European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 12, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 30 a the stars and stripes wednesday february 12, 1992winter olympics Blair Bunch has a blast at the Oval by Randy Harvey the los Angeles times Albertville France a if actor George Wendt were doing a skit about them for Quot saturday night live a he would Call them Quot a they instead Call themselves Quot the Blair Bunch a which is More appropriate because they look talk and act like one of those wholesome Earnest television sitcom families from a simpler time. It was the Prospect a no to hear them Tell it the certainty a of Bonnie Blair winning the Gold medal in the women a 500 meters that brought them to the French Alps and the Speed skating Oval. Mother Eleanor 73, came from the family Home in Champaign Iii. Sister Mary 46, came from Colorado Springs Colo. Sister Suzy 43, came from Park City Utah. Brother Rob 36, came from Dallas. Sister Angela 35, came from Tel afield wis. �?o1 done to have a doubt in my mind that she can possibly lose this thing a Rob said before the race. A a she a very confident very Strong willed. She got it right Here in the Rob is hardly lacking in that Section of the Anatomy. He has lived with an inoperable brain tumor for four years. He and his Sisters All brought children and cousins and nieces and nephews and friends Here so Many of them that no one in the group knew the exact number. One of Bonnier a first cousins Kathy Murphy who arranged the travel for most of them from her Home in new York estimated there were Between 45 and 50. Quot we get together for weddings funerals and olympics a she said. Dressed in purple jackets that identified them As fans of Bonnie Blair they brought signs and placed them on the Fence in front of the stands on the Back stretch. They were hardly elaborate. One read Quot dear aunt Bonnie go fast love but they were effective. Aunt Bonnie went faster than anyone else becoming the first . Woman to win Gold medals in consecutive Winter olympics. An athlete combines rhythm balance Power and drive to move at the fastest speeds an individual can under his or her own Power on Flat land. Men clock in at 30-34 Mph and women at 28-30 Mph. In comparison four minute mlle runners average 15 Mph and sprinters 23 Mph. Smooth flowing motion produces efficient skating rhythm. In races up to 1,500 meters a skater swings both arms. In the longer races the skater saves Energy by swinging one Arm cd a a lightweight with a Low Cut top. The Blade measures roughly 18 inches 45 pm Long. The Blade is razor Sharp thin and straight. The extra Long Blades allow for a longer Glide without loss of Speed. Allic Cody position relaxed flexible leaning Forward at the Waist head Down eyes looking Forward and Low body. Cir Fos Sovi watch for the Start position below. This Frozen running stance gives the racer a head Start to Speed. In past olympics racers would run the first 100 meters of a 500-meter race. Now most take just a couple of Steps before skating for Fitt. Muscle strength. When Eric Heiden was competing he had a 32-Inch Waist and 29-Inch thighs. Balance the Center of balance is in the hip Over the Center of the Forward skate that is pushing. Start 10000 two skaters go head to head racing against each other and the Dock changing lanes every Lap at the crossover except the first laps of the 1000 and t500 meter races. The Gold medallist is the fastest competitor at the end of the Day. Weather wind and condition of ice Factor into time. Figure skate a a High topped the Blade is about12 inches 30 pm Long and the Bottom is slightly curved. The Blade has an inside and outside Edge. Competitors skate one Edge x at a time. Hockey skate a a Strong and heavy with a Low top. Blade is curved on each end. The push from the legs during each stroke. Speed skaters use the entire surface of the Blade to push Forward. She also won the 500 four years ago at Calgary Alberta. Quot they be been planning on this trip for More than a year even last year when i Wasny to skating As Well a said Blair 27. Quot i knew right then and there that if i did no to get ready for this year id be letting them Down. Having their support is very special to but apparently to know Bonnie is to in oort her. Us. You Ever know anybody who when you first meet them you feel like you be know them forever a asked a family Friend Tom Nash of Hoffman estates 111. Quot that a Bonnie. That a the Blairs All of for Ruth Kent Bonnie literally is the girl next door. Bonnie often stays with her sister Angela in Delafield while training at the Oval in Milwaukee and Kent lives next to them. A a in la Call Bonnie up and Shell come Over and take my son to get his haircut if in a Busy a Kent said. A a that a just the kind of person she is. She Hasni to been soured by All the publicity. She a Quot yeah a Nash said Quot she a a no a Kent said a i think a Normal person would let All this go to her stars As Canada prevails 6-1 by Howard Elman Meribel France apr Eric Lindros a Star without a stage finally grabbed the spotlight monday before an International audience. The strapping sensation who withheld his Superior skills from the National hockey league flashed them at the Winter olympics with two goals and an assist sparking Canada to a 6-1 win Over Switzerland Quot i just go play whether in a under a Microscope or not Quot Lindros said. Quot its All the Joe Juneau got two goals and two assists As Canada 2-0, stayed in a three Way tie with the unified team and Czechoslovakia for first place in their six team group. Switzerland France and Norway Are 0-2. Four teams from each of the two groups make the medal round. The unified team formerly the soviet Union notched its second straight 8-1 rout beating Norway. France seeded uth mounted another spirited showing before its Home crowd and threw a scare into another favorite a but lost again. The French were beaten by sixth seeded Czechoslovakia 6-4, two Days after a 3-2 loss to second seeded Canada. Lindros held scoreless in that game burst out against Switzerland showing the talents that convinced Quebec to make him the first pick in last years nil draft. But the Nordques convince the 18-year-old to hockey i Lindros said he does no to like the Way Quebec a management treats players and vowed not to sign with them even if it Means sitting out until he can re enter the draft after next season. Quebec a loss was Canadas gain. A the big question is How do you Stop a Gretzky a Lemieux a Lindros its very diff a cult a Canada assistant coach Wayne Fleming said. A when Eric stepped on the ice for the first shift that was probably the turning Point. He took Over the Quot we made some very naive mistakes particularly when Eric Lindros was on the ice a Swiss assistant coach Brian Lefsey said. Quot those Are things you have to pay the Price Lindros stationed his 6-foot-4______ Frame at the right Post and tipped Lindros in Juneau a 40-foot shot 3 18 into the game. Juneau got a Power play goal at 4 06 of the second period. Then Lindros took a pass up the left Side and skated in alone on Renato Tosio. Lindros faked Tosio to the right and put a 10-footer to the goalies left. Lindrosz pass across the Slot set up Wally Schreiber a goal at 7 44, and Juneau made the score 5-0 at 15 43. Jorg Eberle ruined Sean burkes shutout 49 seconds into the third period and Gordon Hynes got Canadas last goal at 18 19. Unified team assistant coach Igor Dimitriev had Little time to savor his win. He said has players were trying to showcase their skills for nil scouts. Quot if the Pace of this process continues a he said Quot it will cause difficulties for soviet ice the third seeded unified team had few problems beating loth seeded Norway. It held a 55-11 shooting advantage two Days after out shooting Switzerland 40-19. Starting in 1956, the soviet Union won seven of nine Gold medals. It maintained its superiority in part by prohibiting players from going to the nil. After the 1988 olympics the soviets allowed older stars to leave. The nil became More aggressive in signing soviets and the dissolution of the country has opened the doors wider. Young stars Sergei Fedorov Alexander Mogiln and Pavel Bure Are in the nil. Others such As olympian Alexei Kovalev drafted by the new York rangers May be on their Way. But the unified team keeps roiling. In its nine olympic competitions the soviet Union was 53-5-2 with a 411-111 scoring advantage. This year the unified team has a 16-2 scoring advantage. The unified team still must play Czechoslovakia and Canada the toughest opponents in its group
