Location-Paris, France

Schedule-

• Jan 16, 1997-Jan 18-Training
• 1/19-Mens Qualifying
• 1/20-Ladies Qualifying
• 1/21-Ice Dance Compulsories and Pairs Short Program
• 1/22-Men's short program and Pairs long program
• 1/23-Original dance and Men's long program
• 1/24-Ladies short program and Ice dance free program
• 1/25-Ladies long program
• 1/26-Gala

Review-

In the short program, Elena and Anton skated cleanly. Going into the free skate, B&S were in fourth place, trailing Sarah Abitbol and Stephane Bernadis of France. The scores were:

Elena and Anton defeated Sarah Abitbol and Stephane Bernadis by a bit to capture the bronze medal and Europeans. This was their first medal at a major international competition, and let the world know that they are among the world's top pairs. The scores improved from the short program:

Standings After Short Program-

1. Marina Eltsova and Andrei Bushkov - RUS
2. Mandy Woetzel and Ingo Steuer - GER
3. Sarah Abitbol and Stephane Bernadis - FRA
4. Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze - RUS
5. Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov - RUS
6. Dorota Zagorska and Mariusz Siudek - POL
7. Evgenia Filonenko and Igor Marchenko - UKR
8. Peggy Schwarz and Mirko Muller - GER
9. Lesley Rogers and Michael Aldred - GBR
10. Elena Belousovskaya and Stanislav Morozov - UKR
11. Elaine Asanaki and Joel McKeever - GRE
12. Sabrina Lefrancois and Nicolas Osseland - FRA
13. Inga Rodionova and Alexandr Anishenko - AZE
14. Svetlana Plachonina and Dmitri Kaplun - BUL
15. Maria Krasiltseva and Alexander Chestnikh - ARM
16. Jekaterina Nekrassova and Valdis Mintals - EST
17. Olga Bestandigova and Josef Bestandig - SVK

Final Standings-

1. Marina Eltsova and Andrei Bushkov - RUS
2. Mandy Woetzel and Ingo Steuer - GER
3. Elena Bereznaya and Anton Sikharulidze - RUS
4. Sarah Abitbol and Stephane Bernadis - FRA
5. Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov - RUS
6. Peggy Schwarz and Mirko Mueller - GER
7. Dorota Zagorska and Mariusz Siude - POL
8. Yelena Beloussovskaya and Stanislav Morozov - UKR
9. Lesley Rogers and Michael Aldred - GBR
10. Elaine Asanakis and Joel McKeeve - GRE
11. Yevgenia Filonenko and Igor Marchenko - UKR
12. Sabrina Lefrancois and Nicolas Osseland - FRA
13. Inga Rodionova and Alexander Anichenko - AZE
14. Svetlana Plachonina and Dmitri Kaplun - BUL
15. Jekaterina Nekrassova and Valdis Mintals - EST
16. Maria Krasiltseva and Alexander Chestnikh - ARM
17. Olga Bestandigova and Josef Bestandig - SVK