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Show : The SaltLakeTribune 200;2 OLYMP!1 « O13 s WS > ma Cc FIGURE SKATING — PAIRS: Short Program Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune Canada’s David Pelletier and Jamie Sale laughafter they fell to the ice during the closing pose of their short program Saturday nightat the Delta Center. Canada’s Pelletier, marks from the nine judges. It is a welcomeplacementforthe pair, Sale in 2ndplace after mishap; U.S. duo 5th Olympics in Nagano and are trying to keep the 38-year-old Russian dynasty in pairs figure skating alive. whowere thesilver medalists at the 1998 Teams from Russia or the former Soviet Union have won every Olympic gold medal since the 1964 games in Innsbruck. BY KATHY STEPHENSON 1. Elena Berezhnaya/Anton Sikharulidze, Russia 2. Jamie Sale/David Pelletier, Canada 3. Xue Shen/Hongbo Zhao, China 4, Tatiana Totmianina/Maxim Marinin, Russia 5. Kyoko Ina/John Zimmerman,United States 6. Maria Petrova/Alexei Tikhonov, Russia “Manythings have happened in the last four years, good and badones,” said Sikharulidze. “To be here and to skate THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Jamie Sale and David Pelletier of Canada had hoped to blow away the competition in Olympic pairs figure skating well is just great.” China’s Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao, skating to the music of “Kismet,” are in third, while Russia’s Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin,skating to “Murietta” by Rybnik,are in fourth. “Weskated especially well,” Xue said. were knocked off their feet. The 2001 world at the end of their short program and wound up laughing in a heap on the ice. “You don't want to finish your pro- “Presentation and technically, everything was smooth.” Xue and Hongbo plan to try a quadruple throw Salchow,which theyland about gram on your butt. Not here, anyway,” De 60 percentof the time. spite the unintended dian patr is in second place heading into Monday’sfree skate. Added Sale, “It was one ofthose funny, fluky things, I guess. I didn’t even know Td fallen 'til I was on the ice.” Leading after the short program, which lasts 2 minutes, 40 seconds and is worth one-third the final score, are Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia, whose nearly perfect performance to the soundtrack of “Lady Calif’ earned them eight5.8s and one 5.9 in presentation Despite a few minor glitches, threetime U.S. champions Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman are in fifth place, bolstered by a standing ovation and chants of “U-S-A.” “As soon as wegoton the ice and the crowd started cheering, the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I got goose bumps,” said Zimmerman,who landed — albeit shakily — the triple jumpthat has troubled him in the past. Sale andPelletier’s short program,set to the music “Jalousie,” is meantto be a playful battle of the sexes romp, with Pelletier getting bounced like a beach ball and Sale being dipped from knee to knee. Or, at least, that is the way it was sup- posed to go. Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune When the Canadians tried to hit their final pose,they slipped and fell. Pelletier blamed the fall, which resulted in only a minor deduction, on a rut in the ice. “T.can’t believe I cameall the way to the Olympics to do this,” Pelletier told his partner as they lay stunned ontheice. Butthe pair described the rest of the program as perfect, leaving them in good position to win gold on Monday. “We're going to have a shot,” said Pelletier. Sale andPelletier have been ona roll, winning ninestraight competitions, in- cluding the 2001 world championships and the prestigious Grand Prix Finals. KyokoIna and John Zimmerman of the U.S. skate their short program. Lost Skates, Blades Set Back Italian Pair An Italian figure skater whose skates and blades were lost di the trip from Salt Lake City International Airport to the ClympieVillage sits nearly in last place of the pairs competition after the short program Saturday. Ruben De Pra and his partner, Michela Cobisi, are 19th out of 20 pairs headinginto the long program Monday. Both times, Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze Cobisi was forced to practice alone for two days after arriving finished second. Sunday while De Pra awaited replacement skates and blades from Italy. They finally arrived the night before the short program, as De Pra was not as fortunate as Dutch speedskater Rintje Ritsma. Ritsma was leaving Calgary International Airport on Thursday whenhenoticed from his seat that his luggage was still sitting on the tarmac.He rushed totheflight crew and was able to get them to stop the planein timeto retrieve the bags. — Michael C. Lewis Breaking the Color Barrier BY MICHAELC. LEWIS ——— Saideranmbenebora Seen: never gave muc! A thi ti y éles openin eeea shev,are “black sport.” period. pic s] ois teen-ager always preetn Baeshort-track speedskating was a T COPY } R last year) Olympics. step outside the box a little bit.” Peg vulpineheal door:S for MINOTIELES in ice dancing. But she has a colorful past au haoLang arg th ae Pei _ isthe ae their minds,” Parra said. “Maybe they'll That's because Davis grew up skating other African-Americans at a club near are later did he learn that at its highest sport is aboutas ethnically the sheet of ice he skates on. ButDavis and others are changing that. ‘The U.S.athletes who will compete in figure skating, speedskating and short track bered as the ones who doors ofopportunity and interest to a wide range ofethnic groups not norig pengo hh ayate nal . een ae a pic % butice dancer sentence Native American to become a U.S. Winter Olympian, while Derek Parra and Jennifer a Latino influence to the Jong-track speedskat ‘Just getting pu Nannie them in it will certainly en: alot of young people to try it,” aldFredBenjamin, the president of U.S. Speedskating. ‘ra — who Won an unexpected silver In winter Sports ee in the men's 5,000 meters Saturday Rodriguez are perhaps the most uniikelyWinter Olympians of the group. Rodriguez is a 25-year-old native of Miamiwhose father immigrated from Cuba in the 1960s. Like Parra, she cameto speedskating through in-line skating, a warm weathersport in which she was a world champion. Parra, meanwhile,is a Spanishspeaking, Mexicata ‘American who was born in California raised by his di_vorced father, but ennow liveseae withhis wife and young dai vontmegprscdpo mna ter what nei dream big,” said Parra,31. “I've traveled all over the world. I'm going to the Olym ics, It's a great story.” eno Gare88houghPar Nagano Games.in 1998, although seSpann ay , finished fourth Sin tones viphin inthe 1800 and 160tn the 5,000. “Maybe kids will see me and expand y toc! nge for a me iececenceaeeiceSo lative American ea Winter Olympic team,butalso only the second Native panera to make an Olympic team, Although she now lives andtrains in rae! Jersey, the 23-year-old is a memberof the Karuk tribe of California and can rememberdressing in traditional native costumes to attend pow-wows with cousins on herfather's side of the family, When she ‘was born, she was named Maheetahan, meaning “Morning Star.” “I feel so muchpride,” shesaid, “just looking back at my heritage. So ahora of my Native American amily and friends, they're all watching me and they’Tre 80 proud of me.” And Davis? He's obviously competing in his first wie but he’ has a shot at a gold medal with men’s 5,000-meter team that judes Apolo Anton Ohno ( fi Lianne eae Davis broke own in the 1,000 at a meet in last "I Just by making the team and re-breaking the record in the 1,000 meters,” he said. “Now, I'm here to try to help the American team win a medal |
