NOTES

Because of injuries that have bothered all three medalists from last year’s World Championships, the men’s figure skating competition, which begins tonight at the Olympic Ice Hall with the original program, is unpredictable.

Canada’s Kurt Browning appears to be the favorite. Despite a back injury that forced him to delete a quadruple jump from his freestyle program, he has been skating well enough in practice to win, particularly if the judges give him the benefit of the doubt that comes with being a three-time world champion.

His closest rival, the Unified Team’s Viktor Petrenko, shows no lingering effects during practices from his back and foot injuries. The two-time World Championships runner-up and Olympic bronze medalist from 1988 has a history of excellence in practices and the original program. But he often wilts under the additional stress of the freestyle program.

The bronze medalist from last year’s World Championships, Todd Eldredge of South Chatham, Mass., and San Diego, probably won’t be a factor. He was unable to defend his national championship last month because of a back injury, and, although he said he was 99% fit when he arrived here, he has been dejected by an inability to consistently land his triple jumps during practices. He didn’t complete a clean triple axel until Tuesday.

They will not admit it, but U.S. Figure Skating Assn. officials must be second-guessing their decision to give Eldredge a berth on the three-man U.S. team instead of alternate Mark Mitchell of Hamden, Conn. But they probably are correct in rationalizing that, even injured, Eldredge will score better with the judges because he is known.

And Christopher Bowman of Van Nuys?

His coach, John Nicks of Costa Mesa, said that Bowman has looked good in practices. That is not necessarily a good sign. Bowman usually looks terrible in practices and then excels in competition.

“He’s worried that maybe he’s peaking too soon,” Nicks said, laughing.

Jacqueline Boerner, a former East German speedskater who won the gold medal in the 1,500 meters Wednesday only 18 months after suffering head, knee and ankle injuries when victimized by a hit-and-run driver in Berlin, said the damage could have been worse if the car had not been a Trabant.

Manufactured in East Germany, Trabants were about as structurally sound as the cars in the soap-box derby.

“If it had been a real car that hit me, I wouldn’t be here today,” she said.