Yuuri ushered in the Russian competition. The first round was a short program performance. The contestants included South Korea's iceberg-faced newcomer Lee Seung-gil, Kazakhstan's Otabek Altin, Switzerland's Kristoff, and the Canadian player Jean who was gaining momentum.·Jacques Leroy, Italy's sister control Michele Crispino, Czech new player Emil Nikolai, and Yuri's old enemy, Yuri, who represents Russia.