European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 23, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Pm rash land Rita von it pm of West Germany to toned to drop out of Competition after being tired at the olympics on wednesday. 3d a week later. Diving gets a bad rap because of the people who e injured diving into shallow pools and Roc quarries Irianno Points out. In competitions where Tho water is known depth and she participants Are expels the Inger is far less he contends this sport is fairly to. We Don t have he kind of injuries you get in jots like gymnastics wrestling High school and gymnastics in incl has claimed some victims Loo in e world championships in Tho Netherlands in 1987, Ninal Tim Daggett fell during a dismount broke his severed an artery and nearly loss the leg harrowing i in was Dargell recovered to the Point that he tried unsuccessfully Lor a spot on the learn this year. More recently an american woman gymnast competing in Japan suffered a paralysing injury when she missed her fooling while running Forward toward a mount and hit her head on the horse. Recalls Penney Hauschild assistant gymnastics coach at the University of Maryland College Park. I d be tooling you in i said ii was t says Hauschild a compel Ilive gymnast herself from 19b2 to 1986. As an athlete that s something you Lake into consideration every time you step onto the equipment. One slip of concentration and you could be in trouble. But in the Long run Wilh the right equipment in the right environment it can be done Ellen Eason professor of physical education at Towson slate University says it s very diff cull Lodo anything physical and not have risks of she Points to the particular perils of gymnastics it is probably one of the most dangerous sports because we re asking people to throw their bodies around bars and into water Polo can be dangerous too. She adds it s a Contact activity with a lot of possibly illegal Contact below the waterline. Where officials Don t always see it. Equestrian sports Are High on her risk list since riders can fall and horses can trample hem. Weightlifters working alone can Sutler Back injuries from the Strain or have Bone crushing accidents if they drop the weights. Most other olympic sports do not have that same potential Lor catastrophe she believes. Volleyball players Are separated from their opponents by a net basketball players can be called out on foul for body Contact fencers Wear a lot of protective gear and Blunt their dolls with buttons. Boxing which can be exceedingly dangerous at the professional level is less so in High level Amateur competitions according to Bruce maths assistant executive director of the Usa Amateur boxing federation. Allor a National championship bout in the ate 1970s, he recalls a lighter passed out from a brain injury but he later recovered and in olympic competitions Malhis says. There have been no serious injuries that i know part of the reason is in the protective headgear and gloves he believes. Part of it is in the rules there s no Bonus Lor hitting hard As there is in pro boxing. In Amateur lights a body blow earns the same Point whether or not in knocks the opponent Down. And part of it is in the expertise of the participants. According to Malhis if you re Good enough for the olympics you ate Good enough to protect yourself. Every sport has injuries to adds. But in a Survey done several years ago of the dangers of All kinds of sports including Mountain climbing we werer aled relatively Martina Navratilova did l come. She did t want to Ink up with other players at the alleles Village John Enroe claimed a prior commitment. Mats Wilander rigged out with the complaint of Shin splints just after played five hours of . Open Tennis. He has covered sufficiently to play in a tournament next 30k, Chris Evert came but she had to be talked into i by band Andy Mill a former olympic skier. Tho younger generation Don t really understand lat the olympics mean said Philippe chatter Sid Cal of Tho International Tennis foder Alion. They ivc been programmed and grown up worshipping the and slam and suddenly something is put in their is and Heydon l know what ii but Edberg knows whal it Means so does grand urn Winner sle Fli Graf. Both were relative unknowns Hon they competed at the 1934 los Angelos games Siciu inn is was a demonstration sport. Both came Ime with singles lilies and a special Leeling for the Rimes. In a Way i Leel i have a debt to pay said Graf who presents West Germany. I suppose you could say is Angeles is where i had my first major much has been made about the Navratilova a and Cenores missing the party Cha Trier is confident that