PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Russian world champions Anjelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov edged nearer their first European title when they again held off the French challenge in the second phase of the ice dance event on Thursday.

They won the original dance, the waltz, with one perfect 6.0 for artistry to push further ahead of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat in the battle to succeed Olympic champions Pasha Grishuk and Evgeny Platov as European champions.

Grishuk and Platov have turned professional with other partners since their Olympic success in Nagano last year and Krylova and Ovsiannikov won the world title in their absence last April.

The French pair still have high hopes that their free dance, which has attracted rave reviews, might be enough to tip the balance in their favor in Friday night's finale.

THEIR PERFORMANCE TO MUSIC from the movie The Man in the Iron Mask has been hailed as a tour de force while the Russians' drum music finale has been criticized by some observers.

If they beat the Russians in the free dance they will clinch the gold medals. Krylova and Ovsiannikov won both compulsories on Tuesday and seven of the nine judges preferred them to the French in the waltz, Hungarian judge Istvan Sugar awarding them a 6.0.

But American judge Patricia French preferred third-placed Russians Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh to both couples above them.

Krylova called their 6.0 "a very big success because it is not awarded very often in the original dance."

Ovsiannikov said it was their second perfect score, the first coming in their own national championships this month.

THE FRENCH WALTZ IS BARELY a month old. They scrapped the old one because they felt too many other couples were skating to the same Masquerade music by Russian composer Aram Khachaturian.

They are now using music from an obscure Russian movie which translates into "My sweet and tender beast."

Krylova did not want to discuss their free program but Peizerat had no such qualms.