(March 16, 2005)

Canadian Champion Jeffrey Buttle delivered an outstanding performance in the short program on Tuesday to place himself in fourth-place overall heading into Thursday’s free skate at the 2005 International Skating Union (ISU) World Championships.

Buttle, 22, of Sudbury, Ont., started off his program with a strong triple flip-triple toe loop combination. He went on to nail a triple Axel and completed a triple Lutz. Other highlights of his program included strong spins and difficult footwork.

Buttle’s program was awarded a total of 77.39 points and third-place in the short program portion of the event. Buttle’s third-place finish in the short program earned him a coveted ISU small medal (bronze), which the ISU presents to the top-three skaters in each of the short and free programs.

The 2005 Canadian Men’s Champion was thrilled with his performance.

“It was one of those feelings where you just didn't feel you could make a mistake,” he said.

Buttle’s combined point total for the short program and qualifying is 109.39.

Emanuel Sandhu, the silver medallist from the senior men’s event at the 2005 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships and a three-time Canadian Champion, executed a solid quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop combination and a strong triple Lutz. His only error came on the triple Axel, which he turned into a single.

The 24-year-old native of Richmond Hill, Ont. placed 11th in the short program, earning a total of 67.30 points. He currently stands 10th overall heading into the free skate with a combined total of 97.03 points.

Switzerland’s Stephane Lambiel is in first-place overall with a combined total of 118.28 points. Brian Joubert, of France, is currently in second with 112.66 points, while three-time World Champion Evgeni Plushenko, of Russia, is third with 111.26 points.

Earlier in the day, the ice dancers took to the ice for the compulsory dance. Both Canadian teams – three-time Canadian Champions Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon and Canadian silver medallists Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe – skated extremely well and are currently standing in the top-10.

Dubreuil, 30, of Montreal, and Lauzon, 29, of Boisbriand, Que., earned a total of 40.51 points for their rendition of the midnight blues, which puts them in fifth-place heading into Thursday’s original dance.

“It's pretty exciting because the points are so close,” said Dubreuil. “It's pretty close to third place. It's encouraging.”
Wing, 29, and Lowe, 30, both of Vancouver, are standing in 10th after the compulsory dance. They were awarded a total of 35.11 points.

Defending World Champions Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, of Russia, are currently in first-place with 45.97 points. Americans Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto are in second with 42.18 points, while Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov, of Ukraine, are in third with 41.30 points.

The 2005 ISU World Championships continue with the ladies qualifying and pair free skate on Wednesday. Check the TV schedule for broadcasts.

See full results at www.isufs.org/events/fsevent00007859.htm.