Feb. 12, 2000 11:21 AM Reuters

VIENNA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Irina Slutskaya put last year's dark days of isolation from the Russian team behind her on Saturday to regain the European title she won in 1996 and 1997.

The 21-year-old from Moscow ended the two-year reign of Maria Butyrskaya despite her compatriot's best performance of the season and led a Russian sweep of the medals in the event for the second successive year.

Viktoria Volchkova, hampered by a leg injury, made mistakes but hung to win the bronze narrowly from Vanessa Gusmeroli of France.

Gusmeroli was unlucky to miss out on a medal after what she called "the free skating of my life" but she was too far behind Volchkova on points to overhaul her.

Slutskaya's skating declined after her second title and in 1998 she lost out to Butyrskaya.

Then last year she was considered not good enough to make the Russian team for the European and world championships and thought briefly of quitting the sport.

But she realised skating was still what she wanted to do and, encouraged by her husband and family, she resolved to return to the top.

She has been the best in the world for the whole of this season and won the Russian national title and the Grand Prix finals to come to Vienna as a strong favourite, a role she completely justified.

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