European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 20 the stars and stripes thursday february 25, 1983 Winter Olymp Blair listened for the sound of Victory by Hal Bock Calgary Alberta a Bonnie Blair was a blur. Down the ire she came covering Lic fint Straightaway in the women s olym Pic 500-meter race at a Pace that made the Orange and Silver of her skating skin seem to run together he Way they might on a Painter s pact la. At the Edge of inc olympic ova an official rang a huge hand Bell the signal to Ilic skaters they had one Lap to go 400 Mclyn More. At thai moment Bonnie Blair listened Tor a special sound a sound Hal would tip her off about just How Well thai first vital 100 meters had gone. Sometimes 1 hear the announcer she said. "1 try to Lister for that the scoreboard flashed the message. Split time 10.55 seconds. The announcer confirmed it. It was a world re cant a slender iwo Hundred los of a Sec Ond faster than the Lime her East German rival Chrisla Rothon Burger had clocked just minutes before. Travelling Ai Hal Pace however you can t always hear the announcer. Bui Bonnie had a backup the fans. You can Lull from the crowd re action she said. If it s Good they go a Fatih i Wai hoping for  she grit in and she heard it. The Roar seemed to envelope the Arena pouring Down from the top of inc building to the ice. I wot a. Throaty sound a Roar that told Bonnie she was skating in a very special race. I knew i was ahead of Chrisla she said and that gave me a Little extra  earlier Blair had skated nonchalantly in an inner Lane seemingly oblivious is Rothenburger skating in the night s Sec Ond pair stepped to the Marline line. The East German owner of a pending world record of 39.39 seconds set on this same rink in december skated a sensational so. She was clocked in 10.57 for the first 100 meters and another record 39.12 for the race. The Gauntlet Hod been thrown. Now in was Blair s Job to pick in up she certainly noticed Rol Honburger s Lime even if she did not watch her achieve in. But in was t about to spoil Bonnie s special night. It did t scare me Hal much she said. I knew i could go faster than  and Thal s what she did. I got off to a very Good Start Blair said. The Best Start of my  encouraged by the a aah endorsing that assessment Blair went into overdrive. Being that close or ahead on the opener was a big local she said. My openers have not been Ai Good As 1 would like. Today in All came  she hurtled around the first turn her legs pumping her arms swinging in perfect  with her legs. This was the Lum where Dan Jansen s courageous 300-meter race had ended in a fall a week before. Blair negotiated in comfortably. Into inc backs Rulch she skilled for an other Lone Straightaway. It was Here that Jansen s i Ood my scr race ended with an other crash Landing. But there would be no Tumble for Blair. She circled into inc second turn moving n a spectacular Pace. The scoreboard calibrated in Hun tire dts of seconds was blinking an unmistakable message. Bonnie Blair who skates so fast that she once filled in on a men s relay team and helped them win their race was on a world record Pace. And she knew it. As she crossed the finish line the clock showed 39,10, two hundredths of a second faster Ihan  two Hundred in of a second that meant a Gold medal. Bonnie Blair thrust her arms in inc air in Triumph. Then for the first time in 39 seconds you could Tell the Orange from the Silver. Cold medallist Bonnie Blair. Crowd ills the Story East bloc reopens quadrennial Gold mine Byster Wilstein Calgary. Album a it s Ilie soviet Union and East Germany against the world at the Winter olympics and the world is taking a beating. Again. For inc fifth consecutive Winter games the medal race is a two country affair hut for the first Lime in looks As though inc Lias germans May finish on top in Boisi golds and total medals. The soviets mine More Gold Ihan any country  Cupi South Africa and have won More of it at the olympics summer or Winter Ihan anyone else Over inc list three decades. With six Days of Competition left entering wednesday s events inc soviets held the Lead with 22 medals eight golds eight silvers and Sis bronzes. But East Germany like a kid brother who s come to age is moving up fast with seven golds six silvers and four bronzes and perhaps a dozen More medals sex peeled to come. Together the soviets and East germans have nearly half the 81 medals awarded so far. Austria and Switz Erland have seven each and the United Stales Sweden Finland and Len motherland have four each. However loss out Cross country skiing which has much less popular Appeal in the West than downhill or slalom skiing and the soviets Aren t so far ahead of the ten Ovici medals four golds four silvers and two bronzes have come in men s and women s Cross country skiing a sport that demands Power endurance and the ability to control skis in different terrain. East Germany led the Gold count for the first Lime in i9s4 with nine bul trailed the soviets in total medals 25 to 24. In 1980, inc East germans led in total med als 23 to 22 but trailed in golds 10 to 9. I think East Germany probably will sneak in and beat the russians in Gold medals and the Overall stand Ings said Wolf Lyberg Sweden s Secretary general of sports. East Germany came in very Well prepared and is concentrating More on certain  this time East Germany is gelling dividends from its decision to focus on Speed skating and luge instead of trying to improve in jumping where it won five medals since 1968, or figure skating where it won eight and is Ciuc Clad to win another with Katanna  Germany docs l have a hockey team Here and does t play the sport much the rest of the year. Nei ther docs in encourage its athletes to go into Alpine skiing. They put i hair Money into Speed skating and luge and they re jetting their Motley s Worth Lyberg said. East German Speed skaters have won iwo of six golds to silvers and a Bronze so far while luge racers have won All Ihrck golds in the soon iwo silvers and a Bronze to understand the dominance of the soviets and East germans Start by discarding inc stereotype of them Ai muscle bound automatons pumped up on steroids. These Are skilled Flurah and blood athletes who civil or shed tears like All others. They have passed the same drug tests As their rivals. The big difference is soviet and East German ath letes have been nurtured from childhood by a vast state sponsored sports system offering the most sophisticated methods and equipment. Their training methods can be copied out nol in a society like ours or the United Stales said West Ger Man sport director Waller track or. It s not a secret what they do. They Combine research Wilh highly competitive program and Start training kids at a very Young  Germany May have a much smaller population Pool to select athletes from than the soviets Troeger said but it s easier to control and find Oul who the Best athletes arc. The Ovici Union is More spread  countries though place great political value on Success at the olympics enabling the Copen dilute of government Money on training while Western Al totes count on private funds or the possibility of pay offs in professional careers. The reputation of East Germany during the last two decades was mainly based on their sports achieve ments Troeger said Uphill fight derails teen skier s plan by Salvatore Zanca mount Allan Alberta