GOODWILL GAMES : Joyner-Kersee Wins Heptathlon, but It Takes Beer, Sweat and Tears : Track and field: Gold medal almost gets lost in Russian translation.

It was a noble idea that Ted Turner had to bring two former cold warriors together in the spirit of friendly athletic competition. But then a little alcohol got involved, and the next thing you know, some people were crying, some were arguing and it seemed like only a matter of time before some would be taking their shoes off and banging them on the seats.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee won her third Goodwill Games heptathlon championship Tuesday, but the competition became almost as draining for her emotionally as it was physically when a Russian official threatened to disqualify her after the sixth of seven events, the javelin throw.

That was not the only controversy at Petrovsky Stadium, where hardly anyone seemed to be exuding much good will. After finishing fourth in the 100 meters the day before, Carl Lewis withdrew from the long jump, reaping criticism from the winner of the event, Mike Powell.

But that was an intramural dispute among Americans, nothing like the international incident that was almost started after the meet’s assistant referee, Viktor Karashan, accused Joyner-Kersee of throwing a javelin that was flying under the influence.

The episode started innocently enough. While Joyner-Kersee was in the stands between her events, watching the men’s long jump, a fan spilled a beer on the two javelins that were underneath the heptathlete’s seat.

As they were the only two javelins she had, Joyner-Kersee took them to the room where all of the competitors’ implements are tested to determine whether they are legal and did not give them another thought until they were delivered to her moments before warm-ups for the event.

Realizing that the grips were still wet, she chose to take advantage of the rule that allowed her to use a javelin belonging to one of the other women.

The best of her three throws was 139 feet 11 inches, which was fifth best among the eight competitors but still earned enough points to give her an almost insurmountable lead entering the final event, the 800 meters.

That was when Karashan approached her with an interpreter.

“He said, ‘You used beer to give your javelins a glue effect so that you can get a better grip,’ ” she said later.

Joyner-Kersee defended herself, explaining, first, that the javelins were tested and cleared before the event and, second, that, even so, she did not use them.

“He said, ‘You broke the rules,’ ” Joyner-Kersee said.

“I said, ‘You mean I’m disqualified?’ ”

“He said, ‘Yes, you broke the rules. You’re disqualified.’ ”

When Joyner-Kersee found her coach/husband, Bob Kersee, in the stands, she was in tears.

When Kersee charged onto the track, he was enraged.

Karashan said the interpreter had misinterpreted. What he had actually said, Karashan said, was that Joyner-Kersee risked disqualification if she ever entered another competition with a loaded javelin.

“It was a warning,” said Karashan, who came to the post-competition news conference with Joyner-Kersee to explain.

Emotionally taxed and also concerned that the swirling wind that was kicking up dust would trigger an asthma attack, Joyner-Kersee finished last in the 800 meters, stepping gingerly on the finish line and refusing to run one extra step. Her total of 6,606 points was still enough to win by 114 over Russia’s Larisa Turchinskaya, but it was Joyner-Kersee’s lowest total since she finished second in the 1984 Olympics, and her smallest margin of victory.

Unlike Joyner-Kersee, Powell saved his best effort for last. Erick Walder jumped 27 feet 6 1/2 inches on his first effort, which held up until the sixth round when he was doomed by an act of God. Just as Powell was about to jump, the strongest wind of the day, 2.4 meters per second, came up from behind and gave him an extra push as he leaped 27-8 3/4.

Lewis was serving as a television commentator during the event, so it was only fair that Powell was asked later to comment on Lewis.

“I wasn’t even thinking about Carl Lewis,” he said. “Carl Lewis hasn’t jumped since the 1992 Olympic Games. I only think about the guys who are not only trying to beat me but are beating me.”

He talked so much about Lewis, however, that it was obvious Powell has not been able to jump out of his rival’s shadow.

“I jump whatever the weather, cold, wet, windy, hamstring sore, back sore,” Powell said. “Whatever, I put it on the line. I don’t think it’s good that the Olympic champion wasn’t out there to defend his title.”

Of course, Lewis cannot defend his Olympic title until 1996. But he could have defended his Goodwill Games title, and when he chose not to do so because of soreness after Monday’s 100 meters, the organizers were not pleased.

The Lewis camp, meantime, complained that the organizers should have scheduled the 100 for Sunday, two days before the long jump, but did not because they wanted that race for Turner’s network, TBS, instead of ABC, which is broadcasting the competition on weekends.

Goodwill Notes

Americans Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan won the women’s gold in beach volleyball by beating Monica Rodrigues and Adriana Samuel of Brazil, 12-9, 12-1. The Norwegian pair of Jan Kvalheim and Bjorn Maaseide won the men’s gold, beating Americans Carlos Briceno and Jeff Williams, 12-8, 12-6.