Canada will need to play catch-up at Cup of China

BEIJING – It was a tough start for Canada’s three entries in Friday’s short programs at the Cup of China figure skating competition, the third stop on the ISU Grand Prix circuit.

In pairs, China grabbed three of the top-four spots with Wenjing Sui and Cong Han first at 74.40.  Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov of Russia follow at 72.45 while Xiaoyu Yu and Yang Jin of China are third at 70.06.

Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto, in their first Grand Prix since hooking up in 2014,  are seventh while Vanessa Grenier of Johnville, Que., and Maxime Deschamps of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., eighth.

In men’s competition, Javier Fernandez of Spain tops the field at 93.19 followed by Boyang Jin of China at 90.05 and Sergei Voronov of Russia in third at 80.99.

Elladj Baldé of Pierrefonds, Que., is 12^th.

Canada has no entries in ice dancing and women’s singles.

All four free skates are on Saturday.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1516/gpchn2015/index.htm.