Gold medal winners share ice in skating show

TORONTO (CP) - There is a poignant routine in the Stars On Ice skating show currently crossing Canada that puts Jamie Sale and David Pelletier on the ice together with Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze.

Think about it.

Little more than 14 months ago, the Russians won Olympic gold with a performance they and many others felt was worthy of first place but a judging scandal was uncovered and they were forced to share the title with the Canadians. The smiles on Russian faces on the shared podium were forced.

Yet, today, the four are holding hands as they share the Stars On Ice spotlight during this unique segment of the show.

American Todd Eldredge reads a poem about overcoming differences and of friendship as, first, Sale and Pelletier perform, leave leave the ice, and Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze follow. Both pairs then skate together.

``It has a message,'' says Sale. ``It relates to more than just skating.

``We're all just people trying to live and do the right things.''

Sikharulidze insists no bitterness remains.

``We look forward,'' he said in an interview before the show in Air Canada Centre on Friday night. ``We don't like to stay in the same place and look back.

``We're not thinking about what was 14 months ago. For us, it seems it was already a couple of years ago.''

The two pairs shared a bus during the U.S. portion of the tour.

``We like to hang out together,'' says Berezhnaya.

``We are really good friends,'' says Sikharulidze. ``We go out together, we spend a lot of time together.

``This (tour) has made us closer.''

Sale and Pelletier are constantly asked to describe their relationships with Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze.

``We don't need to prove to anybody we are friends,'' says Sale. ``We were never enemies to begin with.

``That was a whole thing created (in Salt Lake City) by the media. Now we're in this whole thing together. We're teammates. We're trying to make this show a great show.

``When we were asked in the U.S. who we wanted with us on our bus, we said them. Other tours separate the Russians from the rest. We said, `No, put Elena and Anton on our bus.' They've been awesome. Anton's very funny. She's quiet but she comes up with these one-liners that are really great. We've got to we another side of them we never knew.''

The tour continues Saturday in Hamilton, Sunday in London, Tuesday in Winnipeg, Thursday in Edmonton, Friday in Calgary and next Sunday in Vancouver.

While Sale and Pelletier have participated in events that make them ineligible for future International Skating Union competitions, including world championships and Olympics, and have no desire to return to the top competitive scene, the Russians are contemplating an attempt at a third world title.

``It's not time yet to decide,'' says Sikharulidze. ``We would like to wait until the tour is finished and we can relax and think about this at home in St. Petersburg and make our decision.''

But it is a possibility.

``Yes, sure,'' said Sikharulidze. ``Competition is interesting.''

He misses the challenge.

``There are special feelings when you are competing,'' says Berezhnaya. ``You want the best of yourself.

``In shows, this feeling really does not exist.''