Reuters

Milan- Russian figure skaters Evgeny Platov and Pasha Grishuk won both compulsory dances at the European championships despite Platov being struck by an arch-rival's skate blade.

Platov suffered a bruised right calf muscle after Anjelika Krylova's blade struck him as they were warming up for the first dance and the injury almost caused him to fall at the end of the second dance.

The incident heightened feelings of intense rivalry between the couples after an incident in practice last Saturday when Grishuk was cut after a collision with Krylova which left her arm bleeding and her costume torn.

"I could feel the muscle cramp," Platov said of his injury after he and Grishuk had completed their day's work. "At the end of the second dance I tried to stop but the muscle did not respond and Pasha had to support me."

"I think he was in more pain than he told me," Grishuk said. "He didn't tell me how bad it was. His muscle didn't react and I had to hold him up."

Platov, who skated the first dance with a hole in his trousers where Krylova's blade cut through, said he had massage and ice treatment on the injury between the two dances. Platov and Grishuk managed to hold out and the holders and favorites for a second Olympic gold next month had the satisfaction of being voted best on the cards of all seven judges in both dances, the quick step and the Argentine tango.

Platov said the incident happened when compatriots Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov got too close in the warmup, but some observers felt he and Grishuk had failed to get out of the way. "No one stopped. This is competition. It's pretty wild," Platov said. "Maybe we won so many times they want to kill us," he joked.

"We have not skated on the same ice as Anjelika and Oleg for a year. Maybe that's why it happened. It happens in sport," Platov added.

Krylova was apologetic. "I don't want to hit anybody. Please forgive me," she said.

She was not upset at finishing second once again. "We skate for pleasure. We don't worry about the positions. It is not our problem, it is up to the judges," she said.

"We can do nothing about it so we don't worry about it. But many people say we are the best."

Improving French couple Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat held third place but two of the judges scored them ahead of Krylova and Ovsiannikov.

The second phase of the event, which this season is the jive, will this afternoon with the final on Friday night.

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