European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 9, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Olympics called athlete Safe London apr the chief of Security for the Winter olympics has assured athletes they will be Safe during the feb. 12-27 games in Lillehammer Norway. Arne House commander of the olympic police Force in Lillehammer said Security measures were sufficient to pc vent the Type of attack made on . Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan Kerrigan a favorite for the olympic Gold medal was assaulted by a club a wielding Man after a practice session thursday at the . Championships in Detroit. Her knee injuries forced her to pull out of the Competition Friday. V House said there should be no need to increase or revise Security at the games because such incidents had already been taken into account. A we Are prepared to avoid these Type of things a he said in a Telephone interview Friday. A we have a special responsibility for protecting the athletes both at the venues and where they Are  a we will do our Best to secure All the athletes coming to Norway for the games. It would really Surprise me if that kind of incident would happen Here in  House said police and bomb sniffing dogs Are currently checking ally the olympic venues. By the end of the month All venues will be secured and closed to the Public. A we will have police officers at every venue a House said. A at the time when the athletes Are going to practice police in uniform and Plain clothes will be there a. Only people with accreditation will have Access to venues and practice Sites. A it should be easier for the police to assist and avoid these Type of incidents because the athletes will always be in protected zones a House said. The police chief Heads a Force of 2,770 officers including 500 military personnel. Local police from Lillehammer and other towns will also be on duty. By the time the games Start one third of the entire norwegian police Force will be stationed in the olympic zone House said. The International olympic committee on Friday reiterated its Confidence in Lily Leha Meris Security plans. A the stars and stripes january 9,1994 Page 36 Harding skates into void left by Kerrigan Detroit a without Nancy Kerrigan there a a glaring void in the women a National figure skating Competition. Someone would be wearing the Gold medal after the free skate saturday night but it wont be Kerrigan who wore it last year attacked by an unknown Man who severely bruised her knee the 1992 olympic Bronze medallist withdrew Friday morning after doctors said she  skate. Trying to fill the void and make a comeback is Tonya Harding the 1991 Winner who has struggled on and off the ice Over the last two years. She led after fridays technical program skating a clean athletic program featuring her trademark big jumps. A i was the underdog a Harding said. A no one expected me to do anything this year. I feel i have the  but Harding of Portland ore., needed to win the Gold medal to assure herself of one of the United states two olympic berths. Although Kerrigan  compete skating officials said earlier Friday that she could still be placed on the team As a special selection. That would mean bumping the second place finisher. The team was to be announced after saturday nights award Cert monies. A i would accept it a said Nicole Bobek of Chicago who was in second place after the technical program Worth one third of the total score. A a Nanak a been in it much longer and if the officials think she deserves to go that s their  thirteen year old Michelle Kwan of . Figure skating Torrance calif., was in third and Elaine Zajak of Yaramus n.j., fourth in her first National championships in Loyear. Harding 23, began by hitting a big triple Lutz double toe Loop combination and finished with a perfect double Axel. The first american woman to Complete a triple Axel in Competition when she did it in the 1991 nationals Harding finished a disappointing fourth in last years championships. Marital problems coaching changes and weight problems contributed to her woes. Looking fitter and steadier Harding Drew technical Merit scores ranging from 5.7 to 5.9 on a 6.0-Point scale. Skating before Harding Feo Bek was nearly flawless performing to Lively russian Folk music. The 16-year-old also hit a triple Lutz double toe and double Axel. Zayak the 1982 world Champion considered her comeback a personal Triumph. A competitor in the �?T84 olympics she shed 20 pounds to get Back into skating shape and opened her program with a triple Loop double toe Loop combination. The ice dancing Competition also was without its defending titlist after Renee Roca and Gorsha sur withdrew because of Roca a broken left wrist. Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow of Pontiac mich., stepped in and regained the National title they won in 1991. The newlywed couple in first place after the compulsory is and original danc Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow perform Friday in route to . Ice dance title. Is will be the United states Only representatives at the Lillehammer games Susan Wynne of Syracuse n.y., and Russ Witherby of Cincinnati were second. Amy Webster of Yarmouth Maine and Ron Rayette of Costa Mesa calif., finished third. Roca broke her wrist wednesday in a collision with another couple during a Warmup and she and her partner still skated less than three hours later. After undergoing surgery Friday morning Roca determined her wrist  stand the stress of the free dance. Issue new York apr Ontario a continuing refusal to bar Aba wagering from its lucrative sports lottery could result in Toronto losing the expansion franchise while British columbian a More flexible stance on the Issue could help Vancouver s application. A a that a a possibility a Aba Deputy commissioner Russ Granik said Friday. A British columbian a lottery is smaller and Premier Mike Harcourt has said it would not be As big a  at Issue is the Ontario governments pro line lottery which generated $50 million for the province last year and which permits betting on Aba games. As one of the conditions for awarding a franchise to Toronto the see Page 31 for fridays Aba action league insisted the Ontario lottery drop Aba games. The league has held two meetings with attorney Larry Bertuzzi who is representing the province. A a nothing a changed a Granik said. A a in a less optimistic  the Board of governors Wilt meet next month at the All Star game and Granik said he hoped for some solution by then. A both sides have concluded that this has got to be resolved in the next month or they wont be Able to have a team up and running by 1995,�?� he said. A was a Pratti Aba franchise Cal matter if we can to resolve this in the next month we must conclude it can to be  Granik said the two sides have been unable to find any Middle ground on the Issue. A we just done to see How we can put a team in a City where there is Legal betting on the games a he said. A they just done to understand How betting on sports is viewed in the United states a Granik said. A a it a a much More sensitive Issue Here than it is in Canada. They be made it a . Is. Canada Issue. Its not that at  Granik said the Toronto franchise scheduled to begin play in 1995, has halted planning until the lottery Issue is settled. A emf Quot is a a r