Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 1992)
U.S. athletes have bad day in Barcelona BARCELONA. Spain (AP) — Dave Johnson almost fouled out of the decath lon Wednesday, a Dan-dy start to a dis mal day for America at the Summer Nolymplcs. A women's basketball dynasty is over, and America's boys of summer go home empty-handed. So does world 200-motor champion Michael Johnson, who failed to qualify for tho final. And now. the International Olympic Committee says Jud Logan, whose fourth place was tho best for tho Unitod Stales in thu hammer throw in 3ft years, tested positive for steroids. Even winning wasn't all It was crocked up to be Ask Jennifer Capriati She's the most unpopular woman in town after treating Barcelona's own Arantxa San chez Vicario with Spanish King Juan Carlos in tho stands "It was tough out there, but I blocked it out pretty well. I think." said tho 16 yrmr-old Capriati, who plays Steffi Graf for the gold mesial Friday. Dave Johnson, the one of "!>an and Dave" shoo commercial fame, was flagged for fouls on all three of his at tempts in the shot put, which would have put him out of that part of the de cathlon — any shot at a modal suddenly gone Hut one Judge overruled the other, Johnson got another chance, and he was still In tho hunt, ninth with five of the lit events left on Thursday. "I'm having an off day, but nothing major, fortunately," Johnson said "But you never know what your body's going to do on any given day." Any designs the U.8. women had on a third straight basketball gold were dashed in a 7<t 73 semifinal loss to the Unifier) Team. They play Cuba for the bronze medal Thursday, while the Uni fied Team meets China for the gold Chi na boat Cuba 100-70 in tho other semifi nal. “1 think the majority of us have u feel ing of letdown, disappointment, unger, frustration." U S. loam mombor Teresa Weatherspoon said. And the baseball team lost to Japan 8-3 In the bronze-modal game. So much for the national pastime. "We have nothing to show for this but fond memories,” outfielder Jeffrey Ham monds said. •J Cuba won the gold modul wun an i I victory ovor Taiwan. With all of the tiny s 12 medal events over, the Unified Team led with B4 total. 35 gold. The United States had 74 mixl uls. 21 gold, and Germany had 57 med als, IB gold. Still in the chase for American medals was the two-time defending Olympic champion men's volleyball team, which defeated the Unified Team 12-15, 15-4. 15-10, 15-11, advancing to the semifinals against Brazil on Kriduy. Ono half of the hallyhooed "Dan and Dave" duo already Is gone. Dun O'Brien, tho world champion, blew each of his pole vault attempts at the trials and didn't even make the team. Johnson barely avoided an eerily simi lar exit. He would have been allowed to continuo in the event, but without any shot put points, he couldn't have won oven a bronzo. When the red flag went up on his third throw, Johnson stood In the circle, his hands on his hips. “I asked him, 'Are you sure?' " John son said. "He said yes But there were two officials watching the toe ixiard, and one suw It as u foul, the other saw it as u fair throw. "Fortunately, tho larger and more powerful referee saw it and said it was a fair throw." Johnson said After the reprieve, Johnson threw 50 feet, 1 and three-fourths Inches, a per sonal best, and moved to ninth from 13lh after poor performances in the 100 me ters and long jump. Spain, Czechoslovakia and France pro tested the Judge's decision, but it was de nied. SUMMER GAMES Barcelona A 0 Women hoopsters beaten by Unified in landmark upset BARCELONA. Spain (AP) — The runaway, almost boring, triumphs of the United Stotts in basketball end ed Wednesday when tho Unified Team handed Ameri can women their first loss in the Olympics since 1976. The heavily favored Americans, so confident of gold, now must find the strength to battle for tho bronze after losing 79-73 in the semifinals. The loss tame at the expense of a group considered to be the best women's team ever assembled In the United Slates, one that had a throe-time Olympian, five other veterans of the 1988 Seoul Games and six other players with vast international experience "I'm not shocked because any time you step on tho court any team can lose, and that's my mentality when I go out and play," said guard Teresa Edwards. "But wo have a team with a lot of talont, and it's hard to realize ail that talent couldn’t como through in a game." Credit the Unified Team for that - the first team to beat tho American women in tho Olympics since they did it under the flag of tho Soviet Union. After tho U S. boycott in i960, the American women had won the Olympic gold in ‘84 and ‘88. Not this time, though. A zone defense and the ability to break the U.S. press allowed tho Unified Team to build an 11-point lead early in the second half and cope with a late U.S. run. "1 tell my players that United States Is tho best team In the world." Unified coach Evguoni Gomelsky said. "But I tell them they aro good players, too, so just go play." Men’s volleyball continues march toward medal BARCELONA, Spain (AIM — Tholr hair is starling to come back and so is the power of the U. S volleyball team, whic h on Wednesday defeated the Unified Team to gain a semifinal meeting with Brazil The Americans won 12-15, 15 10, 15-4, 15-11 in a scorn that almost mirrored the outcome of the 1WHH Olympic, final in Los Angelos, when the United States i»oat the Soviet Union 13-15, 15-10. 15 4. 