The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • Page 40

Page 12c Saturday, September 23, 2000 The Sun eIT OLYMPICS Trampoline Sport's creator watches approval jump Women's water polo Golden final: U.S. vs. Aussies r4 II II A k'- f'H 9 i New gymnastics event not just 'backyard toy' to Nissen, athletes, fans By Bill Glauber SUN FOREIGN STAFF SYDNEY, Australia It's hard to imagine an 86-year-old man who responds to the nickname "Hands." But then, you've probably never met George "Hands" Nissen, the one-time carnival performer who earned a living performing on his hands instead of his feet. Nissen is the father of the trampoline and the Abner Doubleday of an honest-to-goodness Olympic sport. "I'm a ham," Nissen said last night, as the sport he helped create made Its Olympic debut with the women's trampoline.

That's right, an Olympic schedule already overloaded with what some consider such "trash sports" as beach volleyball, synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics has found room for gymnastics trampoline. Despite any criticism, the sport seems extremely popular. A loud crowd showed up to watch Russia's Irina Karavaeva claim the gold, Ukraine's Oksana Tsyhuleva the silver and Canada's Karen Cockburn the bronze. So, a sport that really takes its roots from leaping on a sofa or a bed is now in the Olympic history books. "It's not just a backyard toy," Cockburn said.

"It is a real sport, and I think this will make people see this." Before the competition began, Nissen talked of inventing the trampoline back in the 1930s when he was at the University of Iowa with "Leaping" Larry Griswold, a vaudeville acrobat. "I did it to practice tumbling and diving," Nissen said. "I did it to get ready for the circus." On his first trampoline, he used bedsprlngs. 'That didn't work so well," he said. "Then we used rubber inner tubes and put them together with a canvas sheet." Were there ever any early trampoline casualties? "Surprisingly, no," he said.

"We did an exhibition during a basketball game. We split one down the seam." Nissen, whose name is stamped on many a trampoline, is still in Women's weightlifting ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS Hang time: At left, trampoline gold medalist Irina Karavaeva of Russia performs compulsory portion of final round. American Jennifer Parilla (right) failed to make it out of qualifying in sport 's Olympic debut. lasted about 36 seconds the time it took for her to complete two rounds and fail to make the final eight. "A lot of people know trampoline as a backyard sport," Parilla said.

"It's a difficult sport to understand unless you see it in person." At least one part of the sport makes sense: It's pretty easy to single out the gold medalist. That's Karavaeva, the 25-year-old, doe-eyed acrobat who soared so high, she nearly leapt out of camera range. This is something completely different for me, and it really opens big doors for my future a lot of prospects," she said of the Olympic medal. "It is a particularly beautiful sport, and now that It is part of the Olympics, it will be more and more popular all over the world." petition. "We wanted that they were experienced and they were neutral," said Horst Kunze, president of the Technical Trampoline Committee.

"We Just couldn't find any women to do It." There is certainly danger involved, which is why there are four spotters at the corners, two mats at the ends and a coach who has a mat of last resort, which Is the equivalent of a giant catcher's mitt. And there is skill Involved as the gymnasts twist, somersault and spin during routines that last 18 seconds. In the early days of trampoline, the Americans were dominant. Last night, the U.S. performer couldn't even get out of the qualifying round.

Jennifer Parilla's Olympics Olympic Scene Transportation As record attendance puts strain on system, officials fear gridlock The transit system bringing fans to and from the Olympics may be near capacity and highways could be headed for gridlock during the women's marathon. Officials said today that record attendance of nearly 400,000 fans at Olympic Park sparked fears that the transportation system Is operating "right on the edge." Drawn by the opening of track and field competition, crowds poured Into Olympic Park yesterday, nearly doubling the previous attendance record of 204,000 on Wednesday. Another big crowd filled the stadiums today. "The transport system is right on the edge in bringing people to and from the sites," Olympic transportation manager Paul Wil-loughbysaid. Of the 400,000 that came yesterday, 72 percent arrived by rail and the rest by bus.

Access to venues at the park, where most of the sports are staged, is almost Impossible by private vehicles. i Willoughby said that "significant transport disruption" was expected in Sydney for about 6 hours as the women's marathon is held along city streets tomorrow. "I think we are now at the critical stage of the Games," said Fran-cols Carrard, director general of the International Olympic Committee, noting that huge crowds would strain facilities in coming days. Carrard praised the smooth running of the transportation system, which earlier came In for criticism. While organizers are nervous, caterers were happy.

Turnover in food and beverage sales yesterday was reportedly up 25 percent. Besides track, being held In Olympic Stadium, other events at Olympic Park Include tennis, field hockey, basketball, baseball, handball and volleyball. The crowds are expected to continue through next week, with the exception of Tuesday, a rest day for track. Poll Survey shows Games popular in United States Though American television ratings for these Olympics might not indicate it, nearly 90 percent of y.S. adults consider themselves fans of the Olympics, more than any sport, according to a new poll.

