
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 17, 1991                   TAG: 9102170182
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

OREGON SKATER WINS U.S. WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

Tonya Harding had the performance of her life, including the first triple axel by an American woman in competition, to win the U.S. Figure Skating Championship at Minneapolis.

Harding was magnificent from beginning to end. The highlight of her free skate program was the triple axel, which only Midori Ito of Japan has hit in competition. It came 45 seconds into the routine and provoked a massive roar from the crowd of 10,346 and a huge grin from Harding.

The 20-year-old from Portland, Ore., wasn't through. She hit seven triples altogether, including a triple toe loop-triple toe loop combination.

There was no denying her after that performance. She received one perfect 6.0 for technical merit, the first for a woman in the U.S. championships. The rest of her marks, mostly 5.9s, gave her first place with eight of nine judges.

The favorite, Kristi Yamaguchi, was second, followed by Nancy Kerrigan. They will represent the United States in next month's world championships at Munich, Germany.

by CNB