International Capsules Robles wins another 110 hurdles gold at Pan Ams
Post on: 2011-11-02 By: admin
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Dayron Robles was too far ahead of his rivals to get into any trouble this time.
The Cuban world-record holder won his second straight Pan American Games gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles Friday, setting a competition record by winning in 13.10 seconds.
Robles also finished first in the hurdles race at the world championships in August but was stripped of his title for obstructing China's Liu Xiang.
There was no dispute in Guadalajara.
"I knew I was going to cross the finish line first, and with just a little more effort I knew I could get the record. It wasn't that hard," said Robles, who also won the gold four years ago in Rio de Janeiro. "I was able to run at about 90 or 92 percent and it was still enough to win."
The United States also had enough to claim two big qualifying spots for the London Olympics in women's field hockey and women's water polo. Both teams won gold Friday, unexpectedly in field hockey and tougher than planned in water polo.
Overall, the Americans stayed at the top of the medals table by winning seven golds on Day 14 to bring their total to 86 gold and 220 overall. Cuba, however, moved into second place ahead of Brazil with 52 golds by winning 15 of them Friday.
The American field hockey team scored its biggest upset ever, defeating world champion Argentina 4-2.
"We were always fighting, always working," U.S. captain Lauren Crandall said. "Argentina is capable of scoring three goals in a minute. We stayed focused to the end — well let's say the last five seconds."
In women's water polo, the Americans rallied from a 5-2 halftime deficit to send the game into overtime at 8-8. No one scored in the extra two periods, but the Americans held on to win a marathon shootout 19-18.
"We prevailed because we believe in ourselves. There is no panic even when we are down by three or four," U.S. attacker Courtney Mathewson said. "I think we believed in each other and that was the difference. It was just an amazing game to be a part of."
The men's water polo team will face Canada in the final on Saturday — with another Olympic berth on the line.
Sara Hall added a gold by winning the women's steeplechase, while Carrie Johnson won the women's K1 500-meter kayak event, the men's foil team and women's sabre team added two more in fencing and Paul Ruggeri III won the men's high bar in gymnastics.
"Ever since I was a little kid I have wanted to make it to this point," Ruggeri said. "I would work so hard and was never really sure if it was possible, but now all that hard work is finally paying off."
Robles won his race easily, taking the lead from the start and never looking threatened as he ran his record time at the Telmex Athletics Stadium.
The previous Pan American Games record of 13.17 was set by Anier Garcia of Cuba in 1999 in Winnipeg. Robles holds the world record of 12.87, which he ran a couple of months before winning the Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.
"I wanted to go even lower, but I wasn't fully confident because of an injury in my attack leg," Robles said. "I had a small muscle injury in my attack leg, but thanks to the doctors here I was able to race."
At the worlds in South Korea, Robles finished first but lost his medal after the Chinese protested that the Cuban impeded Liu by making contact with him several times over the last few hurdles. Jason Richardson of the United States ended up with the gold medal, while Liu earned silver and Andy Turner of Britain got bronze.
Robles started off another strong day for Cuba on the track. A day after winning five golds, Cuba added seven more.
Besides Robles, Yarelis Barrios won the women's discus, Andy Gonzalez won the men's 800, Lazaro Borges won the men's pole vault, Guillermo Martinez won the men's javelin and both 1,600 relay teams claimed gold.
"We came here with the idea of winning the gold medal since we left Cuba," said Diosmely Pena, a member of the women's relay team. "We had the Brazilians as our biggest rivals ... but we came here to win and we did it."
The Cubans also won four of the six boxing gold medals and two more in judo. The other two came in canoeing.
Also, Canadian wakeboard silver medalist Aaron Rathy became the first athlete to test positive for doping during competition at the games. Rathy tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine and his medal has been withdrawn, according to games officials.
"Aaron and Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada have cooperated fully with the investigation and will accept the findings of the Pan American Sport Organization Disciplinary Committee," Canadian officials said in a statement.
