Brezina seizes Skate America lead

Michal Brezina's decision to play it safe paid off as he seized the lead at Skate America, the first stop in the ISU figure skating Grand Prix. The Czech, who missed the last Grand Prix season through injury and finished fourth at the world championships, opted to change his planned quadruple toeloop-triple toeloop opening combination for a triple flip-triple toeloop. "We decided to go for a triple-triple and a triple Lutz right before I skated because my coaches were watching the competition," said Brezina, whose programme garnered 79.08 points. "They decided we would go for a clean skate for the beginning of the season." Brezina, who skated to dramatic Kodo Drums in a costume emblazoned with a sparkling dragon, said he would put the quad back in the short programme later in the season, and he vowed to attempt two when the men's competition is decided in the free skate here on Saturday. Japan's Takahiko Kozuka, the reigning world championships silver medallist, was in second on 70.69 points, which gave him a tiny lead over compatriot Daisuke Murakami, third on 70.67. Kozuka's programme to the jazzy "Inner Urge" by Joe Henderson was marred by a fall on the quadruple toeloop of his opening combination. He was able to salvage points by inserting a complete combination later in the routine, and admitted he was nervous in his season-opening event. "It's the first competition this season and I haven't competed for a long time," said Kozuka, who also put a hand down on another jump. "It was a little shaky." Murakami delivered the only clean quad on the night, in combination with a double. He said he was pleased coach Frank Carroll had persuaded him to put a quadruple in his short programme. "Today, I'm really happy that we made that decision for the season and I hope to start building up as the season goes along and putting a quad-triple in the short programme," he said. While less than one point separated the second- through fifth-placed skaters, France's European champion Florent Amodio found himself well adrift of that pack in eighth place after botching his planned triple-triple combination. Amodio didn't complete the first jump and couldn't recover in time to salvage the second, his lowly technical marks accounting for his total score of 62.46. "I don't know what happened this time," said Amodio, whose typically crisp footwork sequence still pleased the crowd in Ontario, 50 miles (80 kilometres) east of Los Angeles. Amodio said he would rather have such a disaster early in the season. "I prefer that it happens now. My goal is to be ready for Nice in March," said Amodio, a reference to the 2012 world championships in his home country. America's ice dance world champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White topped the short programme with a spirited samba-rhumba-samba routine that earned 70.33 points. "We were pretty pleased with how our dance went tonight," said Davis, although she believes they'll be able to smooth out a few rough edges as the season progresses. European champions Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France were in second on 61.07, despite the fact that Bourzat, who is battling bronchitis, tripped and fell on a step. "It's tough, but you have to come here and do the job," said Bourzat, whose post-skate press conference was punctuated by fits of coughing. Germany's Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi were third on 55.66 heading into Saturday's free dance. In addition to the men's and ice dance free skates on Saturday, competition will get underway in ladies and pairs events with their short programmes. Murakami delivered the only clean quad on the night, in combination with a double. He said he was pleased coach Frank Carroll had persuaded him to put a quadruple in his short programme. "Today, I'm really happy that we made that decision for the season and I hope to start building up as the season goes along and putting a quad-triple in the short programme," he said. While less than one point separated the second- through fifth-placed skaters, France's European champion Florent Amodio found himself well adrift of that pack in eighth place after botching his planned triple-triple combination. Amodio didn't complete the first jump and couldn't recover in time to salvage the second, his lowly technical marks accounting for his total score of 62.46. "I don't know what happened this time," said Amodio, whose typically crisp footwork sequence still pleased the crowd in Ontario, 50 miles (80 kilometres) east of Los Angeles. Amodio said he would rather have such a disaster early in the season. "I prefer that it happens now. My goal is to be ready for Nice in March," said Amodio, a reference to the 2012 world championships in his home country. America's ice dance world champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White topped the short programme with a spirited samba-rhumba-samba routine that earned 70.33 points. "We were pretty pleased with how our dance went tonight," said Davis, although she believes they'll be able to smooth out a few rough edges as the season progresses. European champions Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France were in second on 61.07, despite the fact that Bourzat, who is battling bronchitis, tripped and fell on a step. "It's tough, but you have to come here and do the job," said Bourzat, whose post-skate press conference was punctuated by fits of coughing. Germany's Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi were third on 55.66 heading into Saturday's free dance. In addition to the men's and ice dance free skates on Saturday, competition will get underway in ladies and pairs events with their short programmes.