BARCELONA '92 OLYMPICS / DAY 10 : DAILY REPORT : TEAM HANDBALL : U.S. Women Defeat Nigeria for First Olympic Victory

L.A. Times Archives

Aug. 4, 1992 12 AM PT

The U.S. women won for the first time in Olympic team handball Monday, a 23-20 victory over Nigeria at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona.

The victory puts the United States (1-2) into Friday’s fifth-place finals.

Nigeria (0-3) led, 14-13, with 18:40 remaining and the score was 19-19 with 6 1/2 minutes left.

Two late goals by Carol Peterka of St. Cloud, Minn., helped put the Americans in control for good.

U.S. Coach Vojtech Mares said he was pleased with the victory, but saw areas where the team needs to improve.

“We knew that we had to win, just to finalize our goal of attaining the fifth position, but we still made mistakes,” he said. “We had some problems with our defense.”

WRESTLING

Zeke Jones Ends Losing Streak to Cuban With 16-1 Victory

Zeke Jones won his first world championship last year, but had an even bigger victory in preliminaries at the Olympic freestyle wrestling tournament.

“This is the biggest win of my career,” Jones said. “They’re all big, but this is the biggest one to date.”

Moments earlier, Jones had ended a three-match losing streak to Alfredo Leyva, defeating the Cuban, 16-1, on a technical fall with 1:05 left.

Jones, a former Arizona State wrestler from Bloomsburg, Pa., was as impressive during the first round of the 114.5-pound class, cruising to a 15-0 technical fall in 3:10 over Chokri Boudchiche of Tunisia.

“Speed may have been the biggest factor,” said Bobby Douglas of Ames, Iowa, the U.S. coach.

Townsend Saunders of Phoenix, also started well at 149.5 pounds, defeating Calum McNeil of Britain, 5-0. But the 1991 Pan American Games champion fell in the second round to Arsen Fadzaev of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Fadzaev, winner of six world championships and the defending Olympic champion, won, 4-1.

“Heading into the match, I thought I could beat him,” Saunders said. “That’s all I was thinking about. It was a tremendous opportunity for me, but it got away. Now I got to look ahead.”

Saunders needs a victory over Ibo Oziti of Nigeria today to remain in the double-elimination tournament. Mark Coleman of Columbus, Ohio, defeated Canada’s Gavin Carrow, 12-2, at 220 pounds, scoring with double-leg takedowns and leg laces.

FENCING

U.S. Women Are Foiled Again

The U.S. women’s foil team was eliminated at Metallurgy Hall with losses to France and China.

Caitlin Bilodeaux-Banox of Concord, Mass., was a bright spot for the Americans, winning three matches in a 9-5 loss to France and two in a 9-4 loss to China.

“We tried our best, but didn’t have it,” she said. “The Chinese were not at their best, but neither were we. We didn’t really capitalize on it.”

BADMINTON

Indonesia Shines in Semifinals

Ardy Wiranata of Indonesia and countryman Alan Budi Kusuma advanced to the men’s badminton singles final after semifinal victories at Pavello de la Mar Bella. Eddy Hartono and Rudy Gunawan, also of Indonesia, advanced to the doubles finals against Kim Moon Soo and Park Joo Bong of South Korea.

Wiranata defeated Hermawan Susanto of Indonesia, 10-15, 15-9, 15-9, to advance; and Kusuma beat Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen of Denmark, 18-14, 15-8. Hartono and Gunawan advanced past China’s Li Yongbo and Tian Bingyi, and Kim and Park defeated Malaysian brothers, Razif and Jalani Sidek, 15-11, 15-13.

In women’s singles, Susi Susanti, also of Indonesia, defeated Huang Hua of China, 11-4, 11-1, to reach the final against Bang Soo Hyun of South Korea, an 11-3, 11-2 victor over Tang Jiuhong of China.

MEDALISTS

TAEKWONDO (Demonstration Sport)

(Men 128 pounds)

GOLD William Cordova Santamaria (Mexico)

SILVER Sayed Youssef Najem (Canada)

BRONZE (tie) Domenico D’Alise (Italy)

BRONZE Stephen Fernandez (Philippines)

(Men 168 pounds)

GOLD Ha Tae Kyoung (South Korea)

SILVER Jae Hun Lee (Canada)

BRONZE (tie) Mohammad Jassem Al Qaimi (Kuwait)

BRONZE Reza Mehmandoost Somesarayi (Iran)