From the opening minutes of Saturday's Olympic pairs figure skating competition, two things became clear: Spectators needed to allow extra time to get through the security checks, and the judges weren't giving away any free points.
Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze skated a near-perfect program to a sparse crowd Saturday, taking the early lead over the reigning world champions, Jamie Sale and David Pelletier of Canada. Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze, 1998 Olympic silver medalists, skated third out of 20 pairs, before most of the Salt Lake Ice Center's lower bowl had filled. Outside, spectators waiting to pass through the security checks could be heard yelling to get in.
Even if the seats were empty, the performances were not. The world's top two pairs stepped up and away from the field, delivering striking ? if very different ? programs. If watching Sale and Pelletier was like cuddling up to a beloved black and white movie, Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze delivered a sweeping Puccini aria.
Their interpretation of "Lady Calif" had all the drama of a free skate while satisfying the technical requirements of the short program. They completed strong side-by-side triple toe loops and a solid throw triple loop. As the music faded, Sikharulidze pumped his fist and embraced Berezhnaya, feeling the returns of years of hard work.
"Many things happened in the last four years, good and bad ones," Sikharulidze said. "To be here and to skate well is just great."
But in the end, the difference between first and second place may have been a freak tumble during the Canadians' final pose. Their "Jalousie" program was playful and engaging ? vintage Sale and Pelletier. Until . . .
Pelletier said his toe pick caught a rut in the ice, and what was to have been a romantic embrace more resembled a pro-wrestling body slam.
"We do this (program) every day," Pelletier said. "It's never happened. It was just a stupid mistake.
"Sometimes it's good not to follow a script," he said later. "I didn't do it on purpose, of course. But it's no big deal."
Though Sale didn't think the judges took a deduction for the error, she said it may have given the judges "an excuse to put them (the Russians) first."
Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao settled into what has become all too familiar territory when the Canadians and Russians are in town ? third place. The Chinese finished third at both the Grand Prix Final in December, and the 2001 World Championships in Vancouver.
Saturday, Shen said the pair was not satisfied with their performance, which featured a huge throw triple loop, but less than spectacular spins and death spiral.
Three-time American champions Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman finished the short program in fifth place, behind Russians Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin.
"We are in the ballpark of where we wanted to be," Ina said. "We had a few minor glitches."
The Olympic medals will be decided Monday evening at the conclusion of the free skate.
Contributing: Maria Titze
E-MAIL: jnii@desnews.com