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Bloke
Wanted
The following notice, hand-written and photocopied on British Broadcasting Corporation stationery, was posted yesterday at the Georgia Dome, site of the basketball competition: "Due to illness, one of our basketball commentators has returned home—We are looking for an accredited journalist/broadcaster with in-depth basketball experience/knowledge who could do colour [sic] commentary on games at the Dome." The notice included a phone number for the BBC and the parenthetical assurance "Yes, we do pay!" Ye gods! If the flier falls into the hands of Dick Vitale, it's curtains for the King's English.
Graeme Obree of Great Britain The cyclist to watch in today's 4,000-meter individual pursuit is the cerebral Graeme Obree of Great Britain. He will be pedaling a third-generation version of Old Faithful, the homemade bicycle he designed in 1992 using, among other things, parts from a washing machine. Obree (above) will also be employing an unusual position, with his arms straight out over the wheels. In 1994 Obree came up with his first innovative position, elbows tucked under his chest, but it was banned by officials as "an unfair competitive advantage." Obree then came up with his straight-armed style and regained the world title. Should Obree's new position be banned, the unflappable Scot has another one under wraps, which he calls "even more aerodynamic."
Why can't U.S. swimmers and runners go the distance anymore? The failures of Janet Evans to make the final of the 400-meter freestyle on Monday and of Tom Dolan and John Piersma in the men's 400 free yesterday underscore a continuing decline in U.S. performances in distance events in both swimming and running. The past success of Evans and Dolan has helped obscure the overall erosion of U.S. distance fortunes. More telling is that in the men's 1,500 free, the top U.S. swimmers are more than a pool length behind world-record holder Kieren Perkins of Australia. No U.S. male swimmer has won a medal in either the 400- or 1,500 free since 1984. American performances in distance running have also declined dramatically. Since Frank Shorter's marathon silver in 1976, no U.S. man has won a medal in any event longer than the 3,000-meter steeplechase, in which Brian Diemer earned a bronze in '84. In Atlanta, only Bob Kennedy, in the 5,000, has a realistic shot at a medal. What has happened? Swimming experts point to the college version of the sport, which emphasizes the sprints over the distance races. Says Dolan, "It makes sense for a talented swimmer to focus on the sprints." In both sports, social forces may also be at work, among them the sedentary U.S. lifestyle, the declining fitness of American youth, the gravitation of the best athletes to pro sports and the erosion of the work ethic. Whatever the causes, the results are on display at these Games.
It's usually just street criminals, prostitutes and the homeless who are swept off a city's streets before happy Olympic crowds are permitted to walk them. But zealous Atlanta seems to have outdone all its predecessors: It has put the broom to its own Olympic mascot. Izzy, that bright-blue blob of something, has become a kind of mascot non grata, conspicuous by his absence. He was not visible at the opening ceremonies, and there was no mention of him in the hefty 56-page press guide to those ceremonies. You'll find all 20 members of the "puppet couture crew" listed by name and even someone with the intriguing title of "head LSD tech." But no Izzy. ACOG's official position is that he's "out and around," but our position is that he hasn't been much of either. Hey, we're not really complaining, but you've got to wonder whether ACOG is just plain embarrassed by a mascot whose name was originally Whatizit and whose very existence has been decried by some locals who argue that Brer Rabbit is a more authentic regional character. Then again, where would Izzy be an authentic regional character?
U.S. assistant Greco-Roman coach Bob Anderson Call it wrestling's answer to the royal wedding. There were reporters and cameras, and passersby stopped to gawk yesterday when U.S. assistant Greco-Roman coach Bob Anderson took down his bride, Judy Munday, for a newlywed smooch. "I tried to get her to wear a singlet under her dress," said Anderson. "I wore my wrestling shoes." Anderson and Munday (above) took their vows outside the Georgia World Congress Center after the morning matches. They had wanted to get married on the mats, but ACOG, terrified of a rash of copycat ceremonies at other venues, pinned the idea. "That's O.K.," said Anderson. "At least I know I'll remember my anniversary once every four years."
The French synchronized swimming team, peeved at being lambasted for its astoundingly ill-considered plan to perform an Olympic routine based on the Holocaust (a plan the team grudgingly dropped), has closed its practices to the press—presumably while working up a more appropriate routine for the delicate political climate of the Games. Our synchro spies tell us that in the free routine competition on Aug. 2 the French will unveil an aquatic reenactment of Sherman's March. Women's gymnastics is a misnomer. The sport has long been dominated by nimble little girls molded into champions through as many as six hours of harsh training a day. Given the side effects many of these "women" have suffered—eating disorders, bone fractures, fragile senses of self-esteem tied to success or failure—the decision by FIG, the sport's governing body, to raise the minimum age for future international competitors from 15 (some can even be 14 if they turn 15 by the end of the year) to 16 is laudable. A number of coaches have objected to the change, claiming it is not only unfair to young gymnasts who are able to handle the demands of the sport but is also likely to lead to more countries' trying to sneak in underage competitors. "I'm not in favor of any age limit," says Bela Karolyi, whose charges include 14-year-old phenom Dominique Moceanu. "There has always been suspicion and cheating, and it's going to be worse from now on." Other coaches are concerned that the change will hurt the sport by taking away some of its most spectacular performers—and to some it extent it may. But the fact remains that as exciting as the young gymnasts are to watch, and as valuable as they are to Olympic broadcasters in search of ratings, the well-being of the athletes is paramount.
Security has gotten a little hairy at the yachting venue in Savannah. According to security guard Alicia Blakely, an Italian journalist became frustrated on Monday when he twice set off the metal detector. "He said, 'Forget it,' and started taking off his clothes," says Blakely. At least the man showed some restraint by stopping at his briefs. A member of another yachting contingent—Blakely was not sure which—later got so annoyed at the supersensitive metal detector that he took off all his clothes. "Yes," says Blakely, "he was bone-butt naked." And the man still set off the alarm.
Jon Drummond U.S. sprinter, on why he moved out of the Olympic Village and into a hotel: "It's three days before I run, and in order to prepare I need to be with my coach, my trainer and my attorney." |
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SI Olympic Dailies
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