Section B · Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, September 25, 2000
Olympics
U.S. trying for gold in beach volleyball
The Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia — Only after he served two aces to even the game and spark a five-point run into the gold medal match of Olympic men's beach volleyball did the United States' Dain Blanton realize what happened.
"We battled for an hour to get 10 points, and then I scored 50 percent of that in five minutes." Blanton said yesterday, shaking his head about the sudden surge that gave him and teammate Eric Fonolimoana a 15-12 semifinal victory against Portugal's Luis Maia and Joao Brenha.
It was the fourth straight triumph for the ninth-seeded Americans in an improbable Olympics that will conclude with the ultimate test — a final for the gold tomorrow against Brazil's third-seeded Ze Marco de Melo and Ricardo Santos before 10,000 screaming partisans at Bondi Beach.
The women's medal matches take place today, when Brazil's second-seeded Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede, the world champions, will face defending bronze medalists and top-seeded Natalie Cook and Kerri Pothartir of Australia. Another Brazilian pair, Adriana Samuel and Sandra Pires, play for the women's bronze against Japan's Yukiko Takahashi and Teru Saiki.
Both U.S. women's teams lost in the quarterfinals.
Brazil was expected to dominate in what is the second most popular sport back home, behind soccer. Three of its four teams made the semifinals,
More information Read additional Olympics results. See page 7B
compared with only one from the United States, where the game originated in California.
The men's final of the sport's first Olympics in Atlanta four years ago featured two American teams, with Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes winning the gold.
In Ze Marco and Ricardo, the Americans face one of the world's top teams and a pair they've never beaten in four ties. Seeded third, Ricardo and Ze Marco easily won their opening match and then barely avoided an upset in the second round by Austria's Nikolas Berger and Oliver Stamm.
"The Brazilians are tough," Blanton said. "There's a lot of pride."
Yesterday, Ze Marco and Ricardo held on for a 15-13 win over defending bronze medalists John Child and Mark Heese of Canada in an 80-minute match. They then dismantled the German pair of Jorg Ahmann and Axel Hager 15-5 in the semifinals.
U.S. soccer team defeats Brazil
Blanton, 28, and Fonoioanao, 31, take pride in having overcome a spotty season to peak at the best possible time. They were given little chance to medal before the Olympics, considered lacking in cohesion and balance with two players of similar styles and strengths in a sport that usually requires complementing teammates — one at the net and one to play back.
Norway match to decide gold
The Associated Press
CANBERRA, Australia — Tiffeny Milbrett knows she got away with one. Fortunately, on an off night for the U.S. women's soccer team, one was enough to get back to the gold medal name.
The United States defeated Brazil 10 in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament yesterday when Milbrett ran into the goalkeeper while chasing the ball, allowing Mia Hamm to score in the 60th minute.
"The game can be a matter of inches," coach April Heinrichs said. "It can be left up to just something out of your control. We kept our head, and at the end of the day we find ourselves advancing, and that feels terrific."
The Americans, who won the World Cup last year and the Olympic title four years ago, will play Norway for the gold medal Thursday in Sydney. The Norwegians, who lost 2-0 to the U.S. team in a first-round game, edged Germany 1-0 in the other semifinal.
"Dominating them in the first game gives us a lot of confidence," goalkeeper Siri Mullinix said. "But I don't think in a gold medal game it's going to be a walk in the park."
Brazil will play Germany in Thursday's bronze medal game.
The American attack looked lethargic against the fast and improving Brazilians. But two plays — Hamm's goal and a super save by Mullinix 10 minutes later — made the difference.
The goal came when Brandi Chastain took a free kick 40 yards from the Brazil net. Lorrie Fair, only 5-foot-3, outlawed a defender in the
box to head the ball and keep it alive. Milbrett gave chase and collided with goalkeeper Andreia, leaving Hamm alone beyond the far post to tuck the ball in for her 127th international goal.
The Brazilians thought Swiss referee Nicole Petigat should have disallowed the goal for interference with the goalkeeper, who lay injured on the field for several minutes but stayed in the game. Milbrett, the victim of a kick to the chest by the goalkeeper in the previous game against Nigeria, pleaded guilty this time.
"She definitely could have called a foul," Milbrett said. "I was just trying to go for the ball. It's a fat chance when you're going up with your head against keepers that are stretching their arms, so I just wanted to wreak a little bit of havoc in there and I did. I obstructed her, and Mia was following the play."
The Brazilians nearly tied it in the 70th minute, when Roseli was free inside the box with only Mullinix to beat. But the American goalkeeper batted the ball wide with her right hand for the only difficult save made in the game.
The Americans took only one shot, a wild 35-yard free kick. In the first half, and 'were outshot 15-6 for the game. Brazil took 12 corner kicks to three for the United States.
The U.S. team improved to 14-1-2 against Brazil. But the performance was such that Michelle Akers, who just arrived in Australia and watching the team for the first time in person since a shoulder injury forced her retirement, called the Americans flat and tired during the first half.
"Sometimes the games don't turn out exactly how you plan them," Chastain said. "You have to find a way to win in these situations."
The Associated Press
Teammate's death inspires diver's gold
SYDNEY, Australia — Facing her most troublesome dive from 33 feet above the water, Laura Wilkinson ignored the pain and remembered an old friend.
She hurled herself off the platform, creating barely a ripple as her wisp of a body sliced through the water to cap an inspiring comeback over tragedy, injury and the Chinese.
The 22-year-old Texan took control in the third round with a near-perfect reverse 2 1/2 somersault while the top four — one after another — dove in with a thud.
"It's good to fight for something." Laura Wilkinson
Wilkinson became the first American woman since 1964 to win the 10-meter platform, rallying from fifth place to end China's 16-year stranglehold on the event. "It's been a long time," said Wilkinson's coach, Ken Armstrong. "It was time."
Diver for the U.S. Olympic team
But Wilkinson's most decisive moment came just before she made the long climb up the tower to perform her next-to-last dive, an inward 2 1/2 somersault pike and the weakest link in her program.
morning semifinals eroded her confidence even more.
She was admittedly nervous about the takeoff and keeping her head away from the platform. Botching the dive during the
So, Armstrong pulled his pupil aside and whispered a message in her ear.
"Do this for Hillary," the coach implored.
He was referring to Hillary Grivich, a teammate and close friend of Wilkinson who was killed three years ago in a car accident.
"It kind of took me by surprise." Wilkinson said. "But it was another motivation. It's good to fight for something."
She ripped through the water to earn scores ranging from 8.5 to 9.5, actually increasing her lead. Wilkinson clinched the narrow victory with her final attempt, relegating Li Na to silver as China
Medal Count Leaders in All Events Through Yesterday
Country G S B Tot
United States 21 12 19 52
China 18 14 12 44
Australia 10 19 11 40
Russia 12 11 16 39
France 12 12 6 30
Germany 5 8 15 28
Italy 11 6 11 28
failed to win the women's platform for the first time since 1980.
Canada's Anne Montminy took bronze.
"Hillary was a good friend to all of us," Wilkinson said. "She's still with me every day."
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