Pasha Grishuk, 25, and Evgeny Platov, 30, have won all the
competitions they have entered--21 in all--since capturing the Olympic gold
medal in ice dancing at Lillehammer in 1994.
What sets the Russians apart from most rivals in the sport--a combination of
ballroom dancing and skating--is not only their innovative choreography but also
their breathtaking speed. Grishuk, an aspiring actress who has changed her first
name from Oksana to avoid confusion with singles skater Oksana Baiul, is
particularly admired for her quick, clean-edge turns known as "twizzles." The
high technical difficulty of the pair's programs has resulted in a few falls
this season, but they accept the risk. "If we made our dance easier, we would
never fall," says Platov. "But we have some footwork that is extremely
difficult. It is so fast and has so many turns that it makes us unique and
unbeatable."
Not if Anjelika Krylova, 24, and Oleg Ovsiannikov, 28, can help it. The
younger Russian pair train with the coach that Grishuk and Platov used to have.
Despite their relatively brief partnership, they have already won the Russian
ice-dancing title and collected two silver medals at the world championships.
This week they hope to glide ahead of the favorites. So fierce is the rivalry
that at last month's European championships in Milan, the two pairs engaged in a
game of intimidation during the warm-ups, whipping by each other so closely that
costumes were torn by flashing skate blades.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,987831,00.html
