Four Soviet Medal Winners Are Entered in Times Indoor Meet

Four of the Soviet Union’s best track and field athletes are entered in the Times/Eagle Indoor Games, Friday night, Feb. 17 at the Forum.

Between them, the four Soviets have earned six Olympic medals. Olga Bryzgina won a pair of gold medals in Seoul as she became the first Soviet woman to win the Olympic 400 meters. She also anchored the winning 400-meter relay squad.

Bryzgina will be joined by Tatyana Samolenko, who will run the 3000 meters, pole vaulter Rodion Gataullin and high jumper Rudolf Povarnitsin.

Bryzgina’s 48.64 time in Seoul was the best mark of 1988, and her 48.27 in 1985 is the third-best all-time at 400 meters. Samolenko emerged from Seoul with a gold and a bronze medal. Her time of 8:26.53 at 3000 meters won the gold and was the year’s best mark for that distance. She earned a bronze in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:00.30.

Gataullin is the defending Times/Eagle Indoor Games champion, winning last year with a vault of 19-2 3/4. He will face the entire American Olympic team in Kory Tarpenning, Earl Bell and Billy Olson. Gataullin earned a silver medal at Seoul and set a new world indoor record of 19-8 1/4 in a recent meet in Leningrad.

The 30th annual Indoor Games will feature a total of eight gold medalists from Seoul, as well as five silver and five bronze. A total of 40 Olympic events will be represented in the meet.

Tickets, priced at $20, $17, $10 and $6 are now on sale at the Forum box office and Ticketmaster outlets, including May Co. and Music Plus stores.

Tickets can also be ordered by phone by using a credit card and calling (213) 237-5775.