October 3, 2003

Plushenko wins Gold
at Skating Classic

Evgeni Plushenko may have said he had an injured knee and a bad back but the judges and audience disagreed as the reigning World Champion won the
Campbell's International Figure Skating Classic at New York's Madison Square Garden.

It was Evgeni's eighth straight win.

Evgeni wins Gold.

He landed two quads, one in combination, to be the only skater to nail that element.

Evgeni all but put the program out of reach within the first 90 seconds when he landed a quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop and then tacked on another quad and superb triple Axel. No other skater came close to matching Plushenko's performance.

"I'm so happy I did a good job at the beginning of the season. I feel strong, actually, but I am not 100 percent."

Plushenko skated to St. Petersburg, the same music he used last year in dominating the sport.

Plushenko injured his knee in August and said his back has been bothering him lately. "It was very difficult because I am injured. I did not skate for two weeks," Plushenko said of the knee he injured in Japan during
an August exhibition.

Plushenko won every major competition in the 2002-2003 season and appears to be the favorite entering most competitions this season. He said
the injuries will not prevent him from dropping out of any competitions or hinder his training.

"We have good doctors in Russia and they'll help me," Plushenko said as he smiled answering a question.