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Figure skaters Shen and Zhao hint at retirement

Winners of the World Figure Skating Championships pairs event, Shen Xue, left, and Zhao Hongbo smile after receiving their medals in Tokyo on Wednesday. PHOTO: AFP

While not directly indicating that Wednesday's world pairs figure skating title would be their third and last competition, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo said it might be a long time before they compete again.

The ice dance continued yesterday with the original dance event, narrowing down the top field after the skaters did variations of the tango.

Bulgarians Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski, the current world champions, edged ahead of Canadians Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, who led after the compulsory dance, 99.52-99.50 with the free dance today to decide things.

Lurking in third place with 99.02 are Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, the four-time US champions.

"It makes it anybody's game," Agosto said. "The free dance will be interesting."

The pair skaters Shen and Zhao brought the crowd to its feet with a lyrical performance to Meditation by Massenet, combining artistry and technical feats. They won the world titles in 2002 and 2003 but missed the championships the last two years because of injuries.

"Right now I'm very tired and what we need is a long break ... We are not sure whether we will come back again."

Shen Xue, Chinese figure skater

This year's title may be their last.

Zhao left the door open a slight bit with a hesitant "maybe" in English when asked directly if it was their last competition.

Then the normally shy Shen took the microphone and quickly shut the door.

"Right now I'm very tired and what we need is a long break. This break might take maybe one year," she said. "We are not sure whether we will come back again."

After winning bronze medals at the last two Olympics, there is a possibility of an elusive gold at the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

"We will try to remain in condition. If before the Olympics we are still in shape, I think we will perform at the Olympics because the Olympics is our dream," Shen said.

"The immediate plan is to return to China and take it slow," Zhao said. "So what I'm thinking right now is that we need some time for ourselves and live a life."

They have been in competition a long time. She is 28 and he is 33, nearly ancient for pair skaters, and they have been skating together since 1992.

Their big breakthrough was at the 1999 world championships in Helsinki, Finland, when they nearly won over Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, who were the key figures of the 2002 Winter Olympic pairs scandal.

In Salt Lake City, Shen and Zhao were in contention and might have won if she landed the quadruple throw salchow. She had it for almost a second before falling.

When the two gold medalist pairs did not go to the 2002 world championships, Shen and Zhao won the worlds then and the following year.

But injuries have also taken their toll. Both have had ankle injuries and his Achilles tendon rupture in August 2005 nearly ended their career.

They missed the worlds in 2005 and last year before winning again Wednesday for perhaps the last time.

Maybe.

In the ice dance, the top three from last year's worlds are in the same position heading into today's free dance. But this time they are separated by a half-point.
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