European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday september 20, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 25 soc s Helmick resigns Ioc to probe conflict charges new York a Robert Helmick resigned after seven a years As president of the . Olympic committee in a move he said was aimed at ending a disruptive controversy concern ing possible conflict of interest. In a statement released wednesday night by the soc Helmick said a it is time for the olympic family and my family to get on with their  the International olympic committee said thursday at its meeting in Berlin that it will investigate Helmicks business dealings for potential conflicts of interest. Helmick is a member of the Ioco a 12-member executive Board. The Ioc said the Board had appointed a three member inquiry commission to look into the Case. A the terms of reference of this commission shall be to investigate All consequences for the Ioc of the potential conflicts of interest which May result from the representation by or. Robert Helmick of various clients and organizations a the Ioc said in a statement. The commission will report on its investigation at the next Board meeting in december. In announcing his resignation Helmick said the a recent trial by Media has made it impossible for me to continue to function effectively and i just cannot allow this organization to which i have Given so much to be paralysed by this  Helmick said his resignation effective immediately was a decision a made by me and my family. No one has asked me to resign or forced me to resign. Anyone who feels i am running from the heat is dead wrong. There has not been a single piece of quote evidence unquote since All this Media nonsense  on tuesday . Skiing the governing body which oversees the . Olympic ski team demanded the resignation of Hal Mick. In an open letter sent to the soc executive committee . Skiing said it was imperative that Helmick be removed from his Post to erase a a dark Clouds Over All organizations involved in olympic Competition. Several Heads of . Olympic sports organizations acknowledged that the beleaguered president was right to resign. A the image that the organization portrays to the american Public is predominant in anything we do a the executive director of . Boxing Jim Fox told the los Angeles times. Jerry lace executive director of the . Cycling federation credited Helmick with helping Advance the olympic movement but expressed concern about the presidents business dealings. A if Bob resigned because there was a conflict of interest on his part that might be better for the organization a lace said. In a separate statement wednesday the soc executive committee commended Helmick for moving the soc a through a period of its most dynamic growth to a vibrant sports  the committees statement made no mention of a successor. Helmicks olympic related business affairs currently Are being investigated by former Deputy attorney general Arnold i. Burns appointed recently As a special counsel by the soc. Besides his positions As soc president an unpaid Volunteer Post and a member of the Ioc executive Board Helmick is a Des Moines Iowa lawyer. Helmick has been an Ioc member since 1985 and was elected to the executive Board a lifetime position in 1989. Helmick has been at the Center of controversy since Usa Robert Helmick. A get on with lives Quot today reported that he earned at least $127,000 in 1990 As a consultant for several sports companies with ties to the olympics. The soc executive Board said it found no wrongdoing. Quot Baltic Given invitation to 92 olympics from wire reports Berlin a the Baltic Are Back in the games. Five decades after their annexation by Moscow the Baltic republics of Lithuania Latvia and Estonia were welcomed Back into the olympic movement on wednesday and invited to compete in the 1992 Winter and summer games. Having regained their political Independence in the Wake of last months botched coup in the soviet Union the republics were readmitted As full members of the International olympic committee. A we waited 50 years for this a said arturas Paviliunas president of the lithuanian olympic committee. A today is a big  on thursday International olympic committee president Juan Antonio Sam ranch welcomed the return of the three Baltic states to the olympic movement after their years As part of the soviet Union. A this was what got headlines around the the world a Sam ranch said in a bid to deflect attention from the resignation of Robert Helmick As president of the . Olympic committee amid questions of impropriety about his business dealings. The balts participated As Independent states at the olympic i games from 1920 to 1936. In 1940. The three states were absorbed by the soviet Union. Earlier this month Moscow and much of the International Community recognized the Independence of the Baltic states. Representatives from All three Baltic states said they would Send teams to the 1992 Winter games at Albertville France and to Barcelona. Spotlight Falls on yugoslavs As Italy hoop league opens Milan Italy apr