What a Difference a Year Makes for Kwan : Figure skating: In 1994, she was a youngster with potential. Now, she is favored to win the U.S. women’s title.

In one whirlwind year, Michelle Kwan has gone from being a curiosity to being the top contender for the U.S. women’s figure skating title.

If the 1994 competition had gone as expected, Kwan would have been little more than a footnote, a springy-legged kid who would be worth watching someday if she didn’t grow too fast or get fat.

But the attack on Nancy Kerrigan made the event in Detroit extraordinary--and gave Kwan a key role in skating’s tawdry soap opera.

As the runner-up to Tonya Harding and the Olympic alternate, Kwan had to be ready to skate if Kerrigan’s knee was not right. When it appeared Harding might be kept out of the Winter Games in Norway, Kwan also had to be prepared to step in. Harding and Kerrigan competed, though, leaving Kwan a spectator at Lillehammer.

This year, she said, “I think it’s been a lot easier.”

Life is less hectic for the teen-ager from Torrance, but being on the verge of two major skating achievements makes it anything but dull.

If Kwan wins this year’s women’s competition, which begins today at the Providence Civic Center with the short program, she will be the youngest U.S. women’s champion ever, at 14 years 7 months. She also will share a distinction with Karen Kwan as the first sisters to compete against each other in the senior division since 1959, when Carol and Nancy Heiss finished 1-2.

“I don’t feel like we’re competing,” said Karen, who will be 17 in June. “I’m skating for myself and she’s skating for herself. It’s kind of fun to hear everybody talk about Michelle.”

Said Frank Carroll, who coaches them at Lake Arrowhead: “They really are not competitive toward one another. They’re very loving and supportive. . . . I’m very proud of both girls. They had a wonderful year.”

Karen had her only previous national experience in 1991, when she finished sixth among novice ladies. She advanced here by winning the Southwest Pacific and Pacific Coast championships and said she would be happy to finish in the top 10.

Michelle carries the burden of greater expectations.

With Kerrigan performing in ice shows and Harding expelled from the U.S. Figure Skating Assn., the path is clear for Kwan to claim the title. According to Carroll, her youth won’t hurt in a sport that is crowning its female champions at ever-younger ages. Oksana Baiul of Ukraine won the world title two years ago at 15.

“Being so good at so young (an age) as Michelle, the potential, if luck is with us, is she will be one of those greats,” said Carroll, who coached past U.S. champions Linda Fratianne and Tiffany Chin. “I’ve seen 19- and 20-year-olds who bore me to death and don’t hear the music and have tin ears. We tend to think a senior lady has to be old. They just have to cut the mustard. If they have the ability at that age and the sensitivity, it doesn’t matter.”

That’s the question about Kwan: Can she master the moves that come between those double axels and triple loops? There’s no doubt she can jump. She plans seven triple jumps for her long program Saturday, the most ambitious routine among the women.

“I’ve worked a lot on my style and artistry,” she said. “I think it’s great to be part of the next nationals. I don’t think there’s any pressure because we’re still the underdog.”

Although she doesn’t believe she’s the favorite, she merits that label as the most consistent competitor. Nicole Bobek, 17, was third in 1994 but hasn’t won a major event since 1991. Tonia Kwiatkowski, who will be 24 Sunday, finished second--one spot ahead of Kwan--at the France Skating Trophy event in November. However, she was fifth last year in nationals, down two places from 1993.

Kwan’s biggest foe has been her own body. Since 1993, she has added three inches in height and more than 20 pounds to her frame. At a still-petite 5 feet 2, she weighs 98 pounds--but that’s more than her sister, who is a rail-thin 5-5 and 95 pounds.

“Three months ago, I was having a little difficulty,” Michelle said. “I was off-axis when I was rotating. It wasn’t a big problem. I would take a day off and just worked harder the next time.”

It was just one more challenge, and those have never fazed her. She passed her senior-level proficiency test at 12 and in 1993 was the youngest senior competitor at the U.S. championships in 20 years.

“She always seems to rise to the occasion,” Carroll said. “I’ve never seen her skate badly. She’s very confident.”

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Defending pairs champions Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, who train in Costa Mesa, won the short program Thursday and earned a standing ovation for their interpretation of Blue Danube. . . . Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen were second, with Stephanie Stiegler and Lance Travis--who train at Lake Arrowhead--third. . . . The last part of the competition will be skated today, when the free skate portion will be worth two-thirds of the final score.

“That short program I saw tonight was the best short program of any pair I’ve ever put out over the last 30 years,” said their coach, John Nicks, who also coached 1979 world champions Ty Babilonia and Randy Gardner. “That was my favorite short program ever.”

Said Meno: “That was the best we could skate and the best we have skated a short program.”