Top 10 Reasons Why Alexei Urmanov Wears Gloves:
(from the Skate-fans mailing list)

by Sandra Loosemore 

10. They match the ruffles.

9.  They clash with the ruffles.

8.  His mother always nagged him never to go out without his gloves on
    when he was a little boy.

7.  He bites his fingernails and wants to hide them.

6.  It's awfully cold in those Russian ice rinks.

5.  He doesn't want to leave fingerprints.

4.  He has a phobia about germs and wants to keep his hands clean.

3.  It's a recognition signal for a mysterious secret society.

2.  His hand was mangled when opening a package from the unabomber.

1.  He wants people to speculate about why he wears them.

More below...

Another 10 Reasons Why Alexei Urmanov Wears Gloves:

10. Well-mannered young gentlemen always wear gloves.

9.  He gets sweaty palms when he's nervous.

8.  Hiding tattoos of Soviet battleships and Mig jets from his coach

7.  Handy place to conceal Kleenex, for lack of pockets... (ditto for the
folds in the volcano outfit)

6.  Performing "white glove" tests on the dust in the dressing rooms backstage

5.  Dishpan hands

4.  Was Mickey Mouse in a former lifetime

3.  Arcane Russian superstition ("one glove at night, skater's
delight...two gloves in the morning, skaters take warning...")

2.  Annoying Dick Button

1.  Burglarizing Vyacheslav's tiara

Contributed by:
Sarah Holland
Selene Ahn
Susan Guidry