THE GOODWILL GAMES : Roundup : U.S.-Soviet Figure Skating Exhibition Is a Smash Hit

Perhaps the most boisterous crowd of the Goodwill Games attended a figure skating exhibition, which ended with world champion Debi Thomas of the United States dancing with Soviet men’s champion Vladimir Kotin.

A capacity crowd of 12,000 at the Lenin Sports Palace gave the unscheduled act a standing ovation Wednesday night, and the Soviet news agency Tass said that the number “reflected the ideas of unity, love of sport and desire for peace.”

“We decided to do it last night (Tuesday) and we practiced only this morning (Wednesday),” the 19-year-old Thomas, from San Jose, said. “I think that was more fun than anything I have ever done.”

Said Kotin: “This is what the games are for, to promote friendship between our two nations.

The pair danced to Michael Jackson’s hit song, “Billie Jean.” In the finale, Soviet and American skaters danced to the tune of “Katyusha,” a well-known Soviet song.

Other U.S. skaters in the two-day exhibition were world champion Brian Boitano, national pairs champions Gillian Wachsman and Todd Waggoner, national dance champions Renee Roca and Donald Adair, and Tiffany Chin.

The featured Soviet skaters were Olympic pairs champions Yelena Valova and Oleg Vasilyev, world dancing champions Natalia Bestemianova and Andrei Bukin, and world pairs champions Ekatina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov.

Meanwhile, the Soviet Union won gold medals Thursday in women’s gymnastics and in men’s judo, increasing their leading totals to 73 golds and 167 overall. The United States has 35 golds and 116 overall.

In team handball, the Soviet men’s and women’s teams clinched gold medals with one round left in the round-robin competition.

The Soviet women trounced an overmatched U.S. team, 23-16, leaving Hungary and West Germany to battle for the silver in the final round today.

In the men’s team handball tournament, the Soviets edged Czechoslovakia, 18-17.

In gymnastics, the Soviets took the women’s team title with 196.10 points. Bulgaria edged China for the silver medal, 190.60 to 190.25.

Elena Shushunova of the Soviet Union, competing on the uneven bars, scored the competition’s first 10.0, a perfect score, and also earned 9.95 points in the vault, 9.95 in the beam and 9.90 in the floor exercise.

The United States finished fifth in women’s gymnastics with 188.25 points. Hope Spivey, 14, of Allentown, Pa., was the leader with 37.80.

In judo, the Soviets placed 1-2 in the 86-kilogram class, with Alexander Sivtsev beating Vitaly Pesynak on a referee’s decision in the championship bout.