Kristie Marano of the New York AC always likes to wrestle in her home state.  There is something a little different this time when she returns to New York City to compete in the New York Athletic Club Christmas International on Dec. 20-21.    The last time she competed in New York City was a memory of a lifetime. On September 14, just three months ago, Marano was standing on a podium in the middle of world famous Madison Square Garden as the new World Champion at 67 kg/147.5 pounds. In front of family, friends and thousands of wrestling fans, Kristie Marano reached the pinnacle of her sport.    Training full-time as a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., this Albany, N.Y. native does not get home that often anymore. She made the move to the USOTC last spring to concentrate on her quest to make the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, the first year that women wrestlers will be included in the Olympics. She will be spending three weeks back at home over the holidays, and is very happy to return to New York soil.    "I'm excited to go home," said Marano just days before her flight to New York. "It will be fun and exciting. It is always fun when a tournament is around my area. It is easy for my friends and family to come see me wrestle. Plus, I will be wrestling for my club, the New York Athletic Club, at their tournament."    The last time Marano wrestled, she was a dominant star. She was the only American to win a gold medal when the World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling was held in Madison Square Garden. She had five matches, with three pins, a technical fall and a dominant 7-1 win over Ewelina Pruszko of Poland in the finals.     Marano won her second career World gold medal, and the seventh World Championships medal of her career. No U.S. woman has won more World medals. Only one U.S. man has won more World Championships medals, another New York AC star, New Jersey native Bruce Baumgartner.    Instead of spending time thinking about that glorious weekend in the Garden, Marano is already looking ahead. One of the reasons she continues to win is that she refuses to look back.    "I don't think about myself after a tournament," said Marano. "I go on from there. I put it behind me. It is great I have (the World title), but there is so much I have to work on. I don't think I'll ever settle with how I do."    Marano expects to compete at 67 kg/147.5 pounds at the New York Athletic Club Christmas International, which will be her last time at that division this season. She plans to drop down to 63 kg/138.75 pounds for her next competition, the FILA Manitoba Open in Canada in February.     Since there are only four weight divisions at the Olympic Games, the weight that she won her World title will not be contested in the Athens Olympics. She will be competing at the lower weight division in an attempt to be on the first U.S. Olympic Team with women wrestlers.  The New York Athletic Club Christmas International is the first step in her Olympic year journey.    "Training is going good, but I am excited to compete again," Marano said. "The Olympic year will hit me in January, when it is 2004. It is coming fast. Reality will set in the next couple of weeks."    Marano has set some specific performance goals for the tournament in New York City.    "I need to see how much I have improved on my technique," said Marano. "I also need to open up a lot more in this tournament."    Last year, Marano went to the New York Athletic Club Christmas International intending on wrestling at 67 kg. However, with no other entries at the weight, she moved up a division to 72 kg, and faced many of the best wrestlers in the world there.    Also in that weight class were America's No. 1 at 72 kg, Toccara Montgomery, Poland's top wrestler Monika Kowalska and Canada's World Team member Ahenewa Okuffo. In spite of giving up weight to the opponents, Marano placed second in the tournament, losing only to Montgomery by a close 7-5 margin.    This year's New York Athletic Club Christmas International is expected to have many competitive weight classes. With the Olympic Trials and Olympic Games only a few months away, America's top wrestlers are seeking opportunities to get some high quality matches in, as part of their Olympic year preparation.     Traditionally, many of Canada's best wrestlers enter this tournament, as well as a number of athletes from other nations. A Greco-Roman team from Belarus has confirmed that it will enter the event. It is a good bet that Kristie Marano will be among other international stars at the competition this year.    NEW YORK AC CHRISTMAS INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE    Friday, Dec. 19  5:00 p.m. - Weigh-ins at NYAC wrestling room in basement    Saturday Dec. 20  9:00 a.m. - Preliminaries for all styles in the NYAC sixth floor gymnasium  (session expected to complete by 6:00 p.m.)    Sunday, Dec. 21  10:00 a.m. - Preliminaries and semifinals for all styles in the NYAC sixth floor gymnasium  4:00 p.m. - Championship finals