March 30, 2000 11:21 AM Reuters

NICE, France, March 30 (Reuters) - Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio of Italy produced a rare surprise at the world figure skating championships on Thursday when they beat home favourites Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat in the original dance section of the ice dance.

Fusar-Poli and Margaglio, European silver medallists behind the charismatic French couple last month in Vienna, impressed the judges and stunned the crowd with a high-energy routine performed to an infectious Latin beat.

"I think we did more than 100 percent today," Margaglio said. "We knew we needed a big original dance because we're fighting a very good couple skating in their own nation."

When their high marks, including 5.9s from eight of the nine judges for presentation, flashed on to the scoreboard, the French crowd appeared unworried, politely applauding in the belief that the performance was nothing their own skaters could not top.

But the crowd's confidence was misplaced.

While Anissina and Peizerat had no problem convincing the partisan audience who was best, the judges' opinion differed, placing the French pair second and handing the Italians the advantage going into Friday's decisive free skating programme.

"I can't say we skated very well today," Peizerat said. "But we have a very powerful and strong performance for tomorrow.

"We have nothing left to lose now.

"We really want to win the title we were robbed of last year."

There was little movement behind the main medal contenders, with the Russian pair of Irina Lovacheva and Ilia Averbukh holding on to third place ahead of European bronze medallists Margarita Drobiaazko and Povilas Vanagas of Lithuania.

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