NOTEBOOK : Transportation Again Emerges as Major Glitch

Some observers, remembering the transportation problems that plagued the Lake Placid Winter Olympics in 1980, figured the same thing might happen here, where the arrangements are much the same. And it did.

But, officials are saying, the problem has been rectified.

About 300 spectators arrived late for the men’s downhill skiing event Sunday at Kvitfjell because of long bus lines--gold-medal winner Tommy Moe’s father and stepmother nearly missed his big moment because of that--and about 100 figure skating fans in Hamar were stranded until early Monday morning because they were unable to get onto overcrowded buses.

Private transportation has been cut off in the Olympic region and Games spectators must rely primarily on buses supplied by Olympic organizers. That kind of arrangement fell apart at Lake Placid because there were not enough buses, and for much of the first week of competition, fans were left fuming in parking lots.

Monday was a better day here, according to Einar Spurkeland, duty officer at the Lillehammer Olympic Organizing Committee’s transport section.

“We redeployed 20 buses at our disposal, which enabled us to transport 38,000 spectators to the various venues,” Spurkeland said, adding that buses to the cross-country ski stadium, the luge and bobsled track at Hunderfossen and the Alpine skiing area at Kvitfjell all were on schedule.

Those who arrived too late to see Sunday’s skiing will receive ticket refunds. Another 50 to 100 who turned back when they realized they could not get to Kvitfjell on time, will also get refunds.

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Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee, left Lillehammer for Sarajevo to pay tribute to the besieged host city of the 1984 Winter Games.

During his one-day visit, Samaranch hopes to see the sports facilities that have been damaged or destroyed in the Bosnian war. He also plans to meet with Bosnian Olympic Committee officials and confer with government, U.N. and relief agency representatives.

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They have concessions stands here at the Bierkebeineren ski stadium, selling beer, soda, candy bars, hot dogs, other sandwiches, all the usual amenities.

They also have stands selling T-shirts, Olympic pins and other souvenirs.

But the stands doing the biggest business Monday, in subzero temperatures, were the ones renting rubber and plastic standing mats, which keep the spectators’ feet off the snow.

Stands selling souvenir cow bells ran a strong second.