Canada's Chan wins short program in ISU GP Final

Canada's Patrick Chan shrugged off the distractions and an uncharacteristic fall into the boards to win the short program Friday night in the ISU Grand Prix Final.

The 20-year-old from Toronto scored 86.63 points for the jazzy program marred by the hard fall into the boards on a triple toe loop. American Jeremy Abbott was second at 82.66 points, and Spain's Javier Fernandez followed at 81.26.

Chan found himself in trouble a day earlier for comments that were perceived as comparing Canada unfavorably to his parents' country of China. The skater apologized for his comments.

Italy's Carolina Kostner won the women's short program, scoring 66.43 points to easily edge Japan's Akiko Suzuki. Suzuki was second at 61.30, and Russia's Alena Leonova was third at 60.46.

In ice dance, world champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States topped the field after the short dance with 76.17 points. Canadian Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were second, five points behind. France's Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat were third at 68.68.

Russia's Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov led the pairs competition after the short program at 71.57, compatriots Alona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy were second at 69.82, and China's Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao third at 63.43.

Earlier, China's Sui Wenjing and Han Cong won the junior pairs. Canada's Katherine Bobak and Ian Beharry took the silver, and Americans Britney Simpson and Matthew Blackmer finished third.