Figure Skating
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Results/Schedule
 Monday, March 27
Yagudin defeats Plushenko to keep world championship crown
 
Associated Press

 Alexei Yagudin used his quad to create the difference between him and Yevgeny Plushenko to win the championship.

American champion Michael Weiss took the bronze medal. Weiss grazed the ice with his free leg on his quad attempt, not getting credit for it. Another American, Tim Goebel, completed the first quad salchow-triple toe loop in a world championship and came in 12th.

Seven men completed quads bringing to 14 the number down in this competition.

Yagudin unleashed a flawless quad, not only landing it firmly, but with flair. Then he knocked off an array of triples in one of the most difficult programs ever done at worlds. The program included two taxing triple-triple combinations.

Plushenko missed his quad when he needed it the most, although he did eight triples.

Russians defended their titles in the first two finals of the competition with Yagudin taking the men's event and Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharudlidze winning the pairs


 


ALSO SEE
ABC Sports looks back at the last three Mens World Championships

Maria Butyrskaya wins 1999 world title.



AUDIO/VIDEO
 Alexei Yagudin wins his second World Championship in 1999 (Courtesy: ABC Sports)
RealVideo: 56.6