COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The buildup to the Salt Lake City Olympics has begun well for Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.

The world champions from Canada became the first pair to win three straight Skate America titles Friday night.

"We always use Skate America as the first practice for us of the year," Sale said. "We're very pleased with our performances here. You use every competition you've done to show we are ready for every competition."

Their innovative routine, which concluded with a one-armed lift in which Pelletier held Sale above his head as the music finished, easily outdistanced the field -- which did not include any of the likely medals contenders for the 2002 Winter Games. But the Canadians certainly didn't coast.

Their program included two complex lifts and dismounts and two superb throws, a triple loop and a triple salchow. Sale doubled a triple toe loop, but it hardly mattered.

"The biggest reason we wanted to do Skate America is to get a feeling of how our two programs are being accepted," Sale said.

They were accepted quite well by the seven judges, including a 5.9 for presentation from the French judge.

As for dominating this event, Sale said, "It's not an advantage. We are always prepared and very trained."

Two-time U.S. champions Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman skated more slowly than the winners and he stepped out of a triple toe loop, their first element. But strong lifts and throws put them in second place, ahead of Russia's Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin.

"We came out here 10 days earlier than before," said Ina, who skated well despite a right shoulder injury. "That and being prepared combined and really helped us."

Earlier Friday, U.S. champion Tim Goebel, out to prove he's is a well-rounded skater and not just a leaper, struggled with his jumps but was rescued by his artistry.

With just about everyone else flopping to the ice, including a poor performance by Michael Weiss, Goebel won the short program. He struggled with his landing on a triple axel and on a triple flip, but he did hit a quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop combination.

Even more significant to Goebel was getting higher marks for presentation than technique.

"I wanted to skate the program for the sake of the program, and I skated it well artistically," Goebel said. "And the marks showed it.

"That's what I plan on for this year. I've been able to do the jumps for a long time. The judges don't question that I can do the jumps. They question that I can do the other stuff."

The other stuff, to "Danse Macabre," wouldn't remind anyone of Brian Boitano. But it was impressive for Goebel, the first American to land a quad and, heading into this Olympic season, the only U.S. man who can jump with the vaunted Russians.

Those Russians, Yevgeny Plushchenko and Alexei Yagudin, are far more consistent than Goebel. Still, if he can combine improved artistry with his stratospheric vaults, who knows what he might do in Salt Lake City.

"Tonight was a big step," said the 20-year-old Goebel. "For the first time out for the year -- yeah, last year I did a clean short program, but I left out half the choreography. To present the complete package was good."

Weiss wasn't good. Coming off an injury-ravaged year, he finished second to Pluschenko and ahead of Yagudin at the Goodwill Games. The field for Skate America isn't nearly as strong, yet Weiss was a weak seventh after the short, worth one-third of the total score.

Weiss, the 1999 and 2000 U.S. champion, fell on his quad toe loop and went down to one knee on his landing after a triple axel. That dropped his technical marks to the 4.2-4.9 range.

"The whole thing surprised me," Weiss said. "I've been skating well and I got off to a great start this year. I've got to put this behind me."

Most of the competitors should feel that way. None of them skated a clean program, with Russia's Alexander Abt, Japan's Takeshi Honda and American Matt Savoie coming closest to Goebel's performance.

The free skate is Saturday night.

Canadians Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, by far the most accomplished ice dance team in this event, won the original dance. They also took the compulsories and are heavy favorites in Saturday's free dance.

Americans Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto were fifth. Jessica Joseph and Brandon Forsyth were eighth.