European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 28, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 the stars and stripes wednesday september 28,1988 1988 olympics Louganis dives into history by Tracy Dodd Slas Angeles times Seoul even before the winning scores flashed on the Board. Greg Louganis was in inc arms of his coach Ron q Brien crying ears of Relief. It was finally Over. He had stood up to the pres sure that had continued building right up until the moment he left the 10-Mcler platform for the last Lime. He had hit thai last most challenging most dangerous dive a reverse j a somersault Luck with a difficulty rating of 3.4 to win his second Goldmedal of he 1988 olympic games at the Cham Shil swimming foot tuesday morning. To add the Gold medal for platform Competition Toich Gold Rte cd i already had won Here on the three meter springboard he needed to score 8.5s on his final dive. He needed More than 85,56 Points to beat 14-year-old Xiong in of China on the 10-meter plat form in the closest International Competition he has Ever won. And he did it. Louganis averaged 8,5s to score 86.70 Points on the dive finishing with 638.61 Points. Xiong won the Silver with 637,47 Points. A Distant third with 594.39 Points was Bronze medallist Jesus Mena of Mexico. The dive Louganis completed the sweep of olym Pic Gold for the second time. He also won Gold med als on the springboard and platform in los Angeles in 1984. Added to the Silver medal he won on the Spring Board in the 1976 olympics Louganis has rive olympic medals. He joins pal Mccormick As inc Only divers to sweep Gold medals in Back to Back olympic games. Mccormick did it in 1952 andi9s6. 11 is possible that Louganis will go for two More in 1992 in Barcelona Spain he is considering taking a year or two off and then coming Back to compete on the three meter springboard and the one meter springboard. He d like to win the tint Gold medal on the one meter springboard when that event makes it olympic debut. Immediately after the awards ceremony Louganis was asked about his plans. I m looking Forward to taking some Lime to Pur Johnson from Page 21 olympic and Canadian officials his Mother sister coach and manager Johnson 26, forfeited his most prize Possession the Gold medal he d had in his hands for Only three Days. The world s fastest human also was automatically sus Pended from inc National Competition for two years an banned from Canada s National team for life. He appeared to be in a Complete slate of Shock and not comprehending the situation said Canada s chief of Mission Carol Anne Leih Cren. Ben was not Able to discuss or articulate anything at that moment. Hews just not Able to speak and it was a very difficult moment for All  a few hours later he fled to the Airport and silently boarded a plane to new York s Kennedy International Airport. Once there he look a limousine ride to la Guardia Airport for a flight to his Toronto Home. Behind him Lay an olympics in shambles. This is a blow for the olympic games and in olympic  said International olympic committee president Juan Antonio Sam ranch. This will change the history of the  american hurdler Edwin Moses said. This will change a lot of people s  in Canada prime minister Brian Mulroney said the scandal was a personal tragedy for Ben and his family. It s also a Roomeri of great sorrow for All  Johnson Wisn l the Only athlete caught two bul Garian  lost their golds for using diuretics to lose a few pounds or conceal steroids and four other athletes were kicked out for drugs. Lewis is Halfway toward reaching an unprecedented second sweep of four golds in tic 100, 200, Long jump and 400 relay with victories now in the 100 and Long jump but that accomplishment also will be stained. Lewis did t gloat Over his rival s fall choosing in Sleod to say Only if there is an incident 1 am deeply  crag Logan is dives on hts Way to the Gold tuesday. Sue my career As an actor he said. That s next on my Agenda. I Don t think this was my last Competition but it might be my last world class Competition As far As Fina cup or olympics this has been a rough couple of weeks with Hil Ling the Board and everything. The pressure is great out la re Louganis hit his head on the springboard during track athletes reaction the preliminary round got a few Quick stitches and came Back to hit his last two dives. The next Day he won the Gold. That was a week ago. Since then he s been sitting in his room at the athletes Village Reading movie scripts. Every Lime he goes out he gets mobbed. Friends were tatting him his meals. And the pressure has been tremendous to sweep the Gold. He was inc overwhelming favorite even though he knew Well the potential of his Young Chal lengers. Al 28, Louganis is compelling against divers half his age. I have been diving together Wilh Xiong in other Competition in the past Over inc last year so i Veseen him grow and develop Louganis said. It s been an exciting thing to see. It was no Surprise la me that the Competition came from his Comer. He