OLYMPIC MONITOR

By Lawrence Mondi

PENTATHLON: A NOT-SO-TRIVIAL PURSUIT

Quick! can you name the five sports constituting the modern pentathlon? That's O.K. Even die-hard sports fans probably don't know that shooting, fencing, swimming, horseback riding and running make up this unique event--which, like just about everything else in Atlanta, is a sellout. French nobleman Pierre de Coubertin, who revived the Olympics in 1896, designed the pentathlon as a Napoleonic, soldierly evocation of the ancient game (which included discus, javelin or spear throw, jumping, running and wrestling).

Despite its illustrious history, the modern pentathlon faces an uncertain future. Unlike new Olympic sports such as beach volleyball and the triathlon (which will debut in four years), the modern pentathlon has little popular and corporate appeal, especially in the U.S. "This sport is the celebration of an ideal," says top U.S. pentathlete Michael Gostigian, 33. "But we have to package it better." One small step was compressing the competition from four days into one. Hoping to gain a higher profile, the U.S. team named actor Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV) to the administrative post of team leader. A few years ago, Lundgren made a movie called Pentathlon, and members of the U.S. team helped him train.

The best marketing tool would be a medal for Gostigian. In 1994 he was ranked as high as No. 3 in the world. But this past January, his friend and mentor, Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz, was killed. And the man accused of killing Schultz, John du Pont, an heir to the chemical fortune, helped start and finance Gostigian's career. In the wake of the tragedy, Gostigian slipped in the rankings. "It's been tough," he says. "But in Atlanta, I just want to put together a great performance in honor of Dave." --By Lawrence Mondi

TARNISHED MEDALS?

The boxing tournament at the 1988 Seoul Games was marred by several controversial decisions, most notably one that gave a gold medal to Korean Park Si-hun over American Roy Jones Jr. According to a report in USA Today, British author Andrew Jennings says he has obtained a document from the files of the former East German police that apparently describes payoffs to judges to fix fights in favor of South Koreans. The charge is contained in his book The New Lords of the Rings.

STREAKING TO ATLANTA

The Dream Girls, a.k.a. the U.S. women's basketball team, won their 47th-straight game, defeating Cuba 106-58. Smothering defense helped turn a 58-32 halftime lead into a rout over a team that should be a medal contender in Atlanta. Lisa Leslie, the 6-ft. 5-in. center, led the Americans with 17 points. She said the team is paying no attention to its winning streak. "It means nothing to us," she said. "When we go to the Olympics, it's going to be zero-zero."

COMEBACKS, UPDATED

Florence Griffith Joyner, 36, the 100- and 200-m champion in Seoul, hit a snag in her attempt to make the U.S. team in the 400 m. She has an Achilles-tendon injury that may require surgery and sideline her from qualifying meets over the next two weeks. Meanwhile, Mary Slaney, 37, who holds several American records but has not won an Olympic medal, ran a strong race last week in Oregon and appears ready to contend for a spot on the Olympic track-and-field team.