Michelle Smith

Look at her freckles, they whisper. Michelle Smith has the loveliest freckles, yet they talk about them as if they were diseased. Acne. Can't you see the acne? Look at her arms, they snicker. Smith has wonderfully sculpted arms, tapered after six months of workouts with a former discus and shotput star. Yet they are certain they were stolen from a Greco-Roman wrestler. A man's arms. Can't you see she has a man's arms? And just listen to that voice. It is hard, like her stare.

The names are almost the same and the questions are exactly the same. Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands, who set a world record in winning the 100-meter butterfly Sunday, returns to the Sydney International Aquatic Center pool for the 100 freestyle preliminaries today. Although she has never tested positive, the Dutch swimmer has faced widespread speculation that her performances have been assisted by banned drugs.

After two years of suspicion about steroids and diuretics and testosterone and human growth hormone, a shot of Irish whiskey apparently has derailed the competitive swimming career of three-time Olympic champion Michelle Smith.

After two years of suspicion about steroids and diuretics and testosterone and human growth hormone, a shot of Irish whiskey apparently has derailed the competitive swimming career of three-time Olympic champion Michelle Smith.

Curiously, bronze medalist Lin Li sat on the podium and didn't answer any questions about performance-enhancing drugs or the present shortcomings and past glories of the Chinese women's swimming team. For once, the Chinese swimmers were out of the firing line. Instead, the questions, allegations and expressions of support were being directed at Ireland's Michelle Smith in every possible form.

Triple Olympic gold medalist Michelle Smith, again the focus of drug accusations, defiantly denied tampering with a urine sample that may have shown signs of a banned substance. The Irish swimmer, whose success at the Atlanta Games was tainted by rumors of drug-taking although she has never tested positive, vowed Wednesday to fight the latest charges.

The Seoul Olympics had Flo Jo. Atlanta, so far, has Michelle Smith. Smith is the Irish swimmer whose dramatic improvement led to her nation's first gold medal by a woman Saturday, a performance that stunned the swimming world. She had scarcely toweled off before a blizzard of accusations flew, charging that her remarkable times could only have been arrived at through use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Six months ago, Aug. 4, 1996, the light went out in Georgia. That was the night they shut down the Atlanta Olympics, dousing the caldron that carried the Olympic flame through 17 days of Michael Johnson sprints and MARTA gridlock, Kerri Strug and Coca-Cola, gold medal celebrations and Richard Jewell interrogations. Since then, lives have changed, careers have turned and, in some instances, claims to fame have faded. Take, for example, the Olympic caldron.

The names are almost the same and the questions are exactly the same. Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands, who set a world record in winning the 100-meter butterfly Sunday, returns to the Sydney International Aquatic Center pool for the 100 freestyle preliminaries today. Although she has never tested positive, the Dutch swimmer has faced widespread speculation that her performances have been assisted by banned drugs.

Police are investigating a burglary at the residence of Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, the U.S. central bank said. "The chairman's house was burglarized," Fed spokeswoman Michelle Smith said. "The Metropolitan police force is investigating, but they have asked us not to provide any details that would impede their investigation."

Triple Olympic gold medalist Michelle Smith, again the focus of drug accusations, defiantly denied tampering with a urine sample that may have shown signs of a banned substance. The Irish swimmer, whose success at the Atlanta Games was tainted by rumors of drug-taking although she has never tested positive, vowed Wednesday to fight the latest charges.

Six months ago, Aug. 4, 1996, the light went out in Georgia. That was the night they shut down the Atlanta Olympics, dousing the caldron that carried the Olympic flame through 17 days of Michael Johnson sprints and MARTA gridlock, Kerri Strug and Coca-Cola, gold medal celebrations and Richard Jewell interrogations. Since then, lives have changed, careers have turned and, in some instances, claims to fame have faded. Take, for example, the Olympic caldron.

Look at her freckles, they whisper. Michelle Smith has the loveliest freckles, yet they talk about them as if they were diseased. Acne. Can't you see the acne? Look at her arms, they snicker. Smith has wonderfully sculpted arms, tapered after six months of workouts with a former discus and shotput star. Yet they are certain they were stolen from a Greco-Roman wrestler. A man's arms. Can't you see she has a man's arms? And just listen to that voice. It is hard, like her stare.

Curiously, bronze medalist Lin Li sat on the podium and didn't answer any questions about performance-enhancing drugs or the present shortcomings and past glories of the Chinese women's swimming team. For once, the Chinese swimmers were out of the firing line. Instead, the questions, allegations and expressions of support were being directed at Ireland's Michelle Smith in every possible form.

The Seoul Olympics had Flo Jo. Atlanta, so far, has Michelle Smith. Smith is the Irish swimmer whose dramatic improvement led to her nation's first gold medal by a woman Saturday, a performance that stunned the swimming world. She had scarcely toweled off before a blizzard of accusations flew, charging that her remarkable times could only have been arrived at through use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The operation to remove a bone from high school basketball star Keith Smith's heel went smoothly. Problem is, doctors were working on the wrong foot. Now Smith, one of Oklahoma's top players, could miss most of his senior season because he will need a second operation to fix the foot that needed help. "It seems like a nightmare," said the 17-year-old's mother, Michelle Smith. "I just can't believe this could happen to anyone."

Devin Porter had two hits and Jennifer McElroy, Michelle Smith and Liz Buck each had a hit and drove in a run for the Santa Ana-based Case Batbusters in a 3-0 victory over the Phoenix Storm in the title game of the Amateur Softball Assn. Girls' 16-and-Under National Fastpitch Championships Sunday in Normal, Ill. McElroy pitched a seven-hitter, striking out four and walking two.