THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 10, 1994 TAG: 9406100914
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940610 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH
The highlight of the opening ceremonies will be the lighting of a gas-powered cauldron, used during President Clinton's inauguration, to symbolize an eternal flame.
{REST} Starting Saturday morning, about 4,000 athletes from the commonwealth will square off in 33 sports over a 48-hour span. As in the Olympics, top finishers will receive bronze, silver and gold medals.
This is the first year Hampton Roads has hosted the Games, an offshoot of the Commonwealth Games, which originated in Roanoke before moving to Richmond. The Games will return to Richmond next year, with Hampton Roads hosting in 1996.
This year's Games, the largest in the event's five-year history, include baseball, basketball, bowling, boxing, indoor climbing, cycling, darts, fencing, field hockey, judo, lacrosse, mountain biking, roller hockey, rowing, seven-man rugby, sailing, soccer, softball, surfing, windsurfing, swimming, synchronized swimming, tennis, track and field and wrestling.
Admission is free.
Those eager to sample a variety of events wouldn't have to leave Little Creek Amphibious Base, where 14 events will be held. The base's Rockwell Hall will be the busiest venue, as wrestling, boxing and tae kwon do competitions will run simultaneously.
``Should be pretty wild,'' wrestling organizer Jack Harcourt said.
Big-name, national-caliber athletes figure to be in short supply in these Games, which conflict with more-established competitions in some sports and are restricted to youth categories in others.
Still, because of a late-entry policy in many of the individual sports, Games organizer Ken Berger isn't ruling out the possibility of a marquee athlete or two taking part.
``Some of the athletes you'll see here may be in the 1996 (Olympic) Games in Atlanta,'' Berger said.
The Games will primarily feature athletes between 8 and 13, recreational and state-level competitors, however. And in some sports, they're coming in waves. Basketball, which just a week ago figured to have a limited field, will now feature more than 500 kids.
``This thing is just blowing up,'' Berger said. Harcourt expects at least 300 wrestlers to compete in junior, open and masters divisions, including a 50-something man from New York. ``I haven't seen him,'' Harcourt said, ``but I hear he goes after it pretty hard.''
Wrestling is one of the sports in which out-of-state athletes can compete for separate medals.
Entries are still coming in for several sports, including swimming, which has more than 100 participants, and track and field.
``That's been the hardest thing, not knowing exactly who's going to be here,'' Berger said. ``But you know how jocks are. They're not going to sign up until the last minute.'' by CNB