Russia’s Plushenko Is Man to Beat

Evgeni Plushenko of Russia, the Salt Lake City silver medalist, is the consensus favorite. But the ice is slippery, as the saying goes, and Plushenko has had an injury-plagued season.

Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland and Jeffrey Buttle of Canada, who finished 1-2 at last year’s world championship, should contend.

And Evan Lysacek of the U.S. plans to upgrade his program to include a quadruple jump, and that could serve him well if he skates cleanly.