Feb. 9, 2000 4:30 PM AP

By BARRY WILNER

AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) Michelle Kwan has her sights on the 2002 Olympics, isn't intimidated by the swirl of combination triple jumpers around her and is happy with her decision to attend college while still skating.

There's more.

She and coach Frank Carroll already have picked out music for the Olympic year. She isn't finding it difficult to get motivated for competition. And she has no problems with being the old lady at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

She just has one question.

"Do I have to skate?" she asked with a laugh Wednesday when told she looked like a shoo-in for her fourth national title. "I think we are all at the same starting line. I don't feel I'm ahead of anyone. Once the gun goes off, we're in a race.

"It's not true at all when people say that."

Lots of people are saying that, mainly because most of her challengers are barely out of the junior ranks and still far from Kwan's level. While she hasn't been dominant in international events, she stands well above the American field - even while splitting her time between UCLA and the rink.

That schedule will continue for the foreseeable future, although she is taking just one class this semester. Kwan doesn't expect to leave UCLA as she prepares for the Salt Lake City Games two years from now.

Unquestionably, she plans on skating in those Olympics.

"I'm really committed pretty much to Salt Lake City," she said. "I hate to say I'll be there and have something happen. I do play it year by year and feel at this point 100 percent (about going).

"I'll probably be combining both through 2002. It's hard thinking 100 percent about skating. It takes a toll on your mind. It's nice having other distractions, and with school I am able to focus on something else."

Kwan needs to focus on more triple jumps in her programs. She lost to Russian Irina Slutskaya at the Grand Prix finals in Lyon, France, partly because Slutskaya did two triple-triple combinations. Kwan didn't do any.

"I don't think anything has come easy for me," the 19-year-old two-time world champion said. "I had to work myself up to the top and it's been a challenge. Now I have to up the ante and develop more technical stuff.

"In Lyon, I knew people were doing triple-triples and it set a new motivation. I can't back down. I've got to do it."

She has worked on a triple lutz-triple loop and a triple salchow-triple loop. As of now, the only triple combination Kwan is planning this year is the easiest one, a triple toe loop-triple toe loop.

That might do the job if Kwan's artistry is vastly superior to her competitors, as it should be here. But she also needs to nail every element to make up for the lack of difficulty in her jumps - particularly at worlds.

"The difficulty for us is getting the time to zero in on that one combination," Carroll said. "I think by the Olympic year, she will have to do two triple-triple combinations."

As Kwan prepares for her eighth nationals, she sees a kiddie wave led by Sarah Hughes, Naomi Nari Nam and Sasha Cohen. All of them are fearless jumpers who are beginning to close the gap between themselves and the polished champion.

It's odd to her that she isn't considered young in the sport anymore.

"I look around and see the young generation improving and remember I was one of them," she said. "I remember looking up to Nancy (Kerrigan) and staring at her and thinking, `I'm on the same ice as her.' I never was brave enough to say anything to her.

"I know Naomi and Sasha and they ask me questions. They know I've been to worlds and they try to imagine it."

Imagining Kwan losing this week is, well, a lot tougher than hitting a few triple-triples - provided she is inspired. She doesn't seem worried.

"You have to find motivations," Kwan said. "They don't come floating into your hands. Mentally, I know I can do it. I've done it before. You just have to put it into the four minutes."