Two More for the (Record) Book : Biondi Wins His First Individual Gold Medal in Event He Dominates

Matt Biondi won his first individual gold medal and his fourth medal of the Olympic Games with a victory in the 100-meter freestyle Thursday night.

He is expected to pick up another individual medal in the 50-meter freestyle and two more gold medals for relays for a total of seven medals here, but this was his best chance for an individual gold.

It was also his best chance to turn to those cameras waiting at poolside and answer the question, “What are you going to do now?” by gushing: “I’m going to Disneyland!” And then, “I’m going to Disney World!”

To the victors go the spoils. If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can make $35,000 for doing a one-line Disney commercial after the Lakers had won the National Basketball Assn. title, if Doug Williams can make that kind of money for doing the same Disney commercial after he and the rest of the Washington Redskins had won the Super Bowl, if even Dennis Conner can do it after an America’s Cup victory, why not let a swimmer finally cash in?

Other countries pay cash bonuses for medals. American athletes have to make their money the old-fashioned way. They earn it . . . by making commercials.

Biondi will have to do another take, however. Robert Helmick, USOC president, said the spots violate bans on commercial ventures at Olympic venues. Helmick said the amusement park would not be allowed to use the endorsement Biondi taped Thursday as he emerged from the pool, but would have to shoot it again elsewhere.

Much was lost in the translation when U.S. reporters asked Biondi about the commercial venture in his press conference, anyway. Quotes typed by the panel of language specialists came out with mention of an agent but nothing about a commercial.

They quoted Biondi as saying: “I am going to Disneyland and World after my swim is what I was to say so I said it.”

They’ll be puzzling over that one in Istanbul.

In his complete answer, Biondi assured everyone that the commercial would be no distraction.

“I have been working with Advantage International, a sports-marketing firm out of Washington,” he said. “My agreement with them has always been that swimming comes first and endorsements, speaking engagements and financial rewards come second.”

Besides, it’s out of the way now.

Next on his agenda is the 400-meter freestyle relay, which, he pointed out, is looking good, based on the results of the 100-meter freestyle Thursday night.

Biondi led the way with a 48.63-second Olympic-record swim--short of his own 48.42 world-record time--and Chris Jacobs gave the Americans their first 1-2 finish by taking the silver in 49.08. The bronze medal went to Stephan Caron of France in 49.62.

All four of the Americans who will swim the 400-meter freestyle relay swam 100-meter times under 50 seconds in the U.S. trials.

It has also become clear that Biondi should swim the butterfly leg of the men’s 400-meter medley relay.

Ultimately, it will be a coach’s decision whether Biondi--the top U.S. finisher in both the 100-meter butterfly and the 100-meter freestyle--should swim the butterfly or the important freestyle anchor leg. But Biondi said: “I told Chris (Jacobs) I’d prefer to swim the freestyle. I feel more comfortable with it. But with the way Jay (Mortenson) swam (finishing sixth in the 100-meter butterfly) and with Chris having his lifetime best swims here, I’ve said that I’ll be happy to swim butterfly on the relay.”

Biondi said his first individual gold medal meant a lot, especially in the 100-meter freestyle. That’s his world-record event. He came to Seoul with his name listed 10 times on the list of top 10 performances in the event.

“The 100 free has been my event since 1985,” Biondi said. “If there was any event I wanted to win here, this was the one.

“I remembered how disappointed and let down I felt after I lost the 100-meter butterfly. I had to show myself, prove it to myself and everyone else, that I could do it.

“It really hits home how great you have to swim in the Olympics to win a gold medal.”