The Harris Interactive poll, released yesterday, showed the NFL was second, with 82 percent of adults considering themselves fans. College football was next with 68, followed by baseball with 62. Other findings of the Internet survey of more than 12,700 Americans 18 and older: 64 percent of those surveyed would rather watch Olympic events live rather than on tape. 55 percent of women are interested in seeing athlete profiles during television coverage; 45 percent of men are. Diving and gymnastics tie as the most popular Olympic sports among women; basketball was the top choice among men.

18 percent of those surveyed only watch events where U.S. athletes are expected to do well. 34 percent get most of what they need from the Olympics from highlights or regular news. 81 percent of those surveyed have positive feelings about the Olympics. 73 percent feel Olympic athletes provide role models for kids.

Handball' Foreign sport becomes a big draw for Aussies v. Handball is not normally a big headline-making sport at the OJympics but its spectators $ave been branded as the rowdiest in Sydney. Police had to be called to the women's game between Australia and Denmark this week to restore SjxJer when a crowd of 6,000 threatened to go out of control, the Daily i telegraph reported, i The newspaper said most Australians had not heard of handball until the Games began but the tickets were now the most sought after in town. Lydia Kahmke, captain of the Australian women's team, was quoted as saying crowds had "gone flld" for the game. "It is a fast contact sport where anybody can score even the goalie.

I think that appeals to Aus-tjjjRllans," she said. I From staff and wire reports American star O'Toole aims to go out on top in pool grudge match ASSOCIATED PRESS SYDNEY, Australia It doesn't get much bigger than this. Not for the United States. Not for Maureen OToole. Not for the sport of water polo.

The United States and Australia will swim off today in the first women's Olympic water polo final. The best player in the sport's history will play her final game with the TV networks of two nations watching, not- to mention 17,500 fans In what's expected to be the largest crowd ever to watch a women's water polo game. "This is a big opportunity," said U.S. Water Polo Federation executive director Bruce Wlgo. Australia and the United States gained hard-fought semifinal victories.

The Aussies came from two goals down to beat Russia, 7-6. The Americans did the same thing to stop World Cup champion Netherlands, 6-5. And there's all sorts of extra spice to make this exciting. There's poolsmanship. The matchup will extend the rivalry that's gone on all week between American and Australian Individual swimmers.

There's celebrity. Whispers say maybe Aussie swimming star Ian Thorpe, the "Thorpedo," or Chelsea Clinton will show. There's history. Australia has never won a water polo medal, while America's only gold In the sport came when the pool deck was stacked at the 1904 St. Louis Games no other country competed.

And there's drama. OToole, who has won everything in 23 years the sport can offer, Is stepping down after this game. Australia coach Istvan Gorgenyi smiled when asked how an final would play. "You want me to root for the Americans?" he said. "Of course.

It would be amazing for the sport. Such a match could be wonderful." O'Toole has been waiting for this since she first learned water polo's exhausting egg-beater swim stroke. "This is everything I've worked for all these years," said OToole, a mother who's 6 months away from 40. "I'm seeing it pay off, and It feels unbelievable." OToole again stood out in the semifinal. She scored the United States' first two goals, held back her defender long enough for Heather Moody to scoop up a loose ball for the game-winner, and broke up the Netherlands' last scoring chance.

Goalie Bernlce Orwig saved Carta Quint's point-blank shot with 52 seconds remaining to preserve the victory. "We know we're going to get a medal," U.S. coach Guy Baker said. "A lot of this Is indescribable." Should the United States defeat Australia It lost a round-robin game to the Aussies, 7-6, on a last-minute goal Baker knows his and his players' lives will take amazing turns. 1 His says his grandmother Is already miffed because NBC Sports has moved U.S.

water polo games from MSNBC to the nightly broadcast. "She says she only gets to see a few minutes Instead of the whole game," Baker said. "But, hey, we made the network." They will make a lot of networks If they follow the blueprint of American championship teams like basketball, softball, hockey and soccer. "It's something we've talked about," captain Julie Swail said. "But not like we've talked about all of us up on the medal platform." The U.S.

team acted as if It had won the big prize already. The women splashed around like kids at a backyard pool when the horn sounded, hugging and cheering. They surrounded Moody, whose nose was bloodied and possibly broken, to let her know that they held on against the Netherlands to move a step closer to their dream. When OToole went to hug her daughter, U.S. family and friends draped them in an American flag as they snapped pictures, flitted home videos and cheered.

Haworth pulls her weight, delivers bronze for U.S. A MMniiiiiMiiiiiiMi iiaMam 'to i ir i fctmurr" pretty terrific shape. During a practice session, he actually performed a back flip, although, he said, "I can't press up anymore." He can still do a handstand, though. In the old days, he said, "there weren't any tricks. You went out and Jumped awhile." To be honest, it might take a bit of time before trampoline is taken seriously as an Olympic sport.

