SUMMER GAMES SPOTLIGHT : BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS : THEY NEED SOME SYNCHRO-SCORING

Sylvie Frechette, Canadian synchronized swimmer and reigning world champion, performed her final compulsory figure in Wednesday’s solo competition, and the verdict was quick.

In fact, it was too quick.

Brazilian Judge Ana Maria Da Silveira accidentally punched in a score of 8.7. Immediately recognizing an error, she tried to correct it by recording her intended score of 9.7. The computer refused to take the second score.

Then, Da Silveira headed over to the assistant referee, who conferred with referee Judith McGowan of the United States. The two referees refused to change the original score, and the Canadians filed a protest. Since the first avenue of recourse was an appeal to McGowan and the assistant referee, the protest was denied.

Step 2 is an appeal this morning before an 18-member FINA jury.

American Kristen Babb-Sprague leads the competition with 191.328 points, and Frechette is second with 191.077. The Canadians contend that Frechette has virtually no chance for a gold medal if her appeal is denied.

“It’s very difficult, but not impossible,” said Julie Sauve, Frechette’s coach. “The judge reacted so fast--you cannot blame her. She’s human. Who do you blame? The judge did a perfect job . . . it’s (the person) who made the decision (on the first appeal).”

It has been a difficult time for Frechette. One week before the Games, the 25-year-old swimmer arrived at her home in Montreal and discovered the dead body of her fiance, an apparent suicide victim by asphyxiation.

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.