The XX Olympic Winter Games were held in Turin (Italy) in 2006. It was the second consecutive Winter Games held on Italian soil (1954; Cortina d'Ampezzo). Worth noting is that Turin was one of the six cities, right next to Zakopane, which applied for the organisation of the Games. The mascots of the Games were Neve (a figure made of rounded snow, dressed in a red costume) and Gliz (a figure made of ice with angular shapes, dressed in a blue costume). The opening of the whole event was inaugurated on February 10, 2006 at the Olympic Stadium. The rivalry undertaken by figure skating players representing more than 20 countries took place at the Palavela ice rink in Turin. The Polish team included two duos: Dorota Zagórska and Mariusz Siudek (sports skating); Aleksandra Kauc and Michał Zych (dance skating). The first of the above mentioned pairs was in 9th position, which is interesting because they did not plan to participate in the Olympic competition in Turin, while the second one took 21st place (third from the end).