Success and Good times of the summer games and 3 worldwide attention Tennis Iii get in Seoul will he the 1992 games a hot ticket for the rest of Cifes signal Tennis i Don t think the importance of the games has sunk Lijar 23,1988 in yet he said. For Edberg and Steffi Graf it has because they have lasted it in los Angeles. They understand the importance of the thing and i think the rest of the younger generation will Pul the olympics on top of the list our years from the lop competitors who Are in Seoul talk about the differences Between the isolation of the pro tour and the comradery of the summer games. On the Road you re alone fretting about the next game about your ranking and your paints. In Seoul you re part of the crowd in the stands cheering for the swimmers and gymnasts from your country. It s been a learning experience meeting All the other athletes and finding out whal they go through said Brad Gilbert of the United Stales. For some of these people this is the one Lime they can Shine and the pressure s on there Are added Perks for the pampered Tennis Star. I get to slay in a coed dorm Pam Shriver said. We Don t get that kind of Benefit in the fun is a big commodity. It was apparent during tuesday s first Day of play. Austria s Horst Skoff Well behind Edberg in the opening Malch chose to use his head instead of his Racquet on a Fob bouncing the Ball Back to Edberg off his forehead. The americans lolled in the Sun joking and shouting encouragement to Gilbert in his Victory Over Michael Tauson of Denmark. It s a great feeling because when you a playing in a grand prix match you Don t have Guys screaming Lor you Gilbert said. Ill be out there rooting for the boys soviet basketball stars have sights on Aba associated Pressi n the midst of their quasi for an olympic Goldmedal members of the soviet men s bae Kebab team have been talking of her dreams of . "trwboyawmildltk0muchloplaylntlienba.ltwould be Good publicity for soviet basketball and goo practice for the toy soviet coach Alexander ton Tekl saw at a practice in Seoul.? -. Tha Aba is Good Competition a fluid it is number one in the if a that foreign reporters were Aowad to watch the -1soviet practice was evidence of stems. Soviet loader twi a Gorbac two a policy of openness and it big change from past years when the thought of a soviet playing in american sports would have been unheard soviet draft Choice Shahanu Marchus Ortleb Arvydas Labonte Vatery to Konenko and Alexander Vollov actually making it to the untied states to play Ball Mare sultonis and Labonte play for the two Best teams in Lithuania and Labonte won the National championship and if they left the dub would go Down and people would my like that he said will have the same Pio blam with his learn in Moscow because he la leading the team an Volkov is still4n the army and could t leave until he is done with his obligation said gome Bylthe 7-foot-2 Labonte was a first round draft Choice of the Portland Trail blazers in 1986, the same year the Atlanta Hawks drafted to Wowenko and la considered a tree agent but he has said he win play Only or the Hawks a a mid vonunr1 face when the subject of the Aba was broached. He a Fol finish his military commitment in december end tence he la nol currently playing for one of the dub teams to the soviet Union he would face the least re swans in joining w Aba team link it win be Dit Fluch into year because i Mil no finish with army until december and their Eaton a already started he of not this year yes next Hafif it la possible and i am j Labonte made his return to Competition sunday Nightie a 92-79 Taw to Yugoslavia after missing 18 month with an Achilles Tendon injury. He had 11 Points an four rebounds against Yugoslavia. Marchu Tonte said he made a Tot of friends wit members of the Hawk when they toured the soviet Union recently and goats Al said Aba Stem also found some friends in High places in _ the soviet Union. A is a Good Man and i have talked to him and he knows what the problems Are with our boys going to play in the Aba Gomez i said. My opinion la one or two will go. He has Good big contacts in the Russia government and if he talks. It s possible. So far Only talk. There is a meeting erf the National and Republic c federations on october 15th then a May know ooma4auhmbmlmmm with the u.3. Team which he saw beat Spain by 44 Points in jts opening olympic game. They Are very Strong physical and Goodre founders he said. They we very Good on defense number one in the Wold on defense. David Robi Sonand Danny Manning plays like hat Are players set to play in the own players May also soon be Sel for Aba action. The stalls and stripes Page is
