  We study correlation functions of static quark-antiquark pairs in SU(2) gauge
theory at finite temperature. By measuring Polyakov loop correlators and
temporal Wilson loops with APE smearing of spatial links we are able to give
consistent definitions of the singlet and adjoint free energies at short
distances, where the notion of these free energies is meaningful. APE smearing
procedure allows to achieve a high degree of overlap in the singlet channel and
to reconstruct the adjoint part from the color averaged and singlet free
energy.
