Chan trails Takahashi at skating’s Grand Prix

SOCHI, RUSSIA — Patrick Chan has some ground to make up in defence of his Grand Prix Final figure skating title.

The 21-year-old from Toronto, the two-time defending champion in the event, trails Daisuke Takahashi, of Japan, after Friday’s short program.

Canada’s Olympic ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir also sit second behind American rivals Meryl Davis and Charlie White after the short dance.

Chan opted out of the second part of an intended quad-triple combination and doubling his triple Lutz. But he pronounced himself happy, noting a “beautiful triple Axel, which is the highlight of the program for me. It’s the only time I’ve done such a big triple Axel in my program in my life.”

Japan’s Mao Asada led a close women’s event, just ahead of American Ashley Wagner.

Takahashi, the only one of the six finalists not to win a gold in the six regular Grand Prix competitions, reeled off an opening quad toeloop, a triple Lutz-triple toe combination and a triple Axel.

In ice dance, the compulsory part of this season’s short program is the Yankee polka, which White said played to the couple’s strengths because “we like to take advantage of quick feet in skating.”

Virtue, from London, Ont., and Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., who are two points behind the leaders going into Saturday’s free dance, had expressed displeasure with the polka when it was announced, but made peace with the steps in a program that begins on a dark note, then progresses to lighter spirits. “There’s certainly something upsetting and emotionally disturbed with my character and I think Scott is trying to make me happier and as the program progresses through the polka ... It really is just about the love of dancing,” Virtue said.

The competition is a test event for the Iceberg Arena, which will host figure skating and short-track speedskating at the 2014 Olympics.