Browning, Yamaguchi Win Pro Titles

Copyright 1996 the Associated Press. -- All Rights Reserved

From Gene Kelly to the Commodores, Kurt Browning piled on the perfection.

Browning, a four-time world champion on the Olympic-eligible level who never fared well in the Olympics, won the U.S. Professional Figure Skating Championships on Saturday night. The Canadian took the technical program with a tribute to Gene Kelly from ''That's Entertainment,'' getting two perfect 10.0s. Then he added six more 10s in the free skate.

Last December, Browning clinched the world pro title when he outskated a strong field, using the Commodores' ''Brick House'' to soar to the top. He stuck with that program, and it worked again as he edged Paul Wylie a late replacement for the injured Brian Boitano and Viktor Petrenko.

Kristi Yamaguchi, the 1992 Olympic champion, won the women's title over Ekaterina Gordeeva and Katarina Witt.

Yamaguchi received four 10s for her free skate, to ''Teach Me How To Shimmy'' from ''Smokey Joe's Cafe.'' She scored 197.5, barely ahead of Gordeeva (197.0), who was making her pro debut in head-to-head competition.

Gordeeva, a two-time Olympic pairs champion, whose husband, Sergei Grinkov, died last November, previously competed in a pro team event.

Gordeeva was greeted by warm applause and several cries of ''We love you, Katya,'' when she took the ice. She skated superbly and, after her free skate, went over to the sideboards to hug her daughter, Daria.

The pairs event was won by 1992 Olympic silver medalist Elena Bechke and Denis Petrov of Russia. They also poured on the perfect marks with a marvelous free skate that earned them nine 10s.

Next came defending world pro champs Radka Kovarikova and Rene Novotny of the Czech Republic, followed by Americans Calla Urbanski and Rocky Marval, and Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, who were making a rare competitive appearance.

Rudy Galindo, the defending U.S. Figure Skating champion making his pro debut, struggled with his jumps.

''I started psyching myself out,'' Galindo said. ''I learned not to be so nervous.

''I'm upset. I wanted to skate clean. It's my fault. I had been skating so well and training so hard ... I blame myself, on psyching myself out.''

The event lost one of its main attractions when Boitano, the 1988 Olympic champion and a six-time world pro titlist, withdrew with a hip injury. Boitano is expected to be back by early November.