After a week of muck and scandal, figure skating fans deserved a night like the one they got at the Salt Lake Ice Center Tuesday night.
Michelle Kwan, the six-time American champion and 1998 Olympic silver medalist, brought back shades of Nagano with her debut performance at the 2002 Salt Lake Games: same program, same perfection, same result.
Like her early lead against American rival Tara Lipinski in 1998, Kwan on Tuesday finished the short program ahead of three-time world silver medalist Irina Slutskaya of Russia and American phenom Sasha Cohen, who placed second and third, respectively.
But unlike the 1998 Games, where she won eight of the nine judges' votes over Lipinski in the short program, Kwan's lead over Slutskaya is slim: she won by a 5-4 split, thanks to straight 5.9s on her presentation mark.
"Ohhhh, I didn't like the technical marks, but I did like the artistic marks," Kwan said. "Close call — we're seeing a lot of 5-4 splits, aren't we? I like it in my favor."
Not one to back down from a challenge, Slutskaya said she wasn't worried about trailing Kwan early on. Her short program was clean and confident, her jumps big and effortless. And her free skate is packed with fireworks — including some mystery elements she has yet to unveil.
"Everything has just started," Slutskaya said. "You feel here a war on ice."
It's a friendly war, though, Slutskaya said, indicating that she felt no ill will from the American skaters, or the pro-U.S. audience.
"I think Americans, they like me," Slutskaya said. "Of course, I don't think I'm favorite like the American girl. But I don't think they forget about me."
"I like you," Kwan replied, giving Slutskaya a quick hug.
Cohen, the 17-year-old Californian who burst back onto the skating scene after a year of injuries, said her performance Tuesday was "a dream come true."
"Once I got out on the ice, I was not nervous at all," she said. "I just felt absolutely calm, no pressure. I just thought to myself, 'You have one chance.' I don't want any regrets."
Her program, a waltz from the soundtrack of "My Sweet and Tender Beast," didn't leave much to regret. She completed a triple Lutz-double toe loop combination, a triple flip, and a lovely "Charlotte" spiral.
Cohen's marks were enough to put her ahead of her American teammate, Sarah Hughes, who finished the short program in fourth. Maria Butyrskaya, the 1999 world champion from Russia, finished fifth going into Thursday's finale.
It was a spectacular, seemingly scandal-free night of skating — none of the top 10 skaters fell, and more than a few finished their programs pumping their fists in triumph. Kwan was one. And, after a year of inconsistent results and shocking declarations — among them, that she would compete at the Olympics without a coach — Kwan's performance was meaningful in its maturity, its honesty, its perspective. If it was a step slower than it was in 1998, the substance of her gaze more than compensated.
"I'm well prepared," Kwan said. "I'm in good shape. I'm healthy. You just got to feel that you're fortunate already, before you start your program. I was like, 'I'm Michelle Kwan. What I've done I have no regrets.' "
"I just tried to skate from the heart," she said. "I tried to make America proud."
The final Olympic figure skating medal will be awarded at the conclusion of the ladies free skate, held Thursday night at the Delta Center (Salt Lake Ice Center).
E-MAIL: jnii@desnews.com
Deseret News Olympic specialist Maria Titze contributed to this report.