European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 5, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday february 5, 1992 the stars and stripes Winter olympic Kennedy carries . Luge Hopes by Thomas Bonk los Angeles times the Best queer in America has a Tattoo on his left biceps a Bart Simpson sticker on his sled and visions of a Gold medal. He first sat on a borrowed luge at 12, has survived a brain lesion worked As a go Fer for Abc during the 1980 Winter games worn his hair Long Cut it Short burned out at 22, been revived at 23 and is now so Good at the sport he is nicknamed  at 24, Duncan Kennedy seems poised for stardom of some sort. He could become the first american to win a medal in luge since the sport was added to the olympic repertoire in 1964. Or he might decide to scale the Alps in flip flops. In any event Kennedy looks like a sure thing to become the first dread Zeppelin fan snowboarding surfing skateboarding devotee from Santa Cruz calif., to make an Impact in the Winter olympics. Kennedy might not win a Gold medal even though he is one of the favourites but he is already certain to represent a fresh Breeze in the French Alps. Americans have Long been outsiders in this sport dominated by the austrians and germans but Kennedy acts As if he belongs. He finished the world cup circuit ranked second behind Markus Prock of Austria whose Edge Over Kennedy was Only 165-164. Kennedy a world cup finish was the highest yearlong standing Ever achieved by an american and included two golds two silvers and a Bronze medal in the first five world cup races of the season. A a we re catching up a Kennedy told olympian Magazine. We May be there. They re looking at us  olympic medal hopeful Duncan Kennedy goes through a turn in the world cup luge Competition earlier this year. A you could forgive his fellow competitors if they were looking at Kennedy a Tattoo instead. Last summer Kennedy saw a skateboarding sticker he liked so much that he adapted it for his biceps. The words . Luge Are written on a Circle of stars and stripes with a red Contrail of fire coming out the Bottom working its Way Down toward his Elbow. Born in Burlingame calif., Kennedy a family moved to Lake Placid n.y., when he was 11. A year later he ran errands and delivered newspapers for Abc to during the 1980 olympics in Lake Placid. Kennedy spent the Money he earned on his first sled. Then at 13, Kennedy won his first of three National Junior titles and a year later gained americans first International medal in menus luge with a second in the Junior grosser Prois race in ills Austria. He qualified for the . Senior National team in 1985, two weeks after his 17th birthday. Kennedy was stricken with an unexplained paralysis that affected one of is eyes in 1981. Doctors found a brain lesion his Mother was told Kennedy had Only a year or two to live. Kennedy a luge Days were Over. But four months later a cat scan disclosed the lesion in his brain Stem had disappeared. Kennedy got Back on his sled. He made the . Olympic team at Calgary a period notable Only for the controversy he created when he managed to upset the luge teams major sponsor on the eve of the games. Kennedy objected to the use of an aerodynamic Riblet tape on the Bottoms of the sleds. For Kennedy and the . Men it was Tough sledding at Calgary. He finished 14th, and decided to try competitive snowboarding. But he returned to luge last year giving up snowboarding for one very Good reason a i was getting my butt  there is every reason to believe Kennedy can win a luge medal. At the 1991 world championships which marked his return to luge from snowboarding Kennedy finished seventh the highest level by an american male in olympic or world championship Competition. Then he finished fourth in a pre olympic test run at la Plagne France. Oesterberg based lifter pulls his weight in Russia by Johnny Rea for the stars and stripes Oesterberg air base the Netherlands a the Belles ringing folks and schools in session. The Gene Bell school of Power lifting that is. The 35-year-old native of Bartow fla., took his one Man Iron pumping army to Moscow recently where he dominated an International Power lifting meet. Bell was part of a Small squad of americans who placed first in the team Competition. In winning the 181-Pound division Bell garnered a Champion of champions award As the meets Best lifter. A we were All taken Aback when they told us we had won the team title a Bell said a because we Only had six lifters total a half of a Normal  six teams participated in the event including a japanese team and several squads from republics of the former soviet Union. A they were very accommodating and Friendly a the 5-foot-4 powerhouse said of his russian hosts. A they were very interested in my training methods. I was surprised because their lifters Are professionals and Power lifting is their full time  even though he san Amateur Bell a 10-year air Force Veteran holds seven world records in two Power lifting federations a the world Power lifting Congress and Power lifters of the world. He also has four world seven National and eight armed forces titles under his lifting Belt. The fitness specialist is the Only undefeated United states armed forces Champion and is Likely to retain that Honor since the Competition was phased out last year. In fact the air forces 1986 athlete of the year has Only been beaten twice in 17 years of competitive Power lifting a both in the late �?T70s by National champions. He began pumping Iron at age 16 As a Sophomore at Bartow High school in Florida where he joined the varsity weightlifting team. He caught on quickly taking two state titles and then attended South Carolina state where he placed fifth in a collegiate meet and earned All America status. Bell went on to teach elementary school physical education for two years then served As a corrections officer for the Winterhaven fla., police department before joining the air Force in late 1981. Bell trains four times a week these Days but had Only three weeks notice for the meet in Russia. His lifts in Moscow were each about 100 pounds under his personal bests but still Good enough to win. His top lifts have Bent the bar to the tune of 871 pounds in the squat 766 in the dead lift and a whopping 545 pounds in the Bench press. Bell has competed in dozens of meets since joining the military and says the air Force has helped in Many ways. A the air Force has made it easier for me to get to Many of the events a he said a and often takes care of the the logistical support and travel expenses  a special diet helps maintain his Low 9 percent body fat and keeps the Energy pumping before a Competition. A this eating habits were hard to get used to a said Diana his wife of two years. A a it a not uncommon for him to eat 10 pounds of meat and four dozen egg Whites in a week before a contest a the soft spoken Bell has concentrated his efforts on forming a competitive Oesterberg Power lifting team a a first Here a since arriving four months ago. He a also set his sights on heavier lifts. A there will always be somebody chomping at the bit to break your records a he said. A a in a into the competitiveness of it. Ill keep setting goals and trying to reach  Bell Hopes to compete Well into his 40s on an International level. A was Long As my body can handle the stress ill keep  Johnny re i Root Good to the 32nd Flag Star group Public Aff Alra off co or my a author Power lifting Champion Gene Bell trains four Days a week