Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 20, 1994 TAG: 9402210127
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HAMAR, NORWAY LENGTH: Medium
Alexei Urmanov, who couldn't believe he beat the likes of Brian Boitano, Viktor Petrenko and Kurt Browning, won Russia's first men's figure skating gold medal.
Elvis Stojko of Canada won the silver with a tribute to kung fu master Bruce Lee, and Philippe Candeloro of France won a bronze skating to "The Godfather," completing the sweep by the upstarts.
A sixth-place finish by Boitano, the 1988 champion, was the best the United States could do. U.S. champion Scott Davis was eighth.
It was only the third time since World War II that an American male did not win a medal.
"I did feel myself to be a good skater here," said Urmanov, 20, who never had won anything more significant than his national championship. "But I didn't think about gold because it was two professional skaters here, and Kurt Browning, and that's too strong."
No one could outskate Urmanov in the technical program or the free skate. Particularly the Americans, whose only previous medal shutouts were in 1972 and 1976.
"I think I knew that it's much more important to them, it's their way of life," Boitano said of the youngsters.
The past champions could only watch the sport pass them by.
Boitano and Petrenko, the 1992 Olympic champion, both back from the pros, and Browning, a four-time world champion, blew their chances in Thursday's technical program.
"We wanted to come here and be a big part of the Olympics," Browning said. "I think Viktor, Brian and I all wanted medals. I think we all thought we were going to do that. When that's gone for us, certainly it becomes a personal thing."
Urmanov needed all of his grace and grit, plus eight triple jumps, to hold off Stojko. He nailed every one of the triples in what was by far his best performance.
"It was a dream come true," said Urmanov, who dedicated the medal to his mother but didn't say why. "When I concentrate, I can win."
Stojko, improvising with youthful calm, turned a disastrous start into a silver. Adjusting his program, the 21-year-old fought out of trouble like the kung fu master himself, even though he scrapped a quadruple toe loop and scrambled to hit two other triple axels after popping his opening triple axel.
"It's a situation of thinking you have a shot at this," Stojko said. "I missed the first axel, I think I rushed it. I had to make a decision right away."
Candeloro, 22, fell on a triple axel 13 seconds from the end of a superbly crafted routine. It might have cost him a higher placing.
Davis skated nervously, flopping awkwardly on his first jump and never recovering.
"I'm a little bit disappointed in my performance," said Davis, 22, a two-time national champion. "You dream of the Olympics and having what it takes to do well and it didn't happen."
Boitano, 30, finally hit two triple axels in a program, and his routine took off after the huge second one. With the American flags painted on his boots flashing with every move, Boitano pumped his fists when he finished to a standing ovation.
"I hit the second triple axel, so I was happy and proud of myself," he said. "It was beautiful, it was a gorgeous triple axel.
"I was thinking how great my life really is and I don't care about my results."
Petrenko completed seven triples in a stronger program than he skated at Albertville. It was so strong that the Romanian judge gave him a perfect 6.0 for artistry, but he placed fourth in the free skate.
The Ukranian's magnificent performance had the crowd shouting "Viktor" at the end. He was fourth overall.
Browning ended his dismal run with the showmanship befitting a four-time world champion. Far out of contention after a miserable technical routine that had him 12th, Browning rebounded superbly.
Dressed in a white dinner jacket and skating to music from "Casablanca," Browning did a perfect Bogart, even blowing imaginary smoke at the judges. He hit six triples, including a triple salchow-triple loop jump out of a spread-eagle, one of the toughest moves possible.
by CNB