Olympians put on a show

We're nearing a bizarre temperature change as Winter Olympics champions skate into a cool Jacksonville Coliseum Tuesday to heat up fans' hearts during the Stars on Ice tour.

And there's none hotter than 2002 Olympic gold medalist Alexei Yagudin. Yagudin, who just turned 23 Tuesday, already has set the Olympic record for marks in figure skating and has captured his fourth world championship. Now he's skating with other Olympic and world champions including Katarina Witt, Todd Eldredge and Kurt Browning.

In a phone interview, the champion skater from Russia talked about what it felt like to win gold, Florida's beautiful women and being nominated with the likes of Tiger Woods for athlete of the year.

T-U: How different is performing in Stars on Ice to competing in the Olympics or world championships?

Yagudin: Well, the tour is always different, because I look at it as mental vs. physical. Physically, it's much harder, because I skate six times in each show. But mentally, it's much easier because there are no judges, and you don't have to worry as much about messing up.

T-U: What sport do you enjoy most after figure skating?

Yagudin: We have a Ping-Pong table here [on tour], but I also really like hockey and tennis. Tennis, I like to play; hockey, I like to watch. I pretty much have enough frozen water in my life.

T-U: What is your training schedule? Do you have any free time?

Yagudin: I will always find free time. I can't be involved in this sport 24 hours a day. I'm getting tired of that, especially in Florida, where there are so many beautiful girls, and it's always warm. I'm not famous; I'm just a regular person. I'm the same as everybody else. I watch movies and work out with friends.

T-U: Promoters say you perform the most of any other skater in Stars on Ice. How are you able to keep up that pace with three to five shows a week?

Yagudin: Because I'm still young. ... I do three solo numbers: a funny one, a dramatic one and another funny one. We have a chance to show all the sides of us. It's good to spend time on this tour, because you learn something else. You get it on the higher level. I have one number called Born to be Wild. I don't get that crazy, because there are always limits. I get a little crazy though.

T-U: What was it like winning an Olympic gold medal in 2002 and receiving the highest marks by a single skater in Olympic history?

Yagudin: I don't really care if I broke the record or not. I just care about being on top of the podium. I remembered all the problems I had on the way. I'm twice as happy because I made my coach and my mom happy. I made all those people involved in my job happy. Eighteen years I've been working, and finally I got it.

T-U: How excited were you on being nominated for ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year Award in 1999, along with Tiger Woods, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and others?

Yagudin: I was just more happy about winning my second world title, but it's always pleasing being on magazines and being nominated.

T-U: In addition to all the medals and championships, you've also been named to Sports Illustrated Women's 75 Sexiest Men in Sports list and People magazine's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors. How do you react to that attention?

Yagudin: It's just really pleasing when people don't see me as just a figure skater.

T-U: What's the biggest highlight in the Stars On Ice show?