Citing Frustration, Torvill and Dean Call It Quits

Tired of the pressure and frustrated with the judges, British ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, who won the gold medal in the 1984 Winter Olympics and the bronze at Lillehammer, retired from competitive skating Wednesday.

The British couple, who won the gold medal in 1984 at Sarajevo, made the announcement after finishing third in their Olympic comeback at Lillehammer. The decision means the pair will not try for a fifth world title at this month’s championships in Japan.

“We have had a long hard think about it, and we have decided that we will not, repeat not, be going (to Japan),” Dean said. “We couldn’t skate any better than we skated (at the Olympics). It was one of those memorable performances. We were disillusioned a little bit about how it happened, but we were elated by the reaction. The audience were our judges.”

Said Torvill: “I think it was a good note for us to end on. That is what we will remember about our return to competition skating.”

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Olympic ice dancer Elizabeth Punsalan’s brother, Ricardo Punsalan, pleaded innocent by reason of insanity in Elyria, Ohio, to the stabbing death of his father on Feb. 4.

Pro Football

Running back Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys underwent surgery in Birmingham, Ala., to repair a shoulder separation that occurred in the final game of the regular season, and doctors said he should be ready for training camp.

The Canadian Football League wants to add four to six teams in the United States by 1997, Commissioner Larry Smith said in Sacramento at the league’s first annual meeting held in this country. The league has U.S. franchises in Sacramento, Las Vegas, Baltimore and Shreveport, La. Other sites being considered are Memphis, Tenn.; San Antonio; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City, Nashville, Tenn., and Honolulu.

Wayne Sevier, who has been a coach on teams that have won two Super Bowls, three NFC championships and eight division titles, was appointed special teams coach of the Rams.

Hockey

U.S. Olympians Brian Rolston, who had a team-high seven goals at Lillehammer, and goalie Mike Dunham, who gave up 15 goals in three games, were assigned to the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League by the New Jersey Devils.

Defenseman Adam Foote is lost to the Quebec Nordiques for the rest of the NHL season after surgery on a herniated disk.

Basketball

New Mexico State guard Dwain Bradberry was suspended indefinitely by Coach Neil McCarthy, who would not give a reason. The Albuquerque Journal reported that Bradberry, who was averaging four points and two rebounds a game, kicked a chair and was sent to the Aggies’ locker room after McCarthy decided to have Skip McCoy start the second half in his place during Monday night’s 77-69 loss to UC Santa Barbara.

The Phoenix Suns put center Oliver Miller on the injured list because of a back problem and activated guard Frank Johnson to take Miller’s place on the roster. Miller, second in the NBA in field-goal percentage at 61%, averages 10 points and seven rebounds. Miller has a bulging disk.

Golf

A new team match-play event patterned after the Ryder Cup and featuring a U.S. team and a team of international players from outside Europe could start this year, the PGA Tour said.

Names in the News

Wilfredo Vazquez (39-6-3) of Puerto Rico knocked down Yuichi Kasai (18-1) of Japan three times for a first-round knockout in Tokyo to retain his World Boxing Assn. junior-featherweight title.

Willie Aikens, one of four Kansas City Royal players who pleaded guilty to cocaine charges in 1983, was charged with distributing about 31 grams of crack cocaine to an undercover Kansas City officer.