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--> --> Alexei Yagudin's gold. AP Goebel's bronze proves nice distraction for skating fans SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Let the Russians and Canadians worry about the pairs medals. American figure skating fans can focus on something else: a bronze medal for Tim Goebel, the first by a U.S. male in a decade. Goebel, last year's national champion who came to the Winter Olympics seeking experience more than hardware, ran the United States' medal-winning streak to six straight days Thursday by finishing third behind Russians Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko Best of all, there wasn't any squawking about whether those Russians really earned it. The debate over the pairs victory by Russia's Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze continued Thursday with talk of a second gold medal being awarded to Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier. The head of the skating union said it would be "very difficult, not impossible." The only time that happened it benefited a Canadian synchronized swimmer whose score was incorrectly submitted by a judge. The crux of this controversy is an intentional score by a French judge pressured to "act in a certain way," according to the head of the French Olympic committee. The skating union will discuss the matter Monday. An international sports tribunal will take up the issue this afternoon after Canadian Olympic officials said Sale and Pelletier should get the gold and demanded that the French judge - and the other eight member judges - be called to explain what happened last Monday night. See OLYMPICS, Page 12 Watching the saga unfold are the Olympic ice dancers, who consider such conflicts as much a part of their sport as music. They begin with compulsories Friday night. The first medal to be awarded Friday is in luge doubles, followed by the cross-country women's 5-kilometer freestyle pursuit, the men's and women's parallel giant slalom and the Nordic combined relay. Also Friday, the round-robin part of the men's hockey tournament - the good stuff, with the NHL stars - begins with Russia facing Belarus in the first game. The U.S. men play their opener Friday night against 1998 bronze medalist Finland. --- - FIGURE SKATING: With four perfect scores for artistry, three more than any man had ever received at the Olympics, Yagudin left no room for doubt about his victory. "I don't really care what happened in the pairs event. That's not my business," said Yagudin, a three-time world champion who finished fifth at the Nagano Games. "I know I really deserve what I am wearing around my neck." Goebel lived up to his "Quad King" nickname by becoming the first Olympian to hit three four-revolution jumps. "I skated as well as I can skate," he said. World champion Plushenko overcame a botched short program by remaining on his feet and pulling off a rare, difficult combination that helped him win the silver. --- - SNOWBOARDING SLALOM: Chris Klug celebrated National Organ Donor Day in style, zipping down the parallel giant slalom course and qualifying for the Olympic finals 19 months after receiving a new liver. "I'm lucky to be here today," Klug said. "Without the gift of the donor family, I wouldn't be here today. They're the real heroes." Klug is the only American to make the men's showdown-style finals, which pits snowboarders side-by-side with the winner advancing. The top two seeded snowboarders are Gilles Jaquet of France and Austria's Alexander Maier, brother of Alpine skiing great Hermann Maier. Lisa Kosglow was the lone U.S. woman to make it to Friday's finals. --- - HOCKEY: U.S. star Cammi Granato expanded her Olympic resume with her first career hat trick in a 12-1 victory over China. The Americans clinched a berth in the medal round along with Finland (2-0), a 3-1 winner over Germany. The Americans and Finns face off Saturday, with the loser going into a semifinal against the winner of the later game between Sweden (2-0) and No. 1 overall seed Canada (2-0). In men's action, Latvia beat Ukraine 9-2 for ninth place, Switzerland defeated Austria 4-1 for 11th place and Slovakia beat France 7-1 for 13th. --- - WOMEN'S COMBINED SKIING: Caroline Lalive probably won't want to watch the videotape of her Olympic performances. Although Lalive is America's best all-around female skier, she flopped in the first of three legs of the combined Thursday, then dropped out. Janica Kostelic won it to become the first Croatian medalist at a Winter Olympics. She hopes to be joined next week by her brother, a favorite in the men's slalom. Renate Goetschl of Austria won the silver medal and Germany's Martina Ertl won bronze. The top American was 17-year-old Lindsey Kildow, who finished sixth. --- - SPEEDSKATING: Lookout, Bonnie Blair. Canada's Catriona Le May Doan is closing in fast. Le May Doan won her second straight 500-meter gold medal, picking up where Blair left off after winning a record three straight in 1988, '92 and '94. Blair was the first to win two in a row. Germans Monique Garbrecht-Enfeldt and Sabine Volker took second and third. Chris Witty was the highest-finishing American, finishing 14th out of 31 skaters. --- - CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Surprised that Spain has won two cross country gold medals? Well, the Spaniard who earned both is German-born Johann Muehlegg, who became a Spanish citizen after a 1998 dispute with the German ski federation. "I'm not the fastest skier or the best sprinter. But I have a good motor," said Muehlegg, who added the 10-kilometer pursuit title to the 30-kilometer freestyle championship he already won. --- - CURLING: The American men beat Switzerland 6-2, ending a three-match losing skid, and Canada lost for the first time, falling 6-5 to Sweden. The U.S. women lost twice - 9-4 to Denmark and 7-6 to Switzerland - while Canada and Switzerland remained undefeated. Norway and Russia went 1-1 on the day, but the victories were their first of the tournament. --- - NORDIC COMBINED: Competition was delayed until Saturday and Sunday because of swirling winds on the small hill. "When the weather is ready, we'll be ready," U.S. team member Bill Demong said. Email your... 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