German pair upset Russian rivals at figure skating GP

Germany's former world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy came from behind to beat reigning world and European title holders Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia in the pairs event at the Grand Prix Final on Saturday. Going out with a 3.19 point-lead from Friday's short programme, Volosozhar fell in a side-by-side triple salchow and touched the ice in the middle of what would have been a triple-double combination. Skating last in the six-pair field to the music of the classical rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" by A. L. Webber, the Russians managed to hit a maxium level-four in five of the eight elements other than jumps and throws. But their free-skate score was 141.18 points, down 6.39 from the Germans. The Russians finished second overall at 223.83 points with Savchenko and Szolkowy winning at 227.03 after their free skating to "The Nutcracker" by Petr I. Tchaikovski. China's Pang Qing and Tong Jian finished third at 213.98 and their compatriots Peng Cheng and Zhang Hao fourth at 197.37. The last time the Germans beat their Russian rivals was at the 2012 world championships where they won the gold. "It felt long and it was hard but it was clean," said 34-year-old Szolkowy of the free skate. "We are really happy to win here but I think everybody is looking towards Sochi (Olympics) and that is what counts." Trankov, 30, said: "We haven't been defeated for a year so it is a pity that we couldn't win the final. Nothing was wrong for both of us but (it) didn't go all right so we will start all over again." Source: AFP