WORLD SPORTS SCENE / RANDY HARVEY : Apparently, Trophy Was Worth the Trip

The Amateur Athletic Foundation’s World Trophy, awarded annually to the outstanding international athletes from six regions, has become increasingly more prestigious in recent years, but it is doubtful that anyone ever wanted to get his hands on one more than Hungarian swimmer Tamas Darnyi.

Darnyi, the world record-holder in the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys, arrived in Los Angeles on a flight from Budapest last Tuesday at 2 p.m., went to the AAF for a 6:30 p.m. ceremony and then returned to the airport for a 9 p.m. flight to Budapest.

The AAF would have mailed the trophy, as it did for Zambian hurdler Samuel Matete and Australian swimmer Kieren Perkins, but Darnyi wanted to be there.

The third swimmer among the athletes honored was China’s Lin Li. She traveled even farther than Darnyi, but at least she was able to remain in Los Angeles for a few days and train.

Her presenter, USC swimming assistant coach and former U.S. Olympian Sippy Woodhead-Kantzer, said she tried to recruit Lin for the upcoming NCAA championships. “But she turned down my offer.” Back off, NCAA. She was kidding.

The presenter for the North American winner, long jumper Mike Powell of Alta Loma, was Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who was wearing two rings on her right hand, one with seven diamonds and one with three.

Her husband/coach, Bob Kersee, said that the diamond arrangements represent the 7,300 points she hopes to score in the heptathlon in this summer’s Olympics at Barcelona. Her world record is 7,291.

“If she doesn’t get it, I’ll take the rings back,” he said. He probably was joking, but you never know with Kersee.

He added that the hamstring injury that forced his wife out of the heptathlon competition after she won in the long jump at Tokyo in last year’s World Championships might work to her advantage because she now has additional motivation.

“She’s mad about that and Track & Field News ranking her No. 2 in the long jump,” Kersee said. She was ranked behind Germany’s Heike Drechsler, who won 22 of 24 competitions in 1991.

According to U.S. Olympic Committee sources, Edwin Moses would be unchallenged as the athletes’ choice to fill the International Olympic Committee vacancy that will go to an American this summer if not for the controversy over his involvement in bobsled.

“I’ll just show the arbitrator’s decision to the Athletes Advisory Council,” said Moses, who, along with football players Willie Gault and Gerg Harrell, won his dispute against the bobsled federation. “That should answer whatever questions they have.” . . . To the long list of U.S. candidates for the IOC position, add L.A. lawyer Alan Rothenberg, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation. . . . Anita DeFrantz, who already is an IOC member, said she has withdrawn her name from consideration to succeed William Hybl as USOC president in this fall’s election.

DeFrantz is president of the AAF, which sponsors the World Trophy. The other winner Tuesday night, in case you’re counting, was Brazilian basketball star Hortencia Marcari.

Mike Powell, a regular on the banquet circuit since he broke Bob Beamon’s long jump record, said he’s about to begin training seriously for the outdoor season and plans to compete in the April 16-18 Mt. SAC Invitational.

Edwin Moses said he also will enter the Mt. SAC meet, probably in a relay. He plans to compete several times in the intermediate hurdles in the United States before the June 19-29 Olympic trials at New Orleans.

World Cup ’94 will announce next Monday the eight to 10 cities that will stage games in the monthlong tournament. Atlanta officials have received unofficial word that they’re out, and that Dallas is in, and that feels like a tomahawk chop to the throat of Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson.

He issued a challenge last week to Dallas Mayor Steve Bartlett, listing 10 reasons why Atlanta is better equipped to play host to games than Dallas.

So far, there has been no response from Dallas.

Notes

The U.S. soccer team plays for the first time in Africa Wednesday against Morocco at Casablanca. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. . . . In an exhibition tournament at the Coliseum, the U.S. under-23 team will play South Korea Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. and El Salvador Thursday at 8:45 p.m. . . . U.S. national team defender Marcelo Balboa of Cerritos is developing an unwanted, if not unwarranted, reputation for rough play. “Soccer America” columnist Paul Gardner writes that Balboa has been infected with a “Rambo virus.”

Japanese figure skating officials say that Olympic silver medalist Midori Ito will miss the March 25-29 World Championships at Oakland because of a cold. But speculation within the sport is that she has cold feet. Perhaps she doesn’t believe she can beat gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, who will be competing practically next door to her Fremont, Calif., home. . . . The French dance team, Isabelle and Paul Duchesnay, has withdrawn to turn pro.

The U.S. water polo team will meet Spain next Sunday at Corona Del Mar High School and March 24 at Long Beach’s Belmont Plaza pool. . . . The United States’ Lynn Jennings will attempt to win her third consecutive world cross-country championship next Saturday at Boston. . . . Beijing officials have ordered citizens to swat as many flies as possible in hopes of having a “fly-free city” by 1994. The city hopes the campaign will help in its bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics.