Figure Skating: The Soaring, Spinning Battle Of the Brians

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Last month Leaver announced that Boitano would not try the jump for which he is best known, the quadruple toe loop, at the Olympics. Never performed successfully in competition, the quad has become the slippery grail of skating. Boitano practices it daily and hits almost 100% of the time. But in competition, he has thrown it -- and blown it -- four times, most noticeably at the 1987 world championship. Leaver sees little point in risking another disaster when Boitano already has what is considered the most technically difficult program ever and can score 6.0s without the quad. Boitano finds the decision somewhat disappointing but admits that the stunt is "like packing bricks on your shoulders."

The Canadian Brian also has a quad in his arsenal, but he too plans not to deploy it in the Saddledome. "My program was set in September," says Orser, 26. "I can't have any doubt or question whether I'm going to do a triple or a quadruple in one spot." Orser's confidence will be the key to whether he triumphs or stumbles. Although he has had a lock on the Canadian title for eight years, he has often been an also-ran at the international level. After taking the silver medal at the 1984 Olympics, just behind America's Scott Hamilton and three places ahead of Boitano, Orser placed second in three successive world championships. Last year he took the title.

The breakthrough was as much psychological as competitive. After twice bungling his trademark triple Axel jump at the 1986 world competition, Orser set out to improve his state of mind. Sports Psychologist Peter Jensen has worked regularly with him on envisioning success, practicing success, achieving success. A gaggle of others also laid on expertise. In addition to his shrink, Orser has a nutritionist, a physical therapist, a choreographer and a figures coach (for the compulsories). Finally, and always, there is Coach Doug Leigh, who has been with Orser for 17 years.

The full-support approach has bolstered the athlete's confidence. The Boitano challenge? "If we both did a perfect program, I'd come out ahead," he says positively. Orser & Co. are leaving nothing to chance. Workouts run to eight hours a day, six days a week. Recently, the entire Canadian figure- skating team rented Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens and simulated Olympic conditions, including the actual announcer who will be in Calgary. "Now in my , practice, I can visualize how I'm going to feel in the Saddledome," says Orser. "I can picture the audience, all of the sounds, everything."

Common wisdom among skaters holds that it is harder to defend as world champion than to come from behind. Adding to the pressure, Canada's Olympic dreams rest heavily on Penetanguishene's favorite son (that's in Ontario). But Orser seems to relish his position. "I'm in the driver's seat going in," he says, "so all eyes and expectations will be on me. That's the way I want it to be." Other than Boitano, the only tough competition is likely to come from Alexander Fadeev, the Soviet skater who won the 1985 world title and has placed third ever since.