Women's skating favorites falter as Liu leads in worlds.
Following blunders by a trio of favorites in Wednesday's women's short program at the World Figure Skating Championships, two-time US champion Alysa Liu was the unexpected leader.
The 19-year-old American lead 24 qualifiers for Friday's women's free dance final by winning the short program with 74.58 points followed by Japan's Mone Chiba on 73.44 and US adolescent Isabeau Levito on 73.33.
"Doesn't really change anything," Liu added. " My objectives remain the same. I want to present an extremely excellent free skate performance.
Disappointingly fifth on 71.03 was three-time reigning champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, seeking to become the first woman in 65 years to seize four successive world crowns.
With 65.67 South Korean youngster Kim Chae-yeon, champion of the Four Continents and Asian Winter Games last month, came 11th.
Even Liu battled to explain how she emerged victorious in the short programme. "I'm not sure." It's quite peculiar. I rather not know," Liu remarked.
"I would say that is most certainly my approach. Though I find it difficult to enter whatever frame of mind I have, everyone keeps telling me it seems to "work." I'm not sure what that means but I'll just keep skating."
In the penultimate performance, Sakamoto landed a double flip instead of a triple in combination with a triple toe loop to put her score back, therefore diminishing the hopes of the 24-year-old being the first to win four in a row since American Carol Heiss captured five in a row from 1956-1960.
25-year-old US champion Glenn skated fourth from the end and landed a triple Axel first jump.
Third at last year's worlds, Kim was the last skater; she pressed her hands to the ice on an under-rotated triple toe loop to fall back.