Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Olympic favourite Irina Slutskaya of Russia was grateful Sunday as American teenager Emily Hughes acted as a courier for her dress ahead of her Winter Games challenge starting on Tuesday night.
Slutskaya, the 2002 Olympic silver medallist, looked strong in her jumps as she practiced on the Olympic ice at the Palavela for the first time on Sunday.
And the 26-year-old was relieved that her dress for the free skate was not in her luggage which was lost for about an hour after she arrived Saturday night.
Hughes gave the Russian the dress before the draw Sunday.
She was asked to transport the Russian's outfit from the United States as the pair share the same Manhattan-based designer Tania Bass.
Bass asked Hughes as soon as she heard the 17-year-old American would be replacing the injured Michelle Kwan.
Slutskaya will skate 18th among 29 women in Tuesday night's short programme.
Sasha Cohen of teh United States skates last, following Italy's Carolina Kostner.
Japan's Miki Ando skates in 14th ahead of Hughes, while former world champion Shizuka Arakawa is 21st and Japanese national champion Fumie Suguri in 27th.
ea/ak06
Oly-2006-FSkate-women-draw
AFP 191927 GMT 02 06
COPYRIGHT 2004 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved.
