French pair carry on after 'razor attack'

Police in Nice had no leads yesterday or suspect in an alleged razor-slashing of the French pairs skater, Stéphane Bernadis, who still practised last night with his partner, Sarah Abitbol, for the free programme at the World Figure Skating Championships despite the wound to his arm.

Bernadis, who alleged that his arm was slashed by an assailant in his hotel on Tuesday, was due to speak to police again today. The Nice police commissioner, Bernard Orengo, said Bernadis, who with Abitbol was lying fourth after Monday's short programme, was in a state of shock when questioned after he reported being cut by a man wielding a razor who knocked on his hotel room door.

Didier Gailhaguet, the head of the event's organising committee, said the cut on Bernadis' forearm was about 20cm (8in) and superficial.

Security at skaters' hotels has been increased, with police on every floor, since the report of the attack, which provoked memories of the blow to Nancy Kerrigan's knee at the 1994 US National championships.

The British champion, Tamsin Sear, is out of the women's competition. In her first appearance at the World Championships, she landed only two jumps cleanly yesterday, fell four times and failed to qualify for the next stage. She came off the ice wiping blood from a badly scraped left elbow.