Posted: Feb 17, 1:14a ET | Updated: Feb 17, 1:53a ET
Plushenko returns: the boss is back
Defending champion Plushenko brilliant, but Lysacek keeps pace
VANCOUVER -- When Sochi was bidding for the 2014 Winter Games, the Russian authorities pulled out all the big guns. There, for instance, on the stage during Sochi's final presentation to the International Olympic Committee in 2007, was Vladimir Putin, then the Russian president, now its prime minister.
And there, too, was Yevgeny Plushenko , the 2006 Olympic men's figure skating champion. "Hello, Yevgeny!" purred Russian speedskating champion Svetlana Zhurova.
Hello, Yevgeny, indeed.
Meet the new boss in men's figure skating, ladies and gentlemen. It would appear he may well be the same as the old boss.
In a performance Tuesday night here at the Pacific Coliseum that within its first minute put him in position to earn a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games, Plushenko -- who took three years off after Torino -- delivered an emphatic statement:
Beat me -- if you can.
To be sure, Plushenko is not a dead-bang lock for gold.
American Evan Lysacek , the 2009 world champion, landed all his jumps -- no quad, all triples -- and executed his entire program with supreme discipline. As soon as he was done, he sank to the ice and held his face in his hands, shaking with joy.
In the kiss-and-cry, Lysacek appeared overcome with emotion -- explaining that he felt the relief of having to perform well as world champ as well as wanting to make up for his disastrous short program in Torino in 2006.
Lysacek received 90.3 points. That's only 55-hundredths behind Plushenko. "I've never been so prepared for anything in my life," Lysacek said.
Japan's Daisuke Takahashi sits third, at 90.25, after a fluid, energetic performance.
Another American, Johnny Weir , entertaining as ever, outfitted in a gauzy black catsuit accented with pink corset-style straps and flamingo-colored shoulder tassles, skated solidly. Sixth, he'll skate in Thursday's final group.
Others in a field that most had said might be among the most potent of all time faltered.
Switzerland's Stephane Lambiel , a two-time world champion and the silver medalist in Torino, is down in fifth, more than six points behind.
Canada's Patrick Chan , the world 2009 silver medalist, overpowered his first jump, a triple axel, and then wobbled during his footwork piece. He's looking up from seventh.
The third American, Jeremy Abbott , the 2010 U.S. national champion, had a night to forget. A triple axel in his program turned to a single. A triple Lutz turned into a double. He's 15th.
For his part, Plushenko created a stir from the moment he appeared on the ice, still rocking that blond mullet, and might he be the only superstar athlete in the world who can pull it off with genuine style?
Particularly when the mullet tops form-fitting black pants, a black shirt with silver spangles and black gloves?
Plushenko opened his short program with a quad toe-triple toe combo. It takes not only extraordinary physical skill but resolute mental toughness to open up with that combination.
Plushenko landed both.
Then came a triple axel.
Then a triple lutz.
All clean.
Within that first minute Plushenko had completed all his jumps. The rest was the footwork stuff the scoring system -- that is, the one implemented after the judging scandal at the Salt Lake Games -- demands.
When he was done skating, someone threw an oversized plush heart onto the ice. Plushenko, sauntering around the rink as if he owned the place, made a motion as if he was thrusting a sword back into its holster.
Hello, Yevgeny, and you are a very, very bad man -- meaning that of, course, in a very good way. Who else would be so nonchalant about executing that quad -triple combo?
"Well, of course," he said, "it's the main thing for the men today to do quadruples ... and I did," adding in a matter-of-fact tone as if this were the case for everyone, "I landed it clean."
France's Brian Joubert went after the same quad-triple combo as Plushenko. Joubert, the 2007 world champ, didn't even do the second jump. And then, later, he fell. He's 18th.
Plushenko's score, 90.85, didn't quite match the best-ever short program number, 91.3, set by -- who else? -- Plushenko at the European champinships in January.
Some observers thought Plushenko's footwork was rather on the pedestrian side. He professed satisfaction. "I am happy with the scores," he said.
It's not that Plushenko can't lose. He could. But in Thursday night's free skate, it may well be the case that Plushenko loses if, and only if, he makes mistakes. That's an enviable position.
Further, a performance like the one Plushenko delivered Tuesday begs the obvious -- what could he possibly have in store Thursday, and how does he plan to trump what he did Tuesday?
Throw a second quad? "We'll see ... watch [Thursday]," he said.
Set a personal best? "We'll see. I am not thinking about medals. I am not thinking about points. I need to skate like I can skate."
Make history? "I think I am in history already," he said.
"He's a true champion," Weir said. "He's a great skater. He will be remembered for years and years and years," adding a moment later, "He just makes us all step our game up a bit."
One more thing, Yevgeny. Do you think the other skaters are afraid of you? Hello? "Ask them," he said.
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Men's Short: Patrick Chan
Patrick Chan performs his short program in Vancouver
- Men's Short: Jeremy Abbott
- Men's Short: Evan Lysacek
- Men's Short: Johnny Weir
- Men's Short: Daisuke Takahashi
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