THE OLYMPICS / WINTER GAMES AT ALBERTVILLE : NOTES

Before the Games, athletes feared that many things might go wrong because the venues are so spread out, but they were confident that the French organizers would at least provide them with excellent food.

U.S. speedskater Eric Flaim doesn’t think so.

“The food has been atrocious--smelly fish omelets and overcooked spaghetti,” he said of the daily fare in the athletes’ village. “You think, ‘You’re in France, great cuisine, right?’ But compared to Calgary (in 1988), I give it a five.”

That, however, has not stopped Flaim from eating it. On Saturday, he had the fish, which gave him food poisoning. He did not sleep at all that night, and, on Sunday, he tied for 24th in the 1,500 meters, a race in which he won a silver medal at Calgary.

Said Flaim: “I worked for a long time to get here, and I get bad fish in the Olympic village . . . and there go my chances?”

In fairness to the chefs, the Netherlands’ Leo Visser, who finished third in the 1,500 meters, said that he believes the food has been “quite good.”

“But I don’t like fish very much,” he added. “Maybe I am lucky.”

After their Olympic trials at Milwaukee in December, U.S. speedskaters boldly predicted they would win six or seven medals in Albertville. But, with three races remaining, they have won only two, both golds by Bonnie Blair.

In fact, their performances here are extremely disappointing when compared to the 1988 Winter Olympics at Calgary. They had an average placement of 11.8 there. Here, it has been 19.3.

In seven races, they have had only four top-10 finishes.

With Dan Jansen and Flaim entering Tuesday’s 1,000, they could salvage some respect. But U.S. skaters are not expected to challenge in the women’s 5,000 or the men’s 10,000.