Olympic spirit overcomes bombing

Although no athletes were injured, bomb in Olympic Park adds to
pallor of GamesBy Marie Blanchard

Summer Bruin Senior Staff

When Gary Adams heard that a bomb had exploded in Atlanta’s
Centennial Olympic Park, his first thought was if two of his
players ­ Jim Parque and Troy Glaus, who are playing on the
U.S. Olympic baseball team, had been hurt.

"First I was worried about Jim and Troy and then I figured they
would be at the Olympic Village. Then I was worried about their
families," said Adams, UCLA’s head baseball coach.

Adams wasn’t the only one from Southern California worrying.
There are currently 48 former, current or future Bruin athletes
competing at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, 11 of which
presently attend UCLA. Although none were hurt by the actual bomb,
its impact has hit close to home.

"The bombing was a travesty," said Jennifer Poree, a second-year
undeclared student and UCLA swimming teammate of gold medalist
Annette Salmeen.

"I was really worried about Annette, but she was in the Village
when it happened. It’s just a shame because it a put a damper on a
wonderful event. Something like this can really ruin the hopes of
some young athletes," Poree said.

Others close to UCLA’s Olympic athletes agreed.

"(The bomb) was so unfair. The athletes are trying so hard and
it’s just terrible that one idiot could ruin it all," said Marie
Kilpatre, the grandmother of UCLA’s Suzanne Powell, a discus
competitor.

According to Kilpatre, the coach has told Powell and other track
and field athletes not to leave the Olympic Village except to
compete as a result of the bombing.

No athletes were injured in the attack according to Mike Moron,
spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee. However, "there’s been a
heightened security activity, especially for the athletes in the
Village," Moron said.

Yet Adams and Kilpatre are glad the games are continuing as
planned, despite a change of tone.

"The bombing really angered me, saddened me and disgusted me.
The games should be treated like a birthday party for these
athletes and now there’ll have to be a funeral after these
celebrations," Adams said.

"Suzy and the other athletes worked so hard to get to the
Olympics ­ we can’t give in to some terrorist," Kilpatre
said.

With reports from Bruin wire services