american players have Long been the High priced Gate attractions of italian basketball but this year they will have some Competition for Money and glory from a Trio of yugoslav stars. When play tips off sunday the italian league will feature Toni Kukoc Jurij Zdovc and Dino Radja All of whom rejected Aba teams to play in Italy. They already have won olympic european and world titles for Yugoslavia and Are the most expensive foreign players Ever signed by italian clubs. Kukoc 23, a 6-foot-10 Forward with an excellent outside shot and extremely Good Ball handling skills for a big Man has signed a Multi year contract with Benetton Treviso for $15.3 million. Kukoc rejected the Chicago bulls when he moved to Treviso but said the Aba still is on his mind. A playing in the Aba is the dream of every basketball player a said Kukoc considered Europe s Best player. Zdovc a slovenian who missed the final games of the european championships in june when his breakaway Republic asked athletes to withdraw from yugoslav National teams has been signed by Knorr Bologna where he will team with Canadian Aba Veteran Bill Wennington. Zdovc is Quot a last minute substitute for american guard Michael Ray Richardson who was dropped by Knorr earlier this month after positive results from two tests for cocaine. Radja the first yugoslav player to sign a Multi million Dollar contract plays his second season in Italy with mass Aggro Roma. Americans still will account for 28 of the 33 foreign players in the italian league. Each of the 16 teams is allowed to Field two non italian players. The most popular american newcomers Are Rick Mahorn Anthony Avent Adrian Caldwell and Reggie thus. Mahorn will team with Radja on pcs Gaggero. Avent will play for Ponola Ca Serta and Caldwell joined Clear Cantu. Thus signed with Ranger Varese. Former Aba Star Adrian Dantley signed wednesday with Breeze arese. Club officials said the 35-Ycar-old Forward will debut in sundays opener against Sidis Reggio Emilia. The former scoring Star for Utah Detroit and Dallas among others will team at arese with fellow american Danny francs. Terms of his contract were not made Public but club sources indicated that Dantley would get $340,000 for one season. Brazilian Veteran Oscar Schmidt the All time leading scorer in the italian league with 10,903 Points starts his 10th season in Italy with fernet Branca Pavia. Philips Milan coached by american Mike do Antoni signed former 76cr and net Darryl Dawkins. Vinny Del negro one of the leagues top scorers last season extended his contract with Benetton Treviso and will play with Kukoc and Rusconi. That makes Treviso the favorite for the title but there is a recent trend of big spending teams folding in the playoffs. Fresh Agassi draws Davis opener Kansas City to. A Andre Agassi calling his first round knockout at the . Open a a Blessing in disguise a said thursday he a playing better than Ever As he Drew the opening .-German Davis cup match Friday against Wimbledon Champion Michael Stich. Americans top ranked player Jim courier the French open Champion and runner up at the . Open will meet Germany s Carl Uwe Steeb in the second match Friday of the semifinal series on a red Clay court that suits the ground Strok ing styles of both players. In the doubles of the Best-of-5 matchup americans Scott Davis and David Pate runners up at the . Open will meet Stich and Eric Jelen on saturday. If sundays matches Are necessary courier would play Stich and Agassi would play Steeb in pairings of the top players from both countries. All matches Are Best of 5, though the final matches could be trimmed to Best of 3 if the tie is already decided. Germany a no. 1 player Boris Becker withdrew because of a leg injury. A we Are sad he a not Here a said Steeb who took Beckers place. A we would have been a much better team if he was Here. But we accept his decision to take the next two weeks off. From my Point of View its a Good Chance for me. Its my Luck that i can play and that Boris is not playing. But on the other hand id like to see us have the Best  the replacement of Steeb for Becker May actually be an advantage for Germany since Steeb plays better on Clay. Stich so comfortable on the grass at Wimbledon said he a been practising on Clay since getting off the hard courts at the . Open earlier this month. A it should not be difficult to change from hard courts to Clay a he said adding that the americans did not necessarily have an advantage just because they set up a Clay court that is More suited to Baseline players like courier and Agassi. Agassi said he was a mentally and emotionally fatigued going into the open after a summer of illness and was not As prepared As he should be been when he lost to Aaron Krickstein. A my Early exit was really a Blessing in disguise a he said. He said he took two weeks off practising reassessing his game and thinking about some conversations he had with John Mcenroe. A to be honest i done to think in be played better a he said of his recent practices. A a in a now Bitting the Ball Well. In a fresh rested and excited to play