Kwan’s Return Is Shaky

Michelle Kwan got off to a shaky start in her return to international competition Wednesday with a dull and hesitant performance in the qualifying round at the World Figure Skating Championships.

The uninspired effort left the five-time world champion in fifth place in her group, trailing Irina Slutskaya, Fumie Suguri, Carolyn Kostner and defending champion Shizuka Arakawa.

The placement means Kwan won’t be part of the last-to-skate group of six in today’s short program, the first time she has been in a group of also-rans in more than a decade.

Kwan has stayed off the Grand Prix circuit the last two years and has not skated under the International Skating Union’s new scoring system, which is being used at the worlds for the first time.

Unfamiliarity with the system appears to have hurt her. Kwan said she was counting her rotations during the performance, an indication of being distracted by the system’s more rigorous technical demands.

“It was not very good. It was not very good at all.” Kwan said.

Kwan’s score of 99.96 points was far behind the 119.08 points Slutskaya racked up to lead the group. American Sasha Cohen led the morning qualifying group with 113.64 points.

The new judging system deducts points on missed jumps and lower levels of difficulty, which hit Kwan heavily. She scaled down two jumps to doubles and had planned a triple-double-double that turned into a double flip.

While the women’s event is a drama of established stars, the men’s event was turning into a showcase for a new talent.

Stephane Lambiel, whose best previous international finish has been a fourth place, is on the verge of becoming the first Swiss man to win a figure skating title in more than a half-century.

Lambiel won the men’s short program Tuesday after a top performance in the qualifying round Monday. The free skate is today.