An overwhelming sense of dejavu presides over the women’s figure skating showdown at Palavela on 23 February (Day 13).

Russia’s Salt Lake City (2002) silver medallist Irina Slutskaya enters the deciding free skating program just .03 points behind American pacesetter Sasha Cohen.

But will history repeat itself?

Four years ago, another American pipped Slutskaya for the gold on a 5-4 split. 16 year old Sarah Hughes, skated like a free spirit to upset the Russian and the more fancied American Michelle Kwan who took bronze. Cohen finished 4th.

This time there is no Kwan who withdrew injured, however countrywoman Cohen showed she can again scale the heights for the USA and relegate the great Irina to the bridesmaid position.

Skating last of the 29 athletes in the short program on 21 February (Day 11), Cohen was sublime, nailing a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination and a triple loop.

“I’ve trained my whole life for this and to keep it together and skate well, it’s wonderful,” she said.

Slutskaya beat Cohen in Moscow last year to clinch her third World Championship on top of her seven European titles. She, too, looked vibrant and authoritative at her third Olympics, skating flawlessly to ‘Totentanz’ by Franz Liszt.

“The last four years changed my life,” said Slutskaya.

“I’ve grown up, I understand that life is not only about figure skating.”

Co-incidentally, reigning Olympic champion Sarah Hughes was among the crowd cheering on younger sister Emily, who was a late call-up for Kwan.

17-year-old Emily produced the routine of her life to lie 7th after the short program, heeding big sister’s advice.

“She said: Have fun and enjoy everything,” Emily revealed.

Lurking just behind Cohen and Slutskaya going into the free skating, Japanese champion Shizuka Arakawa is very much in the mix. She appeared to make a big mistake on her first triple but escaped relatively unscathed by the judges.

“I’m trying not to concentrate on the scores, but on the performance,” she said.

The major disappointment of the short program was Italian heroine Carolina Kostner who took bronze at the last World Championship, but this time came to grief on her first jump.

“The first steps are always the most tentative,” said the 16-year-old.

“You are emotional, you have to take the rhythm, I just couldn’t control myself.”

It was costly for the crowd darling and she is now surely out of medal contention in 10th place. If history is to count, it will be a Russia versus USA matchup at Palavela on 23 February (Day 13).

Slutskaya looking for her first Olympic gold medal and Cohen hellbent on the same prize after her 4th place four years ago. Both skaters are in the form of their lives.

Bring it on!

Gordon Bray / AOC
Torino