Underdog Gymnast Prepared For Speech Roethlisberger May Not Outshine World’s Best, But His Victory Oratory Is Ready

For years, he has played it out in his mind, the winning of an Olympic medal. What gestures he might make on the podium. What he would say afterward.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fantasized about getting a medal,” said John Roethlisberger. “I’ve dreamed a million dreams.”

He gets a final chance today in the gymnastics individual all-around. He admits that getting a medal there is probably beyond the wildest of his dreams.

“It would be an understatement to say that I’m a long shot,” he said. “I just want to go out there and give it my best and be proud.”

Roethlisberger, whose point total was fifth all-around in the team competitions, will square off against such worldwide stars as Vitaly Scherbo of Belarus, Alexei Voropaev of Russia and China’s Li Xiaoshuang. Blaine Wilson and John Macready are the other Americans in the 36-man field.

Roethlisberger’s eyes were red-tinged after a series of U.S. mistakes, including his fall off the pommel horse, left them fifth after a run at the bronze medal in team competitions Monday.

“When you get that close …” he said, shaking his head.

As he prepares to end his Olympic career, however, Roethlisberger believes he’s been part of a turnaround in the men’s program, especially after it improved from a ninth-place showing in the 1995 worlds.

“We improved, we kept fighting, and we never gave up,” he said. “I’m hoping that this will be something to build on. I think we’ve instilled some confidence in the men’s team.”

His younger teammates were brimming with it.

“I’m sure there are other kids out there who are watching this meet, saying ‘Whoa! They did really good,”’ Wilson said.

“I’m very optimistic,” said Roethlisberger, who expects to compete for one more year. “I think we’re going to see a lot of interesting things in gymnastics. I think the playing field is going to get level.”

Roethlisberger, whose father was a 1968 Olympian and whose sister was an alternate on the 1984 women’s team, said he’ll remain involved in the sport, but wants to utilize his degree in international business.

He and his teammates were pleased at the strong crowd support, as “U-S-A!” chants, shouts of encouragement and flag-waving sprints through the aisles spurred them on.

After the American gymnastics underdogs compete in the Georgia Dome, the U.S. basketball overdogs go after Lithuania.

The goal for the other men’s basketball teams is to avoid the Dream Team in medal play until the final. After Lithuania put itself in good shape to do so with an opening double-overtime victory over Croatia, surprising Argentina scored a 65-61 upset over the Lithuanians, the 1992 bronze medalists.

Arvydas Sabonis, the 7-foot-2 center for the Portland Trail Blazers, gets to face the U.S. center relay of Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson.

In swimming, Janet Evans tries in the 800-meter freestyle preliminaries to bounce back from her stunning failure to reach the 400 freestyle finals. The 800 finals are Thursday.

Meanwhile, her nemesis, Ireland’s Michelle Smith, goes for her third gold in the 200 individual medley.

And Karch Kiraly hits Atlanta Beach as he and teammate Kent Steffes begin their quest for a beach volleyball gold medal to go with the two golds Kiraly won as a U.S. indoor player.