RUSSIA AT THE OLYMPICS: Figure Skating: Plushenko steps up as style battle looms

Vancouver (AFP) - Yevgeny Plushenko on Tuesday opens his bid to show he is among the greatest Olympic figure skaters of all time amid a row over quadruple jumps and lobbying. A win would make him the first skater to retain the title in 58 years and in addition to his silver from 2002 see him surpass Dick Button and Karl Schafer as the second most successful Olympic skater after Swede Gillis Grafstrom. His return from retirement has not pleased everyone, however, with the critics lining up to pick holes in the 27-year-old Russian's style of skating seen as too outdated under the new judging system. At the heart of the matter is the quad, a difficult four-rotation jump, seen by many as a necessity to land the biggest prize in figure skating. European skaters like former world champions Plushenko, Stephane Lambiel and Brian Joubert can execute the jump, while many North Americans, including reigning world champion Evan Lysacek and silver medallist Patrick Chan cannot. Plushenko, Lambiel and Joubert are planning two in their free programme in Vancouver, Lysacek and Chan don't think it's worth the risk and prefer to focus on other apsects. The men's event will see a clash of styles - the older more athletic Plushenko-style - and the new era which has evolved under the new judging system and favours transitions, spins and step sequences. "The last two years, men without a quad won worlds, and I thought 'that's impossible' I have to come back," said Plushenko. His comments on his marks for his admitted lack of transitions at Europeans, led to a series of emails sent by a US judge to other judges which were deemed as lobbying against the European skaters. This sets the scene for a much-anticipated clash in the Pacific Coliesum. Plushenko may not have it all his own way in an event which sees one of the most open fields ever with at least seven men capable of winning. The Russian is largely untested with most of his rivals having either never competed against him or last competed against him at the Turin Games. He won a sixth European title last month but ahead of Lambiel and Joubert, who were both returning from injury. Lysacek, Canada's Chan, reigning two-time US champion Jeremy Abbott, Japan's Daisuke Takahashi and Nobunari Oda and Czech outsider Tomas Verner are also in the running for the podium. Olympic silver medallist Lambiel believes that in the end styles of skating will not be judged on the night but the performance. "Maybe I'm a bit naive but I believe judges are judging what they see," said the 24-year-old Swiss. "I'm not taking one side or the other. I'm trying to be not just a performer and technical skater but also to be a dancer. Figure skating is not one or the other side, it's both." Joubert, who has said he believes the quad will be necessary for the Olympic title, added: "We all have our strong and weak points. For some skaters it's the quad or others the transitions, spins, steps. That's how it is." The free skating final takes place on Thursday.

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