Shcherbakova wins Cup of China for 2nd Grand Prix title

Published Nov. 9, 2019 9:44 a.m. ET

CHONGQING, China (AP) — Fifteen-year-old Anna Shcherbakova of Russia won the women's free skate at the Cup of China on Saturday to capture her second Grand Prix title of the season.

Shcherbakova, who led after Friday's short program, underrotated her opening quadruple lutz-triple toeloop combination but landed a quad lutz on her next jump and finished with 152.53 points for a total of 226.04.

Japan's Satoko Miyahara finished second with 211.18 overall points while Russia's Elizaveta Tuktamysheva was third with 209.10 after finishing second in the free program.

Shcherbakova, who also won last month's Skate America, included a triple lutz-triple loop combination and three more triples.

"The free program was good, but not perfect, there were some mistakes," Shcherbakova said.

With her win in China, Shcherbakova booked a spot in the Dec. 5-8 Grand Prix Final in Turin, Italy.

"I am very happy that I can go to the Grand Prix Final, that was my goal," Shcherbakova said. "I don't know yet what my (program) content will be, but my goal will be as always to skate clean."

Along with Alexandra Trusova and Alena Kostornaia, Shcherbakova is one of three young Russian skaters who have moved up to the senior level this season. Between them, they have won all women's Grand Prix events so far with an array of big jumps.

China's Jin Boyang won the free skate to take the gold medal in the men's event with a total of 261.53 points. Yan Han, also of China, was second with 249.45 in his first international event since the 2018 Olympics while Matteo Rizzo of Italy won the bronze medal with 241.88.

China took another gold as Sui Wenjing and Han Cong produced another near-clean skate to win the pairs by a vast margin with a total score of 228.37. It was only their third competition since winning silver at the 2018 Olympics, and the third win.

Peng Cheng and Jin Yang were second on 199.97, with bronze for Canada's Liubov Ilyushechkina and Charlie Bilodeau.

World silver medalists Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov of Russia clinched gold in ice dance with 209.90 points.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States were second with 208.55 points, while Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Canada secured the bronze with 190.74 points