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Orser Dazzles Crowd in Winning Title

Orser Dazzles Crowd In Winning Title National Figure Skating Championships Conclude Today THUNDER BAY, Ont. (CP) Brian Orser, 17, of Penetanguishene, Ont., created the biggest excitement of the weck at the Canadian figure skating championships when he landed a triple Axel jump Friday night. Orser also included two triple Lutz jumps and a triple toe loop in his free skating final and came from behind to win the junior men's title. "He did four triple jumps and he's only a juniorfantastic," said coach Kerry Leitch of Cambridge, Ont. Although his landing on the triple Axel was flawed, Orser was credited with having completed the difficult move, never before performed in junior Canadian competition. Orser's spectacular performance slightly overshadowed the senior competition where defending champions in three events moved into good position to keep their titles in tonight's final free skating sessions. In the only undefended senior event--the pairs-1978 junior champions Barbara Underhill of Oshawa, Ont., and Paul Martini of Woodbridge, Ont., claimed the lead after Friday's compulsory short program. Brian Pockar of Calgary maintained a wide lead in the senior men's singles after winning the short program, and women's defending champion Heather Kemkaran of Toronto moved up to first place ahead of challenger Janet Morrisey of Ottawa. Lorna Wighton of Toronto and John Dowding of Oakville, Ont., also maintained their commanding lead in defence of the senior dance crown. Other junior titles decided Friday went to Kay Thomson of Toronto in women's singles and, in the dance, Kelly Johnson and Kris Barber of Toronto. Orser said he wasn't able to land the triple Axel jump during the last two days of practice but completed one in his warmup and decided to use it because he had to make up points on leader Kevin Parker of Campbellville, Ont. Parker, the leader after Thursday's short program, dropped to second while Shaun McGill of Mississauga, Ont., finished third. Thompson delivered a flawless free skating performance to score an easy win in the junior women's event. She received seven ordinalsmeaning all seven judges placed her first- to beat Yvonne Anderson of Vancouver and Kathryn Osterberg of Calgary. Johnson and Barber took the junior dance title after leading throughout "the competition. Second a and third places also remained unchanged from the opening compulsory dances and the silver medal went to Gina Aucoin and Peter Ponikau of New Glasgow, N.S., with Ottawa's Darlene Wendt and Wayne Hussey taking the bronze. The closest race in senior events going into today's finals was the women's singles where Kemkaran held a slim lead over Morrisev. Kemkaran's strong short program pulled her up from third after the compulsory figures but she had less than a onepoint margin over the 19- yearold Morrisey. Kemkaran, 20, has 10 ordinals and 62.92 points while Morrissey has 13 ordinals and 62.28 points. Toronto's Deborah Albright, 20, the leader in figures, dropped to third. Pockar, the defending men's champ from Calgary, won the short program and solidified the lead he took in figures.

Article from 03 Feb 1979Daily Gleaner(Fredericton, York, New Brunswick, Canada)

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