Flawed Tamami clinches crown

Despite a flawed performance, Tamami Ono, 17, claimed the junior title at the 2006/2007 Hong Kong Figure Skating and Short-Track Speed Skating Championships this week.

The Japanese-born, Hong Kong-raised skater said: 'I don't think I performed my best this time. I missed two important jumps. In one of them, I was all slanted and crashed into the wall.'

Tamami, who won her debut competition at the age of seven, has been taking part in national events since she was 13.

'My friends were here to watch me compete for the first time. I guess that put a little pressure on me,' the teenager said with a laugh.

Thirty-four skaters, aged six to 21, took part in the three-day event, which was held at Festival Walk

and City Plaza ice rinks.