U.S. upsets Argentina in Pan Ams field hockey final
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — The U.S. women's field hockey team is packing its bags for next year's London Olympics.
In what was probably the biggest victory in U.S. field hockey history, the Americans scored a stunning 4-2 victory over defending world champion Argentina on Friday in the gold medal game at the Pan American Games.
"We've never been in this position before, and we've made history," said Katie O'Donnell, whose penalty goal in the 35th minute gave the Americans a 3-1 lead. "I've never felt anything like this before in my life."
The victory automatically qualifies the U.S. for the London Games, and leaves Argentina scrambling next year to win a spot in pre-Olympic qualifying.
"Right now this team is in pain," said Luciana Aymar, considered to be the best player in the world. "The United States is not at our level, but they have improved a lot. These things happen to all teams."
Argentina has won the world title twice, including last year, while Aymar is a seven-time recipient of the game's world player of the year award. Las Leonas, as the team is known in Spanish, had never lost a game in Pan American play since the sport was included in 1987. The U.S. is ranked 13th.
After the win, the American women stood with their arms on each other's shoulders on the medal podium, and then raised joined hands to the sky when the United States was announced as the winner.
Aymar, meanwhile, wiped away tears, put her hand to her forehead and then stared at the ground. Eventually, she crossed her arms across her chest, the posture assumed by almost the entire team. A few stood with hands on hips, openly disgusted.
The Americans shocked Argentina with two early goals. Paige Selenski scored in the 12th minute and Shannon Taylor added another in the 15th. Maria Barrionuevo scored on a penalty corner in the 18th for Argentina, but O'Donnell made it 3-1.
Barrionuevo scored her second on a penalty in the 42nd before Michelle Vittese secured the win with a goal in the 66th.
"In our minds we never had the lead, it was always 0-0," U.S. captain Lauren Crandall said. "We were always fighting, always working. Argentina is capable of scoring three goals in a minute. We stayed focused to the end — well let's say the last 5 seconds."
Crandall has been to London before, and she said her parents — Amy and Tim Crandall of Doylestown, Penn. — were already looking to book a hotel room just seconds after the match ended.
"I can guarantee you my mom is doing it right now," she said. "They are probably blowing up my phone right now."
The United States finished eighth at the 2008 Olympics, but Australian-born coach Lee Bodimeade figures this bunch could contend.
"Our goal is a medal in London," he said. "Now that we've beaten the world's No. 1 team, well, by definition we've got a chance."
The Americans play the South Americans several times a year, and in February the United States lost to Argentina 3-2 in the Four Nations tournament in Mendoza, Argentina.
"We play Argentina so often," Bodimeade said, "and we've been beaten often enough by them to know what works and what doesn't."
-- Stephen Wade
'Montezuma's Revenge' no big deal at Pan Am Games
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — After 500 years, it seems as if Aztec emperor Moctezuma II is just about finished getting his revenge on foreigners.
Mexico has long been stuck with a reputation as a place where tourists complained of stomach illness after drinking the water and eating certain foods. But despite some health concerns ahead of the Pan American Games, "Montezuma's Revenge" hasn't had an impact in Guadalajara.
"The food actually has been great. We haven't had any problems with it," American swimmer Madison Kennedy said. "We've been told to take the basic precautions, but it hasn't been a problem at all. I don't know of anybody who got sick so far."
Coming into the event, many delegations alerted athletes to be careful, asking them to take precautions to avoid getting sick during the two-week long Olympic-style competition.
Some of the warnings included not drinking tap water or even using it to brush their teeth to avoid the illness, named after the last ruler of the Aztec empire. They also were not supposed to venture into restaurants outside the athletes' village.
"We got emails from the United States Olympic Committee ahead of time, just alerting us to be cautious," American softball player Stacey May-Johnson said. "And we were a little cautious, used bottled water on our toothbrushes and tried to avoid getting water in our mouth. Basic precautions."
Many visitors were prudent, too, coming to Mexico with medication packed along with their clothes in case they got sick. But local organizers said the worries were much ado about nothing.
