THE 1992 ALBERTVILLE WINTER OLYMPICS : TOP U.S. CONTENDERS

* Bonnie Blair, Champaign, Ill., speedskating -- One of only two U.S. gold medalists four years ago at Calgary, a heavy favorite to repeat in the 500 meters. Also could win medals in the 1,000 and 1,500.

* Dan Jansen, Greenfield, Wis., speedskating -- He fell in the 500 and the 1,000 at Calgary. Now is the favorite in the 50 and a medal contender in the 1,000.

* Duncan Kennedy, Lake Placid, N.Y., luge -- A 12-year-old shoeshine boy for ABC’s broadcast team during the 1980 Winter Olympics, he could become the first U.S. medalist ever in the luge.

* AJ Kitt, Rochester, N.Y., Alpine skiing -- Won first World Cup downhill race for United States since 1985 at Val d’Isere.

* Donna Weinbrecht, Killington, Vt., freestyle skiing -- She might be the closest thing the United States has to a gold-medal lock. In her discipline, moguls, seven judges grade skiers on speed and the quality of their turns and aerials over a quarter-mile course. She is the reigning world champion.

* Kristi Yamaguchi, Fremont, Calif., figure skating -- She is a co-favorite for the gold medal with Japan’s Midori Ito. The world champion in women’s singles in 1991.

* Tonya Harding, Portland, Ore., figure skating -- If the gold medal went to the fastest, highest or strongest, the 1991 national champion and world silver-medalist would win easily. She could finish anywhere from first to seventh.

* Christopher Bowman, Van Nuys, figure skating -- In a class by himself as a skater. He won his second national championship in January.

EVENTS

Alpine Skiing

at Val d’Isere (men’s Alpine), Les Menuires (men’s giant slalom), Meribel (women’s Alpine)

* The downhill is a race of pure speed as the athletes make a single run against the clock. Of the 34 medals awarded in the men’s downhill, 32 have gone to West Europeans, Austria leading the pack with 11.

* In the slalom, each skier is required to weave in and out of blue- and red-flagged poles or gates. There are two runs on different courses. The time of the two runs is combined to determine the medalist.

* The giant slalom is also a race of control, except that the course is longer, the gates are farther apart and the corners are not as sharp.

* The super giant slalom (super G) combines the speed of downhill with the technical skills of the giant slalom.

* The Alpine combined includes one downhill run and, the next day, two slalom runs.

PROGRAM

MEN Feb. 9, 10, 11, 16, 18, 22

WOMEN Feb. 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20

* Downhill

* Slalom

* Giant Slalom

* Super-G

* Alpine Combined (Downhill, Slalom)

BIATHLON

at Les Saisies

A Combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, this event is as much a test of composure as it is a race against the clock. Women’s events will be held for the first time this year.

PROGRAM

MEN

Feb. 12, 16, 20

* 10 km

* 20 km

* 4 x 7.5-km Relay

WOMEN

Feb. 11, 14, 19

* 7.5 km

* 15 km

* 3 x 7.5-km Relay

BOBSLED

At La Plagne

Competitions are determined in four heats against time. The final time is the combined total of four separate runs, two on one day and two more the next. The bobsled must be push started. Each heat must be completed by the same crew.

PROGRAM

MEN Feb. 15, 16, 21, 22

* Two-man

* Four-man

Figure Skating

at Albertville

Each skater or pair appears twice, performing a short program (one-third of the final score) and a freestyle long program (two-thirds). As of this year, compulsory figures are no longer required. Judges award marks ranging from 0 to 6, based on technical and artistic excellence and the difficulty of the moves.

PROGRAM

MEN

* Singles Feb. 13, 15, 22

WOMEN

* Singles Feb. 19, 21, 22

MIXED

* Pairs Feb. 9, 11, 22

* Ice dance Feb. 14, 16, 17, 22

Freestyle Skiing

at Tignes

Moguls will be a medal sport for the first time this year while ballet and aerials will be demonstration events. Moguls are snow bumps, and skiers are judged on their speed and technique in negotiating the high-speed turns on a heavily moguled course.

PROGRAM

MEN and WOMEN Feb. 12, 13

* Moguls

Ice Hockey

at Meribel Feb. 8-23

Twelve teams will play five preliminary-round games with eight teams advancing to a single-elimination quarterfinal round. Play proceeds as single elimination through the final game. This is the first year of the single-elimination format. Results of the ’91 World Championships were used to divide the teams into two pools, A and B.

Luge

at La Plagne

Sliders race down the course feet first, guiding the luge with their legs and shoulders. Fastest combined time of four runs wins the singles event and two runs for the doubles competition. All 63 medals awarded in luge since it became an Olympic sport in 1964 have been won by four nations: Germany, Austria, Italy and the Soviet Union.

