European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 9, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 b the stars and stripes sunday february 9,1992winter olympics Kitt downhill runs raise doubts for today s race topless a. Kitt cools Down alter Friday s training by Harvey Araton the new York times Val do Sere France a it is difficult from a . Perspective not to keep All Sun squinting eyes trained on . Kitt especially when he concludes an otherwise excellent morning downhill training run on his Back and follows that by failing to finish a combined downhill practice session in the afternoon. The 1992 Winter olympics began saturday with three hockey games and gala opening ceremonies in Albertville. But the Competition begins in Earnest on sunday with the menus downhill leading the Way so the questions began Here Friday. Did Kitt after running seventh with a time of 1 minute 52.39 seconds in the second of three training runs for sundays downhill medal event Hurt himself when he lost his balance beyond the finish line and Slid to a halt by the Back Fence was he hampered in his afternoon prep for the downhill end of the combined downhill and slalom when he pulled up just Short of the finish line and excused himself from the race what did it mean when he left la face de Bellvardo with his shirt removed revealing a wrap just above the Waist thie the weather was Balmy 40ish and sunny at the Bottom of the Mountain where pedestrians splashed in puddles and lunch was served outdoors at Village cafes. And yes a somewhat skittish Kitt did wave off questions of pain or discomfort saying a a in a feeling  he explained his inability to finish his afternoon run by announcing a i just skied a bad  the focus on Kitt and the tendency to Overlook his american teammates a like Tommy Moe who turned in a Snappy 1 44,38 for 11th place in the combined downhill training a is understandable As the former is the whole Kitt and caboodle when the subject of an american Alpine menus medal is raised. Or As alaskans Moe 21, put it a with All the attention on . Its been great for a Guy like me to have the Chance to concentrate on what in a trying to  Moe said that if he were to have a a flawless run in sundays downhill he hoped it would be enough to get him into the top 10 of the world ranking. He understands though that olympic Success Back Home is measured by medals. If not for the emergence of Kitt As a Strong medal contender in downhill this Winter the american men would surely have been written off. As it is unrealistic to Esq pet anyone else to contend Here Moe said he is rooting hard for Kitt to finish at least in the top three of the downhill to quench that Nasty american thirst for material Success. Downhill helmet goggles a two minute sprint to the Bottom at 60 tos Mph speeds fastest time wins. Poles Bent to wrap around skier in a racing tuck. The run skiers avoid being airborne because time in the air increases the distance a skier must travel. Skiers pre jump bumps by pulling their skis off the Snow just before hitting the bumps. Aps amps a then if i could do something that would be big for me like get into the top 10, it might be seen As an achievement a Moe said. One thing the United states will never have the head menus coach Ueli Luthi concedes is the skiing depth shown by countries like Austria and Switzerland. When the United states lost the 22-year-old giant slalom Hope Jeremy Nobis for the olympics to a leg injury its medal Hopes were reduced by half. Still Luthi Speaks of Kitt just now finding himself As a world class Down Hille Nobis and 20-year-old Paul Casey Puckett a budding slalom Star from Colorado As Hopes for the 1994 olympics in Lillehammer Norway. A a in a not saying that we be come Here with the idea that our goal is not Val dts Ere a Luthi said. A we Are not that Short sighted to deny that we have a Little bit of an Overall plan but we re telling All of our Guys to win medals to go for  German Veteran Markus Wasmeier had the fastest downhill run for a second straight Day 1 51.18, More than a second better than his first Day  Penguin leads Italy against . By Helene Elliott the los Angeles times Meribel France a he understands Quot in Poco Italiano Quot a bit of italian and when he Speaks the language his accent rings of Milwaukee Baltimore and a thousand other minor league hockey outposts. A my pronunciation is american. That s my biggest problem a Gene Ubriaco said. �?o1 know what i want to say but it does no to come out  his love for hockey though surmount any language Barrier. Born in Canada but a resident of Lutherville md., since his Days As coach of the american hockey league s Baltimore Skipjack Ubriaco is guiding the italian olympic hockey program through its formative stages. It s a Rocky journey one that requires him to be a teacher a Salesman and an ambassador All at once. But Ubriaco whose Long cherished dream of coaching in the nil went sour when the Pittsburgh penguins fired him in 1989 �?24 games into his second season a is Savouring the Challenge. That Italy will open the olympic tournament sunday against the United states in an internationally televised game makes this experience that much sweeter for Ubriaco whose squad includes 15 canadians and one american with italian Bor Canada escapes Meribel France apr Canada survived a scare in the first Competition of the 1992 olympics on saturday using Sean burkes Strong goal ending to repel a spirited French assault spurred on by a Flag waving Home crowd. Dave Archibald broke a 1-1 tie 50 seconds into the second period on a drop pass from Eric Lindros and Canada went on to a 3-2 hockey Victory. Parents or grandparents. Ubriaco himself is the son of an immigrant from the Calabria Region of Italy. A a it a such a great Opportunity for All these Guys who have played in Italy for five 10 years and their parents have never seen them play Quot Ubriaco said Friday while scouting a . Practice session at the olympic Arena. A it s almost incredible that we play the . In our first game. These Guys probably go Home and Tell their friends a i play in Italy a and their friends say a so what a now they can see How they re  hockey in Italy is doing better than Ever according to Ubriaco who took Over the National team 14 months ago. Still the olympic squad is no threat to the defend ing Champion soviets a now known As the unified team a or the swedes. Merely a respectable debut against the americans and creditable performances throughout the games Are Ubriaco s goal. A if they done to play their Best and we play our Best we have a Chance a Ubriaco said of sundays opener. A you done to come to the olympics unless you want to win a medal but really i want to represent Italy the Way it should be represented. Italy has lot going for it. A you always miss where you worked your life to get to but this certainly is a great position at this time for me. It s Good hockey with Good skill and i think its faster than the nil because of the bigger rinks Here. The Only thing is there a less body Contact but As More North americans get involved that should increase. A the big thing is we have seven nationals native born italians on the team out of 9,000 players in the country. That s a pretty Good percentage. I want to get More by �?T94 and 96. The ones we have on our team Are under 27, so they should be Back and there s 3,000 kids 14 and under who Are playing. That a our future what we be never had in Italy before.1 Ubriaco was approached about the italian coaching position in november of 1990 while he was still under contract to Pittsburgh the unexpected Opportunity lessened the Stag of his  on to Central european time today an seb�?2 , 3 . General coverage. Adf German second program �?9 45 .-6 58 . Women a 15-km Cross country skiing menus luge singles menus downhill 12 15 .Sweden Poland hockey 90-meter ski jumping 1 30 .women a 3,000-meter Speed skating Ger Many Finland hockey 4 30 . 7 30-11 . Pairs original program skating  hockey. Elj Gosport a 6 .-6 30 . Previews opening ceremony highlights Cross country skiing luge menus downhill hockey ski jumping Speed skating. 6 30 . Pairs skating. 8 .�?.-Italy hockey. Ii . Hockey highlights. Bbl 1 a noon-2 . And 12 05 .-1 20 . Bbl 2 a 2-4 . Holland 3 a 8 15 .-10 30 . Germany Finland hockey