Pan American Games officials said only about 10 people — of the more than 10,000 athletes and coaches at the athletes' village — have had symptoms related to food or water contamination.
Among the athletes who fell ill was Brazilian discus thrower Ronald Juliao, a bronze medalist who said he fell ill with diarrhea while in Guadalajara preparing for the Games.
None of the cases were serious, though.
"It's all calm so far and hopefully that's how it's going to be until the end," said Eloy Marquez, the head of medical services at the event. "A lot of people think that everything in Mexico will make you sick, but that's not really true."
Local residents also dismissed the concerns brought along by many foreigners.
"This is a thing of the past," said Guadalajara resident Manuel Avila, who works for the state government. "I guess that there have been some unfortunate isolated cases in some cities and that's what makes the news. But in reality, that's not what really happens in most places. It's all safe."
Marquez said that it's normal for some people to have problems because they will try to eat things they are not used to.
"Obviously, people will start eating different types of food, with a lot of spices or too greasy, and then they get in trouble. It's normal," Marquez said. "But it's not because of unsanitary conditions here in Mexico. It happens anywhere in the world."
Doctors said another reason people get sick in places like Mexico is because the food will quickly go bad in the hot weather.
"It happens here sometimes. If the food is not well-kept in a refrigerated environment, people who eat it may suffer gastrointestinal problems. It's normal in the heat," said Roberto Lopez Cervantes, the doctor at the gymnastics venue. "People have to be careful with what they eat. If they are, they shouldn't have any problems."
Marquez said members of the local health department make daily visits to the athletes' village to inspect food and water for bacteria or substances that could be caught in doping tests.
There were increased concerns with the food after the majority of the players at the Under-17 World Cup in Mexico tested positive for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol, which is found in contaminated meat. No athletes in Guadalajara have tested positive for the substance so far.
American runner Lee Moore, who said United States coaches dismissed the meat contamination as a problem at the athletes' village cafeteria, said he has heard of only a couple of cases of people feeling ill.
"I've heard of some people who had an upset stomach, but nothing more than like a couple of hours' worth," said Moore, who runs the 400-meter hurdles and the 1,600 relay. "I wouldn't put it anything past normal. Food is about the quality of a college lunchroom, so there hasn't been any problems for us."
The Americans weren't the only ones who came to Guadalajara with concerns.
"The food is not what we are used to, and they talked about the water and all that stuff, but we haven't had any problems yet," Canadian softball player Kaleigh Rafter said. "We are all happy with everything."
-- Tales Azzoni
Latin skaters have chilly chance of moving to ice
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Colombian inline skaters Pedro Causil and Yersy Puello pretty much have only one use for ice: chilling drinks. Skating on it isn't really an option.
On the other hand, ice could be the future for Keith Carroll, an American who is making the transition from inline skating to short-track speedskating. Carroll failed to win a medal on wheels in the Pan American Games, but he has big Olympic dreams.
"The way I look at it, the Olympics are something that is attainable," Carroll said.
Causil and Puello don't have such hopes.
They each won two gold medals at the Pan American Games in roller skating, but their next goal can only be more medals in smaller championships with roller sports not in the Olympics.
"What the American guy is doing sounds interesting, but it would be tough finding ice in Colombia," Causil said of Carroll. "We don't have a winter season and there are no rinks."
No Latin American or Caribbean country has ever won a Winter Olympic medal, and only 22 athletes at the 2010 winter Olympics were from the region.
Puello laughed when she was asked about crossing over. She was born in the humid Caribbean port city of Cartagena and has never been on ice. For that matter, neither has Causil.
"I'd be happy to do it, but I think it's impossible," Puello said, sweating under the sun in Guadalajara. "Nobody ever asked me but I would be happy to try. You would probably have to change passports. It would be difficult, but if you really wanted it badly you could do it."
Colombia is probably the world's most powerful nation in inline skating, winning five of the six golds in Guadalajara.
"In skating we have the tradition like the U.S. has in swimming," Causil said.
The move to ice is a natural for the 20-year-old Carroll, who has famous American Olympians to emulate — Apolo Ohno, Chad Hedrick and J.R. Celsk, to name a few.
When Carroll leaves the Pan American Games, he'll change from wheels to blades and race in a short-track speedskating event in Ohio.
Carroll and teammate Jake Powers are among a handful of American inline skaters training on ice in Salt Lake City, hoping to make the jump to ice and Olympic promise.
"Inline is where my heart is," Carroll said. "That's what I've been doing my whole life. If inlining was an Olympic sport, I'd never switch over. It wouldn't even cross my mind."
Carroll, who skated on ice for the first time just four years ago, said he got the inspiration from the 2006 Turin Olympics, where Ohno won gold in short-track and Hedrick got his gold on the larger track at 5,000 meters.
"I was watching lots and lots of people that I watched my whole life growing up skating inline, and they were out there winning Olympic medals," Carroll said.
Even if they aren't quite as fast on ice — at least at the beginning — inliners like Carroll and Powers say they may have an advantage with race tactics, a key in short-track. Inline racing is also more physical, which make short-track seem sedate.
"One bump can sent you to the ground in short-track, but on the other hand there's not as much contact," Carroll explained.
Carroll needs to make a decision soon, perhaps aiming at the 2014 or 2018 Olympics.
"I think I've got a lot of potential on the ice," Carroll said. "I plan on doing both as long as I can but obviously I have to make a choice here in the next few summers if I want to try for the Olympics."
Jorge Reyes of Chile also has little chance of moving to the ice, even though his country has winter sports potential. It's farther south than Colombia, has ski resorts in the towering Andes and cold winters in the south of the country.
Only two countries from the Southern Hemisphere have ever won Winter Olympic medals — New Zealand and Australia.
"We have high mountains and winter-sport possibilities," said Reyes, who won Pan American bronze at 1,000 meters. "We have the raw material, but the country has not taken advantage of it. I would love to compete for an Olympic medal, but we're never going to have the chance."
-- Stephen Wade
Hammer and high jump at Pan Ams trump honeymoon
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Here was the choice: Honeymoon in Australia, or train for the hammer and high jump. For Michael Mai and Deirdre Mullen, it wasn't even close. Australia can wait.
The couple married in July but put off their honeymoon until after the Pan American Games so they could train right. Mai won the silver medal in the men's hammer throw, and Mullen was fourth in the women's high jump.
"It was definitely worth it," Mullen said Thursday. "We are a track family and track has always been a huge priority in our lives. We wouldn't have enjoyed our honeymoon as much if we were in competition mode. Now that the season is over we can take some time off until we start preparing for next season again."
Mai threw 238 feet, 6 inches Wednesday, finishing behind American teammate Kibwe Johnson (261-3). Mullen jumped 6-0½, with Lesyani Mayor of Cuba taking the gold.
The couple live in Mountain View, Calif., and will make a stop in the United States for a couple of days before flying to Australia for about a two-week honeymoon. They didn't want the trip to Australia to interfere with practice and hurt their chances at the Pan Ams.
"Most of our trips together happen when we are competing in meets and we are always training," Mullen said. "Now we can just relax and actually get to enjoy the country we are going to."
Mullen and Mai met at a track meet in 2007 and started dating a couple of years later.
"She moved out to California after we got married at the end of July and we've been training together since then," Mai said. "Things have been going great."
They say having an athlete as a spouse plays to their advantage most of the time.
"I think it really helps. We share similar mindsets. We know what motivates us to keep improving. She is my motivation to keep improving," the 34-year-old Mai said. "Sometimes we are pretty stubborn, but that can be a positive thing, too. Some days you get up and you don't want to train, but you have your spouse there pushing you to do it."
The 29-year-old Mullen said there is more good than bad to being married to a fellow competitor.
"He understands what I'm going through. He knows about the ups and downs of being an athlete," she said. "It's easier to explain our frustrations to each other. It's easier for us to pull each other up when needed."
