Kwan’s One Step Away

Michelle Kwan held nothing back. The judges rating her performance Tuesday closely followed suit, putting her in position to win the Olympic figure skating gold medal that eluded her four years ago.

Kwan, who has second-guessed herself for not letting loose emotionally in her silver-medal performance at the 1998 Nagano Games, had no regrets after her impressive short program Tuesday at the Salt Lake Ice Center. The four-time world champion and six-time U.S. champion received a string of nine 5.9s (out of 6.0) for her “Rachmaninov” routine, lodging her in first place by a 5-4 margin over Russia’s Irina Slutskaya after the first phase of the women’s competition.

Sasha Cohen of Laguna Niguel was third, followed by Sarah Hughes of Great Neck, N.Y., and Maria Butyrskaya of Russia. Any of the top three can become the new Olympic champion by being ranked first in Thursday’s long program, which counts for two-thirds of the final score.

Hughes, apparently penalized for a faulty takeoff on her triple lutz jump and coming too close to the boards in landing her triple lutz-double loop combination jump, needs someone above her to falter for her to win the gold. But she can still win a medal.

“It’s just a great competition,” said Kwan, the 21-year-old daughter of Chinese immigrants who settled in Torrance and once sold their house to finance her training.

“It’s going to be tough, and it’s sort of like who’s the strongest. Thursday is going to be a big night for all of us.”

Kwan was ranked first by judges from Germany, Slovakia, Denmark, Italy and the U.S., and second by judges from Russia, Belarus, Finland and Canada. Slutskaya, besides four first-place votes, got two seconds and three thirds. Cohen got three second-place votes, three thirds and three fourths, while Hughes’ placements ranged from fourth to 10th from the Russian judge.

“I felt good. I felt really calm out there,” said Kwan, who was showered with applause from the heavily pro-American crowd. “It was crazy.”

Cohen, second to Kwan at last month’s U.S. championships, performed a charming routine to “Sentimental Waltz.” The 17-year-old’s jumps were high and her spins showed off her amazing flexibility, earning marks of 5.5 to 5.8 for the required elements and 5.6 to 5.8 for presentation.

“To go out there for my Olympic moment and skate clean was a dream come true,” said Cohen, a first-time Olympian who has never competed at the world championships. “I was nervous off the ice, but once they called my name, no butterflies. I just went out there to attack.”

Said her coach, John Nicks: “She’s really at the beginning of her career, which is a little scary, and she’s going to improve enormously over the next four years if she can keep it together physically--and hangs on to me.”

Slutskaya, the runner-up to Kwan at last year’s world championships, displayed her virtuosity with a sequence of spirals on one foot and hitting all her jumps cleanly.

“I really love competition with Michelle and Sarah,” said Slutskaya, who will skate last among the top six women Thursday, just after Cohen and Kwan.

“It’s so nice. You feel here a war on ice.”

A war of nerves, too, one the principals survived in fine form.

Kwan widened her smile after she landed her triple flip, the last jump among the eight required elements in her 2-minute, 40-second program. Her marks for required elements included one 5.5 from Italian judge Paolo Pizzocari--who judged everyone severely--and peaked at 5.9 from Slovak judge Maria Hrachovcova.

“I’ve learned a lot, not just from that one experience in Nagano,” Kwan said. “I’ve learned a lot over the last four years.... I just wanted to have fun.”

That she did, eclipsing memories of her up-and-down season with a serene, elegant performance that drew a standing ovation from the roaring, flag-waving crowd of 15,600.

“I’m definitely proud to be an American,” she said, “and tonight I tried to skate from my heart, to make America proud. Seeing the American flags was an incredible moment for me.”

Hughes drew the fifth starting position in the random draw and was the first of the U.S. women to perform. Her “Ave Maria” routine lacked speed, and she finished her triple lutz-double loop combination jump perilously close to the end boards.

Her marks ranged from 5.1 to 5.6 for the required elements and 5.5 to 5.7 for presentation, and she was placed 10th by Russian judge Tatiana Danilenko--who placed Slutskaya ahead of Kwan and Butyrskaya ahead of Cohen.

Hughes’ coach, Robin Wagner, said the low first marks might have resulted from Hughes’ “flutz,” or incorrect takeoff on the lutz.

“It was a very strong skate,” Wagner said. “It was a little slower than I would have liked to have seen, but after the triple flip, she loosened up.”

Hughes acknowledged she was disappointed with her first set of marks, “coming here third in the world and skating a short program that was clean and didn’t have any major flaws ... I’m my most important judge. I’d give myself 5.8, 5.9.”

Butyrskaya, the 1999 world champion, didn’t talk to reporters. Her required element marks ranged from 5.0 from the stingy Italian judge to 5.7, and her presentation marks ranged from 5.5 to 5.8.

“Maria was pleased with her performance,” said her coach, Elena Tchaikovskaya. “She skated beautifully and the judges’ games continue.”

And on Thursday, the marquee event of the Games will end.

“To skate well was part of an Olympic dream come true for me,” Cohen said. “We’ve all trained hard, and anything can happen.”

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THE OTHERS

4. Sarah Hughes, U.S.

5. Maria Butyrskaya, Russia

6. Julia Sebestyen, Hungary