbott win gold at Grand Prix finals
GOYANG, South Korea – Mao Asada of Japan showed off her triple axel skills and Jeremy Abbott of the United States hit every jump, earning victories Saturday at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating finals.
Asada showed her competitive mettle by kicking off her free skate with two triple axels. She’s the only woman to perform such a feat, and it proved decisive in defeating longtime rival Kim Yu-na of South Korea.
“I am happy that I could land two triple axels in my program and that I was able to win here in Korea,” Asada said. “It is really special.”
With South Korea Prime Minister Han Seung-soo in attendance, Asada had 188.55 points to finish 2.2 points ahead of Kim at the Goyang Ice Arena north of Seoul.
Abbott breezed past Takahiko Kozuka of Japan for gold in his first Grand Prix final. Abbott earned 237.72 points, while Kozuka had 224.63 and American Johnny Weir finished third.
“I was so nervous,” Abbott said. “So to be able to control my nerves and to focus through that and put out the performance that I did was definitely most satisfying.”
Ice dancing world champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder capped off a solid Grand Prix season with gold. Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin of Russia took the silver while Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States won the bronze in their first Grand Prix finals.
Pang Qing and Tong Jian of China rallied to win the pairs.
But it was the showdown between Kim and Asada, rivals since their days as juniors, that took center stage at the sellout event.
Kim, the world bronze medalist, had won her last five consecutive Grand Prix series events. Asada, the reigning world champion, won the NHK Trophy but the finals title had eluded her.
In the end, Kim scored higher than Asada on artistic points, but Asada was nearly four points ahead on technical elements. Asada avenged her second-place finishes to Kim at the last two Grand Prix finals.
Reigning European champion Carolina Kostner of Italy skated away with the bronze.