MOSCOW (AFP) Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko began his campaign to retain his title at the 2010 Vancouver Games with victory at the Rostelecom Cup on Saturday, the Russian leg of the ISU Grand Prix series. The 26-year-old Russian, who has not competed internationally since his success at the 2006 Turin Games, has been lured out of retirement in the hope of claiming a second gold in Canada next February. I skated with pleasure and I didnt get tired at all, Plushenko said. Its a terrific feeling. I felt free and allowed some improvisations. I had some new movements that were not included in the programme earlier. But still theres plenty of homework to do to make it all perfect. The Olympic champions solid presentation of his free programme confirmed his leading position, which he clinched after the free programme, as he received 157.95 for Tango Amore by Edvin Marton for a total score of 240.20. Second-placed Takahiko Kozuka of Japan suffered some minor errors in his free skating Guitar Concerto by Michael Kamen and finished 25 points behind Plushenko. Russias Artem Borodulin, who was fourth after the short programme, jumped into the third spot with a new personal best of 129.48pts for his free skating of a Tango Medley for a total of 201.55. Plushenko grabbed the lead on Friday with his short programme of Concierto de Aranjuez but despite giving an error-free presentation failed to better his previous personal best mark as he received 82.25 points. However, his score - the seasons second best in the world - gave him the lead with a 6.75-point advantage over Kozuka, whose sparkling presentation of Jimmy Hendrixs Bold As Love proved popular. Johnny Weir of the United States finished third after short programme with 72.57pts. In the womens section, the world 2007 champion Miki Ando of Japan, who was third after short programme, took top spot after the free skating. Ashley Wagner of United States finished second, eight points behind, while Alena Leonova of Russia was third. In pairs. the 2006 world champions Quing Pang and Jian Tong of China confirmed their lead after the opening day with a flawless presentation of their free skating - Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha by Joe Hisaishi. They received 125.93 points for a total mark of 191.33 to finish 11 points clear of Russias Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov. American pair Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker finished third on 160.55pts. Another American duo Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who dominated the ice dances after Fridays events, clinched victory with the presentation of their free dance, a medley of Andrew Lloyd Webber themes. They collected 201.10 points to finish 31.53pts clear of the second-placed Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy. Russian pair Ekaterina Rubleva and Ivan Shefer took the third place of the podium.