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Natalia Mishkutinok and Artur Dmitriev of the Soviet Union discovered how to turn a "Dream of Love" into gold.

The Soviet pair won the gold medal at the World Figure Skating Championships Wednesday with a balletic performance of delicate twists and spirals.

The European champions became the 24th Soviet pair to win the title in the last 27 championships and raised the streak to seven in a row.

Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler of Canada, who led after the original program, could not match the technical ability and the artistry of the Soviets' long program and had to settle for the silver.

Natasha Kuchiki and Todd Sand of the United States won the bronze.

Mishkutinok, 20, and Dmitriev, 23, both from Leningrad, skated to Franz Liszt's "Dream of Love," the same music used by Ludmila and Oleg Protopopov, who began the Soviet domination in the pairs event in the 1960s.

"It's a dream about love, she is like a cloud in the sky, he is a nice-looking guy, looking at the sky and dreaming of love," said the Soviets' coach Tamara Moskvina.

Dmitriev said playing ice hockey and wrestling in his younger days gave him the strength to lift his partner so gracefully.

The Soviets earned all 5.8s and 5.9s, except for one 5.7, for their long program, which counted for two-thirds of the final score.

In the men's competition, Kurt Browning found himself in the place where he has been before. The two-time champion is in second place going into the decisive free routine on Thursday.

Twice before, the Canadian came from behind to win the title. This time it may be more difficult.

After Wednesday's original program, Browning is trailing two-time European champion Viktor Petrenko of the Soviet Union. Petrenko outshone Browning in the original program, which counts for one-third of the final score. The free routine counts for two-thirds.

Browning and Petrenko dazzled the crowd at Munich's Olympic hall, both executing triple axel-triple toe loop combinations flawlessly.

But the Soviet, skating to the music of "Carmen," looked more at ease and landed on two of his jumps with his arms folded.

The 24-year-old Browning also made no mistakes and succeeded in everything he attempted. But only the American and the Canadian judge rated him higher than Petrenko.

"My coach said Victor skated amazingly well, that he looked strong and fast," Browning said. "But I am really happy with my skating. It's a matter of taste for the judges. I stepped on the ice knowing what he can do, and I was trying to do better."

Petr Barna of Czechoslovakia, helped by a perfect 6.0 for his presentation, was third. Christopher Bowman of the United States was fourth after a routine that included a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination.

"It's kind of hard to skate here because the audience was a bit removed from the ice," said Bowman, who likes to play to the crowd. "It's hard to get an emotional response from them."

American champion Todd Eldredge was fifth.

The third American, Paul Wylie, fell on a double axel, missed a jump combination and had a bad landing on a triple lutz. His marks went as low as 3.9 and Wylie was the last of the 20 skaters who qualified for the long program out of a field of 33.

Browning came back from second to win his first world title in 1989. He did it again last year in Halifax, Nova Scotia, after trailing Petrenko following the figures and the short program.

This time there were no figures and Browning says he is more confident than last year.