World Figure Skating Championships : Soviets Leading Pairs; Fadeev Wins Compulsories

Skaters from the Soviet Union were impressive at the World Figure Skating Championships Tuesday, taking the early lead in the men’s and pairs events.

Aleksandr Fadeev came from behind to win the men’s compulsory figures, and Olympic champions Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov were outstanding in the pairs’ original program.

Gordeeva and Grinkov, upset at last year’s world championships and absentees two months ago at the European event at Birmingham, England, dazzled with speed and style and were rewarded with five marks of 5.9 out of a possible 6.0.

Their variety and coordination were unmatched by any of their rivals and made them favorites for their third world title in four years.

In second place were Canada’s Cindy Landry and Lyndon Johnston, whose clean, concise routine edged Peggy Schwarz and Alexander Koenig of East Germany in the 11-team event.

There was disappointment, however, for the two American pairs--U.S. national champions Kristi Yamaguchi and Rudi Galindo, and Kim and Wayne Seybold.

They tied for sixth in a discipline worth 33% of the total mark, and saw their medal hopes hurt with only the free skating to come.

Fadeev, who won the world title in 1985, led an Eastern European sweep of the first three placings as he recovered from a shaky start to clinch the victory in the men’s compulsories ahead of Viktor Petrenko, also of the Soviet Union, and Poland’s Grzegorz Filipowski.

U.S. national champion Chris Bowman and Canada’s Kurt Browning were next. Daniel Doran of the United States was sixth.

“This is a perfect position from which to launch my challenge,” Bowman said after his best-ever finish in the compulsories--which count for one-fifth of the total score.

U.S. judge Joan Gruber, upset because her hotel room was broken into twice within 48 hours, fainted early in the compulsories and was replaced.