PARIS -- Former world champion Maria Butyrskaya of Russia was poised to clinch her second Grand Prix event in as many weeks Friday, taking the lead in the women's short program at the Lalique Trophy.

Three-time world champion Alexei Yagudin won the short program to position himself for a fifth straight Lalique Trophy.

Unveiling their new Olympic programs this weekend, former French world champions Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat dazzled judges and fans alike with a sweltering original dance to a Spanish medley.

Fresh off her victory at the Nation's Cup, Butyrskaya was even more convincing in Paris. The Russian flowed through her program, her heartfelt delivery earning her three 5.9s for artistic impression.

"I wasn't nervous," said Butyrskaya, the 1999 world champion. "I skated much better than in Germany. I don't know why, maybe because it was the first Grand Prix."

Compatriot Viktoria Volchkova, the bronze medalist at Skate Canada, was second, with 17-year-old American Sasha Cohen third. Cohen, who is coming off a back injury that sidelined her last season, said she would not attempt a long-awaited quadruple jump in Saturday's free program. No woman has ever done a quad in competition.

"I'm going to do a program without the quad, I'm going to do a triple-triple, but I'm going to quad later in the season," Cohen promised.

Highly-touted American Sarah Hughes finished fourth after stepping out of a triple flip.

Unveiling their new Olympic programs, former ice dance world champions Anissina and Peizerat dazzled with their original dance to a Spanish medley. They earned six 5.9s and one 6.0 in representation and all 5.8s in composition.

Though Yagudin's jumps were not perfect, the Russian was still the strongest in the field. Todd Eldredge of the United States placed second, with Andrejs Vlascenko of Germany third.

Dressed in a black-and-white bodysuit suggesting a snow-covered tree, Yagudin's new Olympic routine included him repeatedly picking up ice shavings and showering them around him. His dramatic delivery earned him five 5.9s in artistic impression, with all his other scores 5.8s.

The performance had its problems. He successfully completed a quadruple toe, triple toe combination, but touched down and almost fell on a triple lutz.

"I'm happy with my skating, except for the little mistake," said Yagudin, who added that the unusually dark corners of the rink may have hindered him.

"I'm upset I made a mistake on a really simple jump. I'll pay more attention to that jump in the future."

Eldredge, dressed all in black with silver shimmer reflecting off his flowing shirt, was shaky at times. He didn't even attempt a quadruple combination, completing only a triple flip, double toe loop instead. Eldredge then touched down with both hands on a triple axel.

His marks were as low as 4.9 in technical merit, but he did get three 5.7s for artistic impression.

"Well, considering (the routine) is only a week old, I feel pretty good," said Eldredge, who is hoping to pick up points here to qualify for the Grand Prix final.

Johnny Weir of the United States was fifth in the short program. He executed a solid triple lutz, triple toe combination, but landed his axel with a wild free leg, earning technical marks between 4.8 and 5.3 and artistic marks between 5.0 and 5.4.

Anissina and Peizerat hired a special coach to help them in the compulsory dance.

"We worked with a Spanish choreographer," Peizerat said. "It's very difficult to do but we liked it. This is our first competition of the season. It's good the artistic part got such high marks because it means we did a good job interpreting the dance."

Canada's Shae Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, winners of the Skate Canada and Skate America Grand Prix, were second.

Lithuania's world bronze medalists Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas were third heading into Saturday's free dance, with Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviyski of Bulgaria fourth.

Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto of the United States were sixth.