Biggest names on skates flock to MTS Centre

THE biggest names ever to compete in a figure skating event in Winnipeg will face off in the World Team Challenge at the MTS Centre on Dec. 10.

Russia's reigning Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin, Canada's four-time world champion Kurt Browning, 2002 Olympic pairs co-gold medallists Jamie Sale and David Pelletier and Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, and Ukraine's 1994 Olympic champion Oksana Baiul are among the 16 skating stars expected here.

The prestigious annual event, the successor to the Canadian Open pro-am, is the only professional figure skating competition held in Canada.

The World Team Challenge boasts a unique format with one man, woman and pair competing as a team. Points earned by each team member for their performance are added to determine the winning team.

Although not all skaters invited to compete have been confirmed, Jodi Clare, figure skating co-ordinator for the Canadian office of global sports agency IMG, expects the lineup will be as follows:

Assigned to Team Canada along with Browning and Sale and Pelletier, is six-time national champion Jennifer Robinson. Maria Butyrskaya, the 1999 world champion, will join Yagudin and Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze on Team Russia.

Baiul is slated to compete under the European banner along with representatives of the former Czechoslovakia -- 1984 Olympic medallist Jozef Sabovcik and 1995 world pair champions Radka Kovarikova and Rene Novotny.

The U.S. team will likely include 1996 world champion Todd Eldredge, Nicole Bobek and Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman.

Last year at GM Place in Vancouver, Team Canada, with Browning, Sale and Pelletier and Josee Chouinard, now five months pregnant, won the World Team Challenge ahead of Russia, the U.S. and Europe.

"We're very fortunate right now to have a strong field of professional skaters who are still at a competitive level. It's exciting for us because we still want to see the Jamies and Davids and Kurts compete," Clare said.

"With team members cheering each other on, it gives a more fun atmosphere than a typical (amateur) competition, but gives the professionals a chance to compete for their country again. It takes them back to their roots," she added. If scored as it was last year, skaters' programs would be rated on a scale of 10, rather than the traditional 6.0. In addition, just one score would be awarded instead of the familiar two-mark system for technical merit and presentation. The judging panel will be comprised of former world championship competitors.

While several of the World Team Challenge competitors have performed previously in ice shows at Winnipeg Arena, only Robinson and Sale and Pelletier have ever competed here. The trio claimed national titles at the 2001 Canadian championships.

Yagudin, forced out of Olympic-stream competition by a hip injury, says he is happy with his new life as a professional skater and coach, although he doesn't get as many opportunities to compete as he would like.

Before the Winnipeg event, Yagudin will test his competitive mettle just once at a made-for-TV meet in mid-November in South Carolina.

"Sometimes my hip is worse, sometimes it's better, but in general it's not stopping me from skating," said Yagudin, who has performed here three times previously as a Stars on Ice cast member.

With the opening of the MTS Centre, it is possible that Winnipeg will be chosen to host other major figure skating events in the future. The possibilities include Skate Canada International, the ISU Grand Prix Final, another national or perhaps even world championships.

"The skaters and the event are excited to come to the brand new building. It's fantastic. It's going to be great for the city of Winnipeg," said Clare, who was here yesterday to meet with MTS Centre staff.