41.   The outfit seemed a distant reminder of where many professional skaters were four years ago.

42.   The skater is to stay there through the end of this month, and then return to the United States to resume training with coach Tatyana Tarasova.

43.   Their meeting in front of U.S. television cameras was the first time the skaters had been together since the Lillehammer Games.

44.   The two American skaters are Dave Tamburrino of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and KC Boutiette of Tacoma, Wash.

45.   There were six skaters left in the event.

46.   Two other top skaters were down in the standings.

47.   Two U.S. skaters were first in the original dance after taking the lead in compulsories.

48.   But the Chinese skater had been there before, having been tipped to strike gold in the last Games in Nagano four years ago.

49.   There are some skaters missing in the worlds, so I think it was kind of lucky this time.

50.   Vanagas said that there were young skaters who deserved better results but that they were marked down because they were not yet ingrained in the hierarchy.