Chen Outshines Hanyu Again But Russia Lead World Team Trophy

American world figure skating champion Nathan Chen again outshone Japanese star Yuzuru Hanyu on Thursday at the World Team Trophy, but it was Russia that led after the opening day

Osaka, Japan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Apr, 2021 ) :American world figure skating champion Nathan Chen again outshone Japanese star Yuzuru Hanyu on Thursday at the World Team Trophy, but it was Russia that led after the opening day.

Chen, who claimed his third straight world title last month in Stockholm, won the men's short programme with 109.65 points, knocking two-time Olympic gold medallist Hanyu into second on 107.12.

But it was Russia that ended the day on top of the overall scoreboard, with world champion Anna Shcherbakova winning the women's short programme ahead of teammate Elizaveta Tuktamysheva.

"For this competition, my goal is just to enjoy myself," said Chen, who will aim to end Hanyu's dominant Olympic run at the Beijing Games in less than 10 months' time.

"It's the last competition of the season and the first one with an audience, so it feels a lot more exciting and a lot more energising," he added.

The biennial six-nation competition, which also features France, Italy and Canada, is being held in Osaka, which is currently battling a surge in coronavirus infections.

The city banned the Olympic torch relay from passing along its public roads earlier this week, but around 3,000 fans -- half the venue's capacity -- still attended the skating event on Thursday.

Hanyu skipped this season's Grand Prix series over concerns that his asthma would put him at higher risk if he caught the virus.

But his mind was only on "revenge" for his third-place finish in Stockholm as he took to the ice on Thursday.

"I still have some frustration from the world championships," said Hanyu, who was left to carry Japan's hopes after teammate Shoma Uno fell in his routine.

"I felt the best way to contribute was to be myself and really get into my own performance and do it at my own pace." Russia finished the day on top with 49 points, ahead of the US on 47 and Japan on 42.

Shcherbakova, who turned 17 last month, picked up from where she left off at worlds, winning the women's short programme with a personal-best score of 81.07.

"It was my last performance of the season, and I wanted to relax and not try to push it too hard," said Shcherbakova.

"My aim was to enjoy it, and I did what I set out to achieve. Of course there are things to work on, but I'm not being too particular about it."Teammate Tuktamysheva -- the world silver medallist -- followed in second on 80.35, with Japan's Kaori Sakamoto third on 77.78.

Russia's formidable strength in depth was showcased by ice dance world champions Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, who won the rhythm dance with a score of 86.66 to give their team an early lead.