Qualifying Round Isn’t So Smooth for Yagudin

Alexei Yagudin’s fall from grace was as impossible to ignore as the thuds the defending men’s world figure skating champion made on two falls in his qualifying-round performance here Monday at GM Place.

And where his first steps toward a fourth consecutive title were stumbles, his rivals were sure-footed.

Fellow Russian Evgeni Plushenko fell on his only quadruple jump but skated an otherwise solid 4 1/2-minute program in winning Group A. Todd Eldredge of the U.S., who skipped the last two world championships, didn’t try a quad but did so much so well in a forceful routine to music from the movie “1492” that he withstood a two-quad performance by U.S. champion Timothy Goebel and was second.

In Group B, three-time world champion Elvis Stojko landed one of two planned quads and stepped out of a triple axel, finishing second to Takeshi Honda of Japan. The first round is worth 20% of the final scores, today’s short program is worth 30%, and the long program is worth 50%.

Stojko, twice an Olympic silver medalist, acknowledged his 9 a.m. starting time jarred his body clock. However, he was happy with his performance, one of three to selections from the movie “Gladiator.”

“Getting two quads off was great, but they were a tick slow,” said Stojko, whose season was wiped out by injuries.

Eldredge, who won his world title in Edmonton, Canada, in 1996, got a standing ovation as he did his final spin.

“This was the best performance I’ve done all year, and this was a good place to do it,” said Eldredge, who has recovered from the ankle injury that forced him out of last month’s Four Continents event.

Goebel was third, ahead of Russia’s Alexander Abt and Yagudin.

“Wow,” was Yagudin’s only comment as he left the ice. His coach, Tatiana Tarasova, said he hurt the bottom of his right--landing--foot while jogging four days ago, but said he won’t withdraw if X-rays find nothing serious.

Goebel, who practices at HealthSouth training center in El Segundo, landed a quadruple toe loop, a quadruple salchow and seven triples. Skating to excerpts from “Henry V,” he got five 5.8s--out of 6.0--for technical merit and two 5.7s. His presentation scores of three 5.5s, three 5.6s and a 5.7 kept him behind Eldredge.

*

Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia, who won the 1998 and 1999 world titles but were prohibited from defending their title after she tested positive for a banned substance at the 2000 European championships, did a flawless routine to win the short program.

Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao of China are second, followed by Canada’s Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.

U.S. champions Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman were sixth, and Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn ninth. The short program counts for one-third of the final score. The free skate will be Wednesday.