Reigning Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin withdrew with injury after the short program[1] in what became the final competition of his amateur career. Brian Joubert went on to win the event for his first international title.[2]
Yukari Nakano and Ludmila Nelidina both landed a triple Axel in their free skating, together becoming the first female skaters to perform the jump in international competition since Midori Ito landed it at the 1992 Winter Olympics.[3][4] Nakano landed it first and Nelidina, who skated after her, also performed it successfully.[5]