To Finish On A High.

In this Olympic year of comebacks, theirs ranks as arguably the most unlikely. Torvill, 36, and Dean, 35, will be the two oldest figure skaters competing. With four world championships, and Olympic medal and 10 years of lucrative professional tours behind them, why bother? “We’ve never really hit our peak,” says Torvill. “This gives us a chance to finish on a high.”

This isn’t a comeback because, she says, “we never really went away.” Ice dancing does not require the vigorous athleticism of the other three skating disciplines, and 10 years of touring have kept the pair in excellent condition. The swan songs – preferably in arenas packed with paying customers – can come later. Torvill and Dean plan a final world tour, no matter what happens in Lillehammer.

Their new centerpiece is skated, a la Fred Astaire and the 1930s, to “Let’s Face the Music and Dance.” The question is whether elegance and finesse will still capture judges in the ’90s. “Norway’s about completing a circle,” says Dean. Preferably a golden circle.