American Cup Gymnastics Meet : U.S. Men Are Trying to Regain High Standing

Men’s gymnastics has taken a nasty tumble since the 1984 Olympic Games, and just how far may be illustrated this weekend in the two-day McDonald’s American Cup at George Mason University’s Patriot Center.

What was once so proudly red, white and blue after a surprise gold-medal finish in Los Angeles is now largely black and blue, or perhaps just blue.

Yet, the United States women’s program, which has suffered even more attrition in these post-Olympic years, once more is poised to vault into international prominence. And just how high may also be suggested in this meet, featuring some of the sport’s elite in a 22-country field.

It’s a curious phenomenon that the U.S. men’s team, which seemed to have acquired sensational momentum with its improbable results in the last Olympics, has lapsed into an international lull. The team finished a disastrous ninth in last year’s world championship meet, and as individuals, the men are likely to take a back seat here to such entries as East Germany’s Sylvio Kroll and the Soviet Union’s Vladimir Gogoladze.

The retirement of four of the six Olympians has left the program sprawled on the mat. Only Scott Johnson and Tim Daggett remain from that team, and their performances have been up and down.

Said Bart Conner, one of those retired Olympians: “It’s tough to sustain that determination once you’ve won a gold medal. I mean, that’s as good as it gets.”

The program suffered an additional setback when Daggett ruptured a disk in his neck several weeks ago. He remains in traction, instead of in action.

Johnson, who is slowly acquiring the life style of a former athlete--he is newly married and sells shoes and luggage at a department store in Lincoln, Neb.--is all that remains from that glory year. “We’re going through a rebuilding time,” he said Friday after a workout. “But there is talent definitely emerging.”

According to Mike Jacki, the executive director of the United States Gymnastics Federation, there is a corps of junior men gymnasts, 15 and 16 years old, who could return the United States to prominence. “But age-wise, they could be a little out of the loop,” he admitted. “The program might not bear fruit until after ’87.”

One of those promising juniors, Dominic Minicucci, will be on hand this weekend. The 18-year-old from Staten Island, N.Y., was added to the three-man team when Brian Babcock was hurt in training. He joins Johnson and Brian Ginsberg for the U.S. team.

Meanwhile, the U.S. women’s program continues to unveil prancing prodigies. After a brief lull of their own, when the entire Olympic team went on to bigger things--cereal boxes, among others--new stars have come forth. And just as before, the quirky Bela Karolyi, the Houston cowboy by way of Transylvania, has provided them.

The two new stars are from his Houston stable, the same one that produced the toothsome Mary Lou Retton. This time, it’s Kristie Phillips, who surprised everyone by winning this same event last year as a lass of 13. This follows the Mary Lou scenario, if you recall. Retton similarly emerged from nowhere to win this event.

Phillips, whose smile is even brighter than Mary Lou’s--”Because of these braces,” she complains--is certainly the most publicized gymnast of her time. She was on the cover of Sports Illustrated last year. Yet she may not even be the best in this country, possibly not even the best in Houston.

Her stablemate is Phoebe Mills, 14, another of Karolyi’s athletes. Although Phillips has often held the edge in this friendly rivalry, Mills, a former speed skater, is making a strong move. She outscored Phillips in a recent dual meet and won more individual medals than her pal at the Olympic Sports Festival.

This meet is expected to resolve, if only for the moment, who is progressing faster.

Though they will be competing against each other, they also will be competing against a duo from the Parkettes of Allentown, Pa. Jennifer Sey, the national champion, and Hope Spivey are worthwhile contenders.

Internationally, look for Olga Strazheva of the Soviet Union and Romania’s Augustina Badea. And look real hard for Hungary’s Henrietta Onodi. She’s 4 feet tall and weighs 57 pounds.

The competition will start at noon today. The top eight competitors in each event will return for the finals Sunday.