Plushenko had a 10-point lead after the short program. Photos by Susan D. Russell
TORINO, Italy -- Russian Evgeni Plushenko took a commanding lead in today's short program at the XX Winter Olympic Games. Plushenko is in first with 90.66 points, a personal best, as he bettered his own world record by approximately three points en route to taking the lead. Plushenko finished 10 points ahead of second-place finisher American Johnny Weir. Plushenko, who took silver in the 2002 Games after a costly fall in the short, was immense today. He started his program by landing a quad-toe, triple-toe loop combination. He continued to look brilliant throughout en route to his first-place showing in the short.

"I can tell you that I had to fight for this quad to the very end. I was leaning backward. But I pulled it off; I stood up. So I was just thankful for that,” Plushenko said. "I achieved a new personal best (score) and I did it in the Olympic Games. This is very important to me.”

Weir, the three-time U.S. champion, is in second place with 80 points after an elegant and mistake-free program. Although he did not attempt a quad, he nailedHitting a triple Axel, triple Lutz-triple toe combination and triple flip, Weir’s “The Swan” program was at its best. He notched his own personal best score of 80.00, one of the highest scores ever posted in a short program. “It’s my personal best internationally," Weir said. ".I’m not disappointed or surprised at my score at all. If anything I’m surprised I’m ahead of Stephane (Lambiel of Switzerland, the reigning World champion).

“Today went reasonably well, a little too slow and flat at the end,” Weir added. “At the same time I’m so excited my first Olympic experience is over and that it went reasonably well.”

Stephane Lambiel sits in third, less than one-point behind Weir. Lambiel, from Switzerland, earned 79.04 points. He landed a quad-toe, triple-toe combo but later doubled an Axel he had planned as a triple.

France's Brian Joubert, who put his hand down on an early jump, then popped a triple into a double, and Japan's Daisuke Takahashi (who missed his triple Axel) are in fourth and fifth, respectively. Canadians Jeffery Buttle and Emanuel Sandhu, who both made costly mistakes, were still in striking distance in sixth and seventh place, respectively.

Short Program Results
1 Evgeni Plushenko (RUS) 90.66
2 Johnny Weir (USA) 80.00
3 Stephane Lambiel (SUI) 79.04
4 Brian Joubert (FRA) 77.77
5 Daisuke Takahashi (JPN) 73.77
6 Jeffrey Buttle (CAN) 73.29
7 Emanuel Sandhu (CAN) 69.75
8 Matthew Savoie (USA) 69.15
9 Gheorghe Chiper (ROM) 67.66
10 Evan Lysacek (USA) 67.55
11 Zhang Min (CHN) 67.39
12 Shawn Sawyer (CAN) 67.20
13 Kevin Van Der Perren (BEL) 65.36
14 Sergei Davydov (BLR) 64.65
15 Ivan Dinev (BUL) 63.64
16 Anton Kovalevski (UKR) 63.41
17 Viktor Pfeifer (AUT) 62.17
18 Ilia Klimkin (RUS) 61.61
19 Frederic Dambier (FRA) 61.17
20 Stefan Lindemann (GER) 60.52
21 Chengjiang Li (CHN) 60.23
22 Tomas Verner (CZE) 59.71
23 Kristoffer Berntsson (SWE) 59.55
24 Zoltan Toth (HUN) 55.07
25 Karel Zelenka (ITA) 53.46
26 Trifun Zivanovic (SGC) 53.40
27 Jamal Othman (SUI) 52.18 52.18
28 Vakhtang Murvanidze (GEO) 49.68
29 Gregor Urbas (SLO) 46.48
30 Han Jong In (PRK) 42.11