BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS : BENOIT BENJAMIN OF OLYMPIC BOXING

Now it can be told. On the biggest night of his boxing career, U.S. heavyweight Danell Nicholson forgot his boxing shoes.

On Monday night, after Nicholson had engaged four-time Cuban world amateur champion Felix Savon in the most exciting match of the Olympics--Nicholson lost, 13-11--some wondered why Nicholson had been boxing in tennis shoes.

Then someone heard Nicholson say: “Those tennis shoes were too tight.”

Questions were asked. Answers were a circus in misdirection.

Coach Joe Byrd, apparently trying to avoid embarrassing his boxer, concocted a story. He said he had ordered Nicholson to wear the tennis shoes, claiming they would “keep his feet flat on the floor,” to discourage him from backing up from Savon.

Other U.S. team officials ducked the question.

Finally, Tuesday, the truth.

“He forgot ‘em,” said assistant coach Roosevelt Sanders.

This a daily roundup of Olympic-related items from reporters in Barcelona from the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and Baltimore Sun, all Times-Mirror newspapers.