WINTER OLYMPICS : Notes : Witt Lightens Up in Her Conference After Winning the Gold

CALGARY, Canada —  East Germany’s Katarina Witt didn’t make a spectacle of herself after winning the figure skating gold medal Saturday night as Ted Turner did of himself after winning the America’s Cup in 1977. But she did reveal a low tolerance for alcohol.

“This will be funny because I (went to) doping control, and I drank beer, and I had never drunk beer before,” she announced before beginning her post-competition press conference.

“So sorry.”

She was able to answer a few questions before becoming too giddy to continue coherently.

On attending the World Championships next month in Budapest: “I want to do it again this year because I want to show the world I really am the best figure skater.”

On the possibility of appearing after the World Championships with a professional ice show: “When I stop (competing) after the worlds, it will be very hard for me. I really love skating. Now, with my age, I feel the music much more than before. I want to do my studies for an acting career, but maybe it’s possible to see me in a show as a guest. I can’t imagine that I can stop skating from today until tomorrow because it has been my whole life until now.”

On her loss in the long program to Canada’s Elizabeth Manley, who won the silver medal: “I wasn’t nervous about Manley because it was just the battle--to take your words from the newspapers--between Debi Thomas and myself.”

On the sub-par long program of Thomas, who once described herself as invincible: “I thought if Debi did all her jumps, she would win. But she’s really just a human being like everybody. She can do mistakes under pressure. She can be nervous. She’s not a miracle.”

Up to then, Witt had been speaking in English. But after starting to answer another question, she became tongue-tied.

“I’ll try in German,” she said.

When she couldn’t get the answer out in her native language, either, she laughed and said, “Forget it.”

That amused reporters.

“Don’t laugh,” Witt scolded.

“I just had one American light beer,” she said. “I don’t drink German beer. It’s too potent.”

Thomas said she also will attend the World Championships next month, not to redeem herself for her third-place finish here, but for her coach, Alex McGowan.

“I want to prove to him that I’m not a total louse-up,” she said.

McGowan said Thomas is going to help the U.S. team, which needs a finish in the top three in order to send three women to the 1989 World Championships in Paris. If the United States does not have a top-three finish in Budapest, Hungary, it will be allowed to send only two women to Paris.

Dale Mitch, spokesman for the U.S. Figure Skating Assn., said he expects Olympians Jill Trenary, 19, and Caryn Kadavy, 20, to continue competing at least through next year. Thomas, 20, has announced she will retire from competitive skating after the World Championships.

Mike Moran, U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman, issued a warning Sunday about con-artists going door to door asking for contributions for U.S. Olympic athletes.

“We got a call from the authorities in Georgia this morning saying that people have been going door to door claiming that they are raising money for the U.S. ski team, which did so poorly here,” Moran said.

“Basically, we’re telling Americans to be careful of anyone making that kind of pitch. People should notify the fraud divisions of their local police departments if they are approached in that manner.”

But Moran didn’t deny that the U.S. ski team is a needy charity. After winning six medals in each of the last two Winter Games, the skiers were shut out in Calgary.

Speed skater Dan Jansen, who competed here despite the death of his sister from leukemia, was named winner of the USOC’s 1988 Olympic Spirit Award.

Jansen, 22, of West Allis, Wis., came to Calgary as one of the favorites in the 500 and the 1,000 meters but fell in both events.

“I’m accepting this on behalf of my sister and her memory and my whole family, which has been through a heck of a year,” Jansen said.

Jansen said he will leave for Europe today to resume the World Cup circuit, but hasn’t decided whether he’ll continue in the sport until the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France.

“I’m considering skating next season,” he said. “I’ll take it year to year to see if I make it to ’92.”

Bonnie Blair, who won a gold medal and a bronze medal in speed skating, said she hasn’t decided whether she will remain in the sport until 1992, which would be her third Olympics.

“So much of my thoughts and my efforts have been directed toward 1988 that I never thought about it,” said Blair, 23. “One thing I want to do is finish school. Because of where the speed skating facilities are located in the country, I’m not sure I can do both.”

The only three speed skating tracks in the United States are in West Allis, Lake Placid, N.Y., and Butte, Mont.

A result you might have overlooked: In the rodeo competition, part of the arts festival at the Winter Games, the United States defeated Canada, 4,950-3,140. U.S. cowboys won five of the six individual gold medals.