FIGURE SKATING / WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS : Browning Wins by Leaving Quadruples to Also-Rans

On a night with more quadruple jumps than all previous world championships, it seemed ironic that Kurt Browning--the first man to land it in competition--should win the title without one.

The Canadian backed out of a quadruple jump but successfully completed three triple-triple combinations in a stunning jumping performance that gave him the men’s title Thursday night at the World Figure Skating Championships.

Browning, 24, became the first man to win three consecutive titles since Scott Hamilton of the United States (1981-84).

Viktor Petrenko of the Soviet Union, who led going into the free skate, missed a triple jump. He also scaled down his only triple-triple combination to a triple-double and had to settle for the silver medal. He landed six triples.

U.S. national champion Todd Eldredge clinched the bronze with a program that included eight triples, ahead of Petr Barna of Czechoslovakia and Christopher Bowman of the United States.

Browning also won his previous titles by coming from behind.

He opened with a triple axel-triple toe loop combination and added two more combinations in a program that contained eight triple jumps.

“The combinations show a lot of power coming out of the first jump and the judges appreciate that,” Browning said.

Although he scaled down his quadruple toe loop to a triple, Browning’s marks were all 5.9s and 5.8s.

“I wanted to do it, but when I went up into the air, I decided not to,” he said. “I was so excited and so pumped I didn’t tuck in enough.”

Elvis Stojko of Canada and Alexei Urmanov of the Soviet Union landed quadruple toe loops, Stojko in a combination with a double toe loop, a first in competition. Stojko was sixth, Urmanov eighth.

The only other quadruples in competition were by Browning, at the 1988 worlds, and Urmanov, at this year’s European Championships.

In the dance competition, Isabelle and Paul Duchesnay, the darlings of the fans but less appreciated by the traditionalist judges won the original dance program.

The Duchesnays still trail Maia Usova and Alexander Zhulin of the Soviet Union.