The first wave of Russian Olympic figure skaters hit the ice at Abbotsford Recreation Centre to a chorus of oohs and aahs from spectators Monday morning.

A trio of Russian pairs skaters – Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov, Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov, and Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov – spent most of their time ironing out details of choreography and footwork, but wowed local fans with occasional jumps, lifts and spins.

“We’re working on finishing the last touches on their programs,” explained Russian coach Tamara Moskvina. “They’re collecting all the ingredients for a successful performance.”

The Russian team will train at ARC for more than two weeks (Feb. 1-17), and arriving in Canada in advance of the Olympics holds several benefits for the athletes. Adjusting to the 11-hour time change and the local climate is important, and the training camp also offers the skaters a chance to decompress following the stress of recent European championships.

“Our former experience shows that it’s very helpful and worthwhile (to arrive early),” Moskvina said.

The mezzanine seating area at ARC accommodates approximately 150 people, and about triple that showed up Monday morning. Spectators were rotated through in 20-minute intervals to watch the Olympians.

The Russian pairs that skated Monday figure to be in the mix for medals at the Vancouver Games. Kavaguti and Smirnov won the European championships, while Mukhortova and Trankov were third.

According to Moskvina, the drawbacks of bringing Plushenko to Canada early outweigh the benefits.

“He’s a very experienced skater, and he’s very famous,” Moskvina said. “To be here would be an extra challenge, because everybody will be asking to have a photo taken. It will be extra attention to him, and it will be a great distraction.

“He’ll come directly to the athletes’ village.”

Spectators can expect the cast of Russian figure skaters at ARC to expand every couple of days. Three more groups of ice dancers and men’s singles competitors are slated to arrive on Feb. 3, 6 and 11.

The Russian athletes will participate in a public meet-and-greet event on Sunday, Feb. 7, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the gymnasium at ARC.

The Russian team’s local training camp is a particular thrill for Alicia Tjutjunnik, an Abbotsford resident who will serve as the team’s community host. Tjutjunnik originally hails from the Kyrgyz Republic, formerly Kyrgyzstan in the Soviet Union. She moved to Canada six years ago to study at University of the Fraser Valley.

“To be part of this is such an amazing experience,” she enthused. “It’s so exciting to have them here.”