Browning, Yamaguchi Lead Compulsories

Copyright 1996 the Associated Press. -- All Rights Reserved

Kurt Browning, skating a perky routine in tribute to Gene Kelly, led the U.S. Professional Figure Skating Championships after Saturday's technical program.

Kristi Yamaguchi held a slight lead over Ekaterina Gordeeva heading into the free skate.

Browning, a four-time world champion in the Olympic-eligible ranks who won the world pro title last December, received two perfect marks of 10.0 for his performance. Skating to music from ''Singing in the Rain'' and other movie tunes, he had no marks lower than 9.8, despite falling hard on a triple axel.

But Browning nailed everything else, and his spins and footwork were superb. He brought the crowd to its feet when he finished, and they rose again when his marks were announced.

Paul Wylie, a late replacement, was second and had the only other 10.0 in the technical program. He was followed by Viktor Petrenko who edged Wylie for the Olympic gold at Albertville in 1992 Rudy Galindo and Scott Williams. Galindo, the defending U.S. Figure Skating champion making his pro debut, struggled with his jumps early, but came on at the end of his program.

The event lost one of its main attractions when Brian 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.

Yamaguchi, the 1992 Olympic champion, scored a 98.1 for the technical program, barely ahead of Gordeeva, who is making her pro debut in head-to-head competition. The 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.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Katarina Witt was third, followed by 1976 Olympic winner Dorothy Hamill, who until now had appeared only in ice shows as a pro.

Charlene Von Saher of England was fifth.

The pairs event was led by 1992 Olympic silver medalist Elena Bechke and Denis Petrov of Russia. 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 also were making a rare competitive appearance.