ORANGE COUNTY OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK : Barton Takes Long Road to Canoe Semifinal

Newport Beach’s Greg Barton, a two-time gold medalist in 1988, made it to the semifinals in both of his Olympic canoeing events Tuesday in Castelldefels, Spain, despite a rare third-place finish in his singles heat.

Barton had to advance through the repechage in the single kayak 1,000 meters because he finished behind world champion Knut Hollman of Norway and Marin Popescu of Romania in a heat.

Barton and teammate Norman Bellingham, a Washington, D.C., resident who trains with Barton in Newport Beach, were second in their doubles kayak 1,000 meters heat and advanced to the semifinals. They are trying to become the first team to defend its Olympic title in the event.

In the singles, which Barton also won in 1988, he lost nearly a full second to Popescu in the final 50 meters. The Romanian beat him by 0.1.

“I was really disappointed at the finish,” Barton said. “I was sort of frustrated with myself because in the middle part of the race, I was actually holding back a little bit.”

Barton went on to win his repechage, the first time he has had to go through a second-chance race since 1983.

Barton and Bellingham had the third-fastest time in the doubles kayak event.

U.S. boats advanced to the semifinals in all 12 flatwater canoeing events--six 1,000-meter events Tuesday and six 500-meter events Monday.

The women’s kayak fours 1,000-meter entry placed second to China in its heat. The team consists of Sheila Conover of Newport Beach, Cathy Marino of Huntington Beach, Traci Phillips of Honolulu and Alexandra Harbold of Rockaway Beach, N.Y.

In the men’s kayak fours 1,000, the U.S. entry of Mark Hamilton of Costa Mesa, Chris Barlow of San Diego, Mike Herbert of Rogers, Ark., and Terry Kent of Tacoma, Wash., had the seventh-fastest time.

Fred Spaulding of Costa Mesa made it to the semifinals of the single canoes 1,000 through the repechage, as he did in the single canoe 500-meter event Monday.

Spaulding finished second in his repechage heat, after finishing last in his singles heat.

HOW THE OTHERS FARED

Phil Nevin, Placentia, had a single and double in four at-bats in the U.S. baseball team’s 6-1 loss to Cuba in a semifinal game.

Elaina and Kim Oden, Irvine, and Tammy Liley, Westminster, with the U.S. women’s volleyball team, which defeated the Netherlands, 15-11, 11-15, 15-8, 15-7, in the quarterfinals. The United States, seeking its first gold medal in women’s volleyball, advances to play Cuba in a semifinal match Thursday.

WHO’S COMPETING TODAY

Nick Becker, Newport Beach; Carlos Briceno, Fountain Valley; Scott Fortune, Laguna Beach; Brent Hilliard, Dana Point and Steve Timmons, Newport Beach with U.S. men’s volleyball team in the quarterfinals against the Unified Team.

Jeff Campbell, UC Irvine; Mike Evans, UC Irvine; Chris Duplanty, UC Irvine; Doug Kimbell, Orange and John Vargas, UC Irvine, with U.S. water polo team against the Unified Team.

Sheila Conover, Newport Beach, in women’s 500-meter kayak semifinals.

Bonnie Dasse, Irvine, in women’s shotput qualifying.

Cathy Marino, Huntington Beach, in women’s 500-meter kayak doubles semifinals.

Phil Nevin, Placentia, with U.S. baseball team in bronze-medal game against Taiwan.

Fred Spaulding, Costa Mesa, in men’s 500-meter flatwater canoe semifinals.

Jim Terrell, Newport Beach, in men’s 500-meter doubles flatwater canoe semifinals.

This report was compiled by Times Staff Writer Martin Beck.