BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) -- Michelle Kwan and Kristi Yamaguchi did as expected. The rest of the Americans at the International Figure Skating Challenge didn't measure up.
The International Team won the uniquely formatted event 10-8 Tuesday night, sweeping the men's event and winning one of three women's head-to-head competitions.Kwan, the three-time world champion, earned a perfect 6.0 for presentation en route to a victory over world silver medalist Irina Slutskaya. Kwan beat Slutskaya in their first meeting since she won the gold medal over the Russian skater at worlds in Nice, France.
"I was a little nervous out there; it was a brand new program," Kwan said. "This is definitely less stressful than worlds, but I still wanted to skate well. It's a fun format."
The format features skaters going head-to-head, but points were awarded in a team format.
Kwan proved herself using the new program set to the title song from the James Bond movie, "The World is Not Enough." Both she and Slutskaya received one 6.0 for presentation, but Kwan collected straight 5.9s for technique to win the 1-on-1 battle.
The only other U.S. victory was 1992 Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi over two-time Olympic gold medalist Katarina Witt of Germany. Despite less than stellar marks from the judges, Witt's program was well received by the audience at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, who jeered the judges' numbers.
"I always worry about how I skate; I never worry about the marks. Thank God that part of my life is over!" Witt said. "I skate for the audience.
"It's wonderful that they booed when the marks came up, though."
Elvis Stojko's victory over two-time U.S. champion Michael Weiss clinched the overall victory for the International Team. Stojko, a three-time world champ from Canada, skated a technically flawless program, hitting both a triple axel and a quadruple toe loop for the victory. He earned four 5.9s and a perfect 6.0 for skating technique.
That was enough to overtake Weiss, who skated a beautifully choreographed number to "The Lord's Prayer."
Another 1992 Olympic gold medalist, Viktor Petrenko of the Ukraine, opened the event with a close victory over five-time U.S. champion Todd Eldredge. Petrenko skated his light-hearted program to "Mambo No. 5" with a female partner attached to his costume -- albeit a fake partner.
Surya Bonaly of France, a three-time world silver medalist, defeated current U.S. bronze medalist Sarah Hughes after Hughes slipped on some footwork late in her program.
Russian and European champion Yevgeny Pluschenko of Russia used a modified version of his long program to Russian folk music to defeat U.S. silver medalist Timothy Goebel in the third men's matchup.
Goebel delighted the audience with a toe-tapping new number to the classic pop song, "American Pie," but couldn't compete with Pluschenko's technically stronger performance.