BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS / DAY 7 : DAILY REPORT : SHOOTING : Foth Loses Gold on Final Shot in Three-Position Small Bore

Bob Foth, the United States’ best rifle shooter, suffered a back injury six months before the 1988 Olympics but recuperated in time to finish fourth in the air rifle.

The former high school math and physics teacher had no such problems preparing for the Barcelona Olympics as he shot world-class scores during international tournaments last spring.

His preparation showed Friday when Foth, 34, lost the gold medal on the final shot in the three-position small-bore rifle competition at the Olympic shooting range at Mollet del Valles.

Foth, of Clarence, N.Y., was edged by Commonwealth of Independent States sharpshooter Gratchia Petikiane by eight-tenths of a point.

Foth, a silver medalist at the 1991 World Cup, gave the United States its first medal in the event since 1976 the day after teammate Launi Meili won the women’s three-position gold.

“I’m relieved,” Foth said. “I would have preferred the gold, but at this point margin it really doesn’t matter.”

Foth, who finished seventh in the air rifle competition Monday, was ranked third going into the final. He scored 1,266.6 points to Petikiane’s Olympic record of 1,267.4. Foth led before the final shot when Petikiane, an Armenian pharmacist, scored a 10.1 to the American’s 9.2.

“In these crazy matches there are 1,309.9 points and I end up losing by eight-tenths of a point,” Foth said.

ARCHERY

South Koreans Get Records as Americans Get Low Marks

The South Koreans proved they deserve the favorite’s role while the United States faltered on the first day of competition at the Archery Field in Barcelona.

Cho Youn Jeong of South Korea set a world record in 70-meter women’s archery, helping her team set an Olympic record in the qualifying round.

South Korea took all three top individual slots in the qualifying of the 70- and 60-meter archery divisions. Cho scored 338 points from 70 meters, then added an Olympic-record 345 points from 60 meters. Her team scored 2,024 in the two rounds.

The previous 70-meter world record was 336, set by South Korea’s Kim Soo Nyung in 1989. On Friday, Kim was second behind Cho, with 671 points, and Lee Eun Kyung was third with 670.

Denise Parker of South Jordan, Utah, the 1991 junior world champion, qualified fifth with 659. Jennifer O’Donnell of Farmington, Mich., finished 24th with 628, and Sherry Block of Colorado Springs, Colo., was 32nd with 621. The U.S. women’s team scored 1,908 for fourth place. The U.S. men, expected to be medal contenders, were 12th with 1,818. The top 16 men’s and women’s teams after today’s rounds advance to next week’s finals.

Vladimir Echeev of the Commonwealth of Independent States headed the qualifiers in the 90- and 70-meter men’s divisions with 650 points. South Korea’s Chung Jae Hun was second with 649. Vadim Chikarev of the CIS was third at 648.

Jay Barrs of Jacksonville, Fla., the 1988 gold medalist, was 20th with 624 points. Butch Johnson of Woodstock, Conn., was 33rd with 606, and Rick McKinney of Gilbert, Ariz., the 1984 silver medalist, was 53rd with 588.

FENCING

Frenchman Foils CIS Foe to Win Individual Gold Medal

Former world champion Philippe Omnes of France won the gold medal in men’s individual foil, defeating Sergei Goloubitski of the Commonwealth of Independent States, 6-5, 3-5, 5-2.

The bronze went to Elvis Gregory of Cuba, who beat Germany’s Udo Wagner, 3-5, 5-2, 3-5. Italy’s Andrea Borella, a strong medal favorite, failed to advance to the semifinals.

The U.S. fencers struggled. Led by four-time Olympian Michael Marx of South Bend, Ind., the Americans compiled 3-3, 3-3 and 2-4 records during the qualifying round. Marx and Nick Bravin of Los Angeles each went 3-3, and Zaddick Longenbach of New York was 2-4.

Marx, 26th after the qualifying round, lost to Yoshihide Nagano of Japan, 5-2, 5-3.

YACHTING

Smooth Sailing for U.S. Crews as They Race Toward Medals

U.S. sailors were in medal positions in five of the 10 yachting events after the fifth day of races at the Nova Icaria Yacht Basin.

In the star class, Mark Reynolds of San Diego and Hal Haenel of Los Angeles finished third Friday but remained in the lead overall with 8.7 points. Julie Trotman of Syosset, N.Y., was fourth in her Europe race and moved into first place overall with 16.7 points.

In soling, skipper Kevin Mahaney of Bangor, Me., and his crew, Jim Brady of Annapolis, Md., and Doug Kern of Austin, Tex., raced to third place and were first overall at 11.4 points. The flying Dutchman entry of Paul Foerster of Heath, Tex., and Steve Bourdow of New Orleans, was 17th but still held on to second in the overall standings. In the Finn class, Brian Ledbetter of San Diego was 10th and slipped to third place overall with 40 points.

MEDALISTS

* SHOOTING

(Men’s three-position free rifle)

Gold: Gratchia Petikiane (CIS)

Silver: Bob Foth (United States)

Bronze: Ryohei Koba (Japan)

* FENCING

(Men’s individual foil)

Gold: Philippe Omnes (France)

Silver: Sergei Goloubitski (CIS)

Bronze: Elvis Gregory (Cuba)