Canada’s Gabrielle Daleman finishes first at Cup of China

Gabrielle Daleman of Canada reacts after competing in the Ladies Short Program during the Audi Cup of China ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2017 at the Capital Gymnasium in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

BEIJING – Canada’s Gabrielle Daleman was in first place after Friday’s women’s short program at the Cup of China, the third event of the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix series.

Skating to Carmen, Daleman opened with a triple toeloop and added a triple lutz and a double axel for 70.65 points. The 19-year-old from Newmarket, Ont., was less than a point ahead of Wakaba Higuchi of Japan and Elena Radionova of Russia.

"I was very happy with how today went," said Daleman. "It’s another stepping stone in a long season and it’s a great way to start my year on the Grand Prix. There’s lots more to improve and I can’t wait to keep building on it."

Russian skater Mikhail Kolyada upstaged two-time world champion Javier Fernandez to take the lead after the men’s short program. Kolyada turned in a near flawless routine that featured a quad lutz, a quad-toeloop-triple toeloop and a triple axel for a personal-best 103.13 points.

Fernandez had only one quad jump and stepped out of a triple axel to finish third. Boyang Jin of China was in second and Keiji Tanaka of Japan was fourth.

Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C., was 10th.

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