Feb. 8, 2000 8:41 PM Reuters

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Feb 8 (Reuters) - A banner hanging in three-time world figure skating champion Elvis Stojko's former training site in Barrie, Ontario, announces: You're in Quadruple Country.

It is testament to Stojko's domination of the treacherous leap in the years after fellow Canadian Kurt Browning nailed the world's first four-revolution jump in 1988.

Today, the quadruple jump has become the sport's measuring stick, a prerequisite to standing on the world podium.

But coach Carol Heiss Jenkins believes her athlete Timothy Goebel, a gold medal contender in Cleveland this week at the United States championships, can go one better -- a quintuple jump.

"I think Tim can do it. He could do a quintuplet salchow," Heiss Jenkins said of the five-revolution jump that not even quadmeister Stojko has attempted.

But that won't happen this week at the nationals. Here, Goebel will use his arsenal of quadruple jumps and quad-triple combinations to try to unseat reigning U.S. champ Michael Weiss, who will ante up one quad per program.

Weiss, also the world bronze medallist, said he has not given the quintuple much thought but suggested a new skate design might help.

"In speed skating, they have the clap skate. Maybe we'll have the spring skate and we'll be doing seven and eight rotations," joked Weiss, who begins his title defence Thursday.

Despite Heiss Jenkins' faith in his jumping ability, Goebel is not so sure there is a quint in his near future.

"I think anything is possible. I don't know if a quintuple will happen during my skating career... I think someday someone will do one and maybe it will be commonplace.

"Fifteen years ago, no one thought a quad would be possible because no one other than Brian Orser or Brian Boitano was doing triple Axels. But the sport is changing so fast, I don't think anyone knows how far it will go," he added.

"The harder the jump, the greater the potential for injury so it's something that once I start working on it, it will be something I work on rarely," he said.

Heiss Jenkins, on the other hand, is convinced the quint is coming.

"Once Tim does it, then they'll all be trying to do it... He's been overrotating the quad sow (salchow) now when they've been too high. If he feels comfortable, we can even start it this summer or early fall," said the 1960 women's Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion.

This season Goebel nailed three quads -- two salchows and a toe loop -- in one skate last autumn, raising the bar that Stojko set so high.

Will he raise the stakes even higher and go for four this week?

"Absolutey not," said Goebel who has also landed quadruple loop jumps and attempted the quad flip.

"Trying three is very risky. Nobody else is doing it. I don't think it would gain me anything trying it."

Maybe not. But a quintuple would definitely get people's attention.