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6B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OLYMPICS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21. 2006
Matt Dunham/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. skaters win silver
United States' Benjamin Agosto and his partner Tanith Belbin, wearing their silver medals, unravel an American flag following the free dance final in Figure Skating Ice Dancing at the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, Monday.
BY BARRY WILNER
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TURIN, Italy — At last, a figure skating medal for the United States — in ice dancing, of all things. And yet another Olympic gold for Russia.
Tanith Belbin and partner Ben Agosto snapped the U.S. medals drought in figure skating with a silver Monday night. They were behind Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, who gave Russia a gold medal hat trick — pairs, men's and dance. No nation has swept the four skating events in one games, and Russian Irina Slutskaya is favored in the women's competition.
"It's only our first Olympics," Belbin said. "We're competing with second- and third-time Olympians, so this is great to come here and get a medal the first time out when we didn't even know we'd be here. Can't ask for more."
"I am extremely proud that we've been able to achieve this for our country," said the Canadian-born Belbin, who became a U.S. citizen on Dec. 31.
Belbin and Agosto won the first dance medal for the United States since a bronze in 1976 by Colleen O'Connor and Jim Millns — and only the second medal of any kind. It also is the only medal for American figure skaters at these Olympics.
Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov of Ukraine won the bronze.
All three couples performed with poise and style. Even better, nobody crashed to the ice.
Sunday's original dance was marred by falls and an injury that forced the top Canadians out of the free dance. Italian favorites Barbara Fusar Poli and Maurizio Margaglio were back, friends again, after their flop and subsequent venomous stare down.
"We are like brother and sister," Fusar Poli said. "We were angry at ourselves, but between each other everything is okay."
Not only were they okay on ice, but they kissed and made up after four minutes of tense skating featuring some intricate lifts and carries. She put her arm around his shoulder as they sat next to each other this time —
Those marks were in sharp contrast to the winners, whose 200.64 total was the only one over 200 points and won by 4.58 over Belbin and Agosto.
observing their mediocre scores that placed them sixth.
Americans Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov were 14th, and Jamie Silverstein and Ryan O'Meara finished 16th.
"I'm happy we performed well and all of our hard work this year has been accomplished," said Petukhov, who was born in Russia and became a U.S. citizen a year ago. Petukhov and his wife will stick around for a shot at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
"Yes," he said, "we're going for gold."
Their biggest competition could be their countrymen; Belbin is 21, Agosto 24.
Rising stars in the sport since 2000, Beibin and Agosto's silver medal at last year's world championships marked them as contenders. When Belbin became eligible to compete for the U.S. seven weeks ago, their Olympic schedule was pushed up four years.
Although Belbin and Agosto have won three U.S. titles, they were barred from the Olympics until she got her citizenship all U.S. competitors must be Americans. They made the country proud by surging from sixth after compulsories to second through the original dance.
"It's kind of surreal," said Agosto, who held up the medal and did a peek-a-boo look through the whole in the center. During their victory lap, he stopped whenever he saw an American flag in the stands and held up the prize.
The couple remained in second with a passionate flamenco free skate that far surpassed their program at nationals, but was not completely clean—and certainly was not in the same league as Navka and Kostomarov's playful routine to "Carmen."
No matter Considering where U.S. dance has been — or hasn't been — through the last three decades, silver was just super.
"It's great now to have a set—a world and an Olympic silver medal," said Belbin, who wiped away tears on the medals stand. "That's amazing."
SKIING
Croatian skier sets new female record
BY ANDREW DAMPF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN SICARIO, Italy — An ailing Janica Kostelic didn't even plan on skiing the super-G. She did, though, and the Olympic record book will never be the same.
Kostelic's silver on Monday was her sixth Alpine skiing medal - her second in as many races here and a new career record for a woman.
The 24-year-old Croatian still has a pair of events to go, health permitting.
Her four golds — one here and three in Salt Lake City in 2002 — are another record.
"For now I have six and we will see. Even if I quit now, I would be happy." Kostelic said.
Austrian Michaela Dorfmeister followed her downhill victory with her second gold medal of these games, covering a relatively easy super-G course in 1 minute. 32.47 seconds.
Kostelic wasn't bothered by finishing 0.27 seconds behind Dorfmeister.
"If she won today, she was better. It's not her fault; it's my fault. I don't take things so seriously." she said.
If it weren't for foul weather, Kostelic would have had to wait until Wednesday's slalom or Friday's giant slalom to surpass the two other women who have five Olympic Alpine medals.
Or, as her father and coach Ante Kostelic put it, even though his daughter didn't win, "all the medals is victory for us."
She's been sick and, after winning the combined event Saturday, said she wouldn't race Sunday's super-G. Then a snow storm forced officials to postpone the race until Monday, giving Kostelic a chance to recuperate.
medal whenever she skis — she won all three races she entered at last season's world championships.
"It is a fact." Ante Kostelic said of his daughter's domination.
She may not be through yet. Janice is the defending slalom champion, though her father said winning at these Olympics wouldn't be easy.
"These Austrian girls are very good," Ante Kostelic said, referring to Marlies Schild, Kathrin Zettel and Nicole Hosp. "And Anja Paerson is still here. She is not dead."
"I didn't get any rhythm on the course and I tried to find a lot of speed but it was difficult to find it," Paerson said. In other words, the course could have been more challenging.
Sweden's Paerson won the past two overall World Cup titles, but so far has only two bronze medals from these games. She finished 12th Monday.
Dorfmeister and other skiers criticized the course last year as too easy, signing a petition to move the race to the men's venue in nearby Sestriere. Organizers responded by enlarging the jumps and adding bumps and rolling terrain over the summer.
Paerson was still impressed with her rival Kostelic.
"She's proven herself strong every time she's come to race," Paerson said.
Many of those who did show up wore the red and white of Croatia.
The Croatians cheered when Austria's Alexandra Meissnitzer finished behind Kostelic to take the bronze medal and did not seem too dejected when Dorfmeister, the last of the top skiers to race, put down the day's best run.
"It's the top to finish my career like this," Dorfmeister said.
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