Ice follies -- or is it ‘fall-ies?’ -- for U.S. women skaters

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After three leading U.S. women were hopelessly outclassed in last weekend’s Grand Prix figure skating series opener, Skate America, it didn’t get much better for three more in Friday afternoon’s short program at Skate Canada in Ottawa.

All three fell. And wound up third (Caroline Zhang), fifth (Beatrisa Liang) and sixth (Alissa Czisny) going into Saturday’s free skate.

Only a slop-a-thon by Italy’s Carolina Kostner, the reigning world silver medalist, kept the U.S. trio that high. Kostner fell as she started to take off for a double axel, then fell again on the landing of the jump when she tried it again as the final element of her program. Kostner finished 7th.

Zhang (53.28 points) was crestfallen as she came off the ice. She obviously was penalized for more than just the fall on her opening jump but it is impossible to know from afar because the International Skating Union, retardataire as always, does not post details of the judges’ scores on the Internet until the entire event is over.

Canada’s Joannie Rochette (64.74) took a comfortable lead, with veteran Fumie Suguri, 27, of Japan in second (57.92).

-- Philip Hersh