WINTER OLYMPICS / NOTEBOOK

“Bare stomachs, bare arms and unnecessarily bare skin.”

What about them?

They “will not be permitted” in Olympic figure skating, one of the judges said Wednesday.

Sigrun Morkeseth, a skating judge from Norway, said rules have been tightened, and competitors can lose points if judges consider their costumes to be indecent. Female skaters must always wear skirts, and no fringes on costumes will be tolerated.

Although Morkeseth singled out no individual, German skater Katarina Witt’s costumes have been criticized by some as unduly provocative. Also, Tonya Harding’s costume at the recent U.S. Championships was sleeveless, bare in front from armpit to armpit and exposed in a deep V almost to the waist. Although she won the competition, published reports claimed that Harding’s scores were lowered by certain judges because of her costume.

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First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to arrive Friday in Oslo, then attend Saturday’s opening ceremony here along with other American luminaries, among them former Olympic gold medalist sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner.

According to Greg Crouch, press attache from the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, the First Lady has not yet decided which events she will attend. He said Mrs. Clinton has expressed interest in speedskating and Sunday’s men’s downhill, and he expects her to attend the hockey game between the United States and France.