Hamill excited about Vegas

 LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Dorothy Hamill is excited about her first venture in a flashy Las Vegas production show, but the former Olympic champion would prefer a little more ice.
 Hamill has taken over as the featured attraction in "Enter the Night" at the Stardust Hotel-Casino. But the ice on which she skates is a fraction the size of most practice and professional rinks.
 "It's the smallest area I've ever skated," she said of the patch of ice 15 feet by 30 feet in the middle of the Stardust stage. Most rinks run 85 feet by 185 feet and Olympic rinks are 100 feet by 200 feet, she said.
 The 41-year-old Hamill is scheduled for a nine-week engagement amid the variety acts and flashy scenery, which are a long way from Innsbruck, Austria, where she won the Olympic gold medal in 1976.
 "The size of the rink is the toughest challenge," she said. "When you get nervous, you have a tendency to push and go. You can't do that here. And there's not enough room to get up enough speed to make any jumps. I miss the jumps."
 After turning pro, Hamill starred in touring ice shows and TV specials. She won an Emmy for her role in "Romeo and Juliet." More recently, she produced and starred in "Nutcracker on Ice."