Biondi Breaks for Gold on a Cold Day in Pool for U.S.

Matt Biondi did it again today.

The world’s best male swimmer was a rare bright spot on his country’s worst day at the Olympic pool. The United States won just one of 15 possible medals in five events today.

The U.S. track team also added to the medal count today when Randy Barnes of Charleston, W.Va., picked up a silver in shot putting. East German Ulf Timmermann won the gold with an Olympic record toss of 73 feet, 8 3/4 inches while Barnes took the silver at 73-5 1/2. Werner Guenthoer of Switzerland was third at 72-1 3/4.

East Germany had another outstanding day with five medals, including golds by Kristin Otto and Uwe Dassler, and remained supreme in swimming.

Blistering Anchor Leg

America’s medal did not come until Biondi swam a blistering anchor leg of 47.81 seconds to break open a tight race and give the 400-meter freestyle relay team a world record. He picked up his fifth medal, including three golds, in five events.

The United States won in 3:16.53, nearly two seconds faster than the 3:18.33 of runner-up Soviet Union.

East Germany was third with 3:19.82. The United States broke the world record of 3:17.08 set in 1985 by a team that also had Biondi swimming the final leg.

The Americans led after each leg. Chris Jacobs led by 34 hundredths of a second after the first leg, Troy Dalbey by 16 hundredths after the second and Tom Jager by nine hundredths after the third. But Biondi, the 100 freestyle world record holder in 48.42, reversed the decline and swam the third-fastest split time in history.

He is also expected to win medals in the 50 freestyle Saturday and 400 medley relay Sunday.

“It was, maybe, an off night for us (in other events), but we got some great days coming up at the end of the meet,” Biondi said. “The relay teams always seem to come through for us.”

Otto won the 100-meter butterfly, her fourth gold medal in four events, in an Olympic record time of 59.00 seconds. Dassler set a world record of 3:46.95 in the 400 freestyle. East Germany also added one silver and two bronze medals.

Bulgaria’s One-Two Finish

In two other finals, Jozsef Szabo of Hungary won the 200 breaststroke, and Tania Dangalakova led Bulgaria’s one-two finish in the 100 breaststroke with an Olympic record.

The victories by Otto and Dassler, the second-place finish by Birte Weigang in the 100 butterfly and the third-place finishes by the relay team and Silke Hoerner in the 100 breaststroke kept East German swimmers in the lead.

They have seven gold medals, six of them by women, and 17 total medals, 13 by women.

The United States is a distant second with 11 medals, including five golds, both fewer than expected.