Browning keeps his hopes on ice

THE final of the men's Olympic figure skating here tonight offers such an unusual array of possibilities that for once we may have to apply some minor mathematics before the winner emerges.

Ordinarily, one of the first three in the original programme section comes first in free skating. That guideline cannot be applied now, not with a skater like Kurt Browning, world champion the last three years, lying fourth, behind Viktor Petrenko, of the United Team, Petr Barna, Czechoslovakia, and Paul Wylie, the United States.

For Browning to take the gold medal, however, he will need help from elsewhere. Not only must he, almost certainly, win the free skating but someone else must finish in front of Petrenko. Recalling how poorly the Ukrainian skated in the European championships at Lausanne three weeks ago, it is not hard to visualise Barna, for one, outpointing him again.

In that case, Browning and Barna would both finish with three points and the tie would be broken in the Canadian's favour by his superior free skating marks.

Clearly, Browning holds the key. On his record, and indeed his form, he is expected to win tonight's free skating, but doubts persist about his physical fitness and, so to speak, his match fitness after being out of action for most of the season through injury.

Certainly, his clattering fall in the original programme on the triple axel came out of the blue. He was again vulnerable during yesterday's practice, leaving us to wonder whether all will be right on the night, and whether his big-match temperament will see him through.

The draw has been generous to Browning. He skates immediately in front of Petrenko and thus can tighten the pressure. The order of the last group is: Urmanov, Browning, Petrenko, Wylie, Barna and Stojko.

Steven Cousins, twelfth in the original with a superb skate, finds himself high up in the draw, following Christopher Bowman, the American champion, and preceding Urbanov.

Meanwhile, the first stage of the ice dance competition began predictably, with the Moscow couple, Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko, first, on 0.4 points.