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."