'Stars on Ice' possess talent

OK, so they're not involved in any judging imbroglios or medal upsets at the moment, but their skating is still hot enough to melt the ice.

Many of the most recent Olympic medal winners are slated to triple-flip their way to the Bradley Center on May 5 as part of the "Champions on Ice" tour - which will include 2002 gold medalist Sarah Hughes and bronze medalist Michelle Kwan - but theirs is not the only ice show in town.

The names on the marquee tonight at the Bradley Center for "Target Stars on Ice" represent not the flavor of the month in figure skating but athletes with a long history - and more than a few Olympic medals of their own, thanks very much.

Take Katarina Witt, for example. The two-time Olympic champion took her first gold home to East Germany before Hughes was even born.

Tara Lipinski, also scheduled to appear tonight, is the youngest Olympic, World, National and World Professional in figure skating history. Already in her fifth season with the "Stars on Ice" tour, Lipinski turns 20 in June.

Men's figure skating champions also are well represented in tonight's lineup, including 1998 Olympic gold medalist Ilia Kulik and Canadian legend Kurt Browning.

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, the ice dancing duo from Great Britain who took home the gold medal at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, earning nine perfect 6.0s for artistic impression in the process, are among the show's choreographers.

Tickets for tonight's show, at $33 to $56 excluding service charges, are available through Ticketmaster and at the box office.

Tickets for the May 5 "Champions on Ice" show, at $31 to $66 excluding service charges, are on sale now at the same locations.

Here's a quick skate through the top names who'll be twirling during "Target Stars on Ice" at 7:30 tonight at the Bradley Center (lineup is subject to change):

• Tara Lipinski: Lipinski became the youngest person to win a gold medal in Winter Olympics history in 1998 when, at 15, she upset the favorite, Michelle Kwan. At the time, Lipinski was already the U.S. national and world titles holder. After turning pro, Lipinski continued to rack up the gold with a 1999 World Professional title win.
• Kristi Yamaguchi: Although she started winning medals as a pairs skater - winning the 1988 world jUnior championship with partner Rudy Galindo - Yamaguchi has had her greatest success in singles competition. She won gold at the 1992 Albertville Games and holds two world championships and four World Professional championship titles.
• Katarina Witt: Midair spins aren't the only thing Witt does in multiples. The 36-year-old skating superstar has won two Olympic gold medals, four world titles and six European championships. Witt also has appeared in the movies "Jerry Maguire" and "Ronin."
• Ilia Kulik: The Moscow native won the gold at Nagano in 1998, capping an impressive four-year run of wins that included two Russian national championships.
• Kurt Browning: The first athlete to land a quadruple jump in world competition, one-time hockey hopeful Browning captured four world titles on the amateur level and three World Professional championships.
• Anjelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov: Making their "Target Stars on Ice" debut, the Russian ice dancing pair won two world championships and a silver medal at the 1998 Olympics.
• Jenni Meno and Todd Sand: The husband-and-wife team have won three U.S. national titles and took home a silver at the 1998 world championships.