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Browning turns tables to capture first title; Kurt Browning.

Source: The Times
Date: October 7, 1988
Author: John Hennessy
Kurt Browning, of Canada, confounded the world rankings in winning the Skate Electric UK International at Richmond last night. He surpassed Christopher Bowman, of the United States, in the free skating and so leapt above him into first place.

Both skaters finished with 3.4 points, and the tie-break, decided on the free skating, went Browning's way. It was his first victory in international competition.

After the retirement of Brian Boitano, the Olympic champion, and Brian Orser, the world champion in 1987, Bowman lies third in the world to Vicktor Petrenko (Soviet Union) and Grzgorz Filipowski (Poland), with Browning a place farther back.

The judges broke five to four in Browning's favour, the five no doubt influenced by his triple axel, a jump that eluded the American. A single axel instead, in front of the judges, underlined his failure in this one element, which he has yet to perform in competition. In other respects Bowman offered the greater variety, since the Canadian could not emulate his triple flip and triple lutz.

The two British entries were only bit players in this company, but Steven Cousins, aged 16, (no relation to Robin) did enough to suggest that he has the potential to offer a challenge in the years ahead.

He brought off two triple salchows. His programme has little shape and character at the moment but the years are on his side.

The ice dance competition was won for the second consecutive year by Maya Ussova and Alexander Zhulin, of the Soviet Union. The British champions, Sharon Jones and Paul Askham, pulled up to second place by overtaking the Americans, Suzanne Semanick and Ron Kravette. Their programme incorporated a number of original lifts and lines and, if it lacks for the moment, light and shade, there is time to build on it before the British championships next month and the sterner tests of the European and world championships thereafter.

RESULTS: Men: Free skating: 1, K Browning (Can), 1.0pts; 2, C Bowman (US), 2.0; 3, R Winkler (EG), 3.0; 6, S Cousins (GB), 6.0; 8, A Moore (GB), 8.0. Final positions: 1, Browning, 3.4; 2, Bowman, 3.4; 3, Winkler, 7.6; 7, Cousins, 13.4; 8, Moore, 16.4. Ice dance: Free skating: 1, M Ussova and A Zhulin (USSR), 1.0; 2, S Jones and P Askham (GB), 2.0; 3, S Semanick and R Kravette (US), 3.0; 7, L Bradby and A Towers (GB), 7.0. Final positions: 1, Ussova and Zhulin, 2.0; 2, Jones and Askham, 5.2; 3, Semanick and Kravette, 6.0; 7, Bradby and Towers, 14.0.