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Flawless Fernandez leads at figure skating worlds

By The Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — Javier Fernandez led the men’s event at the figure skating world championships on Thursday and eclipsed his personal best score from winning the European title in January.

Meanwhile, China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong won the pairs.

Fernandez, the two-time defending champion from Spain, skated an immaculate short program to the tune of “Malaguena,” landing a quadruple toeloop-triple toeloop combination, plus a quad salchow, for 109.05 points.

That was within two points of Yuzuru Hanyu’s world record.

Japanese skater Shoma Uno was second with 104.86 points, and three-time world champion Patrick Chan of Canada in third on 102.13.

Facing fierce competition from athletic teenage skaters such as Uno and U.S. champion Nathan Chen, comparative veterans Fernandez and Chan said they were happy to show they still have what it takes to compete.

“We always want to try and skate our best and to surprise everybody. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t happen,” said Fernandez, who made his world championship debut 10 years ago. “I’ve been in this game forever.”

Chan was the only man in the top six to perform only one quad jump in his short program, rather than the two which have increasingly become the mark of top skaters. He said it was hard not to be intimidated by the skills of up-and-coming rivals.

“I almost psych myself out by seeing and acknowledging what they’re doing and then forgetting about what I need to do,” said Chan, who won the world title in 2011, 2012, and 2013. “I have to remind myself what are my strengths … I am in a whole different situation, whole different generation of skaters, than when I won my first world title.”

The 19-year-old Uno was out to avoid repeating the poor free skate which cost him the chance of a worlds medal last year.

“Last year I ended up in tears. This was a lesson,” he said through a translator. “This year, I’ve been focusing, to be able to finish this competition with a smile.”

Jin Boyang of China was fourth with 98.64, followed by Olympic champion Hanyu on 98.39.

Four Continents champion Chen was sixth with 97.33, blaming nerves which made him “a little slow,” and a problem with his boots. The free skate is on Saturday.

After coming second in the last two world championships, Sui and Han finally won pairs gold thanks to a smooth program set to “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” despite a fall on a triple salchow. That capped a remarkable recovery for the pair after surgery on Sui’s feet meant they couldn’t compete this season until last month.

“We made our best performance today and we were ourselves,” Han said. “The audience can feel our emotion and our story.”

Their total of 232.06 points denied veteran German star Aliona Savchenko a sixth career world gold. She won the previous five with ex-partner Robin Szolkowy, but had to settle for 230.30 points and silver with Bruno Massot on Thursday.

Russians Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov took third with 219.03 just a day after Morozov’s blade sliced into his partner’s leg during training. She required 10 stitches.

“Skating was really difficult for Evgenia,” Morozov said.

Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford came to Finland seeking a third straight world title, but finished seventh on 206.06. They were dogged by injuries as damage to a muscle in Radford’s hip prompted him to consider withdrawing, and Duhamel said she may have a stress fracture in her left foot.

“I came to the world championships to do whatever it takes,” Duhamel said. “There was no way I was going to let that energy affect me negatively.”

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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