Feeling the push of the crowd-in-waiting in figure skating, Patrick Chan delivered a short program with the highest score ever recorded Friday afternoon at the Trophee Eric Bompard, putting the reigning and three-time world champion safely in first place at the Grand Prix event.
Challengers have been biting at the 22-year-old’s heels for much of the last year, Yuzuru Hanyu one of them. The Japanese skater performed a strong program as well, scoring a 95.37 to Chan’s 98.52.
China’s Yan Han placed third and American Jason Brown fourth.
In pairs, two-time world champions Pang Qing and Tong Jian skated to the lead with a 67.69, while Canadians Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford were in second with a 66.07.
Both pairs had mistakes in their programs, Tong falling on an opening triple toe loop and Duhamel hitting the ice on a triple Lutz. But their program component scores were still higher than the rest of the field, securing them the top two spots.
Vera Bazarova and Yuri Lariyonov of Russia were third while Americans Caydee Denney and John Coughlin, who skated cleanly, came in fourth.
Coughlin gave a fist pump and a “Yes!” on the ice after the Americans’ skate, a 65.67, which was a new personal best. Denney/Coughlin were fourth at Skate America last month.
Chan skated elegantly through his program, set to Sergei Rachmaninov’s “Elegie,” gliding over the ice. The reigning world champ opened with a powerful quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop combination and bested his own previous highest score ever recorded by just 0.15, having scored a 98.37 at the World Championships earlier this year.
Hanyu nailed his opening quadruple toe loop in his own short program, skating cleanly while his coach, two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser, watched rinkside.
“That was fun, huh?” Orser said, smiling, as Hanyu exited the rink. “A 95 and you’re in second. That’s good. You did good.”
Hanyu was fourth to Chan at the World Championships earlier this year.
Only Daisuke Takahashi’s 95.55 at NHK Trophy last week was higher than Hanyu’s short program score this season, through five Grand Prix events for the men.
It was also a good day for 18-year-old American Brown, who in his second senior Grand Prix skated strongly in the short program after a solid debut at Skate America. He bested his score from that event, registering a 84.77 to outdo fellow teen Yan, who won gold at the Cup of China earlier this month.
Brown is without a quadruple jump in his program, but landed four triple jumps, included a triple flip-triple Lutz combination, in his short program.
Just commentated the men from Tropheé Eric Bompard live with Miss @Tara_Lipinski and all I have to say is WOW!
— Johnny Weir-Voronov (@JohnnyGWeir) November 15, 2013