After honeymooning in Australia, the couple will start preparing for next season. They hope their next major trip will be to London, so they can compete together at the 2012 Olympics.
"It would be wonderful if both of us could make the team," Mullen said. "We had fun together at the Pan American Games. It was kind of a preview. We got to see what it would be like to be in the Olympics."
-- Tales Azzoni
Canadian wakeboard silver medalist tests positive
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Canadian wakeboard silver medalist Aaron Rathy tested positive for a banned stimulant, the first person to fail a drug test during competition at the Pan American Games.
Rathy tested positive for methylhexaneamine, organizers said Friday. His medal was withdrawn and he was disqualified from the competition.
"The athlete is cooperating fully, has accepted responsibility and apologized for the inadvertent use of a banned substance," the Canadian Olympic Committee said in a statement. "While the COC does not condone the use of banned substances, we are supporting the athlete's right to a fair hearing and due process."
According to the Canadian Olympic Commitee, the Pan American Sport Organization's Disciplinary Commission Panel held a hearing Friday and made its decision.
U.S. wins women's water polo gold at Pan Am Games
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — The United States women's water polo team qualified for the London Olympics by winning the gold medal over Canada in a marathon shootout Friday at the Pan American Games.
The Americans rallied to an 8-8 draw to send the game into extra time, then won the shootout 19-18.
New London Olympic landmark gains final ring
LONDON (AP) — It rises 35 stories high, is made of ruby red steel and vaguely resembles a squashed roller coaster.
Standing next to the main stadium for the 2012 Olympics, it bears the formal name of the "ArcelorMittal Orbit" — although everybody will probably call it the London Olympic Tower or somesuch.
Meant to be a tourist landmark like Big Ben or the London Eye wheel, the abstract work of art is already getting some odd reactions. London's vigorous press has already coined a few nicknames: the Eyeful Tower, the shisha pipe, Hubble Bubble. Tourists gazing at it for the first time Friday as the final link moved into place added a few descriptions of their own.
"It's a combination between a helter skelter and a helix," said Hugh Shelmerdine, 60, a credit manager at a leasing company who likes it. "It adds a bit of a difference to the Olympic Park. Without it everything is a little bit too controlled."
The 1,500 metric ton (1,650 U.S. ton) top ring of the showcase sculpture of the London Olympics was lifted by three cranes and slid into place Friday. The project had been repeatedly delayed to adjust to weather conditions; little or no wind was necessary to keep the movement of the steel to a minimum and also so that the four-man team could hear one another from above.
The tower is designed by London-based artist Anish Kapoor, a previous winner of the prestigious Turner Prize, and his design partner Cecil Balmond. Their design, dominated by a looping lattice of tubular steel, won a competition to be designated the art project of the games.
One of Britain's foremost artists, Kapoor is known for large-scale installations like "Marsyas" — a giant blood-red PVC membrane that was displayed at London's Tate Modern in 2002 — and "The Bean," a 110-ton (100-metric ton) stainless steel sculpture in Chicago's Millennium Park. But the Orbit is a departure from previous work, based on taking a point in space that is "orbited" by a dancing line of steel.
For his part, Kapoor said in a statement that he hopes the structure will engage the viewer "through form, color and reflectivity."
But much is left to interpretation — and that was precisely the point, said project architect Kathryn Findlay. She doesn't mind that some people see DNA helixes, or roller coasters or Lego or a series of knots — what matters is that they look at the piece and get involved with it.
"I think it is a positive thing that no one sees it the same way," she said.
London Mayor Boris Johnson could barely contain himself with joy.
"It would have boggled the minds of the Romans. It would have dwarfed the aspirations of Gustave Eiffel, and it will certainly be worthy of the best show on earth, in the greatest city on earth," Johnson said in a statement. "And as the final giant steel loop is swung into place, lifting the ArcelorMittal Orbit to its full height, we are truly witnessing the most significant iconic addition to London's skyline for decades."