It's diving without the board or water. The names of the tricks are seemingly incomprehensible, such as "Rudi out pike," and "Baranl out tuck." And, like figure skating, there is a kiss-and-cry area where the competitors wait for their results. By the way, an all-male panel of Judges oversaw the women's com The United States wound up with two medals in the inaugural Olympics women's weightlifting competition. It was the first time two Americans had won Olympic medals in the sport since 1984. Nott, among those rooting Haworth on, Initially took the silver at 105 pounds on Sunday, then was awarded the gold yesterday when Bulgaria's Izabela Dragneva was stripped of the medal for doping.

She passed up a hastily scheduled gold medal ceremony for her to watch Haworth lift, and a U.S. Olympic official accepted the medal in her place. "They are very good friends, and Tara just had to be here," Cohen said. "Obviously, we're very excited to win two medals. But while I'm happy for Tara, I'm concerned about the problems in our sport." The 17-year-old Haworth, who attends a school for gifted art students in her hometown of Savannah, lifted an American-record 275 pounds In the snatch, but still was 22 pounds off the lead E-mail from Down Under ate lunch at outdoor restaurants and traded pins.

Live Latin music set the tone. Events started and ended, various venue crowds came and went, boats docked on the -SEND harbor and people sat for hours in cafes and watched the human parade go up and down the bricked promenade. It was Baltimore, only with an Aussie accent JQ'day, hon. JotynEisenberg Earlier doping scandal gives teammate Nott gold ASSOCIATED PRESS SYDNEY, Australia A few hours after Tara Nott was awarded the Olympic gold medal the United States weightlifters hardly expected, Cheryl Haworth made sure to give them the bronze one they were supposed to get. Haworth made all six of her lifts and, with a gold or silver medal not a possibility, didn't have to push herself yesterday to get the bronze medal her coach said she simply had to have.

Not Just for her, he said, but to give weightlifting the push It needs In the United States to develop more Olympic-quality lifters. "We had to have a medal," U.S. coach Michael Cohen said. "We had to have a U.S. lifter on that podium.

We weren't going to jeopardize that medal." AOENCI FRANCE-PRESSB Girl power: Cheryl Haworth, 17, makes a successful lift en route to capturing a bronze in the heavyweight division. At Harbour, a preview of 2012 bid itlve role model to larger teen-age girls, who may have self-esteem problems stemming from pressure to be thin, Cohen said. "Cheryl is very comfortable with her size," Cohen said. "She is a very good girl that is not picked on at school, that gets to go to all the prom dances, and has more boyfriends than you can shake a stick at." That Haworth Is at the Olympics at such a relatively young age is remarkable In itself. Like Nott, she didn't start lifting until after the 1996 Atlanta Games, yet already holds all American records.

Ding and Wrobel took turns breaking Chinese lifter Wang Yan-mei's world record of 354 pounds in the clean and Jerk before Ding hit her final lift of 363 pounds and Wrobel missed her lift for the gold medal of 373 pounds. "If she had made that, I would have had a lot of regret," Ding said. Wrobel had never before lifted such a weight, but said, "It was for the gold medal. I had to try it." Ding broke Wrobel's total lift record of 639 pounds set July 8 In Prague. Ding and Wrobel also each broke the snatch record before the Chinese lifter finished with .297 pounds.

going into the clean and jerk. So, with no chance to catch leaders Ding Melyuan of China and Agata Wrobel of Poland, the 300-pound Haworth played it safe and didn't try to exceed her previous best of 319 pounds in the clean and Jerk. She finished with a total of 595 pounds. "I listened to my coach. He said to lift 145 kg for the bronze and lock it in and that's what I did," said Haworth, who Initially got Into lifting at age 13 to build up her muscles for Softball.

"I'm certain I could have done more, but the bronze medal was more important." Ding broke world records in the snatch, the clean and Jerk and total lift to win the gold medal, totaling 661 pounds to edge the 19-year-old Wrobel by 11 pounds. The two have traded records for most of the last year, and Haworth, who finished 66 pounds behind, is not yet in their class. "Maybe by 2004 Haworth said. The entire U.S. lifting team was on hand to cheer on the 5-foot-9, Haworth, constantly shouting her nickname, "Fun." Haworth's medal also wa Important because it helps give agios- Baltimore Is bidding to hold the 2012 Summer Olympics with Washington, and anyone wondering what a Charm City Olympiad would look like need no longer call on his imagination.

There are popular Olympic events being held at Sydney's Darling Harbour waterfront, a Harborplace look-alike with the Sydney Convention Center located nearby an arrangement Just like Baltimore's. The sun was shining yesterday as thousands of Olympic ticket-holders, families, tourists and natives heading to Judo, boxing, weightlifting, fencing and volleyball milled along thrwaterfront,.