The Russians Are Ready To Rock

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As long as the rink is frozen, you can count on Russian teams winning medals in pairs and ice dancing. Russian men have even had the golden touch, collecting three championships in the past three Olympics, but oddly enough, no Russian woman has won Olympic gold in women's figure skating.

That dry spell may end in Salt Lake City, if either Irina Slutskaya, 22, or Maria Butyrskaya, 29, skate to their potential. While their shaky performances at last month's European championships bode well for the Americans, Slutskaya has defeated Michelle Kwan each time they have competed this season, while Butyrskaya grabbed gold from Kwan at the 1999 world championships.

Like Sarah Hughes, Slutskaya is a natural and powerful jumper. If she can repeat her feat from last year's world championships of stringing together three jumps in a row, she may make history as the first Russian women's gold medalist.

Butyrskaya also wants that distinction. The lanky Muscovite is known to skate solid short programs, and if she doesn't lose steam in the 4-min. free program, she has a good shot.

On the men's side, either Alexei Yagudin, a three-time world champion, or teammate Evgeny Plushenko, the reigning world gold medalist, will probably keep up the Russian men's gold streak. Yagudin, who trains in the U.S., is a passionate performer and is eager to redeem his fifth-place finish in Nagano. Plushenko is just as talented but far less polished. While his music and choreography are often disjointed, he is the only male to lasso one leg up and behind his head and hold this position during a spin.

The strong singles teams, however, may have come at the expense of the traditionally favored pairs and ice dancers. Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier will challenge the Russians in pairs, while teams from France and Canada could finish ahead of the leading Russian ice-dancing entry.

--A.P.