People

By Guy D. Garcia

She would just as soon be working with infinity symbols in her pre-med courses as carving figure eights on the ice. In fact, after getting a disappointing grade in chemistry, Stanford Freshman Debi Thomas, 18, ripped up her entry form for the U.S. figure skating championships in Uniondale, N.Y. But she changed her mind, and in an inspired performance, Thomas landed five flawless triple jumps in her skating program, two more than she had been able to manage in practice during the previous week. They brought the crowd to its feet and Thomas to the women's crown, the first black figure skater to win a national title. "There's been a lot of sacrifices, especially with sleep," said the champion, who started skating in her hometown of San Jose, Calif., at five. Back at Stanford after the victory last week, she said, "It's still kind of a shock. I never expected that winning could be so exciting." Now she is bracing herself for a double dose of finals next month--in her courses at the university and at the world championships in Geneva.