Chinese skaters are first out of the hat

CHINESE favourites Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo face a long wait to see how they measure up against their main Olympic rivals after being drawn to skate first in the pairs short programme.

The husband-and-wife team, who came out of retirement last year in search of the Olympic figure skating title, will take to the ice more than three hours earlier than German world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy, who will be the last of the 20 couples to perform tomorrow.

"I think it's OK," said team leader Dong Yang. "The most important is their performance not the starting order."

Three-time world champions Shen and Zhao are used to waiting, having competed at three previous Winter Games without winning gold. They have two bronze medals from 2002 and 2006.

Meanwhile, snow conditions have already forced the first delay at the Vancouver Games, postponing the women's Olympic super-combined.

The women had been scheduled to race tomorrow, and a new date has not been set yet.

The status of the men's downhill race, which is scheduled for today, also is in jeopardy.

The decision was made yesterday after heavy overnight rain made the course unsafe.