U.S. Olympic Festival -- Tiny Teenager Standing Tall In Women's Figure Skating

SAN ANTONIO - Michelle Kwan has come a long way in seven years and now, just two weeks after becoming a teenager, she's moving up to the top level of women's figure skating.

Kwan, who turned 13 on July 8, finished first in the compulsory part of the women's figure skating yesterday at the U.S. Olympic Festival.

"I was really happy with my performance," said Kwan, of Lake Arrowhead, Calif. "I felt pretty good before going out on the ice. You always have nerves working inside of you, but you have to keep those from getting to you too much."

Kwan displayed no sign of nerves, smiling throughout her performance. She landed all her jumps cleanly, including a difficult triple flip-double toe loop combination, and received first-place marks from all seven judges.

The 4-foot-7, 77-pound Kwan started skating at age 5 and trains more than three hours a day.

Jenna Pittman, 14, of Newark, Del., competing as a senior for the first time, was second after the technical program. Natasha Kuchiki of Canoga Park, Calif., was third.

Michael Chack of Bricktown, N.J., was first in the men's technical program. In pairs, Karen Courtland of Wippeny, N.J., and Todd Reynolds of Spring, Tex., were in first.

SEATTLE SHOOTER WINS

Seattle's Roger Mar won the men's rapid-fire pistol competition. He scored 678 of a possible 700 points to beat Ed Suarez of San Jose, Calif., by one point.

"I didn't come here to win, but I thought it would be nice," Mar said.

"Ed and I are friends. I know he's for me and me for him, and we push each other. We want to see each other do well and beat each other when we're doing well."

In the trap shooting, Lance Bade of Ridgefield finished fifth and Joetta Novinski of Renton 10th. Tim Myers of Kennewick was ninth in the men's air rifle.

Other results:

BASKETBALL

MEN - Joseph Blair of the University of Arizona scored 21 points and Burt Harris of USC added 18 as the West beat the South 117-111. Martice Moore of Georgia Tech scored 23 for the South. Derek Anderson of Ohio State scored 29 points as the North beat the East 129-120. Gary Trent of Ohio University had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Rasheed Wallace, who will be a freshman at North Carolina this fall, led the East with 17 points and six rebounds.

WOMEN - Darlene Saar of George Washington University and Jennifer Boucek of the University of Virginia scored 15 points each as the East beat the North 81-76. Latina Davis of Tennessee scored 15 points in leading the South to a 68-61 victory over the West.

WEIGHTLIFTING

Sibby Flowers of Macon, Ga., set an American women's record in winning a gold medal in the 101 1/4-pound class. Flowers, 29, lifted 319 1/2 pounds. She lifted 143 1/4 pounds in the snatch and 176 1/4 in the clean and jerk. It was her fourth straight festival gold.

SWIMMING

Catherine Fox of Kansas City, Mo., broke a long-standing festival record, winning the 100-meter women's freestyle in 57.09 seconds. That broke a 1979 mark of 57.36 by Cynthia Woodhead.

Three other festival records fell and one was tied.

Christian Claytor of Walnut Creek, Calif., broke the men's 200 breaststroke record, winning in 2:18.01. Tate Blahnik of Airmant, N.Y., set a men's 200 backstroke mark, 2:01.81. Rachel Joseph of Springfield, Ore., sliced more than three seconds off the women's 200 backstroke record with a 2:13.42 timing.

Kerri Hale of Ann Arbor, Mich., swam the women's 200 butterfly in 2:14.99, tying an 11-year-old record.

NOTE

Temperatures climbed near 100 with about 40 percent humidity in the San Antonio area. The heat caused at least one athlete to become dehydrated.