Cool Medvedeva stays top in Helsinki

Russian starlet Evgenia Medvedeva coolly fired the first shot in her women's title defence by leading Wednesday's short programme at the world figure skating championships in Helsinki.

The 17-year-old -- on a winning streak in nine consecutive competitions and favourite to become the first skater since Michelle Kwan in 2001 to win back-to-back world titles -- stuck to her formula of racking up maximum points with a physically challenging programme with all jumps in the second half.

And it paid off once again with the European champion's score of 79.01 points just below the world record 79.21 she posted on her way to gold in the Grand Prix final in December.

It put the Muscovite in pole position going into Friday's free skating final ahead of surprise Canadian duo Kaetlyn Osmond (75.98) and Gabrielle Daleman (72.19), second and third respectively.

"If you do the jumps in the second half you score more technically," explained Medvedeva matter of factly.

"I've been doing it for three seasons now. At first it was difficult but now it's working out nicely, and I'm going to continue."

Medvedeva was a vision in blue as she glided across the ice to the music 'River Flows in You' by Lorenzo de Luca.

She then reeled off a triple flip-triple toeloop combination, triple loop and double axel, finishing off in style with a layback spin.

"I really had fun as usual. I'm feeling confident and comfortable," she declared afterwards.

"I feel the crowd's support and this really helps me.

"Last year I didn't quite understand what was happening because it was my first world senior championship.

"Now I don't feel any pressure, I feel very motivated and the support of the crowd, that they feel my programme as I feel it, they feel what I want to tell with my skating and it's really amazing."

- 'Lot in the tank' -

But the battle will be tight with Osmond, 21, and Daleman, 19, still in with a shot of a first women's gold for Canada since 1973.

And despiting sitting seventh, American Ashley Wagner (69.04) feels she has not had her last word either after taking silver last year.

"I'm looking not at my place but at my score. It's really set me up for the free skate," said 26-year-old Wagner.

"I'm extremely satisfied with what I put out there. I know exactly what I have to do, and I still have a lot in the tank."

In the final world championships before next year's Winter Olympics, Osmond and Daleman are also targeting three spots for Canada in Pyeongchang.

"It's been a long time since Canada had three (women's) spots at the Olympics. It would be incredible for that to happen," said Osmond.

Japan are fighting to keep their three Olympic spots with Satoko Miyahara out injured.

Four Champions winner Mai Mihara fell in her programme and was sitting 15th.

But teammate Wakaba Higuchi, at 16 the youngest competitor in Helsinki, was sitting ninth and Rika Hongo, replacing Miyahara, in 12th.

"Of course I want to get the three places (for Japan), but I was focusing more on my own performance and on having a clean programme," said Hongo. "I only had a short time to prepare for this."

To get three Olympic places the combined placement of two of the skaters must add up to 13.

Meanwhile, former world champion Carolina Kostner of Italy, the 2012 world champion and 2014 Olympic bronze medallist, slipped to eighth after errors.

"Of course it's not nice to be here and make a mistake, but the important thing is to be able to fight," she explained.

But her Russian coach Alexi Mishin, who has coached stars including Yevgeny Plushenko, took her to task as she spoke to journalists in Italian, English, German and French.

"Less chatter, more skating! And more spins," barked Mishin, who started coaching the 30-year-old after she returned to competition following a ban in 2015 after being caught up in a doping scandal involving her former companion, walker Alex Schwazer.

The competition continues at the Hartwall Arena on Wednesday evening with the pairs short programme.