BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS : She’s Hep to Their Strategy : Heptathlon: Joyner-Kersee takes a 127-point lead after four events as Germans’ attempts at intimidation don’t work.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee held a 127-point lead after the first day of the women’s heptathlon at the Summer Olympics, and she gained a significant psychological advantage after a long day of gamesmanship by three German athletes Saturday.

Joyner-Kersee, the world record-holder and defending Olympic champion, totaled 4,136 points in four events. Sabine Braun of Germany was second with 4,009.

But Braun might have unwittingly aided her competitor when she and teammates Peggy Beer and Birgit Clarius tried to distract Joyner-Kersee while she was competing.

It was the kind of behavior that Joyner-Kersee has often complained about--walking in front of her while she is putting the shot, crossing her approach path in the high jump. When it happens, she said, it makes her angry. And then, she said, her anger is directed into her performance.

At the end of the day, Joyner-Kersee laughed about the Germans’ antics.

But Bob Kersee, her husband and coach, was hardly amused.

“The Germans have been trying to put pressure on her in a disrespectful way,” Kersee said. “But every time they intimidate Jackie, it’s going to cost them an Olympic medal. That’s the last thing to do to Jackie. They want to make their presence known, but you can’t intimidate Jackie.

“As far as I’m concerned, Jackie is the matador and everyone else is the bull. If you want to charge her head-on, she’s just going to put the red flag right back in your face.”

Joyner-Kersee and Braun were battling all day, but Braun never led. Joyner-Kersee opened the day by winning the 100-meter hurdles at 12.85 seconds, giving her 1,147 points. Braun’s 13.25 gave her 1,087 points.

Braun was better in the high jump, clearing 6 feet 4 1/4, but Joyner-Kersee cleared 6-3 1/4.

Shotput proved the day’s most disappointing event for Joyner-Kersee. She threw 46-4 1/4 but lost ground to Braun, whose mark was 46-8 1/4. After three events, Joyner-Kersee had a 15-point lead.

“I was disappointed in the shot,” she said. “But I felt pretty good. I’m not worried.”

Joyner-Kersee increased her margin in the last event, the 200 meters. Her time of 23.12 seconds earned her 1,067 points. Braun ran 24.27, for 955 points.

Today’s events begin with Joyner-Kersee’s strength, the long jump. Then they move to her weakest, the javelin. The final event is the 800 meters.

Irina Belova of the Commonwealth of Independent States is third after Saturday’s competition with 3,991 points, followed by Romania’s Liliana Nastase, with 3,976; and China’s Zhu Yuqing, with 3,841.

Beer is eighth with 3,786 points and Clarius 10th with 3,750.

Kym Carter of Austin, Tex., is in ninth place with 3,770 points. Cindy Greiner of Boise, Ida., is 11th with 3,744 points.