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Although she barely grew, she found that her height, especially the length of her legs, did not impede her development. She was not only adding jumps, she was jumping higher, and by last year in Paris, higher than ever.

Trenary, a 22-year-old skater who was fourth in the Olympics, found herself in Ito's practice group then. A skater known more for style than strength, Trenary remembered being somewhat unnerved by the experience.

''It bothered me,'' she said. ''I didn't realize what a perfectionist Midori was.''

As usual, when the Paris competition began, Ito was trailing the leaders after compulsory figures, this time in sixth place. Trenary was second, behind Claudia Leistner of West Germany. But Ito won the two skating programs, leaving Leistner second and Trenary third.

Still, for all the honors that followed, she was unsettled by the usual manner in which she won the title. She decided she wanted more grace in her routines, more elegance and beauty. The answer was ballet lessons.

Artistry Is New Challenge

''Last year, the challenge was the triple axel,'' she said. ''Since I can do that now, this year I am trying to be more artistic.''

In the months since Paris, the new efforts have proved worthwhile. She won the Japan national championship for the fifth consecutive year and the NHK Trophy, a prestigious annual international tournament in Japan, for a fourth time.

Her success over the years, however, has not come without personal cost. When she was 6, her parents separated, and she moved in with Yamada's family. She spoke of the episode delicately.

''I don't have much memory of what happened,'' she said. ''I merely did what I was told. She accepted me as one of her children, so I didn't feel it was a hardship.''

Even now, she rarely sees her parents, who have never watched her perform anywhere outside of Japan. Communication is more frequent by telephone, and the situation is not likely to improve.

Eyeing Long-Term Objectives

While she was vague about her intentions beyond this week, the obvious long-term objectives are far-flung. Among them are the Olympics of 1992 and 1994, the first on the new four-year cycle, or the start of a professional career. ''I am still undecided,'' she said, looking a bit perplexed.

But ask her about the near-term and she brightens: A quadruple jump, she said, is within reach. Only one skater, Kurt Browning of Canada, has landed one in a major competition. ''If I am in condition, I will try it next year,'' she said, for now, leaving the most tantalizing question of all for another time.

How long before you can dunk?

photo: Midori Ito of Japan, who last year became the first - and remains the only - woman to complete a triple-axel jump in competition. (Agence France-Presse)