U.S. Olympic Festival Roundup : Soviet Ice Dancers Steal the Show

The U.S. Olympic Festival took on an international flavor for the first time Sunday when Soviet ice dancers Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko skated an exhibition performance at The Summit.

On the ice at Sam Houston Coliseum across town, speedskater Bonnie Blair set a Festival record for total medals won with 16 and total golds with 10 by taking two titles.

After the brother-sister team of Wayne and Natalie Seybold of Marian, Ind., won the pairs competition, the Soviet couple--1984 Olympic bronze medalists and second in the last two World Championships--were greeted with thunderous applause. They skated three short programs, including one utilizing capes and a long, thin stick.

“We are in very serious preparations this season,” said Klimova, who celebrated her 20th birthday Sunday and was presented with a birthday cake by Natalie Seybold. “It is like a big holiday for for us to come to Houston.

“We’re very touched by the way the public has greeted us. It is very nice.”

Christopher Bowman, 19, of Van Nuys, won the men’s singles in figure skating in his first competition since a broken leg bone forced him out of the U.S. Championships in February. Bowman had 2.8 factoral placements after a strong freestyle program in which he placed first with all seven judges.

“This was a personal thing for me to get back on my feet after hurting my leg and having several other injuries,” Bowman said. “It was important to know that no matter what obstacles I might face, I’ll be able to overcome them.”

National champions Renee Roca and Donald Adair won the ice dancing, finishing first on all seven judges’ cards in the long program.

Blair, who won five gold medals last year, won her third and fourth of this competition by winning the women’s 1,000 meters and skating on the North’s victorious 3,000-meter relay team.

“I really wasn’t aware of the medals record until the awards ceremony last night,” said Blair, 22, of Champaign, Ill., who took the 500 and 1,000 races on Saturday. “Then I read about it in the newspapers this morning and, after I won the first gold today, I was interviewed by ESPN. By the time the relay came around, I was very aware of the record.”

Speedskater Gloria Bogacki won nine golds and gymnast Kelly Garrison collected 15 medals overall.

Billy Asmus of Lakeville, Minn., and Scott Jaffe of Lexington, Mass., won their second gold medals, and 13-year-old Julie Kole of Forrest Hill, Md., Kole became the youngest competitor to earn a gold medal in Festival swimming. She took the 400-meter freestyle.

The previous youngest winner was Summer Sanders of Roseville, Calif., who won the 200 intermediate individual medley on Saturday.

Asmus added the 100 freestyle to his 50 free victory, and Jaffe captured the 400 individual medley after winning the 200 breaststroke on Saturday.

In boxing, David Moreno of Houston, who has been fighting only a year, beat 1986 U.S. Army and U.S. Amateur 125-pound champion Runnel Doll for three rounds to win a 4-1 upset decision.

“I always smile after a fight,” said the delighted Moreno, who took the fight to Doll, an eight-year veteran. “I went in feeling confident. He looked strong, but I didn’t let that get to me.”

U.S. Amateur 147-pound champion Nick Kakouris of St. Louis stopped Robert Montoya, West Jordan, Utah at 1:28 of the third round.

Melody Wong took the gold medal in the women’s 70-kilometer cycling road race. Wong, 25, of Davis, Calif., had competed in preliminary rounds of the women’s sprints until past midnight the previous day.

“I got only two hours sleep,” Wong said. “But this course is better suited for me than some riders because there are no hills.”

In men’s free rifle three-position event, identical twins Matt and Will Suggs won gold and silver medals. Will Suggs won the gold with a score of 1,145 and Matt earned the silver with 1,142.

Kenneth Blasi of Goddard, Kan., won the international trap gold medal; Olympic gold medalist Matt Dryke of Sequim, Wash., took the international skeet, and Sam Baiocco of Lewisville, Tex., won the rapid fire pistol. Judith Kemp of Anaheim, winner of a bronze medal in sport pistol on Saturday, added a gold in air pistol.

Basketball began with the North women beating the East 90-74 and the South defeating the West, 83-66. In men’s play, the East men downed the North, 91-89, and Mike Mitchell, who played high school basketball at Santa Ana Mater Dei, sank a 19-footer with one second to play to give the West a 93-91 victory over the South.

Defending champion Betsy Visinski won the solo portion of synchronized swimming and the West won the team crown.