GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany -- World champion Yevgeny Plushchenko of Russia held off a double-quad performance by American Tim Goebel to capture the men's event as the Nations Cup Grand Prix figure skating competition ended Sunday.

Plushchenko used last year's routine, preferring to wait until later in the season to unveil his new free skate that he hopes will lead to the gold medal in the Feb. 8-24 Salt Lake City Olympics.

"I am preparing a new routine, but it just wasn't ready because I want to work on other elements and other quads," Plushchenko said. "And to go into a competition with a program that is not ready is not my level."

He was unbeaten all last season and won the Goodwill Games in September. Skating to a mixture of movie soundtrack cuts, he hit his quadruple-triple-double combination that only he has done in competition.

He had another triple-triple combination and had a total of one quad and eight triples in all.

His marks were all 5.8 or 5.9, except for a 5.7 from the American judge for technical merit. Still he was ranked first by all seven judges.

Goebel gained a 5.8 for technique from the American judge, but only a 5.6 for artistic impression. He did a quad salchow-triple toe loop combination and a solo quad toe later, but fell on another attempt at a quadruple salchow.

He had six triples in addition to the two quads in his routine to George Gershwin's "An American in Paris." His marks were generally between 5.6 and 5.8, with a 5.9 from the Canadian judge on technical merit.

"I was very pleased with how I skated overall. I skated better both in the short and long here than I did at Skate America," Goebel said. "Things are getting better and I hope to improve it throughout the season."

After his victory in Skate America and second-placed spot here, Goebel has 21 points in two events. The top six scorers in the series advance to next month's final, an important tuneup for the Olympics.

China's Li Chiangiang also did two quadruple jumps to finish third in a high quality competition. All three medalists did quads in both the short and long programs.

Fourth went to Alexander Abt of Russia, who did eight triples, but slightly two-footed his quad attempt.

Two other top skaters were down in the standings. Three-time world champion Elvis Stojko of Canada was just sixth, falling on his quad attempt, while Michael Weiss, the 1999 and 2000 American champion, was eighth. Weiss also struggled at Skate America.

The other three events went to the favorites, too, as all four winners made their Grand Prix debut this season in the run-up to the Olympics.

Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China won the pairs event, but failed to complete a quadruple throw salchow despite an enthralling routine to violin music by Puccini.

Former world champion Maria Butyrskaya of Russia won an error-filled women's event that featured a failed triple axel attempt by Japan's Yoshie Onda. Ice dancers Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio won their event over a depleted field.

The series moves to Paris for the Lalique Trophy at the end of the week.

The final two meets are the Cup of Russia in St. Petersburg, and the NHK Trophy in Kumamoto, Japan. The Grand Prix final will be in Kitchener, Ontario.