European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 14, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday february 14, 1994 Winter olympics the stars Ano stapes Page 29 s the Legal olympics Lillehammer Norway a there they were All the members of the olympic movement marching into the opening ceremonies holding their banners High marching together in the spirit of fair play sponsorship rights and litigation the old Powers like the United states and Russia and Germany. The newest members like Armenia and kirghiz Stan arid Kazakhstan. The kindly multinationals that underwrite these games in the pure name of sportsmanship. And who was that in the Parade proudly waving attache cases instead of flags Why they were the other big players in these latter Day games a private lawyers corporate counsels Public prosecutors maybe even the american bar association and the world court and the civil liberties Union plus that grand old favorite of the olympic movement the Clackamas county judge. Welcome to the Legal olympics where All the sliders and skaters Are dominated by the looming Shadow of Tonya Harding the wicked Witch of the West who was More than 5,000 Miles away in Oregon but coming soon to a skating rink in Norway. They can to keep Tonya away now not after Clackamas county circuit judge Patrick Gilroy postponed a ruling until monday about whether the . Olympic committee can even hold hearings to ban Harding from the games. The earliest the soc can hold its projected hearing in Oslo is Friday Only three Days be George Vecsey commentary fore the soc must submit its final rosters for the women a event. Too late. The soc should give it up. Harvey Schiller and his Merrie Bande of lawyers tried to play by the rules in interrogating Harding Over her role in the attack on Nancy Kerrigan but Harding a lawyers had on Rushing time on their Side. Let the games begin. It is sad but True that just As the Winter games Are located in a Beautiful wholesome setting a a norwegian Mountain town that makes you feel transported Back 75 years in time a the games Are being held hostage by a Nasty scandal emanating from the . Ever since Kerrigan was whacked on the knee at the nationals in Detroit on Jan. 6, the world has become engrossed in a real life whodunit. It was nuts saturday at the main press Center when a Phalanx of guards swept an Overly prepped Kerrigan into a jammed press conference where she revealed exclusively in great emotional depth that she has a supportive family and that her knee feels Fine. When the dreaded a a to word was finally uttered toward the end Kerrigan did no to seem sure she could share the hug that Harding has proposed from her Bunker in Oregon. A i done to know How in a going to feel when i see her a Kerrigan allowed while the thousands of collected paparazzi could Only drool Over the improving Prospect of the two of them being within the same Lens sight. Its just nuts. The athletes say they can shut out the brooding Legal shadows. The key word is Brian Boitano said a attention equals pressure a so he was just As Happy if everybody else is gaga about Tonya. The Best attitude from Karen Courtland and Todd Reynolds the third ranked american skating pair who Are just Happy to March in the Parade and perform in the same Winter games with the great russian skaters. Some of the professional ska ten have sniff ily dismissed Harding As a an outsider a but Courland said the been on teams with Torr a pc Leforc i get along Fine with her. If she is Here of course i cheer for her. We be got to stay together As a it would be hard to expect Kerrigan to feel that Way since she was clubbed on the knee by a thug admittedly hired by Harding a former husband Jeff thu Only who As part of his plea bargaining has sworn that Harding knew about the plan before the attack but Kerrigan must accept As reality that Harding is coming. All lawyers off the course. The games began saturday with an opening ceremony in the legendary late aft Moon Blue Light of Lilie Hammer. The writ servers took a Back seat As Liv us Iman the famous actress and Thor Heyerdahl the famous explorer acted As a a Mother and a father a explaining the ceremony to their a a children and a world audience. In this Low key kingdom the Royal family received equal Billing with the Sami the indigenous minority and a traditional bridal procession. Also starring in the opening ceremony were the vetters mythical creatures who live in the Woods and water and mountains of Norway. Some pc tiers Are Friendly and playful but others like trolls Are malicious and can be repelled Only by a direct exposure to sunlight. 7t you slovaks play swedes to Surprise deadlock by the associated press Lillehammer Norway not a bad Start for Slovakia. Not so Good for second seeded Sweden. They tied their olympic hockey opener 4-4 sunday raising echoes of Sweden a underachieving past and lifting Hopes for a new nation in its first Winter games. Roman Kontsek a goal with 5 48 left gave Slovakia the tie after it blew a 3-2 second period Lead., Sweden won world championships in 1987,1991 and 1992, but has finished better than third in the olympics just twice. Slovakia which gained its Independence on Jan. 1, 1993, has Only two players from the czechoslovak team that won the Bronze medal in 1992. _ Sweden Shakan Loob who spent six seasons with Calgary made it 1-0 on a Power play 7 42 into the game. After Branislav Janos tied the game at 11 51, former Montreal Star Mats Naslund stole the puck to set up Patrik Juhling a goal 23 seconds later. Miroslav satan tied it 11 seconds into the second period and Peter Stas Triy the 17th leading scorer in nil history made it 3-2 on a 40-foot snapshot at 3 29. But goals by Roger Hansson and Kenny Joensson put Sweden ahead 4-3 nine minutes into the third period. In saturday nights games Germany 4, Austria 3 Lillehammer Norway Germany rallied with three goals in the third period for a Victory Over Austria. The austrians led 2-1 on Marty Dall Many a goal Early in the third before costly penalties unravelled their attack. Benoit Doucet and Wolfgang Kummer started Germany a comeback by scoring 22 seconds apart for a 3-2 Lead. With just three austrians on the ice Thomas Brandel put fifth seeded Germany up 4-2 with tour minutes left. Kenneth Strong scored Austria a final 5, Norway t gjovik Norway a russian hockey remained a mystery As a team of olympic rookies struggled before beating Host Norway. Russia led 2-0 just 3 27 into its first game but outplayed Norway Only slightly after that. Norway came alive As it kept the pressure on goalie Andrei Zuev. It finally paid off As Marius Rath faked Zuev to the ice and scored into an open net at 18 19 of the first period. Andrei Tarasenko made the score 3-1 at 3 47 of the second period. Valeri Karpov and Sergei Sorokin scored in the last eight minutes. A 17 German Soldier leads luge a a a a Ltd Quot a a a a a z is Chi ,4 5 lag Hunde Fossen Norway up1 German Soldier Georg Hack marched into the Halfway Lead in the menus Winter olympic single luge Competition sunday after setting a track record on the opening run of the Day. The 27-year-old defending olympic Champion who was first away from the Field of 33 in the initial run took full advantage of his favourable draw to Post a course record time of 50.296 seconds Over the 1,365-meter luge track. Austrian Markus Prock who had held the previous Best Mark of 50.303, also lowered the old record with a clocking of 50.300 in his first run but had to Settle for second place behind his rival. Hackl who is bidding to become the first Luger Ever to retain the olympic Crown failed to match his earlier Speed in the second run but his time of 50.560 was enough to extend his advantage Over Prock to 0.010 seconds. Italian Armin Zoeggele was in third place .186 behind Hackl. World Champion Wendel Suckow of the United states disappointed by finishing the Day in ninth place but his 26-year-old countryman Duncan Kennedy remained in Contention by placing opening fireworks fill the night sky As a Climax to saturday s opening ceremonies for the xvii Winter olympics in Lille Hammer Norway. The ceremonies featured a pageant of traditional norwegian cultures
