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From the Olympics Toword Tomorrow
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Kazakova, Dmitriev win Olympic pairs skating gold medal
20:00- Start
World bronze medalists Oksana Kazakova and Artur Dmitriev achieved perfection on ice in the pairs free program Tuesday to claim figure skating's first gold medal at the Nagano Olympics.
The Russian duo, who also led after Sunday's short program, dazzled the near-capacity crowd at the White Ring ice arena with a powerful and fluid performance that featured Kazakova's acrobatic dismounts off the lifts.
Kazakova and Dmitriev received one 6.0 -- the highest possible mark -- and five 5.9s for presentation as well as three 5.9s for technical merit, securing first place votes from eight out of nine judges.
The 30-year-old Dmitriev became the first man in Olympic history to win two pairs titles with two different partners.
Dmitriev won the 1992 Albertville Winter Games and took silver at the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994 in addition to claiming back-to-back world championships in 1991 and 1992 with former partner Natalia Mishkutienok.
Young Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze climbed past reigning world champions Mandy Woetzel and Ingo Steuer to claim the silver medal despite a big fall that came at the very end of their free skating.
Japanese-born Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen, two-time U.S. national champions, ended in fourth place, while up-and-coming Chinese Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo put on a dynamic performance to move up from eighth place in the short program to fifth overall.
Marie Arai and Shin Amano, Japan's lone competitive pair taking part in their first-ever major international meet using the host country's berth, struggled with Arai's numerous failed jump landings to end last in a field of 20 couples.
The Olympic figure skating competition continues with the men's short program Thursday.
Results of the figure skating pairs free program Tuesday in the 18th Olympic Winter Games at White Ring, Nagano:
1. Oksana Kazakova and Artur Dmitriev, Russia 1.5 points
2. Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, Russia 3.5
3. Mandy Wotzel and Ingo Steuer, Germany 4.0
4. Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen, U.S. 6.0
5. Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, China 9.0
6. Sarah Abitbol and Stephane Bernadis, France 9.5
7. Marina Eltsova and Andrei Bushkov, Russia 9.5
8. Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, U.S. 12.0
9. Peggy Schwarz and Mirko Muller, Germany 12.5
10. Dorota Zagorska and Mariusz Siudek, Poland 16.0
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14. Marina Khalturina and Andrei Kroukov, Kazakstan 22.0
18. Inga Rodionova and Aleksandr Anichenko, Azerbaijan 27.5
19. Mariya Krasiltseva and Aleksander Chestnikh, Armenia 28.0
20. Marie Arai and Shin Amano, Japan 30.0
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Copyright 1998 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun