TURIN, Italy — The past three decades were a stumble to nowhere for U.S. ice dancers. The near future could be a waltz to the medals stand.

The present is pretty darn good, too, thanks to Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto.

The pair — in Olympic limbo just two months ago — won the first U.S. ice dancing medal in 30 years Monday night, a silver behind Russia's Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov. It also was the first U.S. figure skating medal in Turin.

"This has been a very up and down year with our emotions," Agosto said. "We were not even sure we'd be here, and to now be here and with this medal around our necks is amazing."

In ice dancing, of all things.

Since Colleen O'Connor and Jim Millns won bronze in 1976 for the only other U.S. medal in the event, most Americans bumbled while the Russians, French, English and Canadians boogied on by.

Then along came Belbin and Agosto. Although they have won three U.S. titles, they were barred from the Olympics until she got her American citizenship.

The Canadian-born Belbin became a U.S. citizen seven weeks ago thanks to an act of Congress, pushing up the pair's Olympic schedule four years. They paid back everyone who sped up the naturalization process, surging from sixth after compulsories to second through the original dance.

The Americans remained in second with a passionate flamenco free skate that far surpassed their program at nationals, but was not completely clean — and certainly was not in the same league as Navka and Kostomarov's playful routine to "Carmen."

No matter. Considering where U.S. dance has been — or hasn't been — through the past three decades, silver was just super.

"I think that all athletes, U.S. athletes in particular ... have additional pressure to add to that medal count," Belbin said. "We were discussing before we were competing here that it's funny there is so much attention on the podium."

Ah, but that is the American way, as Belbin quickly has learned. Almost as quickly as she and Agosto have sashayed to the top of their sport.

Even the winners, as well as bronze medalists Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov of Ukraine, praised Belbin and Agosto's rapid advance through the often-glacial skating discipline.

"I am so happy for (Tanith and Ben) because everybody knows it was so hard for them to compete here because they have problem with citizenship," said Navka, who was in her fourth Olympics. "Like a woman, like a mother, I am so happy for Tanith because you never know what is going on in four years, everything that can happen.

"Congratulations, they are a very talented couple and they do very fast progress."

Navka and Kostomarov most likely won't be around to see it. They're unsure about skating in the world championships next month and probably will retire.

They take with them Russia's third gold medal in as many figure skating events in Turin. Evgeni Plushenko won the men's title, Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin took the pairs. And countrywomen Irina Slutskaya is favored for the women's crown, beginning with Tuesday night's short program.

"I think every Russian wins not because they are Russians," Navka said, "but because they are the best. I hope we also won today because we were the best, not because we are just Russians."

Americans Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov were 14th, and Jamie Silverstein and Ryan O'Meara finished 16th.

Italian favorites Barbara Fusar Poli and Maurizio Margaglio exchanged hugs and kisses, not venomous glares, after their free program that placed them sixth. On Sunday night, their original dance was a disaster after a late fall that eliminated them from medals contention.

"We were speaking with our eyes like, what we did? We did a mistake," Fusar Poli said. "It was like, `Whoa! We made a mistake.' It was nothing bad between us."

And it was everything good for Belbin and Agosto, who are young enough to be thinking about 2010. She is 21 and he is 24.

After the medals ceremony, they could have lingered on the ice until the Vancouver Olympics. They posed for pictures, clowned for the crowd, waved the flag and tried to thank every single fan who showed up to cheer them.

"I think the moment we saw the flag rising was the one we did not allow ourselves to even imagine," Agosto said.

Imagine it?

Believe it.