LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The popular sport of figure skating was honored Thursday when the U.S. Postal Service joined world-renowned skaters Brian Boitano, Kristi Yamaguchi, Alexei Urmanov and Oksana Baiul in an unveiling ceremony for the new Figure Skating commemorative postage stamp at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

"The American people love the sport of figure skating and showed their fondness for it by casting their ballots for Figure Skating as one of the Celebrate The Century 1980s stamps," said Cliff Rucker, Postmaster/Senior Plant Manager of Las Vegas, who unveiled the stamp for the Postal Service. "Likewise, people continue to show their appreciation of the Postal Service by consistently giving us high marks for delivering their mail accurately and in a timely manner."

The 15 Celebrate The Century stamps of the 1980s are scheduled to be issued Jan.12, 2000, at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Other stamps selected during l980s balloting include Video Games, which received the most votes, Fall of the Berlin Wall, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," Hostages Come Home, "The Cosby Show" (Hit Comedy), "Cats" (Musical Smash), Hip-hop Culture, San Francisco 49ers, Personal Computers, Compact Discs, Cable TV, Space Shuttle Program and Cabbage Patch Kids.

Figure skating gained popularity during the 1980s as fans eagerly followed national and international rivalries. Americans captured nine World Championships, and American men won the gold medal in 1984 and l988.

Illustrated by Robert Rodriguez of Pasadena, Calif., and designed by Carl Herrman of Carlsbad, Calif., the 33-cent Figure Skating stamp portrays a woman ice-skating.

The Celebrate The Century series concludes in April 2000 with the issuance of the 1990s stamps. With this installment, the landmark 150-stamp series will be complete. Copies of the special Collector's Edition can be ordered at the 1-800 STAMP-24 or online at http://www.stampsonline.com