July 23, 1999 3:39 PM AP

AP Photos LA301-302 of July 21 By BETH HARRIS

AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Naomi Nari Nam's talents have always belied her age. She started roller skating at 2, switched to figure skating at 5 and landed a renowned coach at 7.

She zoomed closer to the top of her sport in February, finishing second to Michelle Kwan at the national championships. Her goal is the 2002 Olympics, when she would be all of 16.

"She's undoubtedly the most talented and best skater I've had at that age," said her coach, John Nicks. "Nobody at that age I've ever taught before has achieved what she has."

And that's the problem. Age could defeat Nam in a way none of her competitors has.

She qualified for this year's world championships, but at the time she was 13, two years too young under International Skating Union rules for senior events.

The same problem could confront Nam again next year. A top-three finish at the national championships would earn her a berth at the world championships. However, Nam, who turned 14 this month, would still be too young.

Another way she could qualify would be to win a medal at the junior world championships in early March, but the senior world meet begins a week later, leaving her little time to rest. The events used to be several months apart.

Nicks said his biggest concern about Nam's future is the age rule.

"I'm frustrated because this ruling seems to penalize somebody for their age and not their ability," he said. "That's very wrong."

The rule, enacted in 1997, was aimed at preventing unfair advantages in pairs competition, where some skaters used to choose younger partners because they were lighter and easier to skate with.

Nam surprised herself and Nicks by finishing second to Kwan this year at the national championships, so she shrugged off missing out on the world championships. Nicks predicts a different reaction next year if she qualifies and isn't allowed to skate.

"I think it's going to be emotionally devastating to her," he said.

Pairs skaters Tiffany and Johnnie Stiegler have twice been shut out of major events because of their ages.

"The age-limit rule really affects people's careers," said Johnnie Stiegler, 17. "When you're in your prime, it's not forever. It goes so quick."

His 15-year-old sister said: "They're telling you you're too good for your age. We can't help that we're young. We want to do it just as bad as everyone else."

Nam wanted Nicks as her coach even before he had made up his own mind. The Briton had never before accepted a student as young as 7. He asked her to perform a single axel, then told her to land bigger jumps and come see him again.

"Naomi was so sad and crying," recalled her mother, Connie. "She tried the whole week to make a bigger axel. She made it a little bigger and farther and Mr. Nicks said, `OK, I'll take you.' Every lesson she was so happy."

Nicks is 70, old enough to fit Nam's affectionate nickname of "Grandpa."

"He's helped me so much," she said. "We're very close. That's good to have that kind of relationship with a coach."

Since the national championships in February, Nam has added a triple lutz, giving her a full arsenal of jumps.

"That was really exciting," she said. "Once I got the technique right, it was simple. Now I just have to do it all the time consistently and be confident with it."

That shouldn't be too tough for a teen-ager who seemingly transforms into an elegant woman when she's on the ice. Her presence makes her appear much older and her spins are breathtaking.

"If she continues to make the same sort of progress this coming year that she made last year, she'll be a legitimate challenge to anybody in the skating world," Nicks said.

While summer sizzles outside, Nam is training inside a frosty rink for the upcoming season. She got a taste of the professional touring life in June when she joined Champions On Ice for 13 West Coast shows, accompanied by her mother.

Nam had a chance to study her idol Kwan during the tour. Their budding rivalry began in February at the national championships. Both are aiming for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Nicks worries that Nam's admiration of Kwan could get in the way on the ice.

"I'm not sure that she's mentally ready yet to compete with Michelle," he said. "I think her relationship should move into one of mutual respect rather than admiring somebody that's a lot better than you."

Yet Nam can't help herself.

"I look up to her so much," she said. "I just watch her really closely and I learn a lot from her."

If Nam continues improving, Nicks sees her as a legitimate challenge to Kwan, who has been without serious competition since Tara Lipinski turned pro after the 1998 Olympics.

"I think Michelle and her connections probably welcome that. They probably don't like to be stuck out there all by themselves every time," Nicks said. "You've always got to have people pushing you."

End Adv for July 24-25