SUMMER GAMES SPOTLIGHT : BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS / DAY 14 : TORRENCE IS SORRY; USOC TO INVESTIGATE

The president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, which governs track and field, has asked the U.S. Olympic Committee to investigate the comments made this week by sprinter Gwen Torrence.

In a letter to USOC President William Hybl, Primo Nebiolo said Torrence’s comments were “liable to bring the sport into disrepute.”

That is the exact language of a new IAAF rule that gives the federation the right to bring sanctions against a person who behaves in a manner counter to what the IAAF deems proper.

Torrence, who won the 200 meters and was fourth in the 100, charged that three other sprinters in the 100-meter final were on drugs.

On Friday, the USOC met with Torrence, who released a one-page statement to the media. It read, in part, “I regret some of my actions, and extend a sincere apology to those athletes from any nation who feel harmed by my opinions or actions.

“I want to finish these Games in a manner that will bring credit and honor to those athletes that I respect, as well as the other 600 athletes on my American team that have done so well here and represented the United States.

“You will hear no more opinions from me in Barcelona about other athletes competing unfairly, and I will battle drugs in my own way for the rest of my career, and will continue to tell kids of these dangers.”

A source in the IAAF said the federation will consider further action, depending on the USOC’s reply. The IAAF council will take up the matter at a meeting later this year.

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.