U.S. Olympic Festival -- Fanning Olympic Flame

DENVER - At the United States Olympic Festival, you won't hear anything about shoe contracts, labor negotiations, and with a little luck, maybe not even a DUI arrest from a single one of the 3,600 athletes.

That is the professed charm of the festival, that it is largely devoid of the excesses that plague professional sports.

Of course, most of the athletes are so young and unsung that they haven't been hit up yet by Nike and probably need their parents to sign any contract. DUIs? More than a few aren't even allowed to drive yet.

Youth reigns supreme at the 14th Olympic Festival, which began its 10-day run yesterday in three Colorado cities. A handful of the athletes are well-known in athletic circles, but the competition is dominated by hopeful Olympians whose time may come next year in Atlanta - or farther down the road.

As in, the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and even the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, as U.S. Olympic Committee President LeRoy Walker pointed out last night when welcoming the athletes at opening ceremonies at Mile High Stadium.

"This is the beginning for many of the athletes, right here at this festival," Walker said to a crowd of 41,105.

The USOC would love a rerun of the '83 festival in Colorado Springs, when Calvin Smith and Evelyn Ashford set world records in the 100 meters in a 10-second period. In the high altitude favorable to sprinters, who knows if such magic could happen again?

But the better bet is a stream of interesting, if not world-beating, performances by athletes who are just now getting used to their red, white and blue warmups. Perhaps somewhere out there lurks the next Bonnie Blair, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mary Lou Retton, Oscar De La Hoya or Michael Jordan - each of whom participated in past festivals - but for the moment they're hiding.

Some national governing bodies have been criticized for not sending their best athletes. Notably falling into that category this year are swimming, men's soccer, volleyball and figure skating. Most of the best players in these sports won't emerge until Sydney.

But other sports are specifically using the festival to prepare for Atlanta. The coaches for women's softball, a Olympic sport for the first time in 1996, will be looking to identify the 20 players for next year's national team.

Other athletes and events to watch:

-- Olympic track legend Carl Lewis will compete in the long jump next Saturday at the Air Force Academy. He will try to break his Festival record of 28 feet, 9 1/2 inches, set in 1982.

-- Olympic champion Quincy Watts and world-record holder Butch Reynolds will square off in the 400-meter race, also next Saturday.

-- Gymnast Kerri Strug, who won a bronze medal with the U.S. team at the Barcelona Olympics, will be challenged by upstarts Kristy Powell and Doni Thompson. Powell emerged as a top U.S. gymnast earlier this year at the McDonald's Cup in Seattle. Gymnastics starts on Wednesday.

-- Most of the top U.S. amateur boxers are here except light heavyweight Antonio Tarver, the team's best bet for a gold medal in Atlanta, who is injured for the festival. In his absence, the best boxer to watch might be young Fernando Vargas, who competes in the lightweight division.

-- Toby Bailey, of UCLA and Final Four fame, is the best-recognized basketball player. Bailey had 26 points and nine rebounds in the Bruins' championship game victory against Arkansas in the Kingdome last spring.

-- Several of the top women's soccer players are in Denver, including Tiffany Milbrett of Portland and goalie Briana Scurry. The U.S. women took the bronze medal at the World Championships in Sweden in June.

------------------------------------------------------. Festival roster

King County residents competing in the U.S. Olympic Festival:

Track and field - Bradley Barquist, Bainbridge Island; Herman Nelson, Renton; Ronnie Nelson, Seattle; Cary Nevelli, Seattle; Rick Noji, Seattle. Canoe and kayak - Margot Knight, Bellevue; Peter Newton, Bellevue; Kathy Conlin, Seattle; Jennie Goldberg, Seattle; Nate Johnson, Seattle; Jaraj Osusky, Seattle; Casey Schau, Seattle; Boo Turner, Seattle; Mark Zollitsch, Seattle. Judo - Michael Barnes, Federal Way; Sandra Bacher, Seattle. Soccer - Justi Blingardt, Federal Way; Leslie Gallimore (coach), Seattle; Erica Parish, Kent; Tara Bilinski, Seattle. Shooting - Brian Osborn, Federal Way; Roger Granden Mar, Seattle; Christopher Alvarez, Woodinville. Softball - Michael Larabee, Kent. Rowing - Tami St. George, Mercer Island; Portia Johnson, Seattle. Swimming - Jennifer Strasburger, Mercer Island. Weightlifting - Aryly Johnson, Seattle. Taekwondo - Paige LeRose, Seattle. Fencing - Eugene Mansfield, Seattle. Bowling - Linda Lunsford, Woodinville.

Source: US Olympic Committee, Sports Council of Seattle/King County.