Good start to season for Meissner

READING, Pa. – The matchup of world champions came down to who made fewer mistakes.

And the winner was American Kimmie Meissner.

Meissner, the U.S. champion and 2006 world gold medalist, edged current world champ Miki Ando of Japan at Skate America even though Ando won Sunday’s free skate.

It was strikingly similar to Saturday’s results in the men’s event, when Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi won even though U.S. champion Evan Lysacek took the free skate.

Ando looked relieved to get off the ice after her uninspiring long program that included some weak spins and even a wobble on one of them.

Still, her score of 105.31 was enough to put her on top of the leaderboard with the 18-year-old Meissner yet to skate.

Then Meissner popped a triple lutz and was plagued by several slow spins, although the conclusion of her four-minute program was more alive than Ando’s. She was downgraded on two jumps.

Newcomer Caroline Zhang, the world junior champion from Brea, Calif., finished third in her first senior event. After a stunning performance in the short program the previous day, Zhang was marked down on five jumps, leaving the 14-year-old junior high schooler and her coach wondering.

“I’m surprised by that,” she said. “I didn’t really expect it, but I’ll get to work harder and try to get it cleaner.”

Ando, bothered by a right shoulder injury she indicated could need surgery, finished second to Meissner by 2.66 points. She won the free skate by 1.32 points.

Earlier, four-time U.S. champs Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, ranked first in the world in ice dancing, won all three portions of their event this weekend. They put the finishing touches on their fourth Skate America crown Sunday with a flowing, romantic free skate to music by Chopin.