Norwich - There's one way to tell when an international ice skating champion is on the ice - other than the dazzling costumes and technical precision. It's speed.

When Romanian junior champion Maria VanGeyskeien skated Saturday afternoon at the Norwich Ice Rink, her red-and-gold embellished dress seemed to blur as she circled the rink.

And when Angelina Telegina of Russia and Otar Japardize of Georgia, who skate for Georgia, glided onto the ice, their sleek all-black costumes merged into one.

The skating stars joined some national talent and some local skating hopefuls for a Summer Skating Extravaganza at the Norwich Ice Rink. About 150 people showed up for the late afternoon show.

"We want to bring a spark to Norwich,'' said Ashley Foy, director of figure skating at the rink. Foy, who is the German National Ice Dance junior champion, a Junior World competitor and International Ice Dance medalist, grew up in Simsbury watching well-known figure skaters train and perform at the International Skating Center of Connecticut.

The Norwich rink, which opened in 1994, has been struggling to become self-sufficient. The rink was criticized this spring for growing deficits that led to $81,000 in taxpayer subsidies over the past two years and an outstanding debt to the city of $261,000. Last spring, the rink's only manager, Jim Sanca, resigned and was replaced by his wife, Mia Sanca, who is in charge on a six-month trial basis.

Meanwhile, those who teach at the rink are anxious to show the community the benefit of having an indoor skating rink.

"We always had these huge shows,'' Foy said of expositions in Simsbury featuring "legacy" skating champions. "I wanted to do something to make people aware that we are here and on a good path."

Foy called up old coaches and friends and asked them to help out. Many obliged, including Tatiana Kozmavo and Alexander Zolotrev, who will be competing internationally this year at the junior level for Georgia; and Corenne Burhns-Alonso and Ryan Van Natten, Mexican National Ice Dance Champions and Olympic hopefuls.

Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland, the Canadian National Ice Dance champions, were supposed to appear, but Coomes suffered a shoulder injury and could not skate.

Foy said she is working on a production of "The Nutcracker" for December and a bigger and more extravagant show in March that will feature well-known skaters.

k.edgecomb@theday.com