1.   In July they will be married, which is unusual among American pairs but long the custom among the former Soviet champions from the Protopopovs to Gordeyeva and Grinkov.

2.   Once again, none of the American pairs or dance couples made it.

3.   Sikharulidze, for example, had trained for two years in New Jersey, and his coach, Tamara Moskvina, also coached American pairs.

4.   The American pair of Tom Bohrer and Pat Manning finished fourth and missed the final by three seconds.

5.   The best American pair might have been Karolyn Kirby and ex-UCLA star Liz Masakayan, but the latter has not sufficiently recovered from injury.

6.   The other American pair, Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, self-destructed as he struggled with his jumping and she fell twice to the ice.

7.   The Winter Olympics have been personal as well as athletic signposts for American pairs skaters Jenni Meno and Todd Sand.

8.   Try to imagine the pressure on the American pairs team of Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen.

9.   American pair Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow were in third.

10.   Pottharst admitted the American pair had outplayed them, but she slammed Fontana for level accusations about rigging the competition.