Asada Wins Gold, Caroline Zhang Bronze at 4 Continents

Mao Asada nailed two triple axels Friday to win the Four Continents figure skating title in a breakthrough victory just weeks before the Vancouver Olympics.

The feat pushed Japan’s four-time national champion ahead of compatriot Akiko Suzuki, who was first after the short program but settled for silver after faltering on her combination jump.

Caroline Zhang of the United States, the 2007 world junior champion, came in third with her best performance of the season. She edged out fellow American Amanda Dobbs and Japan’s Haruka Imai, who finished fourth and fifth.

For Asada, the win was a boost as she gears up to take on world champion Kim Yu-na of South Korea for the Olympic gold next month.

The triple axel, a jump few women attempt, is her not-so-secret weapon. Asada made skating history in 2008 when she landed it cleanly twice to beat Kim on her home turf for the Grand Prix title. Landing it twice again Friday showed she’s still in the fight after a lackluster 2009.

“I landed both triple axels at the Grand Prix finals and again today, so I am very happy with my competitions here in South Korea,” Asada said. “What I need to do now for the Olympics is to just do my best with every element in my program.”

Friday’s win notches up the competition between the two 19-year-olds, who have been fierce rivals since their days as juniors.

Asada claimed the world championship and the Grand Prix title in 2008, but Kim was crowned the world champ in 2009 and has won the gold in every competition since her second-place finish to Asada.

Asada performed poorly at her past two international events, placing third and sixth. However, she rebounded at the Japanese nationals, winning a fourth straight title.

With Kim choosing to stay in Canada where she lives and trains to prepare for the Olympics, Asada was expected to run away with the Four Continents title.

However, an under-rotated triple axel, a botched triple flip and a deduction for skating one second too long left her in third place after the short program. Asada admitted Friday that she had the jitters during the short program.

Suzuki missed a triple as well, but displayed spectacular footwork that earned her high praise from the judges. When the scores came up, it was Suzuki at the top of the list, not Asada.

The lead offered the 24-year-old Suzuki a chance to show she’s ready to claim her spot in the limelight. She has skated superbly all season, posting two first-place wins and a bronze at the prestigious Grand Prix final.

In the free skate Friday, Suzuki skated with assurance and a broad smile to “West Side Story” but stumbled on a combination sequence, leaving an opening for Asada.

With the Rachmaninov building up the drama to her opening jump, her hands sheathed in black, Asada launched straight into the triple axel as the crowd held its breath.

After nailing the jump, Asada vaulted into a second triple axel combined with a shaky double toe loop. No matter, she got credit for the triple axel. She also landed the triple flip she missed in the short program and finished out her program flawlessly, ending with both hands raised in triumph.

The 16-year-old Zhang skated with ease and grace to edge past Dobbs for the bronze despite stumbling on a triple lutz. She called the finish a “good comeback” after placing a disappointing 11th at the U.S. nationals earlier this month.

South Korea’s Kwak Min-jung, also 16, surged from seventh place to fourth in the free skate with a spirited performance that showed off her flexibility and extension. Kwak, who finished sixth overall, will compete at the Olympics.

In ice dance, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Pole claimed the title after dominating throughout the competition. Fellow Canadians Allie Hann-McCurdy and Michael Coreno finished second overall, and Madison Hubbell and Keiffer Hubbell of the United States were third.

The Four Continents concludes Saturday with the men’s free skate.

___

Associated Press writer Esther Hong contributed to this report.

1/29/2010 6:51 AM JEAN H. LEE, Associated Press Writer JEONJU, South Korea