Kenyans Take To Ski Slopes

Philip Boit never saw snow until two years ago. Now he’s competing in the Winter Olympics, part of Kenya’s first entry.

The Kenyan national anthem echoed through the Olympic Village Thursday as this year’s answer to the Jamaican bobsledders arrived.

Boit, part of the two-man Kenyan cross-country ski team, did interviews, signed autographs and posed for pictures, smiling broadly all the while.

“This is a start,” said Boit, a former runner who swapped his sneakers for cross-country skis. “We are moving forward.”

Boit and teammate Henry Bitok were distance runners until 1995, when coach Mike Kosgei wondered if their running skills might translate into cross-country skiing success.

The runners were intrigued by the idea, and received their first taste of skiing in a February 1996 training trip to Finland.

“This is the beginning,” promised Charles Mukora, chairman of the Kenyan Olympic Committee.

“From now on, you’ll see lots of Kenyans in skiing. And we hope, someday, somebody will be in Kenya for skating and hockey.”

Harding, Kerrigan talk to Fox

Would she or wouldn’t she?

After four years, would Tonya Harding apologize? Would Nancy Kerrigan forgive?

Would there be closure for the whack on Kerrigan’s knee that was orchestrated by Harding’s ex-husband, looking to give his sweetie the gold medal?

The two met again for the first time since Lillehammer, thanks to a 2-hour Fox special that aired Thursday night, and the $100,000-plus the network paid each skater to appear.

When Harding walked into the Fox studio in New York where James Brown conducted the joint interview, Kerrigan, appearing queasy, exchanged a cold hello.

Harding then asked for forgiveness.

“I would like to apologize again for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and with the wrong people,” Harding said.

“If I would have known, I would have done anything I could to stop it,” she added. “I say that from the bottom of my heart.”

Kerrigan looked almost uncomfortable by the apology and Harding’s earlier congratulations for Kerrigan’s marriage and child.

Fox did not show her response, but when Harding apologized again at the end of the interview, Kerrigan responded:

“I am glad you moved on and I hope that you can find happiness and maybe children can learn from these mistakes,” she said to Harding.

Biggest, smallest meet

Tara Lipinski and Akebono. There hasn’t been a couple this odd around a figure skating rink since Tonya and Nancy.

“He’s b-i-i-i-g,” the 4-foot-10, 82-pound figure skater said with a shudder Thursday after meeting the 6-8, 516-pound sumo wrestler. “He just looked at me …”

“She is small, very small,” chuckled the Hawaiian-born Akebono, who will play a large role in the opening ceremonies.

It was indeed a big, big day for America’s smallest Olympian - her first practice in Nagano.

Lipinski’s meeting with Akebono was arranged by CBS’ “48 Hours.”