Ron Karnaugh

Michelle Kwan was a 13-year-old whose parents were trying to scrape up money for her skating when Yankees owner George Steinbrenner stepped up to the plate. Kwan, who became the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, never would meet Steinbrenner, who died Tuesday at age 80. But she still has the "wicked cool" Yankees jacket Steinbrenner sent in response to her thank-you letter for his $10,000 contribution to her funding in the fall of 1993. "He was like an angel to come and help us," Kwan said Tuesday.

Michelle Kwan was a 13-year-old whose parents were trying to scrape up money for her skating when Yankees owner George Steinbrenner stepped up to the plate. Kwan, who became the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, never would meet Steinbrenner, who died Tuesday at age 80. But she still has the "wicked cool" Yankees jacket Steinbrenner sent in response to her thank-you letter for his $10,000 contribution to her funding in the fall of 1993. "He was like an angel to come and help us," Kwan said Tuesday.

If anyone asks Ron Karnaugh what he did over the summer, he'll never once mention the word vacation . Sure, he'll be spending more time in a bathing suit than a 16-year-old surfer with no summer job, but by the time fall rolls around, Karnaugh will have been through a crash course in stress management. On July 31, he will attempt to win an Olympic gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley in Barcelona.

The diagnosis, according to Ron Karnaugh, M.D.: We just don't work hard enough anymore. Karnaugh, a medical doctor and a swimmer on national teams since 1986, said that's why a rare U.S. loss in the 400-meter freestyle relay gave the Americans a dual-meet loss against Germany at the Goodwill Games in Uniondale, N.Y., on Wednesday. "There's no shortcut to success in swimming, and some of our younger kids don't work as hard as they should," said Karnaugh, 32, who won the 200 individual medley just before the freestyle-relay defeat that allowed Germany to win, 63-59.

The race is about to begin. Ron Karnaugh walks out wearing a straw hat. The race is on. His college teammate, Roque Santos, from the Cal days, calls loudly: "Let's go, Big Ron!" The race is almost over. His mom, Jean Karnaugh, who speaks through a voice box, is unable to speak. She is crying. The race is over. His coach, Terry Stoddard, from Mission Viejo, also is fighting to hold it together. He says: "I guess you could call this a different kind of Olympic dream." The unfair kind.

It was slightly past 9 p.m. here Saturday when 26-year-old Ron Karnaugh marched into the Olympic Stadium, one of the few members of the U.S. swimming team to participate in the opening ceremony because many would be competing or practicing early the next morning. And much to Karnaugh's wonder, as he circled the stadium next to teammate Joel Thomas, he spotted his parents sitting among the 65,000 spectators in the stands. And they spotted him.

It was slightly past 9 p.m. here Saturday when 26-year-old Ron Karnaugh marched into the Olympic Stadium, one of the few members of the U.S. swimming team to participate in the opening ceremony, because many would be competing or practicing early the next morning. And much to Karnaugh's wonder, as he circled the stadium next to teammate Joel Thomas, he spotted his parents sitting among 65,000 in the stands. And they spotted him. "We actually saw them during the parade," Thomas said.

Ron Karnaugh broke the 200-meter individual medley meet record twice at the Los Angeles Invitational Sunday at USC and then predicted that the U.S. record will be his at the Pan American Games next month in Havana. Karnaugh, 25, of Mission Viejo, lowered Ray Looze's 1989 meet record in the preliminaries and the finals, the latter by two seconds in 2:05.18, the 26th fastest time in the world this year.

The diagnosis, according to Ron Karnaugh, M.D.: We just don't work hard enough anymore. Karnaugh, a medical doctor and a swimmer on national teams since 1986, said that's why a rare U.S. loss in the 400-meter freestyle relay gave the Americans a dual-meet loss against Germany at the Goodwill Games in Uniondale, N.Y., on Wednesday. "There's no shortcut to success in swimming, and some of our younger kids don't work as hard as they should," said Karnaugh, 32, who won the 200 individual medley just before the freestyle-relay defeat that allowed Germany to win, 63-59.

U.S. Olympian Ron Karnaugh considered the consequences of a subpar performance in his last race before the Olympic Games in Barcelona. "I'd be bummed out," he said. "The last three weeks is a mind game. That's what I'd be thinking about." Fortunately for Karnaugh and Olympic teammates Joe Hudepohl, Pablo Morales, Crissy Ahmann-Leighton and Nelson Diebel, their final efforts Sunday in the Olympic sendoff meet put them in a positive frame of mind for the Games in Spain.

