The Challenger's Day

It had to happen sometime. At the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Edmonton last week, Kurt Browning, ranked No.1 in the world, was clearly the local favorite. But it was his longtime challenger, second-ranked Elvis Stojko, who won the war. The men's single competition, pitting four-time world champion Browning, 26, from Caroline, Alta., against Stojko, the 21-year-old leaping wizard from Richmond Hill, Ont., was the championships' most anticipated matchup--and a preview of their upcoming battle at the Winter Olympics in February. but to the disappointment of both Browning and his fans, the head-to-head clash lost most of its steam in the first night's short program. Browning, admittedly nervous in front of his home crowd, skated an unusually shaky routine. He fell twice and scored low on technical merit--4.9 to 5.3 out of 6. "It sucks," said Browning afterwards.

Meanwhile, Stojko, brimming with confidence and clad in studded black leather, turned in an exuberant short routine that effectively put him out of Browning's reach--no matter how well the champion skated his free program on Saturday. Now, the national title recasts Stojko--in the eyes of the skating judges--from the perennial runner-up to a co-favorite for gold at the Olympics. "Going to Lillehammer as No.1 is a bonus," Stojko said, "because everyone looks at who the national champions are." In a sport notorious for its unscientific judging, the new Canadian champion just may have the cutting edge.