19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

THE OLYMPICS
Sir:
Congratulations on the magnificent photographs of the Moscow Olympics. I was especially thrilled with the pole-vault sequence in the Aug. 11 issue (How's This, Mrs. Mullory?). Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz' defiant gesture to the jeering Moscovites was pure drama. He was speaking not only for himself but also for the entire Polish nation, which has long suffered under Russian tyranny. Thanks for capturing this classic moment.
DENNIS D. KENDZORA
Memphis

Sir:
Thank you for the delightful cover picture of Sebastian Coe. I had a chance to watch the Moscow Olympics on BBC television while I was on vacation. Coe's jubilation was the only spontaneously happy emotion I saw expressed during the Games. To have it recreated on your cover just made my day.
MAGGIE GIBSON
Alameda, Calif.

Sir:
My hat is off to Miruts Yifter for his great 5,000- and 10,000-meter victories, but I think it is somewhat misleading to say no one could have beaten him. I'm sure Henry Rono would have been a formidable opponent.
BOB ORR
Marietta, Ohio

Sir:
In Paris, just 10 days before the Moscow 10,000, our own Craig Virgin ran the distance in 27:29.2, clearly a superior time to Miruts Yifter's winning 27:42.7. Not only did Virgin break his own American record by more than 10 seconds, but he also became the only runner besides Henry Rono to break the 27:30 barrier.
BILL LITWIN
Woodside, N.Y.

Sir:
My compliments to Paul Zimmerman on his Olympic weightlifting piece (He Huffed and He Puffed, but..., Aug. 11). He showed the human side of former champion Vasily Ivanovich Alekseyev, who is considered by most to be an overweight bad guy. I was disappointed, however, that the feat of the 182-pound champion went unmentioned. Yurik Vardanyan of the U.S.S.R. lifted a world-record two-lift total of 882 pounds, only 88 pounds less than the Olympic superheavyweight record set by Alekseyev and tied by new champion Sultan Rakhmanov. Vardanyan is some 140 pounds lighter than Rakhmanov and 175 pounds lighter than Alekseyev. Vardanyan's performance, which was certainly one of the greatest in weightlifting history, would have won him the gold in the next two higher weight classes.
ERIC WINTER
Newark, Del.

MAKE WAY FOR HEARNS
Sir:
How could you deprive Thomas Hearns of your Aug. 11 cover? Sebastian Coe won the 1,500 and stopped Ovett's streak, but his performance was lackluster considering his time of 3:38.4 and the media buildup the pair received. Furthermore, I thought you were only going to report on the Olympics, not give them the honor of two cover stories. What happened to supporting the boycott?

Hearns totally dominated a proven champion in welterweight Pepino Cuevas. In the months and years ahead, when Hearns disposes of two men you have highly publicized—Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran—and then takes the junior-middleweight, middleweight and light-heavyweight titles, you're going to regret the goof you made by withholding the celebrity he deserved.
THOMAS J. NASH
Ann Arbor, Mich.

BIG HIT
Sir:
It is comforting to know that there is at least one athlete who combines good looks, talent and total dedication to his sport in a classy and unpretentious manner (By George, He's Some Hitter, Aug. 11). Whether he goes 0 for 4 or 4 for 4, how can anyone not love Kansas City's George Brett? Thank you for a wonderful inside look at the hottest hitter in baseball.
MELISSA PARKER
Potomac, Md.

Sir:
It's great to see the enthusiasm of George Brett portrayed so well. Such a well-rounded player deserves the recognition that you've given him. It's his attitude toward the game that makes me want to stand up and root for his team.
ROSA MONTEZ
Whittier, Calif.

Sir:
It is a tribute to George Brett's athletic talent and to him personally that the recent renegotiation of his contract was overshadowed by his accomplishments on the field.
NOEL SMITH
Littleton, Colo.