U.S. Men Dunked by All-Stars

For U.S. men’s swimming, it has never been this bad.

Even when American women struggled in the pool with the rise of East Germany in the 1970s and China in the ‘90s, the men always found a way to win more than their share.

With the Olympics coming up in two years, it looks as if the men’s team has a long way to go to catch up to the women, who are undefeated in two Goodwill Games dual meets. The men are 0-2 after a 78-43 thrashing by a World all-star team Friday night.

“I saw my mom in the stands and she made eye contact with me and said, ‘Good job,’ ” said Bill Pilczuk of Auburn, Ala., a world champion this year in the 50-meter freestyle, but third on this night. “I just rolled my eyes and said ‘Sheesh.’ ”

Wednesday’s loss to Germany was painful. This time, the defeat was downright embarrassing, with six 1-2 sweeps by the World team in 12 individual events.

Outside the pool, Todd Eldredge, the former world champion from the United States, won the gold men in men’s figure skating.

World champions Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia won gold in pairs skating, defeating fellow Russians Artur Dmitriev and Oksana Kazakova.

In boxing, Cubans won two of the first three gold medals.

Meanwhile, four referees and judges accused of bias against Russian boxers were suspended by AIBA, the international amateur boxing federation.

Also, there will be a new champion in women’s beach volleyball. Defending gold medalists Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan of San Diego lost to top-seeded Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar of Brazil, 15-9.

Bede and Behar scored nine consecutive points for a 10-1 lead, then four of the last five points.

Masakayan and Kirby’s last chance of advancing to today’s semifinals ended when Pauline Manser and Kerri Pottharst of Australia defeated winless Kristine Drakich and Guylaine Dumont of Canada, 15-8.

Also reaching the final four were Holly McPeak and Lisa Arce of Manhattan Beach and Italy’s Laura Bruschini and Annamaria Solazzi.