European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                . Women skaters primed for world championship a a a. A a a. A a. A. A. R _ i  us Iihiii-hv1 a pm it v re mfr. A. A. \ a. A a a a a l. A a a key or Kwh we a or. Stud.  ii i a Ltd a clockwise from left Tonya Harding rehearses her routine Kristi Yamaguchi sails through a practice session Yamaguchi meets the press Harding explains her triple Axel. By Ron Mckinney staff writer less than a month ago at the . Nationals figure a a. Skating sensation Tonya having lifted the american women s program to dizzying Heights. Harding became the first american woman to land the. Triple axe i Competition  Way to pulling off a stunning upset Over heavily favored Kristi Yamaguchi at the  Minneapolis. A that triple Axel added a new dimension Tor american 1 Ligure skating. ,. A Midori Turol Japan the deter dog world Champion is she nah other Lemale skater to  . A Lnu in thai sets up a showdown of the big guns. Uht a ii. I inti Harding go head to head Tor the first time. At a. W Nind figure skating championships in Municha a Oren no this week a a a. A a a a a. A Harding of Portland ore., won lie National by a blending her dynamic athleticism with eloquent form. But now that she is gel Ting ready for her first world. A a a. It championship the 20-year-old does t want to be. A a. Obsessed with thoughts about her accomplishments last month. A a a a a a a.  a. A a a / Quot i m to veg to forget about How i did at the nationals. I. Mean i can t , but i m trying to focus on How i can do the program Here. And hopefully it will be perfect Harding said monday after a training session in.  in t the Only skater trying to forget about the . Nationals Harding s historic leap was Yamaguchi s -. Downfall a although the defeat was helped along by. Yamaguchi s fall on one triple jump and a wobbled Landing of another. A. A. Quot i be kept up my  i try to think of the world championships and not Back on the . Nationals Quot said Yamaguchi who placed fourth in last a year  championships. A a a a not that the 19ryear-old native of Fremont Calib is angry about placing second at the nationals for the third.  a a a straight year. Quot she Harding put on a remarkable. Perth Nance and it was real exciting a Yamaguchi said. While both Harding and Ito impress the crowds with. Their vertical prowess and athletic skills Yamaguchi scores pants with the judges with her Graceful style. But this move  in figure skating has not. Escaped  a. A. Quot i think you definitely Are seeing More triple jumps nowadays ind i. Think that s wonderful a she said. Still Yamaguchi in a ready to join Ito and Harding  the triple axe in Competition any time soon. Quot i m still working on if but its hot in the program yet Quot -. She said a a Quot a a the third american woman skater entered in the a Competition Nancy Kerrigan of Stoneham mass., in t. Ready to add a new jump either. Quot i be tried the triple  practice. I made one last summer and one the a summer before Quot she said. A. Kerrigan 21, said that triple axes Aren t All there is to figure skating. Quot actually i Only do one jump less than what the other girls Are doing a like two other girls Are doing. I have a really Good program. It s fun to skate to. But i done to think a a so alg is just umps. There s a lot More to it than that a Kerrigan said. A a ,. Right like Landing. A a -. A Harding s soaring Success has shown no indication it will come crashing Down soon and she Hopes it does t in Tore she lands a spot on the 1992 olympic team �?�1 Don l r Are it i place e. I just want to go. That would be a a great a Harding said. A. A a but a the world championships Harding does have an a Eye on placing. A a a a a a �?�1 d like to lie in the top three. Or the top two or the top one she admitted with a smile. 6 stripes Magazine March 14,799/