HELSINKI: Javier Fernandez proved that being a world champion is not just about being a quad-jumping powerhouse when he produced a mesmerising short programme to hold off a throng of challengers at the figure skating world championships yesterday.
The Spaniard’s pursuit of a hat-trick of world titles could not have got off to a better start with a hypnotic performance to Spanish guitar music Malaguena to earn a score of 109.05, shattering his previous personal best by almost five points.
Fernandez’s skills left the rest of the field trailing and Shoma Uno proved to be the best-of-the-rest, finally emerging from the shadow of his more illustrious compatriot, Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu, to finish second with 104.86.
The old-school style of Patrick Chan also won over the judges as he broke the 100-point barrier in an international meet for the first time to finish third with 102.13. He was the only competitor in the top six to attempt only one quad in the two-minute-40-second routines.
Before the start of the competition, all the hype had been about the number of high-scoring jumps the ‘Next Gen’ of skaters were cramming into their programmes.
Yesterday, 20 of the 36 skaters had ambitions to execute the jump that requires four complete aerial revolutions before touch-down on the ice.
Of those, seven had included two quads in their short programmes.
Last year Fernandez, who like Hanyu is coached by 1987 world champion Brian Orser, overhauled a 12-point deficit from the short skate to snatch gold.