European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 b the stars and stripes Winter olympics old Story sex soviets Nab hockey Gold As games end by Mike Rabun Albertville France up a the Winter games reshaped by political turmoil and soon to break off in their own orbit closed sunday with a nod to tradition the olympic flame was extinguished and the Gold medal in hockey belonged to russians. With the weather As gorgeous As it was when the 16th games began Winter athletes bid goodbye at the base of the French Alps with the customary pledge to gather again. This time however there will be Only two years Between Winter olympics Lillehammer Norway the 1994 Host began its own countdown sunday when its representatives received the olympic Flag during the closing ceremony. A we have put France in the Center of the world in a very modest Way for 16 Days a said legendary skier Jean Claude Killy co chairman of the organizing committee. A a it a very unusual for someone to be in a position to do that for their country and its very important to succeed. The country wanted it the olympics very badly. The country did  the last of the 57 Gold medals was awarded sunday at the ice rink in Meribel one of the 13 venues. And that Gold medal went to the hockey team from the unified team the former soviet Union a 3-1 Winner Over Canada. But no matter the name of the team one fact was unmistakably Clear a predominantly russian squad won the hockey Gold medal for the seventh time in the last eight olympics. The hockey Victory marked the ninth Gold medal of the olympics for the unified team and its 23rd of the games. Germany competing As one country for the first time in the Winter games since 1964, led the medal Chart with 26. That total was seven fewer medals gathered by East and West Germany combined four years ago. Norway one of the big Success stories of the games can look with great anticipation toward Lillehammer. It finished with 20 medals nine of them Gold. Austria had 21 medals including six Gold. Canada and the unified team fought through two scoreless periods before Viat Cheslav bout save put the unified team ahead 61 seconds into the third period. Veteran unified team hockey coach Victor Tihonov gets a Victory ride from his Gold medal winners on sunday. The canadians had several chances through the Middle of the third period twice having a two Man advantage. But they could not Cash in and when Igor Boldin scored with 4 06 to play the game appeared Over. But Chris Lindberg gave Canada Hope by scoring from in front of the goal with 2 40 to play and the final moments of the game figured to be a wild scramble with the canadians pulling their goalie and hoping to Force overtime. That Prospect ended however when Viatches Sav Bykov boat goalie Sean Burke with a 20-foot blast with 69 seconds to play. The closing ceremony set to begin shortly after Sundown traditionally centers on the passing of olympic symbols from one country to another. And with one tragic exception those who organized the Albertville games could take Pride in the time those symbols were under their care. That exception was the death of Swiss Speed skier Nicolas to chatty on the Day before the close of the games. Bochatey warming up for the finals in his event crashed into a Snow removal tractor on a Public ski slope Early saturday and died instantly. Despite the Accident the last stages of the olympics were played out on schedule and Killy with his decade Long Endeavor in these games coming to a close reflected on the Effort. A i done to know if i would want to do it again Quot he said. A a it a been an adventure but i done to think you could do it  the games were plagued by typical problems a transportation housing and food. The food Issue a All the More embarrassing Given the French reputation for culinary excellence a was no Small matter. Killy and his staff were sensitive to the problem. But on another front one in which they had no control they were More fortunate a weather. Only one medal event had to be postponed overnight a women a super giant slalom. A we were blessed Quot Killy said. . Bobsled grouse season starts after 9th, 11th places by the los Angeles times la Plagne France a the . Four Man bobsled a olympic Campaign came to an icy halt saturday and almost before the sleds stopped sliding the complaining began anew. After a weeks Worth of grousing about the length of runners on the sled the temperature of the ice hers chel walkers Start times their Lack of a technical adviser their draw and corporate sponsorship the . Bobsled teams finished ninth and 11th. But the participants did no to complain about that. A actually there a nothing wrong with the . Team that  be fixed with Money said Usa i Brake Man Chris Coleman apparently overlooking faster times. Austria Germany and Switzerland finished 1-2-3 in the four Man event Austria s first medal since a Silver in 1968. The Swiss won Gold in 1988 at Calgary. Meanwhile the United states Slid backward. At Calgary the United states was fourth by .02 seconds. Four years later the United states dropped five places and finished .59 seconds out of a medal. Even so this is Progress . Team officials insisted while Coleman lambasted corporate America for not getting behind the bobs edders. Coleman singled out Mcdonald a which pulled out of a $250,000 sponsorship Deal when Greg Harrell Edwin Moses Ana Willie Gault failed to make the team in the first olympic trials last july the bobsled team is a a classic american Story a said Coleman who praised the involvement of Lee jeans and Kellogg a. A yeah id love to slam Mcdonald so a he said. A there you have a real american Story Guys out there busting their Butts and its like a what do you have for us a a this team will be out of Money in june. We will be in trouble. Believe me in a a graduate student i done to have any Money. Randy will the Driver does no to have any Money. I think we deserve a Little bit More. A maybe we do need a High profile individual maybe we do need an Edwin Moses As a spokesman. Its sad but we re a capitalist  things being As they Are with the . Team coach John Philbin did no to agree with Coleman a opinion on How to attract corporate sponsors. Quot the Bottom line is results a Philbin said. A when you put a winning performance together that a when people want to jump on  a a meanwhile the . Four Man Effort at these games May be Best remembered for who was bumped off. That would be Walker the Heisman trophy winning Minnesota Viking running Back who was dropped from the team by will two Days before the four Man race. Walker was Noble in accepting his demotion and stayed around the track Friday to help Load and unload sleds although he Wasny to around for saturdays medal runs. The United states wound up with four Start times under six seconds which Philbin pointed to As proof that will made the right move by dropping Walker. A look at the push times a Philbin said. A the switch that Randy made spoke for  naturally not everyone agreed with Philbin. Harrell a brakeman on the two Man . Team said he walked out of a team meeting last week because of the Walker situation. A it was unbelievable a Harrell said. �?o1  figure out who was running the team will or the  Philbin said he agreed with will that Walker had to go. A we had to support the Drivers Frame of mind a he said. Notebook skater Wylie voted spirit by United press International Albertville France a the United states olympic committee on sunday presented Silver medal figure skater Paul Wylie with its spirit award awarded to the american at each olympics who Best typifies the ideals of the olympic movement. A this has been by far the most exciting time of my life a said Wylie 27, who was not expected to Challenge for a medal but whom Many Felt should have actually won the Gold Over Viktor Petrenko. Among the winners of the award have been Jeff Blatnick a Greco roman wrestler who fought Back from a form of cancer to win a Gold medal at the los Angeles games and Dan Jansen a Speed skater who competed at the Calgary olympics while enduring the death of his sister. A i remember seeing Dan receive this award four years ago a Wylie said a and i thought a this is a great award to  this is an award that represents the olympic spirit in the right  when he was not competing Wylie was often seen at other venues cheering for american competitors and he led cheers among the americans who gathered to watch the United states hockey  a a la Plagne France a part time bobsled Der Prince Albert of Monaco is Uncertain whether he will continue in the sport. A we came in order to get a modest result and did not get it a said the Mona esque Prince after his team finished 27th in the four Man Competition