Mark Spitz

A curious subject came up last week when it was suggested that ABC-TV's Diane Sawyer was wrong to ask for a couple of days off work after the plane crash of family friend John F. Kennedy Jr., rather than reporting the story for the people who pay her. Any criticism of Sawyer on this score is unjustified, for more than one reason. She was hardly the only ABC newsperson able to do this story. Peter and Babs and others there could handle it.

Sherm Chavoor, who coached Olympic swimming champions Mark Spitz, Debbie Meyer-Reyes and Mike Burton, has died of cancer in Sacramento at 73.

That comeback Mark Spitz tried? Two years ago? Right, that one. It failed. Technically. This we know because 25 men will swim for the United States in the Barcelona Olympics that start in two weeks and Spitz is not among them. "You could say I didn't 'win' what I attempted," Spitz said. OK, you didn't win. But that doesn't close the account. After all, Spitz's was the tsunami of comebacks.

Mark Spitz finished last, four seconds off the pace, Thursday in his first 100-meter butterfly race since 1972. Spitz was timed in 58.77 seconds in the five-man race won by Brian Aldermann, who finished in 54.78. Martin Lopez Zubero of Spain finished second in 55.31 and Wade King was third at 55.59. It is the third consecutive defeat for Spitz, 41, in his comeback. He needs a time of 55.59 seconds in the 100-meter fly to qualify for next year's U.S. Olympic Trials.

Mark Spitz's second attempt at diving back into competitive swimming was another belly-flop Saturday. This time, Matt Biondi left the 41-year-old in his wake in a 50-meter match race at the Mission Viejo International Sports Complex. Biondi, the silver medalist in the 100-meter butterfly in the 1988 Olympics, touched the wall in 24.51, two seconds ahead of Spitz. He won $35,000 and Spitz took home $15,000. Spitz did manage to trim .

All the news that was fit to print about Mark Spitz Saturday could have fit neatly into the bottom of his latex swimming cap. Yes, a swimming cap. Spitz wore one for Leg II of his over-the-hill-and-into-the-pool comeback, another first for ABC's Wide World of Sports. He'd never worn one before, and he didn't wear one for Leg I against Tom Jager two weeks ago, and it wasn't because they couldn't find one big enough for his head. Spitz is a company man, his company being Clairol, Inc.

Mark Spitz waited almost 20 years to attempt a comeback, trained for 19 months and then, in about 25 seconds, Tom Jager seemed to put to rest any question about the 41-year-old's ability to compete on a world-class level. Today, however, Spitz will try again, swimming in another 50-meter butterfly match race at the Mission Viejo International Sports Complex. Two weeks ago, Spitz lost to Jager by 1 1/2 body lengths, a huge margin in a 50-meter sprint.

Of Mark Spitz's performance in his first race since the 1972 Olympic Games, one of several foreign reporters at Mission Viejo last Saturday said: "As we say in German, 'Das war nicht schwimmen, das war baden.' " Or: "That was not swimming, that was bathing." Then the reporter left for the airport to catch a plane to the East Coast, where he will cover 42-year-old George Foreman's heavyweight title bout Friday night.

Nineteen months of suspense ended with barely a splash Saturday as Mark Spitz returned to swimming before 1,800 at the Mission Viejo International Sports Complex. Shortly after 2 p.m. Spitz appeared, followed 10 minutes later by his younger opponent, Tom Jager. After television interviews and a warmup, the two mounted the blocks and ended all speculation about what a 41-year-old can do after a 19-year layoff against world-class competition.

Nineteen months of suspense ended with barely a splash Saturday as Mark Spitz returned to swimming in front of 1,800 at the Mission Viejo International Sports Complex. Shortly after 2 p.m. Spitz appeared, followed 10 minutes later by his younger opponent, Tom Jager. After television interviews and a warmup, the two mounted the blocks and ended all speculation about what a 41-year-old can do after a 19-year layoff against world-class competition.