Bill allows skater to become U.S. citizen

CRAWFORD, Texas, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A provision in one of the bills signed Friday by President George W. Bush allows a Canadian skater a chance to compete for the United States in the Olympics.

A section of the 182-page appropriation bill for the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services shortens the time a person needs to live in the United States to become a citizen -- as long as that person is an "alien with extraordinary ability."

The amendment was inserted by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. While it was supported with the argument it covers some 100 people of "extraordinary ability" in areas such as the arts, business and science, it is targeted at ice dancer Tanith Belbin -- who was born in Kingston, Ontario, but resides in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., not far from Levin's hometown of Detroit.

Belbin and her U.S. partner Ben Agosto are considered gold medal challengers for the Winter Olympics in February in Turin, Italy. But first, Belbin must qualify for the U.S. team -- by becoming a citizen and by competing at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships next month, during which the U.S. Olympic team will be chosen.