Target: Topple Slutskaya

The Russian is the overwhelming favourite to win the only gold medal missing from her collection when the women's competition begins on Tuesday with the short programme.

Slutskaya won an unprecedented seventh European women's title in Lyon and could again skate into the record books by becoming the first Russian to win her Olympic discipline.

"Feeling good and happy to be here," Slutskaya told reporters on Sunday.

Despite the country's dominance of figure skating, the women's Olympic crown has, surprisingly, always eluded them.

Slutskaya's second-place finish behind Sarah Hughes in 2002 was the first time a Russian woman had even claimed a silver.

Among those hoping that Slutskaya will slip up is American Sasha Cohen, last year's world silver medallist behind the Russian, Italian hope Karolina Kostner and a trio of Japanese contenders.

One person who will be conspicuous by her absence will be Michelle Kwan, who had to withdraw after picking up a groin strain during her first practice session in the city.

If Slutskaya's training form is anything to go by, her challengers' best bet of landing an Olympic gold will be in 2010 in Vancouver - provided the twice world champion has hung up her boots by then.

Ever since the new accumulative-points judging system was introduced two years ago, only one woman has been able to beat

Slutskaya. Luckily for the Russian, Japan's 15-year-old sensation Mao Asada is too young to compete in Turin.

Asada defeated Slutskaya in December's grand prix final.

Slutskaya showed off her soaring jumps and strong spins when she tested the ice at the Palavela rink for the first time on Sunday.

Less than 24 hours after jetting into Turin from her home in Moscow, the Russian went through the paces of her sultry Rhumba and Flamenco choreography, landing triple-double jump combinations with ease.

Miki Ando, at 18 the youngest of the Japanese contingent, will be hoping to impress the judges with her trademark quadruple Salchow.

She is only woman to have landed the jump in international competition and wants to repeat the feat at the Games.

However, the last time she completed the move during competition was at the Japanese nationals in 2003.

"The Olympic Games are the biggest occasion of my sporting career... regardless of the outcome - whether I have a successful or unsuccessful landing - I have the chance to try," Ando said.

World bronze medallist Kostner, who had the honour of carrying the Italian flag during the Opening Ceremony, will be shouldering the hopes of the home nation but she refused to get carried away by the expectations.

"I'll give my best but when you jump, you can't be 100 percent sure... if you fall down, it doesn't mean you aren't a good skater."

Cohen has kept a low profile over the past week, practising away from the glare of publicity in Courmayeur. The field was reduced to 29 after Russia's Viktoria Volchkova pulled out with an infected blister.