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German pair completes sweep of major titles

Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany won the pairs title at the World Figure Skating Championships, completing a sweep of all the year's major titles.

Savchenko and Szolkowy, also the Grand Prix and European champions, took advantage of their hugely difficult routine to win the title, beating China's Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao by more than five points. Canada's Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison won the bronze.

Earlier on Wednesday, two-time European champion Carolina Kostner edged reigning world silver medalist Mao Asada by the slightest of margins, a mere 0.18 points, to win the short program. Former world champion Kimmie Meissner, who is hoping a coaching switch can reverse a dismal season, was in ninth place. But Meissner was more than satisfied with the performance, punching the air when she finished.

The women's competition was expected to be a showdown between Asada of Japan and South Korea's Kim Yu-na, winner of the Grand Prix final. But Kostner had a different idea.

The Italian has departed from her classical comfort zone with this year's short program, packing elongated spirals, tight spins with ever-changing arm positions and big jumps between the opening shrieks and closing groans of The Doors classic Riders on the Storm.

She matched Asada's jumping ability with a huge triple-triple combination.

Her only error was a step out on the landing of her triple lutz, but it had little bearing. Her score of 64.28 included the best technical mark of the night.

Asada hit all of her jumps easily, seeming to hover momentarily above the ice before making her rotations. Her triple flip-triple loop combination, triple lutz and double axel were all gorgeous.

"The difference between first and second is not so much, so I will do my best in the long," said Asada, who finished with 64.10 points.

Asada's Japanese teammate, Yukari Nakano, was third with 61.10 points. Kim, who had to skip last month's Four Continents championship in her native South Korea because of a hip injury, is in fifth place.

Melinda Sherilyn Wang of Taiwan was 22nd with 44.77 points.
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