The race is about to begin. Ron Karnaugh walks out wearing a straw hat. The race is on. His college teammate, Roque Santos, from the Cal days, calls loudly: "Let's go, Big Ron!" The race is almost over. His mom, Jean Karnaugh, who speaks through a voice box, is unable to speak. She is crying. The race is over. His coach, Terry Stoddard, from Mission Viejo, also is fighting to hold it together. He says: "I guess you could call this a different kind of Olympic dream." The unfair kind.

The longest, most punishing week of Ron Karnaugh's young life comes to an end on the world stage today when he swims in the Olympic 200-meter individual medley. The race is being contested six days after Karnaugh's 60-year-old father, Peter, died of a heart attack during the opening ceremony. Karnaugh, 26, from Maplewood, N.J., will swim first in a morning qualifying heat and then, if he makes it, will swim tonight in the final, on the last night of theswimming competition.

It was slightly past 9 p.m. here Saturday when 26-year-old Ron Karnaugh marched into the Olympic Stadium, one of the few members of the U.S. swimming team to participate in the opening ceremony because many would be competing or practicing early the next morning. And much to Karnaugh's wonder, as he circled the stadium next to teammate Joel Thomas, he spotted his parents sitting among the 65,000 spectators in the stands. And they spotted him.

It was slightly past 9 p.m. here Saturday when 26-year-old Ron Karnaugh marched into the Olympic Stadium, one of the few members of the U.S. swimming team to participate in the opening ceremony, because many would be competing or practicing early the next morning. And much to Karnaugh's wonder, as he circled the stadium next to teammate Joel Thomas, he spotted his parents sitting among 65,000 in the stands. And they spotted him. "We actually saw them during the parade," Thomas said.

If anyone asks Ron Karnaugh what he did over the summer, he'll never once mention the word vacation . Sure, he'll be spending more time in a bathing suit than a 16-year-old surfer with no summer job, but by the time fall rolls around, Karnaugh will have been through a crash course in stress management. On July 31, he will attempt to win an Olympic gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley in Barcelona.

U.S. Olympian Ron Karnaugh considered the consequences of a subpar performance in his last race before the Olympic Games in Barcelona. "I'd be bummed out," he said. "The last three weeks is a mind game. That's what I'd be thinking about." Fortunately for Karnaugh and Olympic teammates Joe Hudepohl, Pablo Morales, Crissy Ahmann-Leighton and Nelson Diebel, their final efforts Sunday in the Olympic sendoff meet put them in a positive frame of mind for the Games in Spain.

The longest, most punishing week of Ron Karnaugh's young life comes to an end on the world stage today when he swims in the Olympic 200-meter individual medley. The race is being contested six days after Karnaugh's 60-year-old father, Peter, died of a heart attack during the opening ceremony. Karnaugh, 26, from Maplewood, N.J., will swim first in a morning qualifying heat and then, if he makes it, will swim tonight in the final, on the last night of theswimming competition.

It was another disappointing day for Mission Viejo's Eric Diehl, who tried to keep a stiff upper lip while explaining the frustration of contracting Epstein-Barre syndrome seven months before these U.S. Olympic trials. Diehl, who was ranked seventh among Americans in the 400 freestyle in 1991, placed 21st in 4:00.40, a whopping 4.62 seconds slower than the career-best he posted at spring nationals last year. "Nothing was there," Diehl said. "I didn't have any rhythm and nothing was good."

It was another disappointing day for Mission Viejo's Eric Diehl, who tried to keep a stiff upper lip while explaining the frustration of contracting Epstein-Barre syndrome seven months before these U.S. Olympic trials. Diehl, who was ranked seventh among Americans in the 400 freestyle in 1991, placed 21st in 4:00.40, a whopping 4.62 seconds slower than the career-best he posted at spring nationals last year. "Nothing was there," Diehl said. "I didn't have any rhythm and nothing was good."

Ron Karnaugh broke the 200-meter individual medley meet record twice at the Los Angeles Invitational Sunday at USC and then predicted that the U.S. record will be his at the Pan American Games next month in Havana. Karnaugh, 25, of Mission Viejo, lowered Ray Looze's 1989 meet record in the preliminaries and the finals, the latter by two seconds in 2:05.18, the 26th fastest time in the world this year.