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Zhangs lead skating championships

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-03-21 10:48

SOLID OPENING

Earlier in the day, Olympic silver medallist Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland got the defence of his world title off to a solid start comfortably winning his qualifying group.

Lambiel, who has been battling a sore knee and very nearly added his name to a long list of Olympic medallists to drop out of event, displayed no distress landing a pair of quadruple jumps during a routine that earned top marks of 160.90.

American medal hopeful Evan Lysacek stumbled through a crash filled routine yet still managed to hold onto second place although he remains well back of the Swiss with a score of 139.70.

"I got the wind knocked out of me badly so it took about half way through before I got my wind back, and I fell on my leg so it kind of went numb on me," said Lysacek, in a U.S. figure skating release. "But it was enough. That's what today is about."

Ilia Klimkin, who will carry Russian medal hopes in the absence of Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko, was third with 130.60 followed by a pair of Chinese skaters, Zhang Min and Li Chengjing in fourth and fifth respectively with 128.42 and 125.70.

The second men's qualifying group is scheduled to skate later on Monday.