She had childhood bouts of pneumonia and scarlet fever and was unable to walk until she was nine. But Wilma Rudolph overcame these obstacles to become the fastest woman in the world and win three gold medals at the 1960 Olympics. At the opening in Washington last week of the National Portrait Gallery's new summer show, "Champions of American Sport," Rudolph, 41, stopped by a photograph of her Olympic victory in the 400-meter relay. When she is not working on her third book (on how to be a successful working mother), she is heading up the Olympic Experience Program for youngsters, and heading off challenges from the children to race. "I absolutely refuse. I keep telling them, 'Once a champion retires, she stays retired.' "

No, Richard Nixon is not haggling with members of the Chinese table tennis team over the cover price of the 1972 book Eye on Nixon, which chronicled his China travels. The former President was simply recalling how his "Ping Pong diplomacy" with a previous Chinese team nine years ago helped reopen relations between the U.S. and China. The visiting gang of eight presented Nixon with their team banner. He responded with a gift that may result in excess baggage charges on their flight home: autographed copies of the coffee-table tome edited by Daughter Julie Eisenhower and written by former Nixon Speechwriter William Satire. Observed the ex-President of his visitors' abiding interest: "For such a small ball, it packed a lot of diplomatic power."

Supermanager Mark McC or mack, 50, already has a locker room full of sports clients on the order of Tennis Ace Bjorn Borg, 25, Golfer Arnold Palmer, 51, and former Heavyweight Champ Muhammad Ali, 39. Now his Cleveland-based International Management Group has taken on a client of an even higher order: Pope John Paul II. McCormack is not seeking aftershave endorsements for the Pontiff, but he will try to make sure that the British Catholic Church will not lose money on John Paul II's visit to England, Scotland and Wales next spring. McCormack will take a 20% commission on the sale of what he describes as "various piety items such as commemorative plates, crystal glassware and video cassettes highlighting the Pope's visit."

Amanda McKerrow, 17, was asleep in her room at the Rossiya Hotel off Red Square when her coach, Washington Ballet Company Founder Mary Day, called with the news: "We've hit the jackpot--it's the gold." The 5-ft. 3-in., 90-Ib. dancer had tied for top honors last week in the 16-to 19-year-old category of the quadrennial Moscow International Ballet Competition, the first American to be so honored. "We didn't go for fire-works," says Amanda of her final-round pas de deux from Sleeping Beauty with Partner Simon Dow, 25. "We strove for purity." In a rare bow to a Western performer, TASS noted, "Her dancing was marked by spirituality, lyricism and purity of form." Audiences wholeheartedly agreed, giving her frequent ovations and besieging her with autograph requests when she left the Bolshoi Theater. Though the victory will most likely result in a flurry of guest-appearance offers from around the world, McKerrow, a Rockville, Md., native, has more immediate concerns: finishing high school and getting her driver's license.

On the Record

Charles Percy, G.O.P. Senator from Illinois, explaining why his wife had written K.I.S.S. on a note card before he went on the Today show: "It means, 'Keep It Short, Stupid.' "

Joe Theismann, Washington Redskins quarterback, asked why he curtsied slightly when greeting Sportscaster Howard Cosell: "Curtsy hell! I was try ing to kiss his ring."

Robert Morley, 73, actor, on how well-to-do Britons not invited to the royal wedding will hide their shame: "Check Moss Brothers. There will be lots of folks who will rent morning coats, then spend the afternoon wandering the fashionable sections of the city pretending they had been invited to the wedding."

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