Figure Skating

Evgeni Plushenko is back.

The Russian figure skater said it outright on Saturday in the kiss-and-cry area following a free skate performance on home ice at the Rostelecom Cup.

Plushenko, who had not competed internationally since winning the Olympic gold medal at the 2006 Turin Games, is making a bid to defend his title at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. And despite the fact Saturday marked the conclusion of the Olympic champion's first Grand Prix in over three years, Plushenko showed no rust.

The 26-year-old Russian was already in the lead going into Saturday's free skate after a dominant skate on Friday. Skating in front of his home crowd, his short program performance to Concerto de Aranjuez scored Plushenko 82.25 points - almost seven full points more than second-placed Takahiko Kozuka of Japan (75.50).

Plushenko then went on to score an additional 157.95 points in his free skate performance on Saturday to Tango Amore for a total of 240.20 - more than good enough for the gold, and he knew it.

Upon completing his performance, Plushenko gestured "number-1" to his cheering fans. And then, as if the crowd wasn't already cheering loudly enough, Plushenko motioned for them to yell louder.

With errors in his skate to Guitar Concerto, Kozuka finished behind Plushenko by 25 points (215.13).

Kozuka, whose own quad was downgraded after he stepped out of it, was pleased with his program but felt Plushenko's dominance even before the Russian started skating.

"The moment he took the ice, I knew there was a real champion in front of me,'' said the 20-year Kozuka, whose free program to an electric guitar concerto showed impressive speed and tight-sit spins.

Russian skater Artem Borodulin finished third (201.55). The score was a personal best for Borodulin, who slipped past American skater Johnny Weir, who was in third going into Saturday's skate.

Borodulin was close behind Weir going into the free skate and admitted that the possibility of beating the American, who has numerous fans in Russia, was daunting.

"(In practice) I started to feel nervous ... but I got a bit of sleep and woke up completely calm,'' Borodulin said.

Weir finished just off the podium in fourth (198.55) while Shawn Sawyer, Canada's lone entry in the men's event, finished eighth of 12 skaters with 179.58 points.

Also Saturday, China's pairs team of Pang Qing and Tong Jian took gold after a strong skate to Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha.

The Chinese pair scored 125.93 for their free skate program, outranking second-placed Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov of Russia by more than 11 points for a total score of 191.33.

American skaters Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker finished third despite scoring a fifth-best 99.21 for their free skate to the theme from Slumdog Millionaire. They took bronze with an overall score of 180.14.

Canada's Mylene Brodeur and John Mattatall finished sixth (148.43) of eight teams.

In the ice dance event, Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White dominated, taking gold by more than 32 points over second-placed Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy.

Russia's Ekaterina Rubleva and Ivan Shefer earned bronze while Canadians Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier just missed a podium finish, taking fourth.

In a topsy-turvy finish to the ladies' event, Japanese skater Miki Ando was able to pull off a win after scoring 114.75 points for her free skate to Cleopatra.

Ando was third going into the final skate of the competition, but mistakes by Hungary's Julia Sebestyen and American skater Alissa Czisny allowed Ando to take the gold with 171.93 total points.

In fifth place going into the final leg of the competition, Ashley Wagner of the United States rose three spots to take the silver.

The 18-year-old succeeded in a near-flawless free skate to Polovetsian Dances, scoring 108.81 for a final score of 163.97. Wagner's score was good enough to surpass Sebestyen, Czisny, Japan's Mao Asada and Russia's Alena Leonova, all of whom had been ahead after Friday's short program.

Leonova came away with the bronze (160.06).

Asada added a disastrous free skate to her poor Friday performance to finish a disappointing fifth with 150.28 total points.

Canada's Amelie Lacoste finished seventh (139.39).

- With files from The Associated Press