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American Kwan Leads Women Figure Skaters VOA News 20 Feb 2002 05:42 UTC 
Reigning world champion, American Michelle Kwan, is in first place in women's figure skating at the winter Olympics, heading into Thursday's free skate program.
A cool and confident Kwan received nearly perfect scores for presentation from the judges during her nearly two and one-half minute short program. She edged out her main rival, Irina Slutskaya of Russia, to win the women's short program late Tuesday in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sixteen-year-old Sasha Cohen of the United States placed third.
The short program has eight required elements and accounts for one third of a skater's final score. The free skate program provides the other two thirds.
If one of the top three women wins the free skate program on Thursday, she will win the gold medal. However, questions continued over the judging for figure skating, with the coach of fifth-placed European champion Maria Butyrskaya of Russia saying the judges' "games" continue.
Meanwhile, the U.S. women's bobsled team has made Olympic history - winning the first-time event's first gold medal. The win by Americans Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers is also the first gold medal performance by any U.S. bobsled team since 1948.
Flowers is the first African-American athlete ever to win a gold medal in any winter Olympic games.
Two German teams placed second and third to win the silver and bronze medals.
Some information for this report provided by AP and DPA.
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