NOTES : Lack of U.S. Judge Isn’t a Problem

Even before the women’s figure skating begins tonight, it might appear as if the United States is disadvantaged because it is not represented on the nine-judge panel.

But U.S. Figure Skating Assn. officials do not seem particularly concerned.

One reason, they say, is that the United States did not have a judge at the women’s competition in last year’s World Championship at Munich, Germany, where Americans Kristi Yamaguchi, Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan swept the medals.

Another reason, they say, is that the referee, Ben Wright, is from the United States, and judges are required to answer to the referee if their marks are out of line.

Since the International Skating Union began suspending judges for blatant nationalism, there have been fewer controversies. That does not mean they have been eliminated. For instance, the French and Russian judges obviously under-marked one another’s dance teams here.

But in the men’s final, an event many experts said silver medalist Paul Wylie of the United States should have won, a U.S. judge placed him second behind gold medalist Viktor Petrenko of the Ukraine.

The United States had judges on the panels for pairs, men’s singles and dance, but it does not have one for the women’s competition because of the luck of the draw. Judges from 10 countries whose skaters performed well at Munich last year drew for nine positions. The U.S. judge was the odd one out, becoming the alternate.

All three U.S. women, Yamaguchi, Harding and Kerrigan, are expected to contend for medals, although Japan’s Midori Ito is considered the favorite because of her extraordinary jumping ability.

Tonight’s original program at the Olympic Ice Hall accounts for one-third of the final score, which will be determined after Friday night’s freestyle program.