(November 28, 2005)

It was an exciting weekend in St. Petersburg for the 2005 Cup of Russia.

The event, which was the fifth of six events on the ISU Grand Prix circuit, took place Nov. 24-27.

Canada’s pair team of Elizabeth Putnam and Sean Wirtz moved up from seventh after the short program to finish fifth in the free skate and fifth overall. The duo had a strong free skate that included a double Salchow-triple toe loop sequence, a throw triple loop, a throw triple Salchow and impressive lifts.

Putnam and Wirtz earned 50.26 points for technical elements and 42.64 points for program components in their free skate, totaling 92.90 overall. Combined with the short program, Putnam and Wirtz were awarded a combined total of 138.66.

Russians and two-time world champions Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin were first with 197.92 points, while their teammates Julia Obertas and Sergei Slavnov were second with 175.60, and the Polish team of Dorota Zagorska and Mariusz Suidek finished third with 161.74 points.

Placing seventh in the men’s event was Shawn Sawyer. The 2005 Canadian bronze medallist was ninth in the short program and fifth in the free skate to place seventh overall. His overall point total was 185.65, a new personal best score.

Sawyer also had a personal best score in the free skate (128.30). His program highlights included an opening triple flip-triple toe loop combination, a triple loop-triple toe loop sequence and difficult and innovative spins.

Evgeni Plushenko, a three-time world champion, made a very impressive return after suffering an injury last season in winning the gold medal. The Russian’s overall point total was 241.80.

Switzerland’s Stephane Lambiel, the 2005 world champion, was second with 225.55 points, while American Johnny Weir won the bronze medal, earning a total of 206.79.

In the ice dance event, Siobhan Karam and Joshua McGrath, both natives of Ottawa who are competing in their first season on the ISU Grand Prix circuit, placed 10th in the compulsory dance, eighth in the original dance and 10th in the free dance to finish 10th overall with a total of 130.72 points.

Two-time world champions Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov won the gold medal with 200.91 points. The Israeli team of Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski were second with 184.65 points, while the Russian team of Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin finished third, earning 176.69.

The ISU Grand Prix circuit continues next weekend at the 2005 NHK Trophy in Osaka, Japan.