BUT FROM INSTINCT, HE’D TRY TO THROW HER OUT OF THE RINK

U.S. pairs skater Jason Dungen, 6 feet, 170 pounds, is able to throw his partner, Kyoko Ina, about 20 feet during their triple twist move.

According to calculations by U.S. Figure Skating Assn. spokeswoman Kristen Matta, if Ina paired with 6-8, 516-pound sumo wrestler and figure skating fan Akebono, he could throw her 60 feet in the air. She would be able to rotate approximately nine times.

“He would have to work on other parts of his program, not to mention his costume,” said Matta, a former skater under Coach John Nicks in Costa Mesa.

THE ZEST SOAP BLIMP DOESN’T LEAVE BEHIND ALL THAT FILM

A lot of people no doubt did a double take during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles when they saw the Fuji blimp.

That sponsorship for the Japanese film company, according to Fuji spokesman Tom Shay, “really gave us a boost and accelerated our growth in the United States.”

Turnabout is profitable play. The official film sponsor for the Nagano Games is Kodak.

OPRAH, I HAVE AN IDEA FOR YOUR BOOK CLUB

The U.S. Olympic Committee has a beef with Oprah Winfrey.

From Amarillo last week, Winfrey’s people contacted USOC officials and asked if they could make speedskater Chris Witty available at a studio in Nagano for a remote interview.

Numerous phone calls later between Texas and Japan, the USOC had it arranged. The only condition, USOC spokesman Mike Moran said, was that Winfrey’s representatives in Nagano had to provide transportation for Witty to an important team time trial immediately after the interview.

He said he was told that would present no obstacle.

“But when Chris asked for her ride after the interview, they basically told her, ‘That’s your problem,’ ” Moran said. “She had to go out in the middle of the street and flag down a cab to get to her time trial.”