Soaring above the stadium and the swimming pool, the tower will give visitors vistas across the city from two viewing platforms.
When finished, the 114-meter (375-foot) tower will be 22 meters (72 feet) higher than the Statue of Liberty and twice the height of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.
The project got its start in a coat check room at the World Economic Forum in Davos two years ago. London Mayor Boris Johnson bumped into steel mogul Lakshmi Mittal — rated the wealthiest man in Britain by the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated wealth of 17.5 billion pounds ($28.1 billion) — and gave him a 45-second pitch.
Johnson remembered that Mittal immediately said, "'I'll give you the steel.'"
But Mittal said he had a slightly different recollection of the meeting, saying the chatty mayor spoke for a full 45 seconds.
"I didn't have a chance to say yes or no," he joked last year.
ArcelorMittal, a steel and mining company, will fund up to 19.2 million pounds ($30 million) of the 22.3 million pound ($35 million) project. The London Development Agency will provide the remaining 3.1 million pounds ($5 million).
The agency hopes to recoup its contribution by renting the restaurant and viewing platform to corporate sponsors who want to take in the 20 mile-(32 kilometer) view. International Olympic Committee rules will restrict its use during the games.
Those waiting to watch the last link drop on Friday tried to imagine the possibilities as they waited for workers to finish. Jim Nagel, 67, from Somerset, thought it would be ideal to actually make it an amusement park ride — and sounded almost like a kid as he imagined zooming around the edges.
"It should have a capsule," he said. "I want a capsule to ride around the red tubes."
-- Danica Kirka
McCormack gambles on Olympic triathlon berth
NOOSA HEADS, Australia (AP) — Chris McCormack's friends joked that he was going through a "mid-life crisis" when the two-time Ironman world champion decided to try to represent Australia in the London Olympics.
Weeks after winning the Ironman title last year in Hawaii, McCormack decided to switch from the much longer Ironman triathlons — 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle and a full 26.2-mile marathon run — to the much shorter Olympic distances — 0.9-mile swim, 24.9-mile cycle and 6.2-mile run.
Enduring many finishes in the back of the field as he adapts to the shorter distance, the 38-year-old McCormack is back where he started in the sport nearly 20 years ago, competing Sunday in the Noosa Triathlon.
"It's been an enormous change," McCormack said Friday. "A big jump, but the opportunity presented itself to maybe make an Olympic Games. I spoke to my family last year after winning Kona and said, 'How about we venture down this path? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.'"
McCormack hopes to learn whether he makes the Australian team in early April, about the same time he will celebrate his 39th birthday.
"It's been a very enjoyable process," McCormack said. "But a lot of my friends thought I was nuts — they said I must be having a mid-life crisis for me to give the longer distances away and try to make the Olympic team."
McCormack, who splits his time between homes in Los Angeles and Sydney with his wife and three children, began racing professionally in 1996. A year later, he became the first man in the sport to win the ITU world championships, the ITU World Cup series and be ranked No. 1, a position he held for more than two years.
In 2000, when triathlon made its first Olympic appearance at the Sydney Games, his top Australian ranking and No. 3 overall in the world didn't do him any good and he was left off the Australian team, a decision that rankled him for years to follow.
In 2002, he shifted most of the focus of his training to Ironman racing. He failed to finish his first Ironman at Kona, but moved slowly up the field in the ensuing years to win for the first time in 2007, and again in 2010.
Australians have ruled the Hawaii Ironman for the last five years, with Craig Alexander winning in 2008 and 2009, in between McCormack's victories, and again this year when Alexander set the course record of 8 hours, 3 minutes, 56 seconds.
McCormack has been impressed by the young crop of Olympic hopefuls led by Britain's Alistair Brownlee. The 23-year-old Brownlee, a two-time ITU world champion, will be among the gold medal favorites on his home turf next year in the Olympics.
The Australian has had to endure some mediocre finishes this season while guys like Brownlee race past him.
"It's tough finishing 30th, and 25th, around the world when you're used to crossing the finishing line first," McCormack said. "But that just shows the intensity and pace of these young kids."
