No one questions the Chinese work ethic, but the gold-medal favorites were oddly muted at times today.

Several players admitted that playing the dual role of international good sportsman and dominant gold-medal favorite can be a chore.

The competition, though, could be dominated by Russians, who have the gold-medal favorites in all four disciplines.

Miller and Raich will be the gold-medal favorites in the combined two days later.

This time, he is the gold-medal favorite.

Forty-eight hours later, they outdid themselves against Canada, the prohibitive gold-medal favorite.

The world title had made them early gold-medal favorites.

Ann Battelle, a gold-medal favorite, snagged the 16th and final spot last night when a two-time world champion failed to finish.

But Lodwick will not be among the gold-medal favorites in Nagano.

In 1998 and in 2002, Kwan entered the Games as the gold-medal favorite only to have another American win.