European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 30, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday january 30. 1988 the stars and stripes Page 25 Winter Olar Sipics skaters can figure on a Tough Road . Champs underdogs for Gold by Barry Wilner a sports writer Brian Boitano and Dubi Thomas Are peaking at the right Lime. It might not be enough. Though they won the . Figure skating championships last month they arc olympic underdogs. Despite four consecutive National titles and the 1986 world Crown Boitano is rated second to current world Champi on Brian or scr of Canada. Thomas who also won the . And world championships in 1986, is ranked behind 1984 olympic Champ Katarina Witt of East Germany. Although the United states is sending one of its strongest figure skating teams Ever to the Winter games Only Boitano and Thomas appear Likely to Challenge for a Gold medal. Soviet couples arc heavy favourites in pairs and dance Al though Jill Watson and i ctr Oppegard area medal threat in pairs. Boitano skated a impressively in the freestyle at the . Championships yet still won easily and was t particularly disturbed. After All the years i be been skating whether in practice or Competition there have been  and Downs the 24-year old from Sunnyvale calif., said. When i m skating great i know there will be a fall. When i m in a Valley i know i la Peak again. It s part of the training procedure. I m on schedule for  so is Thomas or at least she says she is. This year i m More ready than i be Ever been. That was the  Thomas 20. Of san Jose calif., said. I think i can be a lot better at the olympics than i was at nationals. You would t want your Best to be there. You want to build up to it for the  Boitano and Thomas Are familiar with he Saddle come where they performed in skate Canada last fall. Thomas won Boitano was second to or scr. Skate Canada was a big step for  Bojiano said. The acceptance i got from the people the Way i skated the Chance to get familiar with the rink. That Competition was very important for  or scr who won the 1987 world championship after four straight runner up finishes in the major International events 1984 olympics and worlds 1985 and 86 worlds has More Flash to his skating. Boitano is better technically. The difference could come Down to whether the judges View Orser the Way they did Coit Hamilton in 1984. Hamil ton who won four straight world championships was a lock for inc Gold medal at Sarajevo As Long As he did t full. He did t and won. Even though Orser skated better in the Short and Long programs Llo Izuno was fifth at the Sarajevo games. If the judges feel Pricr deserves the same mature As Hamilton and with the olympic s on his Home ice Boitano has i title Chance. But Coitano s freestyle program skated to music from to s Napolian and Josephine is As difficult As any skated Al an olympics. If Boitano peaks at Cal Gary Orser will need a sparkling routine to beat him. They figure to be 1-2. Even though Al pulp Toto apr is. Champions Brian Bojiano left and debt Thomas May find heir bests not quite enough to overcome Strong olympic Field. Xander fade cd of the so Viet Union the 1985 world Champion will be in Cal Gary making it the first time three men s world champions will meet in an olympics. Fade cd is the strongest in tracing compulsory figures the first part of the Competition but he lacks the freestyle skills of or scr and Boitano. While Boitano has dropped the quadruple toe Loop jump from his free style fade cd is thinking about trying it. No Quad has Ever been landed in Competition. Other top . Men skaters include Christopher Bowman of los Angeles and Paul Wylie of Denver. Witt a three time world Champion skated magnificently in the recent euro Pean championships. She tends to finish behind the soviets in the compulsory is then dominates inc Short and Long pro Grams. Thomas in t worrying even though her freestyle like wins will be to music from  Thomas coach Alex Mcgowan. Reminds everyone that Debi outs Kaled Katarina All the Way in 1986." and Chi nearly beat her at inc worlds last year when she was injured Mcgowan added. Thomas has overcome fool problems and clearly was inc Best in an outstand ing Field at the nationals. Like win. Or scr and Boitano this is her final year As an Amateur. I want logo out in style she said. I be been dreaming about the olympics for so Long. Forever. It seems now s my  the other americans Are Jill Trenary and Caryn Kadavy both of Colorado Springs colo., where they train with Carlo Fassi. La was Fassi who coached Peggy Fleming. Dorothy Hamill John Curry and Robin cousins to olympic Gold. Fassi believes in his skaters. He also believes in Witt. I think for Katarina to lose she must fall a few times Fassi said. But if she docs any of inc . Girls can  Kadavy was sensational in the freestyle at last year s world Competition finishing third. Trenary won the 87 . Title but was second to Thomas this year. Canada has a contender in women s singles too. Elizabeth Manly pushed Thomas at skate Canada and if she avoids the spills she often takes at Crit ical times could grab a medal. Kirn Ivanova of the soviet Union is the Best compulsory skater in inc world. Bui she is Flat in the Short and Long pro Grams. Midori Lio of Japan a Superb jumper is a medal Longshot because of her poor compulsory figures but she s a Joy to watch. So Are soviet dancers Natalia Beslic Mia Nova and Andrei Bukin. In Calgary they will be As unbeatable As Jayne Tor vill and Chrisl Ophir Dean were Al Sarajevo. They arc dominant in a differ Cal Way said Suzanne Simanick. Who part ners with Scon Gregory As two Lime . Champions. They Lake chances but they Haven t changed the dance the Way Tor vill and Dean  Simanick and Gregory Are Longshoes for a medal particularly since he run lured a disc in december and the couple had to skate conservatively Al nationals. The soviets could sweep the dance medals. Behind Bill ate manna Khmo a and Sergei Ponomarenko. Whose Clas sic style totally contrasts with the off Cal brilliance of  Bukin. Kli Mova Ponomarenko skipped the  peans enabling Natalia Annenko and Genrikh Retensky to finish second. Tracy Wilson and Rob Mccall. Two time world bronc medallists have the Best Chance of breaking the soviet bloc. Walson Oppegard not Only feel they have a Shol at upsetting a soviet pair they believe they can win the Gold. Every competitor goes Onlo inc ice feeling they can skate their  Oppe Gard said. We believe our Besl is Good enough to win. We do More difficult lifts and moves than the other couples. We have More innovations. The judges know us and w hat we can do. I think we Shook thai russian Domi nation Al the worlds Lasi  their free slyly. To filandia and Madame  is dramatic and superbly choreographed. If they Hil All of their lifts jumps and throws a medal is Likely. Bui Walson and Oppegard Are nol sex peeled to Beal iwo Lime world champions Elk Alzrina Gord Ceva and Sergei Grinkov. The 16-year-old Gordeev said she did nol skate Well Al the european championships and vowed to do belter at Calgary. Still they won easily As did every de fending Champion in inc major skaling countries whether warranted or nol. Elena Valova and plug Vasiliev. 1984 olympic winners missed the european championships because of Valova s fool injury. The soviet pair could be vulnerable to a Challenge from Watson Opp Gard. The other . Duos Are Gillian Wachsman Todd Waggoner and Natalie and Wayne Seybold in pairs plus Susan Wynne and Joseph Druar in dance