‘94 Winter Olympic Games / Lillehammer : NOTEBOOK

David Kurtz, an attorney and assistant U.S. bobsled coach, said the U.S. Skeleton and Bobsled Federation is likely to countersue driver Bruce Rosselli if he persists in “criminal allegatations” against driver Brian Shimer.

Shimer and driver Randy Will did not attend a news conference with the U.S. team Sunday. It was announced that they were working on their sleds, but Shimer might also have chosen to avoid questions about a federal suit Rosselli filed at Indianapolis last week, charging him with theft of equipment as part of an alleged conspiracy by the federation to favor driver Jim Herberich during the Olympic trials.

Rosselli, who failed to qualify for the third time, is also seeking an injunction that would prevent the U.S. team from participating in the Olympics, but Kurtz said he had heard unofficially that the injunction request will be dropped.

In noting that the conspiracy charge has been rejected in arbitration, a ruling upheld in Illinois state court, Kurtz said, “We’re tired in the spirit of good sportsmanship of turning the other cheek with each allegation,” he said.

“These very unfair accusations by a very frustrated athlete are tarnishing the reputation of a very fine driver.

“We don’t want to disrupt our focus here, but if the allegations persist, we will certainly countersue.”