The Palais Omnisports de Bercy was at maximum capacity for the men's short program afternoon session. From the concrete stands, the murmur of thousands of French spectators mingled with the echo of applause and the announcements of the official public address system in French and English. The flags of Japan, Canada, the Russian Federation, and other nations hung from the metal ceiling structure, fluttering slightly in the draft from the ventilation system. In the technical warm-up zone, hidden behind the advertising boards and the ISU television screens, the tension was so dense that the sound of skates cutting the practice ice felt like a sharp blow to the athletes' nerves.
