A Soviet-U.S. Showdown -- Gymnastics Superpowers Collide In Tacoma -- Young Upstart Vs. Old Maid? -- Zmeskal, Boginskaya Provide A Study In Contrasts, But Seek The Same Prize: Goodwill Gymnastics Gold

In gymnastics circles, a Goodwill Games showdown between American Kim Zmeskal and Soviet Svetlana Boginskaya would create as big a stir as a Wimbledon faceoff between Martina Navratilova and Jennifer Capriati.

Zmeskal is the 14-year-old bundle of energy coached by the bearish coach Bela Karolyi. She is the sport's youngest national champion ever and first to win the junior title one year and the senior title the next.

She will challenge Boginskaya, the acclaimed world champion who at 17 is considered almost eligible for Social Security benefits.

In fact, rumors indicate that Boginskaya may consider retiring after the competition, set for the Tacoma Dome July 27-29.

But in a competition between the veteran and youngster, experience isn't necessarily the decisive factor. And it may not be at the Goodwill Games.

In March Boginskaya and Zmeskal competed in a Paris meet together. The Soviet won, but not by much.

``Kim lost to Boginskaya by only .025 points, which is a toe-point in gymnastics,'' said Patti Auer of the U.S. Gymnastics Federation. ``A lot of people thought Kim had won, but a name will give you a .025 advantage.''

After earning the all-around title at the European Championships and winning individual titles in all four events, Boginskaya moved on to the world championships. There, the judges may have been influenced by her name, but they also learned another that soon may vault into the legendary reaches of Olympic champions Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton.

The comparison may be justified because Zmeskal has a common denominator with Comaneci and Retton: Karolyi.

Karolyi demurs comparisons between the three standouts, saying only that each has her own strengths. Neither as effervescent as Retton nor as sturdy or stubborn as Comaneci, Karolyi will only say Zmeskal is ``just very different.''

A powerful tumbler who has scored two perfect marks in the floor exercise, Zmeskal links five elements in her routine where most gymnasts manage four. She also has received a 10 on the vault.

Boginskaya, meanwhile, has experience - and talent - on her side. When Zmeskal was a budding pre-teen gymnast in Karolyi's Houston gym, Boginskaya was in the 1988 Olympics, where she was the Seoul surprise, earning the bronze medal in the all-around, the gold in the vault and silver in the floor exercise.

Her crowning glory to date, Boginskaya said, was winning the world all-around title in Stuttgart, West Germany in October. There she also won the floor exercise and vault and was fourth in the uneven parallel bars and balance beam.

Goodwill Games audiences will see similarities between Zmeskal and Boginskaya. Both are national champions, former national junior champions and all-around gymnasts who call the floor exercise their favorite event. They differ, however, in form. Considered almost a giant in a sport known for its pixies, Boginskaya is 5-foot-3 and 90 pounds; Zmeskal is 4-5 and 72.

``That's going to be a tremendous fight,'' Karolyi said. ``The dual between Boginskaya and Kim is going to be the best of the competition.''

Observers agree that the showdown will be the highlight, providing both athletes are healthy.

Boginskaya had been nursing a sore knee, and Zmeskal, bothered by bursitis in her heel, pulled out of an meet last month.

Even if they both perform up to expectations, other gymnasts have plenty of talent to challenge them.

Boginskaya's teammate Natalia Laschenova, known for her conistency, was runner-up for the all-around title at the world championships.

Romania's Cristina Bontas was fourth and Hungary's Henrietta Onodi 19th at the worlds in the all-around competition. Japan's Mari Kosuge is another to watch.

America's top finisher at the worlds, Brandy Johnson, did not make the U.S. Goodwill team, although she wears the national crown in vault and floor exercise.

The American at the Games with the most international experience is Sandy Woolsey, who at 17 is expected to provide leadership and steadying influence for the younger U.S. gymnasts, Elizabeth Okino and Erica Stokes, both 14, and Amy Scherr, 15, all coached by Karolyi.

``Most of our U.S. team is very young,'' said Auer of the gymnastics federation. ``But Sandy has gotten to the point where she is peaking. She's not going to have the jitters.''

Woolsey was eighth at the world championships, behind Johnson. They helped give the United States a fourth-place finish, its best ever.

Some observers say the U.S. team has a chance to improve on that placing, with the home-mat edge being a significant one.

``In a fair world, they don't have a prayer,'' one expert said.

``In a meet like this they're going to be scoring stuck landings.''

AT A GLANCE

Women's

gymnastics

Venue: Tacoma Dome.

Dates: June 27-29.

The format: The world's top 11 teams will compete in the team event Friday, with individual performances determining who will advance to Saturday's all-around and Sunday's individual event competitions. Each squad has four members, with the three highest scorers comprising the team score.

Gymnasts to watch: The Soviet Union's Svetlana Boginskaya is the world champion whose skills are so complete she won all four individual events at the European Championships. Her biggest challenger may be Kim Zmeskal, America's newest sensation, although Soviet teammate Elena Shoushunova may have different plans. Other proven international competitors include Henrietta Onodi of Romania, Cristina Bontas of Bulgaria and Eva Rueda, Spain.

What to look for: The Bela Karolyi influence, which demands athleticism and ``stuck'' landings on vault, bars and beam, plus the partisan crowd may allow the U.S. team to score higher than most competition where judges traditionally favor the European-style grace.

EQUIPPED FOR WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS

Thirty-two women on the world's top eight teams will compete at the Tacoma Dome

Vault

Wood or wood/steel construction, topped with uniform padding and covered with leather. Women sprint down an 80-foot runway, step on a springboard, vault crosswise along the horse and execute various twists in the air.

Uneven bars

Wood surface, either laminated or veneer. Internal structure is either steel-reinforced laminated wood or fiberglass. Adjustable steel uprights and base. Gymnast works between the two bars, releasing and regrasping and frequently performing moves in the middle.

Balance beam

Wood beam topped with padding and covered with suede leather or synthetic material. Adjustable steel base. Gymnast uses acrobatic tumbling and dance moves, turns along the entire beam without stopping, then finishes with a demanding dismount. Time limit is 70-90 seconds.

Floor exercise

Performed on a double-flex plywood floor 40 feet square lined with springs underneath and topped by carpet-covered foam. Gymnasts choreograph movements to their choice of music. Grace, rhythm and flexibility are critical. Routines are 70-90 seconds. Several top gymnasts, including Kim Zmeskal and Sandy Woolsey will do variations of the full twisting double back flip shown here.

SOURCES: U.S. Gymnastics Federation and International Gymnast