is very  Xiong Pul the pressure on Louganis by scoring consistently on dives that have almost As much difficulty As those Louganis performed and Louganis has been working on his dives for years. He uses the same list that he used in 1984. It is an Honor la compete against Louganis he is such wonderful athlete Xiong said. Re is such a Strong competitor. He has been one of my idols. I am very proud indeed to compete Side by Side with  it was quite a Competition the two waged. They were never More than 10 Points apart although both dropped to As Low As fourth place As other divers had some big scores on difficult dives Early in the con test. Bui they Bath remained consistent while other sin the Field took themselves out of the running. Xiong took first place from Lou Ganti after the eighth round when he scored 73.08 Points for a Tola or 470.76 Points on a reverse 2vi somersault Pike. Louganis scored just 63.00 Points on his Forward 3vjsomersault Pike. Xiong held on to first place through the ninth round when he and Louganis did the same dive t Back 3vi somersault Luck. Xiong scored 84.19 Point son in Louganis 83.16. So when Xiong scored 82.56 Points on an inward3ft somersault tuck and turned the platform Back to Louganis for the Opportunity to top that it was Timeto test his competitive nerve. As o Brien said when he it was Over it does Tel much closer than  it s about time a Star is caught by Richard Hoffer los Angeles times Seoul the rack and Field Community at least that part that jogged and practice handoffs and stretched and just watched tuesday morning at the olympic prac Tice facility did not seem particularly shocked at the news that Ben Johnson had tested positive for steroids. The feeling was finally. Not just that Johnson was finally caught although his 9.79-second Speed was Long rumoured to be something other than factory installed. But also that an Lilc athlete a Headliner was pegged and penalized. There s been a feeling that the stars would be above the Law said or. Jack Scott the sports psychologist who has lately been Carl Lewis physical therapist. A feeling that the most they would do is Knock off a Guy from outer Mongolia some javelin thrower who finished 10th. I mean we re talking about a sport where50 percent of he people Are doing  and finally one of this multitude the world record Holder in the Joo meters was caught. This will Send powerful message Scott who has also worked with Johnson at times said the Canadian sprinter was not unlike so Many of the others in that he May have succumbed to ambitions other than his own in a sport where financial pressures Are escalating. Ben is one of inc nicest people i be Ever met Scon said. But let me put it this Way. In 19711 wrote an article for the new York times Magazine that in entitled it s not How you play the game it s whal drugs you use that was when the Money available to ath letes was infinitesimal. Now Ben s people arc saying he d be Worth s10 million Over inc a Cal five years. "1 think he got trapped with a. Bunch of ambitious people whatever the reason Johnson look steroids Scott claims there is finally reason not to take them. They la nol Only Gei caught they la be exposed. Over so people tested positive at Helsinki the 1983world championships he alleged and All they said was clean it up. There were 60.000 people in the stands track struggling for  he said track officials could t afford to suspend athletes. He said in was legend in track and Field that top athletes threaten officials if nig results were Mode positive the Isaaf International Amateur athletics federation was More willing to Bend to the argument thai not suspending an Ailcie was for inc Good of die track. The Ioc apparently believes it s simply  so. Until now Scott said the athletes had acquired a certain arrogance regarding the sophisticate testing sys Lem. No i thai they would t get caught and no. 2,, if they did get caught the elite athletes arc above the Law he said. And As a result he said drug users Are More the exception in those events that drugs help. And what events won t it help Robert Cannon a triple jumper and the Only  to Brave the track tuesday morning said a really feel bad for him. It s a shame to net anyone get caught Buthen again drugs Are not part of he sport irs about time that some who Are doing in gel caught. Cannon shrugged his shoulders diplomatically when asked whether he suspected Johnson of taking drugs. But a Netherlands coach Willem pc Ittoop said a coach would have to be a fool nol to be aware of his athlete s  else nol be a Rod coach he said. Usually Scott said a Good pair of eyes is All you need. You could l find a world class athlete except maybe someone from Nepal who would be surprised thaia Lead athlete would lest positive Scoll seemed to think Hij indictment More than the testing Over recent Vears would restore a fairness to the sport think what u s like he said to train for 10,1syean and lose to your  certainly that might be the feeling of Lewis who acquire the Gold for the  Well after the fact