PROGRAM

MEN

Feb. 9, 10, 14

* Singles

* Doubles

WOMEN

Feb. 11, 12

* Singles

Nordic Skiing

at Les Saisies

* Cross-country races are run against the clock with skiers leaving the starting line at 30-second intervals. The only exceptions are the 4 x 10-kilometer relay, in which the first runners for each team start together, and the second half of the combined pursuit.

Two styles used: “classical,” the traditional parallel-stride technique, and the newer “freestyle,” that allows skiers to use the faster skating technique.

* In ski jumping, each skier takes two jumps, which are scored on distance and style. A perfect jump would earn 60 points. Each of the five judges may award up to 20 points for each jump, with the high and low scores dropped. The remaining points are added together for the final score. Events previously known as the 70-meter jump and the 90-meter jump are now called the normal hill and large hill jump because the size of the hills varies at the Olympic venues.

* In Nordic combined, athletes compete against each other in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Highest combined totals determine medal standings.

PROGRAM

CROSS COUNTRY

MEN Feb. 10, 13,15, 18, 22

* 10 km Classical

* 30 km Classical

* 50 km Freestyle

* Combined Pursuit (10 km Classical 15 km Freestyle)

* 4 x 10 km Relay

WOMEN Feb. 9, 13, 15, 17, 21

* 5 km Classical

* 15 km Classical

* 30 km Freestyle

* Combined Pursuit (5 km Classical, 5 km Freestyle)

* 4 x 5 km Relay

Ski Jumping

Feb. 9, 14, 16

* Normal Hill

* Large hill

* Team (large hill)

NORDIC COMBINED

Feb. 11, 12, 17, 18

* Individual (jump and 15 km)

* Team (jump and 3 x 10-km relay)

Speed-skating

at Albertville

Long-track competitors skate on a 400-meter oval against the clock. Races involve two skaters drawn at random from three groups.

Short-track (111-meter oval) speed skating makes its full medal debut in Albertville.

PROGRAM

MEN

Feb. 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22

Long Track

* 500 meters

* 1,000 meters

* 1,500 meters

* 5,000 meters

* 10,000 meters

Short Track

* 1,000 meters

* 5,000 meters

* Men’s relay

WOMEN

Feb. 9, 10, 12, 14, 17, 20, 22

Long Track

* 500 meters

* 1,000 meters

* 1,500 meters

* 3,000 meters

* 5,000 meters

Short Track

* 500 meters

* 3,000 meters

* Women’s relay

DEMONSTRATION

Curling

At Pralognan-la-Vanoise

Feb. 17-22

Played by two teams with four players. Each player slides two puck-like stones on ice toward a 12-foot diameter scoring area 40 meters away.

Freestyle Skiing

at Tignes

AERIALS: Feb. 15, 16

BALLET: Feb. 9, 10

* Aerials are an acrobatic discipline. Skiers perform gymnastic figures from a ski jump.

* In ballet, skiers perform a number of sliding, jumping and acrobatic figures to a musical theme of their choice.

Speed Skiing

at Kes Ares

Feb. 18, 19, 21, 22

The newest demonstration sport. Athletes ski straight down a steep run and are timed for their fastest speed through a 100-meter section.

VENUES

* Albertville

The Olympic host city is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies and all of the skating events, except ice hockey. The city is less than five hours from Paris via high-speed train, and one hour from Lyon and Geneva.

* Courchevel

The normal and large hill ski jump events will be staged here. A five-kilometer route weaves around the village for the cross-country around the village for the cross-country portion of the Nordic combined events.

* La Plagne

Athletes have bobsledded the roads here for the past 40 years. The bobsled and luge events will run on an artificially refrigerated track designed with high visibility for spectators.

* Les Arcs

The world’s fastest speed skiers will compete here. A 1,700-meter track has been constructed for the event on a 70% slope.

* Les Menuires

The men’s slalom event will take place in the Menuires slalom stadium, the preferred training site for the French ski teams.

* Les Saisies

The ski resort will be host to 14 events including cross-country skiing and biathlon. The snow conditions are excellent over an area of 7,500 acres located across from Mont Blanc.

* Meribel

The orientation of its slopes allows maximum sunshine, and its 230 snow machines guarantee good quality snow throughout the season. All women’s Alpine skiing will be held on the new slopes. The ice hockey competition will be held at a skating rink near the skiing finish line.

* Pralognan-la-Vanoise

Located at the heart of the Vanoise National Park at an altitude of 1,400 meters, this resort is surrounded by forests, mountain peaks, waterfall and glaciers; site of the curling events.

* Tignes

A new stadium has been built for the freestyle skiing events. Three parallel tracks have been laid out for competition: the first for mogul, the second for aerial and the third for ballet.

* Val d’Isere

The village features 120 ski lifts and 300 kilometers of marked slopes on 25,000 acres and is known for its high-technology equipment and experience in organizing international competitions. The men’s downhill event will finish at the heart of the village.