Belbin is only 21 and Agosto 24, babies in ice dancing. Consider that Navka turns 31 in April, and was skating in her fourth Olympics. Kostomarov turned 29 earlier this month.

“It’s always a little bitter taste when you have a silver medal. It’s one step away from gold,” said Igor Shpilband, Belbin and Agosto’s longtime coach. “I’m sure they will learn from this. I still couldn’t be any happier with the way they skated.”

Sixth after a spotty showing in compulsories, Belbin and Agosto sambaed into second with their sultry Latin original dance. They stayed there with a passionate flamenco free skate that far surpassed their program at nationals, but wasn’t flawless — and nowhere close to Navka and Kostomarov’s playful routine to “Carmen.”

But their lifts were interesting and showcased her flexibility. In one combination lift, Agosto was in a spread eagle and Belbin hung upside down over his arm while pulling one leg up to her head.

But she also had a slight stumble on a twizzle — a turn — and they didn’t generate the heat a flamenco usually does. Even the crowd didn’t get into it until late in the program.

Slide show   Fashion on ice A look at stylish, elegant and crazy figure skating costumes

“Obviously, we were proud of ourselves, but we would have preferred to have skated clean,” Belbin said. “But when you add it all together, regardless of what we finished, we were second overall.”

Navka and Kostomarov weren’t perfect, either. They were slightly off on their footwork and finished their program with a small bobble. But their maturity and experience was evident for all to see. They were seductive and entertaining, and when she did her flamenco steps at the start of the program, the click of her skates on the ice sounded like castanets.

When they finished, she brushed her hands across the ice and he slid on his knees, pumping his arms in triumph.

“I can’t believe it yet,” Navka said. “This is my dream from when I was a little girl. I always wish to be Olympic champion, and it is coming and I am so happy.”

Italian favorites Barbara Fusar Poli and Maurizio Margaglio were happy, too, even if they didn’t make the podium. The couple lost any chance for a medal with their infamous stumble-and-stare during the original dance Sunday, but they were back to playing nice Monday.

“We were not angry with each other,” Margaglio said. Not even on Sunday? “We came on the ice in first place, and we wanted to keep it. You don’t think you would be angry with that?”