McCormack will have at least three more chances to impress Australian Olympic selectors between now and April, including the Noosa event, which he first raced in 1992 and won in 2005. He'll be trying to prevent Beijing Olympian Courtney Atkinson of Australia from winning his fourth Noosa Triathlon in a row.
After Noosa, there will be an ITU World Cup race in Mooloolaba and a world championship series event in Sydney.
"I can feel the speed coming back and while it hasn't all gone according to the script, I'm positive I still have a lot to offer," McCormack said.
"We'll find out come April about the Olympics. For me, in five or six years when I'm no longer competing at a high level, I'll be able to say to myself that I tried."
-- Dennis Passa
Roble, Barkow take lead in sailing semis
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Stephanie Roble of Chicago and Sally Barkow of Nashotah, Wis., have taken a 2-1 lead in their semifinal matches at the U.S. Olympic Team Qualifying Regatta.
Roble leads Genny Tulloch of Sausalito, Calif., while Barkow leads 2008 Olympic gold medalist Anna Tunnicliffe of Plantation, Fla.
Tulloch, who sails with Alice Manard Leonard and Jenn Chamberlin, won the round robins and had the advantage of selecting her opponent. She chose Roble, who was fourth.
A skipper must win four races to clinch the semis.
As the top four skippers, Tulloch, Barkow, Tunnicliffe and Roble secured berths at the final selection event for the 2012 Olympic Team Qualifying Regatta May 4-7 in Weymouth, England.
14-year-old Russian leads women's short
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario (AP) — At 14, Elizaveta Tuktamisheva is already turning heads.
The Russian teenager earned 59.57 points for her short program Friday to take a big lead in women's singles at Skate Canada International.
She's so good that Alexei Mishin, the veteran Russian coach helping guide Tuktamisheva, calls her "the main hope for the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics" in 2014.
Tuktamisheva won't meet the International Skating Union age requirement to compete in a senior worlds until 2013. But she certainly appears ready to take full advantage of the green light the ISU gave her to enter senior Grand Prix meets this season.
Tuktamisheva, the 2011 world junior silver medalist, was the only skater to cleanly land a triple-triple combo. She needs to improve her spins, but she clearly has huge potential.
Americans Ashley Wagner (54.50 points) and Rachael Flatt (54.23) followed.
"I was very satisfied with that program," said Wagner, 20, who was sixth at the 2011 U.S. nationals. "It was solid. I stood up on everything, which was my main goal. I would have preferred that the lutz had not been such a death-defying act on the ice, but I stood up and that's really all that counts in the long run.
"I think it's a great start to my Grand Prix season and, hopefully, it's only up from here."
The 19-year-old Flatt, a silver medalist at her nationals last winter, was 12th at the world championships.
"I haven't started out this well at a Grand Prix in a while," she said. "I'm very pleased."
In the men's program, world champion Patrick Chan of Canada was third after the men's short program, behind Javier Fernandez of Spain and Daisuke Takahashi of Japan.
Fernandez has 84.71 points, Takahashi has 84.66 and Chan has 83.28, meaning the gold medal is up for grabs going into the Saturday free skate.
"It's a great position to be in," Chan said. "It's better than I did at Skate Canada last year. I didn't fall three times this time."
Chan landed a quad toe loop jump but a sloppy landing with a hand on the ice led him to omit his combo's scheduled triple toe loop. He then reduced his triple Axel to a double. He then added a triple toe to his triple Lutz to score the required combo.
In pairs, world silver medalists and Russian champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov earned 70.42 points to outdistance their closest rivals in the short program: Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada. They were elated to be second.
Duhamel teamed with Radford after previous partner Craig Buntin retired in 2010.
"That was our first clean short program as a pairs team and, regardless of the levels and the points, that was our goal, so mission accomplished," Duhamel said.
Canadians held the first two spots in dance, with Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir leading with 71.61 points, and Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje second with 63.31.
Italy's Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte were third with 61.92 points.
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