THE OLYMPICS / WINTER GAMES AT ALBERTVILLE : NOTES : A $2-Million Boost for U.S. Competitors

American athletes will get a $2-million leg up on the 1994 Winter Olympics at Lillehammer, Norway, the United States Olympic Committee said Thursday at La Lechere, France.

USOC President William J. Hybl said that the new program, labeled Team ‘94, will provide USOC money for elite-athlete programs in the seven Olympic winter sports. According to the USOC, none of the money can be used for administrative expenses or salaries, and representatives of the national governing bodies are to begin meeting immediately to discuss distribution.

“We want to do all we can to make sure that our winter sports athletes stay with their careers and have the maximum resources they need as they look ahead to the Games just two years away,” Hybl said. “Already we have seen our best-ever finishes by American women and men in luge and the sixth-best downhill (skiing) in our history. We want to keep the momentum going and help these athletes realize their dreams in 1994.

Said Howard Buxton, head of the national biathlon federation and assistant chief of mission for the United States at the Albertville Games: “The winter sports governing bodies need to know right now that USOC support is in place to address the special needs of a shortened ‘quadrennium’ to prepare teams for Lillehammer in 1994. This program does it.”

Normally, there are four years between Olympics, but the Winter Games will move into their own four-year cycle, independent of the Summer Games, in 1994.

After days of spring-like weather, winter came back to the Savoy on Thursday.

Heavy snow in the mountains made the going difficult in the women’s Alpine combined slalom at Meribel and the 10-kilometer leg of the classical-pursuit cross-country skiing race at Les Saisies. Practice for Sunday’s large-hill ski jumping at Courchevel was postponed because of snow and wind, and practice for the two-man bobsled event at La Plagne was disrupted.

In the valley, rain made conditions slow and sloppy for speedskaters at the ice rink in Albertville.

One of America’s newest citizens helped the cross-country team to an encouraging position in the first leg of the classical-pursuit race. John Aalberg, a native of Norway who became a U.S. citizen in January, was 18th in the 10-kilometer classical leg and can improve his position in Saturday’s 15K freestyle race.