Canadian shine at Sears Open

Hamilton - Canadian skaters almost swept the Sears Figure Skating Open Friday night, even against all odds.

Canadian star Kurt Browning, 34, just lost out on the judges' 4-3 split and finished second in the men's event to world champion Alexei Yagudin of Russia, 20.

Yagudin doubled a triple loop, and his performance seemed a little flat. Browning stumbled out of a triple Axel, but easily landed a combination of a triple toe loop and triple toe loop. But the jumps didn't necessarily determine the winner of the interpretive program, something that professional competitors have more experience with. Browning didn't move with as much speed as the powerful Russian, but he's an expert at interpreting music.

In the audience were Browning's wife, Sonia Rodriguez, a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, and his father, Dewey. Browning brought more elements from home in Alberta, too. His costume had both his grandfather and father's brands embroidered on a hip and the pant legs.

"It's hard for me to compete against Kurt, because he is an artist," said Yagudin, who is heading home before coming back to Canada for a Holiday Festival of Ice in Sarnia on Dec. 6. He will also take part in the Canadian part of the Stars On Ice tour.

Yagudin says he enjoys skating in Canada because the fans are so knowledgeable. Canadian fans gave him a standing ovation last month when he won at Skate Canada. "In Canada, they don't really care who you are," he said. "If they like you, they stand up."

The biggest surprise was the victory by Jos=E9e Chouinard, a three-time Canadian champion who is now 31, twice the age of the youngest competitor in the field, Sarah Hughes, 15, of the United States.

And Canadian champions Jamie Sal=E9 and David Pelletier won the pairs event and earned a 6.0 from a Russian judge to boot. Canada's other pair in the event, Kristy and Kris Wirtz, finished second with a top effort.

The men's competition was the marquee event of the night, with nine of the past 14 world titlists on deck. Browning got a standing ovation for his western routine to Don't Fence Me In.

Todd Eldredge of the United States finished third and attacked his 13th Warrior program with a vengeance.

The other standing ovation went to two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser, who will be 39 in a few weeks. Orser, skating to Against All Odds, was magnificent, showing off wonderful footwork and expression, good enough to finish fourth.

He got three marks of 5.8 from the judges for presentation. "The old guy's still got it," he said.

Canadian silver medalist Emanuel Sandhu finished fifth, but astonished everyone when he landed a combination of a quadruple toe loop and triple toe loop. Things came unravelled a little afterward, although he landed three triples in an event in which the men were allowed to do no more than four. When he was finished, he lay down on the ice.

But Chouinard was the biggest surprise. Promoters haven't knocked on her door at all in the past year; she hasn't competed since she staged an upset to win last year's event. Her win Friday night was an even bigger score. She toppled three-time world champion Michelle Kwan of the United States; Chouinard never won a medal at world or Olympic Games.

Although Chouinard fell on a triple Lutz and Kwan was error-free, four of the seven judges rated the Canadian skater best in the interpretive program, which puts less emphasis on jumps than a traditional long program and more on use of movement to music. A Hungarian judge even rated Kwan third behind Hughes, who won the bronze medal with a program that was choreographed last weekend.

It's a pity that the Sears Open will be Chouinard's only competition of the season. Her routine, a mime, was charming from beginning to end. Chouinard is the consummate pro.

Sale and Pelletier skated to La Vie En Rose and enchanted the judges, even though it was only their second pro-am event. They competed last week in France and have been home only long enough to do their laundry, Pelletier said. Going home will be a relief. "It will be good for us because we haven't trained since Oct. 17, with back-to-back competitions," Pelletier said.

The Wirtzes won the silver medal with a well-skated routine with only one mistake: Kristy was a little off balance on a double Axel. But they showed off an interesting death spiral with an unusual handhold.