Soviet Team Will Test U. S. Gymnasts

The United States’ gymnasts will get a pre-Olympic shakeout against the world’s best today and tonight when they compete against the Soviet Union in a dual meet.

The Soviet team, which did not compete in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, won the men’s team medal in the most recent World Championships and placed second in the women’s competition. The U.S. teams, which had prospered in the Soviets’ Olympic absence, had a little comedown in those championships. The gold medal men’s team placed ninth, while the U.S. women placed sixth.

The United States will find whether the gap has been narrowed or widened in two sessions at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. With some notable exceptions, both countries are represented by their best athletes.

The Soviets will showcase two-time all-around champion Dmitri Belozertchev as well as the second- and third-place finishers from the recent Worlds--veterans Yuri Korolev and Vladimir Artemov. Belozertchev, who astonished the world by winning the all-around title in 1983 when he was 16, continues to astonish. His leg was broken in 44 places in a 1985 car accident and nearly had to be amputated. Yet he came back to regain his title last October. “And now,” says U.S. Olympic Coach Abie Grossfeld, “he actually looks better than he did in the World Championships.”

The U.S. men’s team, by contrast, is composed of new faces. Only Scott Johnson returns from the 1984 team, with fellow Olympian Tim Daggett still struggling to regain form after a badly broken leg in those World Championships.

“This will show how good we are,” Grossfeld says. “There are no excuses.”

Less telling will be the women’s competition. Kristie Phillips, who won the all-around in this meet last year, is not ready for competition. This is the second title she has decided not to defend since leaving Coach Bela Karolyi in Houston for Don Peters’ camp in Los Angeles. Also missing is the American Cup winner, Phoebe Mills, who broke a finger in training recently.

The Soviets, meanwhile, are holding out Elena Shoushounova, who won the worlds in 1985 and placed second last year. She says she is sick, but she has come along with the team and says she will participate in a non-scoring exhibition the next day in Los Angeles. Cynics note that she has done this before.

In any event, U.S. Olympic Coach Peters says the competition will be inconclusive as this is considered an early season meet for the United States but a midseason meet for the Soviets.