National Figure Skating Championships : Thomas Edges Chin in Compulsory Round

Debi Thomas began her chase after Tiffany Chin’s national title Wednesday by edging the defending champion in the compulsory figures at the National Figure Skating Championships.

Thomas, 18, of San Jose, a freshman at Stanford, placed first in two of the three required figures for 107.10 points and 12 ordinals. Chin was second with 104.60 points and 20 ordinals after she erred on the final figure, a forward change loop.

“I held it together and now I know I can be relaxed on the ice,” said Thomas. “This was the worst group of figures for me. I’m proud of myself for not letting my nerves take over. This gives me lots of confidence.”

Thomas, second to Chin in the 1985 Nationals, has since won at the National Sports Festival, Skate America and St. Ivel, England--the last two major international events.

Chin, 18, of Toluca Lake, was making her first appearance in competition since last March, when she placed third in the World Championships. Since then, she was sidelined by a muscle imbalance. She has also changed coaches from John Nicks to Don Laws.

“I feel I’m more prepared for the freestyle,” said Chin. “I came in here without top quality figures. I’ve only done serious training since the second week in December.”

Chin came to a stop on the outside loop during the final figure. Her tracing on the inside loop also was messy, causing her to fall from first to second.

“I’m not satisfied with second place but I’m happy with the way I skated considering the time I was off,” she said.

The compulsory figures account for 30% of the total score.

Caryn Kadavy of Erie, Pa., was third with 104.20 points and 22 ordinals. The women’s short program will be held Friday.

The men’s compulsories will be held today but defending champion Brian Boitano enters with a tender ankle. Boitano, who has an automatic bid to the World Championships next month in Geneva because he won the bronze medal in the ’85 Worlds, said he will skate the figures.

“It hurts and it bothers me on the jumps,” said Boitano. “But I don’t want to skip this (event), even though I can still go to the Worlds.”

Also on Wednesday, Gillian Wachsman and Todd Waggoner won the short program over national titlists Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard. Wachsman, of Riverside, Conn., and Waggoner, of Schaumburg, Ill., performed a nearly flawless routine, while Watson stumbled coming out of a simple jump.

Lianne Moscato won the women’s novice class gold medal. Moscato, 13, placed first in the compulsories on Tuesday, then was rated No. 1 by seven of the nine judges in freestyle. She had 139.00 points and 13 ordinals in beating Karen Terry of Orange, Calif. Elizabeth Wright of Lakewood, Colo., was third.