OBERSTDORF, Germany - Canada's Elladj Balde posted his best international result at the senior level Friday by placing fifth in men's singles at the Nebelhorn Trophy figure skating competition.

American Jason Brown of the U.S., took the gold with 237.17 points. Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic was second with 228.48 and Konstantin Menshov of Russia took third with 211.03. Balde, from Montreal, was fifth with 186.78 points.

Liam Firus of North Vancouver, B.C., was ninth.

Russia had a 1-2 finish in the pairs as Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov won gold with 195.89 points and Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov took silver with 178.98. The American duo of Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim finished third with 166.10 points.

Canadian junior champions Vanessa Grenier of Sherbrooke, Que., and Maxime Deschamps of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., were fifth in their international debut with a score of 157.06.

The women's free skate and free dance are on Saturday.

Also Friday, Canada's Mackenzie Bent and Brent MacKeen are in first place after the short dance at the ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Tallinn, Estonia.

Bent, from Uxbridge, Ont., and MacKeen, from Oshawa, Ont., had 59.83 points for a slim lead on Anna Yanovskaya and Sergey Mozgov of Russia (59.56). Competition continues Saturday.