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Canadian duo in medal form
It's why Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz can rejoice in their best compulsory dance performance of the season. Even if the seven people who hold the Canadian ice dancers' fate in their hands might not agree.
It's why the loud cheers of a pro-Canadian crowd at the Target Center gave the popular duo a warm feeling inside.
The fight still isn't exactly fair, but at least Bourne, 22, and Kraatz, 26, are a safe bet to find themselves on the podium at the finals of the world figure skating championships Friday.
After yesterday's compulsories, the Canadians find themselves in a tie for second place with the French duo of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat. In top spot are Anjelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov, the silver medallists at Nagano.
If Bourne and Kraatz somehow manage to get second place all to themselves, it would represent the highest finish ever by a Canadian team in ice dance at a world championships.
But to hear Bourne tell it, the placement -- and the judging -- are secondary here.
"We've learned a lot this year about what goes on behind the scenes in skating -- it really hit us hard all at once, like a big wave," she said. "But we haven't got involved in any of that here. We're just thinking about our skating."
Also trying to put the placings and the judging out of their minds are Canada's No. 2 team, Chantal Lefebvre of LaSalle, Que. and Michel Brunet of Gatineau. They placed 18th in both compulsories.
"This has been a long year, and I think we accomplished a great deal by finishing the compulsories the way we wanted to," said Brunet, 27, who represents the Minto Skating Club. "The placement does not matter to us."
* Canadian champions Kristy Sargeant and Kris Wirtz can smell the medals. "Great skate, great skate," Wirtz said after he and Sargeant placed fifth in the pairs short program. Jenni Meno and Todd Sand of the U.S. were first. Artur Dmitriev was unable to skate last night because of food poisoning, and he and Russian partner Oksana Kazakova withdrew from the pairs event. They won pairs gold at the Olympics.