Canada's Patrick Chan recorded the highest ever score to win the men's short programme at the world figure skating championships on Wednesday and take a giant step towards his first global title.The 20-year-old dazzled the Moscow crowd with a near-perfect performance by
earning 93.02 points to beat the previous best mark set by Russian former world and Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko last year by more than a point.
Chan, who finished second at the last two world championships, leads his nearest rival, Nobunari Oda of Japan, by more than 11 points, heading into Thursday's free skate at the Khodynka Ice Palace.
Oda's compatriot, Daisuke Takahashi, who became the first Asian man to win the world title when he triumphed last year in Turin, was third with 80.25 points.
With Plushenko, who is serving an indefinite ban from competition, watching attentively from the stands, Takahashi avoided any major slip-ups but his sum was 10 points lower than his personal best achieved at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics where he finished third.
Russian 17-year-old Artur Gachinski, coached by Plushenko's mentor Alexei Mishin and making his world championship debut, was a surprise fourth with a personal best of 78.34.
European champion Florent Amodio of France came fifth on 77.64, while his compatriot, 2007 world champion Brian Joubert, could only finish ninth after a disappointing performance.
Joubert, considered one of the favourites for the title, missed a combination jump and botched a landing on his quad that almost certainly rules him out of contention for the medals.
The championships were moved to Russia from Japan after last month's earthquake and tsunami left 28,000 people dead or missing.
Later on Wednesday, the pairs perform their short programme which will be preceded by a solemn opening ceremony, paying tribute to Japan and its people.
earning 93.02 points to beat the previous best mark set by Russian former world and Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko last year by more than a point.
Chan, who finished second at the last two world championships, leads his nearest rival, Nobunari Oda of Japan, by more than 11 points, heading into Thursday's free skate at the Khodynka Ice Palace.
Oda's compatriot, Daisuke Takahashi, who became the first Asian man to win the world title when he triumphed last year in Turin, was third with 80.25 points.
With Plushenko, who is serving an indefinite ban from competition, watching attentively from the stands, Takahashi avoided any major slip-ups but his sum was 10 points lower than his personal best achieved at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics where he finished third.
Russian 17-year-old Artur Gachinski, coached by Plushenko's mentor Alexei Mishin and making his world championship debut, was a surprise fourth with a personal best of 78.34.
European champion Florent Amodio of France came fifth on 77.64, while his compatriot, 2007 world champion Brian Joubert, could only finish ninth after a disappointing performance.
Joubert, considered one of the favourites for the title, missed a combination jump and botched a landing on his quad that almost certainly rules him out of contention for the medals.
The championships were moved to Russia from Japan after last month's earthquake and tsunami left 28,000 people dead or missing.
Later on Wednesday, the pairs perform their short programme which will be preceded by a solemn opening ceremony, paying tribute to Japan and its people.
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