'96 Centetlnial Games ·provide memories

From Carl Lewis to Kerri Strug, people will be talking about these storybook moments for years to co_me.

by Paul Monte co-news editor

When people reminisce about the Centennial Games in Atlanta, Ga., most will recall a time that had gone from an anticipated celebrati_onof youth and goodwill to a haunted hotbed of anxiety and fear.

They would be right.

Even so, optimists would also view the games as a time that seemed to have an extraordinary accomplishment that overshadowed every bomb threat or explosion, even arguably the one in Olympic Park that killed Alice Hawthorne, 44, of Albany, Ga.

It is at best difficult, if not impossible, to recognize from a distance every accomplishment at the Atlanta Games.

Most memorable moments lie in the eye of the individual. They range from winning a gold medal by a hundredth of a second to one Olympian simply making it to Atlanta as part of a three person contingent from some remote country on the other side of the world.

Commercials managed to offer the viewer images and stories that made the Summer Games the memorable event that it should be.

The grand-scaled opening ceremonies saw the break of two traditions.

Animal rights group opposition caused the release of real doves to be replaced with children running around Olympic Stadium with homemade doves on the ends of long poles.

Also·, the Olympic torch entered the stadium through an opening in the center of the arena. In years past it was customary for the torch to be carried into an arena from the outside in.

A frail Muhammed Ali, in addition to being given a replacement gold medal for the one he won at the 1960 games, also lit the cauldron to signify the beginning of the games of the 26th Olympiad. For the next 16 days Atlanta became the world's stage.

It was also a time for America to show the world that they were far from being outdone on their home turf.

In all, the United States won 101 medals [45 of them gold], the most out of the 197 competing countries.

Television viewers became well aware of the accomplishments of America's basketball, soccer, swimming, gymnastics, softball and track and field teams, as well as their new heroes Amy Van Dyken, Keri Strugg, Dot Richardson, Michael Johnson, Dan O'Brien and Carl Lewis.

Then came those middle-ofthe-night blurbs that make each Olympics special , U.S.A. 's Mike Powell slams into the sand as he falls victim to injury and defeat in the long jump.

A man named Talant scores with two minutes left to lift Spain to the medal round, above Egypt, in team handball, 20-19.

Brazil's Oscar Schmidt puts up an absurd shot that falls in with 17 seconds left, defeating the Puerto Rican basketball team in the process.

Collegeville, Pa. 's Michael Matz, who survived the crash of United Airline flight 232 in Sioux City, Iowa, wins the silver in equestrian and carries the American flag in the closing ceremonies.

An American women's softball pitcher was one strike away from a perfect [no-hitter] game when she gave up a home run to lose the game and the no-hitter.

France's Marie-Jose Pe rec hugs her bronzed rival in the 400 meter, Falilat Ogunkoya, who cries on thinking of her recently deceased mother.

Japanese baseball players say "Muchas gracias" ["thank you"] to Cuban players while they respond with "Domo arigato." India and Pakistan eliminate each other in field hockey with a 0-0 tie as the crowd waves rubber swords.

An Indonesian pair beats a Malaysian duo in a strong, comefrom-behind victory in men's badminton while the Malaysians join in on singing the Indonesian national anthem.

American Lindsay Davenport cries after defeating her "very. best friend," Mary Joe Fernandez, in the women's tennis semifinal.

Elmadi Jabrailov of Kazakhstan defeats Lucman Jabrailov of Moldovia-his older brother and coach, before the two go off to relax together.

Philadelphia boxer David Reid knocks out his Cuban opponent in the- fi11al round to jump ahead on points and win the gold. He later announces his decision to tum pro.

Acknowledgement is made at the closing ceremonies by President of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Sammaranch about the incident at the 1972 Munich Games where 11 Israeli athletes were murdered.

It will be easy to remember the huge festival-like atmosphere during the end of the closing ceremonies where the world's athletes danced in congo lines, snapped pictures, hugged and smiled while musician Stevie Wonder sang John Lennon's "Imagine."

In this age of commercialism, virtual-reality com petition,

Olympic Experience stores, interactive television and plain old hype, the Atlanta Games were and should be about oldfashioned interaction,· between people.

The Olympics were also a time for the world to come together in peace and celebrate the majesty of sport and achievement. If that sounds amazingly cliche, so be it.

As for dwelling on the Centennial Games in the obvious and pessimistic sense, in the words of Sammaranch, "No act of terrorism has ever destroyed the Olympic movement, and none ever will."

•