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Although her injured foot continues to improve, Michelle Kwan has
kept to a reduced training schedule since the national figure skating
championships. And though she wants to attend the opening ceremony
at the Winter Olympics on Feb. 7 in Nagano, Japan, she said she may
remain in California to continue physical therapy on the stress fracture
in the second toe of her left foot. Since she delivered perhaps the
greatest pair of performances ever skated at the national championships
in early January, Kwan, 17, has taken a conservative approach in her
recovery. In a conference call Friday, she said she was not taking
pain medication, she was still limited to two workouts per day, totaling
80 minutes, and she has attempted only three triple toe loops since
the nationals. The toe loop is the easiest of the triple jumps, but
it causes pain when she launches the jump by planting her left toe
pick. ``I did one triple toe today and I felt it, but it was tons
better than at Skate Canada,'' Kwan said from Lake Arrowhead, Calif.,
referring to the autumn competition where she aggravated the stress
fracture. ``My doctor seems happy with how the foot is recovering.
He's allowing me to increase my skating. At the Olympics, I'm hoping
to be pain free and to take no medication. We're close to that now.''
The women's skating competition is scheduled near the end of the Nagano
Games on Feb. 18 and 20. As for the opening ceremony, Kwan said: ``We
haven't decided. I still have to go to the physical therapist three
times a week. I'd like to go; I want to get the whole feel of the
Olympics.'' ELDREDGE REVAMPS ROUTINES The men's national champion,
Todd Eldredge, who previously said he would revamp his short program,
has also decided to overhaul his long program after a dull performance
at the nationals. While he has not abandoned his efforts to refine
a quadruple jump, Eldredge said he felt he was not paying enough attention
to his total program. He is looking to add more engaging footwork
and choreography. ``I watched some of the tapes from nationals,''
Eldredge said Thursday. ``I didn't like a lot of things. The things
between jumps didn't have the excitement level they should have.''
LIPINSKI'S SILENT TREATMENT Throughout her struggles last year, Michelle
Kwan continued speaking with reporters, saying Friday that she felt
it was therapeutic. But Tara Lipinski has decided not to speak with
reporters before the Olympics. Her parents were grim-faced after her
second-place finish at the nationals, even though their 15-year-old
daughter made the Olympic team and has a chance to become the youngest
Olympic champion. Many in the skating community are concerned that
by publicly showing their disappointment, her parents and publicists
are placing unnecessary pressure on the world champion.