Meissner in ninth after short program
GOTEBORG, Sweden -- Two-time European champion Carolina Kostner had the slightest of leads over reigning world silver medalist Mao Asada -- a mere .18 of a point -- after the short program at the World Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday.
Former world champion Kimmie Meissner, who is hoping a coaching switch can reverse a dismal season, was in ninth place. But Meissner was more than satisfied with the performance, punching the air when she finished.
"Yeah, pretty happy," she said when she came off the ice, with a broad smile that belied her understatement.
The women's free skate is today.
The women's competition was expected to be a showdown between Asada of Japan and South Korea's Kim Yu-na, winner of the Grand Prix final. But Kostner had a different idea.
The Italian has departed from her classical comfort zone with this year's short program, packing elongated spirals, tight spins with ever-changing arm positions and big jumps between the opening shrieks and closing groans of The Doors classic, "Riders on the Storm."
She matched Asada's jumping ability with a huge triple-triple combination. Her only error was a step out on the landing of her triple lutz, but it had little bearing. Her score of 64.28 included the best technical mark of the night.
"The short program should be modern, fresh and young. The long program should be more classical. I won't say grown up, because I am not a grown-up. I'm still searching for the perfect way of skating," said the 21-year-old Kostner, who is competing in her sixth worlds.
Asada hit all of her jumps easily, seeming to hover momentarily above the ice before making her rotations. Her triple flip-triple loop combination, triple lutz and double axel were all gorgeous.
But none of her elements received the highest difficulty levels -- something she said she'd have to study before the final long program.
"The difference between first and second is not so much, so I will do my best in the long," said Asada, who finished with 64.10 points. "I was satisfied with my jumps, but not with the levels on the spirals and spins."
Asada's Japanese teammate, Yukari Nakano, was third with 61.10 points. Kim, who had to skip last month's Four Continents championship in her native South Korea because of a hip injury, is in fifth place, a little more than four points behind the leaders.
Meissner hasn't been the same skater since she won the 2006 world title, and her devastating seventh-place finish at the U.S. championships in January prompted some big changes. She left longtime coach Pam Gregory and now trains in Florida with Richard Callaghan, who coached Tara Lipinski to the gold medal at the Nagano Olympics.
Though Meissner may be down in the standings, she said she isn't bothered by being 7 points out of the lead.
"I don't care at all," said Meissner, who scored 57.25 points. "I am just so happy. … This is something I can be proud of."
Meissner said she purposely downgraded her triple-triple combination to a triple-double to ensure a clean program. But she intends to do the triple flip-triple toe loop combination in the free skate.