15 H "The shaving of the heads united the team bohind this cause and the cause is getting greater," said Steve Timmons, who led the teum with 25 kills. The Americans shaved their heads after officials overturned their early-round vic tory against Japan because of a faulty rul ing by a referee. Since going bald, the Americans are 5-0 The Unified Team i>egan much as it did when it was the So viet Union squad in Los Angeles, with explosive power Then the U S. team called a timeout and Timmons had a few words for his teammates "I reminded them of the LA final and I told them that If we keep fighting, they'll come down to earth pretty soon," said Timmons, of Newport Beach. Calif "They did and we con trolled them pretty much after that." Apart from Timmons. 33. four other U S starters ulso started the final in 19HH and two more U S. players were on that team "They were on fire from the start, they wore hammering away and passing great They always come out that way," Tim mons said. "But we kept on reminding ourselves that they won't last." The Americans are seeking to become the first team to win three volleyball gold medals in a raw and Timmons could be come the first man to do so. Apart from Timmons, Bob Ctvrtlik, of Long Beach, (la 1 if.. Doug Partin, of Santa Barbara. Calif, and Jeff Stork, of Topanga Canyon, (jilif., were also starters on the 1088 team. Earlier, the Netherlands upset world champion Italy 15-tt, 8-15, 12-15, 15-2. 17-16 and will moot Cuba, which boat Spain 16-14. 15-8, 15-6 in Friday'# semifinals. Brazil beat Japan 15-12. 15-5, 15-12 to remain unbeaten The United Slates was 0-2 against the Unified Team for the day, after upset losses by the women's basketball toum and the men's water polo team. But the volleyball players did not go down the same road. The Unified Team pulled away for a 10-4 load behind power ful hitting by Dmitry Fomin und Ruslan Oltkbver, un ethnic Russian from Latvia, and got the majority of the crowd in its fa vor, with the cheers of American fans often drowned out. "Tastes Great. Less Filling." chanted the American crowd, echoing a beer commercial. And the non-Americans who had been cheering the Unified Team became silent Johnson’s quest for 200 gold stopped by poor performance BARCELONA. Spain (AP) — Michael Johnson went from the heat of Olympic hypo and competition into the air-con ditioned interview room and the chill ing realization he was done. "1 didn't make it," he said after a min ute's silent reflection. "It didn't hap pen." Aftor the big buildup and a following controversy, the world champion sprint or failed to qualify for the 200-meter fi nal Wednesday, finishing a distant sixth. With his earlier decision not to com pote in the 400 meters and his berth in the 1.600-meter relay in question, John son's Olympics may be over. "1 just didn't feel like Michael John son today," he said in a dull monotone. "It's just not there," Ranked No. 1 in the 200 and 400 me ters the past two years, Johnson was an early pick to take the gold in both com petitions As late as last week the former Baylor star proclaimed himself the best 400-meter runner in the business. With world record-holder Butch Reynolds fighting allegations of steroid use and failing to qualify during the Olympic trials in Now Orleans, Johnson would have been an important addition to the U.S. effort. But Johnson, who has a habit of refer ring to himself in the third person, opt ed out of the* 400 Ho complained tho original Barcelona schedule would have him running the two different races on the same day. Ho wouldn't relent, not oven after tho International Amateur Athlotic federa tion shifted tho schodulo to put tho 200 and 400 finals on following days. "Thoy'ro too late." ho said at the trials in Juno. After Wednesday night's showing, it was Johnson who was too late for a medal. An intimidating competitor who dominated the 200 over the past two years, Johnson slipped to the back of the pack after the final turn, falling to his knees after ho crossed tho finish line in sixth place. "Tho Olympic gold is what I wanted," ho said. “It's behind mo now." It was up to U S. teammate Mike Marsh to set an Olympic record of 19 73 seconds in the other heat - an Olympic record and only one-hundredth of a sec ond shy of tho world record. Johnson blamed his showing on a vi rus that ambushed him a few weeks ago. A fover and diahhrea cost him a week's workouts, 10 pounds and his endur ance. Miller plans 30-city tour OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shannon Miller, who vaulted Into the limelight as the best female U.S. gymnast at the Summer Olym pics, nas lined up a 30-city tour and several television appearances. Next up could be cereal box fame. "1 would love to be on a Wheat lea box," the 4-foot-7 gymnast said during a news conference after her arrival home In Oklahoma on Wednesday. "It interests me a lot," she said of possible endorsements. Miller, 15, of Edmond, Okie., won two sliver and throe bronze medals In Barcelona, the most by a U.S. female gymnast since Mary Lou Rollon In the 1984 Olympics. More than 2,000 people were on hand to cheer her return home. Miller is being represented by ProServ. the same agency that rep resents Michael Jordan, said Steve Nunno. her coach. “She really doesn’t understand a lot of what's been happening," Nunno said. "We Just left the Olympic Village yesterday, and in the Olympic Village there was no hoopla for Shannon Miller, really, because there were Olympic gold medalists everywhere."