HOUSTON -- Facts and figures on the U.S. Olympic Festival:
Event -- The U.S. Olympic Festival, sponsored by the United States Olympic Committee and conducted in non-Olympic years.
When -- Opening ceremonies will be held July 25 in the Astrodome with competition in 34 sports through Aug. 3.
Locale -- Competition will take place in and around the Houston area with three major universities -- Rice, Houston and Texas Southern - hosting several events. Previous Festivals have been held in Colorado Springs, Indianapolis, Syracuse and Baton Rouge. Next year's Festival will take place in the Raleigh-Durham area. Sites for the 1989, 1990 and 1991 Festivals are expected to be named later this year.
Television -- The ESPN cable television network plans to show 37 live hours, beginning with Friday night's opening ceremonies.
Drugs -- The USOC plans to conduct drug tests on as many as 650 athletes during the Festival. The testing will be supervised by the USOC's chief medical officer, Dr. Robert O. Voy. All 38 of the U.S. National Governing Bodies of amateur sports have signed an agreement with the USOC which permits testing of their athletes at major events through 1988. Results are sent directly to the governing bodies, which are responsible for sanctions.
First Medal -- The winner of the men's 120-kilometer cycling road race will receive the first gold medal awarded at the Festival. The race will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday, July 26. The final medal will come in either track and field or gymnastics, both of which will be held on the last night of the Festival.
Staying Busy -- For the first time in Festival history, all five events of the modern pentathlon will take place on the same day. In Olympic competition the five eventsare held on five separate days. The Festival modern pentathlon will begin with the shooting phase at 8 a.m. and will end at 8:15 p.m. with the cross country run.
Seafaring Event -- The yachting competition will be held in open water for the first time. The Houston Yacht Club will host the event in the Gulf of Mexico off Galveston Island.
Attendance -- When the first Festival began in Colorado Springs eight years ago, the opening ceremonies were held in a city park. About 2,500 people showed up, many of whom just happened to be driving by at the time. Last year the opening ceremonies drew 60,000 people at LSU's Tiger Stadium. That record is safe this year because only about 44,000 paying customers can be accommodated in the Astrodome. The overall attendance record of 250,000 is expected to be easily surpassed this year.
Seniors Event -- The seniors boom in golf may be spreading to track and field. Among those competing at the Festival will be 49-year-old Al Oerter and 39-year-old John Powell -- both discus throwers.
Highlight -- Over the span of a few minutes in 1983, the Festival enjoyed its most prestigeous moment. Evelyn Ashford ran an 11.01 in the 100-meter dash and Calvin Smith turned in a 10.05 clocking in the same event. Both times were world records, recorded at altitude on the track at the Air Force Academy outside Colorado Springs.
Torch -- The Olympic flame is brought to life every four years in Greece and is then transported to the site of the Games. The Festival does the same thing on a regional scale. Each year the Festival's flame is lighted on the summit of 14,000-foot Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs - home of the United States Olympic Committee headquarters. This year the flame was carried throughout Texas as part of the state's 150th birthday celebration.
Defense Department -- Although the Defense Department banned members of the military from taking part in the Goodwill Games, there will be no such ban for the Festival. One of the reasons given for the Moscow boycott was that military personnel could not take part in activities that involve commercial enterprise. The Festival, in part, is sponsored by a leading shoe company, an internationally known soft drink firm, a fast food chain and a beer company.
From Festival to Olympics -- Athletes who have taken part in previous Festivals have won 298 Olympic medals in 10 different Games. There have been 47 Olympic track and field medals won by competitors who have been in at least one Festival.
