FIGURE SKATING : Kwan Admires Pros, but Stays a Step Ahead

Like most of those who watched the women skate Thursday night at the Sports Arena in the Hershey’s Kisses Pro-Am, Michelle Kwan went away impressed with the professionals.

“Caryn and Rosalynn are very artistic,” she said. “The professionals, they skate beautifully.”

Even so, neither Caryn Kadavy, the defending champion who upset Nancy Kerrigan in this event last year, nor Rosalynn Sumners could match Kwan jump for jump, which is the reason she has the lead after the two-minute technical programs.

In tonight’s four-minute freestyle progams, however, the emphasis is on style, and both the second-place Kadavy and third-place Sumners are in position to win if Kwan falters. The freestyle programs count toward two-thirds of the final score.

“I feel like I’m at the peak of my skating,” said Kadavy, 26, who won first-place marks from all nine judges for presentation, including four 5.9s on a 6.0 scale. “This is my time.”

Compared to Kwan, Kadavy, of Erie, Pa., was a slow starter. She did not even compete in her first senior national championship until she was 17. Kwan, of Torrance, was the silver medalist in this year’s nationals at 13.

“When I was that age, I was a novice who could do only one triple jump,” Kadavy said.

But, she said, that might be the reason she continues to skate so well as a professional.

“I’m worried about some of these younger girls who are getting their jumps before puberty,” Kadavy said. “My bones and muscles were developed before I had mine. I’m worried some of these girls are getting their jumps too soon.”

U.S. Figure Skating Assn. officials are concerned that Kwan might be doing too much too soon, and her coach, Frank Carroll, said before Thursday night’s competition that she is tired. She has been competing almost nonstop since last summer.

But, performing before a supportive crowd of 5,671, she seemed energetic, displaying none of the rough edges that plagued her technical program during the recent World Championships in Japan, where she finished eighth.

“If you want to think about something behind you, think about something good, not something that went wrong,” said Kwan, who was awarded first-place scores from six of the nine judges.

That is good advice for former world champion Elaine Zayak to remember in tonight’s freestyle program. After injuring her left knee in practice Thursday afternoon, she stumbled during a footwork sequence in her technical program and fell on the knee again. Standing fifth, she will decide after a practice today whether she will compete tonight.

“I’ve never had something like that happen to me,” she said of her fall. “I was shocked.”

In the men’s technical program Thursday night, Paul Wylie, the 1992 Olympic silver-medalist, finished first, just ahead of two-time national champion Scott Davis.

Reigning national champions had difficulties in the other competitions as well. Dance champions Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow are in second place behind Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur, and pairs champions Jenni Meno and Todd Sand are in second place behind Kyoko Ina and Jasen Dungjen.