OLYMPIC UPDATE / 2 DAYS TO THE GAMES

Contradicting an earlier statement, Germany’s Heike Drechsler said Tuesday that she hoped to recover from an injured knee and defend her long-jump championship at the Olympics.

In an interview with a German radio station, Drechsler backed off from a statement she made Monday that the injury would keep her out of the Games.

Drechsler said she would give herself until July 28 to decide whether to compete in the Aug. 1-2 long jump competition.

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Brian Hyde, who finished fifth in the 1,500-meter race at the U.S. trials last month, was added to the men’s Olympic track team.

Hyde got a spot on the team when two of the competitors ahead of him failed to reach the Olympic standard time of 3:38.00.

He posted a time of 3:44.13, but only one of the four people who finished ahead of him had reached the Olympic standard of 3:38. Race winner Paul McMullen had done so previously and third-place finisher Jason Pyra ran 3:35 at a meet June 30 in London. Hyde qualified as the third member of the team when Jim Sorensen, second in the trials, and Erik Nedeau, fourth in the trials, couldn’t break 3:38. Hyde ran his qualifying time of 3:35.84 last year.

Also, women’s shotputter Dawn Dumble, who finished third in the trials, couldn’t make the qualifying mark of 59-0 3/4 feet and was replaced on the team by Valeyta Althouse. Both are from UCLA.

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Bob Kempainen has been on a physical roller coaster since mid-April. On Tuesday he declared himself ready for the final descent--into the heat and humidity of the Olympic marathon.

Kempainen, a medical school graduate, has been his most important patient recently, trying to heal tendinitis in both legs, a strained quadriceps and a tender right hamstring.

Kempainen, who finished 17th at the Barcelona Games, won the U.S. marathon trials on Feb. 17 despite throwing up several times during the race.