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

DATE: SUNDAY, January 23, 1994                   TAG: 9401230126
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: COPENHAGEN, DENMARK                                LENGTH: Short

WITT QUALIFIES FOR GAMES

Surya Bonaly of France won her fourth consecutive women's title at the European Figure Skating Championships on Saturday, and Germany's two-time Olympic champion Katarina Witt qualified for next month's Games.

Witt was able to take advantage of this year's rule allowing skaters who had turned pro to come back for the Littlehammer Games. She finished eighth in the European championships, high enough to qualify for the German team.

Tanja Szewczenko was the top placed German, finishing fifth. The other German entry, Marina Kielmann, was ninth. The country's top two finishers made the Olympic team.

Witt's performance was good, not great.

World champion Oksana Baiul of Ukraine finished second to Bonaly.

Third was Olga Markova of Russia ahead of another Russian, Maria Butyrskaja.

Bonaly landed five triple jumps to capture the free skating and hold onto to her lead after the short program.

Baiul failed to land a combination jump, and Bonaly landed a triple salchow-triple toe loop as part of her program.

by CNB