Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 12, 1992 TAG: 9201120205
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ORLANDO, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
YAMAGUCHI, BOWMAN U.S. SKATING CHAMPS
Meet Kristi and Christopher, national champions.Kristi Yamaguchi ran away with her first title in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, even getting one perfect 6.0 mark for artistic impression in the free skate Saturday. The 1991 world champion was U.S. runner-up the past three years.
She nailed seven triple jumps and had the crowd on its feet for the final half-minute of her routine.
"For the U.S. nationals, it probably was my best ever," Yamaguchi said.
Earlier Saturday, Christopher Bowman put all the troubles and controversy behind him with a magnificent clutch performance to win his second national title.
However, that did not mean an end to controversy in these championships.
While Bowman, the 1989 U.S. champion who also has a silver and a bronze medal in the world championships, solidified an Olympic berth, two-time national champion Todd Eldredge was selected to the team by a committee.
Eldredge withdrew from the nationals on Thursday with a back injury. But the International Committee of the U.S. Figure Skating Association selected him to replace bronze medalist Mark Mitchell for the Olympic squad.
Paul Wylie rallied Saturday to finish second and joins Bowman, seventh in the 1988 Calgary Olympics, and Eldredge on the team for Albertville, France. Wylie also was at Calgary, where he finished 10th.
"All four of us are great skaters," Mitchell said. "It's a shame we can send only three skaters."
The USFSA must submit the names of the three Olympic skaters by Jan. 24. If Eldredge has not sufficiently recovered by then, Mitchell will replace him. The committee will have two judges monitor Eldredge's on-ice progress for the next two weeks.