Turner out to clear her name

By Jim Kelley, CNN/SI

Posted: Tue February 17, 1998 at 1:26 AM ET

Turner (right) was accused of grabbing Zhang Yanmei's skate on her way to a gold medal in the 500 meters   AP FILE

NAGANO, Japan (CNN/SI) -- He might have skipped making a call to the Denver Broncos, but President Clinton didn't ignore Cathy Turner, the two-time gold-medal winning short-track speed skater from Rochester, New York.

Of course it was awhile ago when Turner was at the White House and began to introduce herself. Clinton stopped her and said, "I know who you are. You got robbed (in the 1,000-meter race at Lillehammer in 1994)."

History has since shown us that we don't know for certain if Clinton was telling the truth.

Turner was disqualified in that race for bumping a competitor. She says it was she who was actually bumped. Perhaps. But people who were there didn't see it that way. There, she was accused of being an all-world disturber, the Dennis Rodman of her sport.

Some examples:

After Turner won the 500-meter race in Lillehammer, runner-up Zhang Yanmei refused to shake her hand.

In case that slight was overlooked, Yanmei then stomped off the medal platform, flung her ceremonial bouquet on the floor and tossed an American flag in a trash can.

Now I haven't been here a long time, but in my brief experience with Asian culture, I've noticed that this is not the normal demeanor of an Asian athlete.

Afterward, Yanmei and the entire Chinese team accused Turner of grabbing Yanmei's skate as the two went through the final turn in their race.

Hey, maybe it was some kind of pharmaceutical rage!

This is supposed to be the Olympics of peace and harmony and the gentle snoring sounds of Juan Antonio Samaranch imparts a tranquil bliss out there. Nobody would ever stoop to unfair play to get an edge.

Right?

And besides, video replays were inconclusive.

But then there is this troubling quote from Nathalie Lambert of Canada, our gentle neighbor to the North.

Speaking after those same Games, Lambert said: "She's brutal (insert your own selection of various words unsuitable for a family newspaper here) ... She is the dirtiest skater. Everybody is afraid of her. I hope she gets what she deserves. Something bad.''

Hmm, Lambert is here as a television commentator for Canada now.

She didn't want to get into it again, but judging from the look on her face and the tone in her voice, I had a sense that if she had a pitchfork and a whip, Turner would be in some kind of serious trouble.

To be sure, Turner is no angel when it comes to honing a competitive edge. Given the fact she let slip with an ethnic slur in front of the media at an Olympic briefing in Salt Lake City and that she was once suspended for three months for screaming obscenities at U.S. officials and coaches, there is some legitimate tarnish on her otherwise gold and bronze medal reputation.

But not unlike Barnaby and some of the other "colorful" sports personalities of our time, Turner argues that she is largely misunderstood.

Short track speed skating isn't hockey. But by and large it's a tough sport. Things get pretty congested out there and, not unlike distance running, competitors are not above (below?) taking advantage of the tight quarters. Sometimes a foot or elbow gets in the way. Things happen, ask Mary Decker-Slaney.

That's the way Turner sees it. A self-made woman who owns her own business -- Cathy Turner's Empire Fitness Center -- she considers herself a top-flight competitor in a really tough sport.

"It was inaccurate, Turner says of the Yanmei incident. "Actually she did something to me that was way worse going into that turn. I'm the one who got bumped and I would never in a million years mention that.''

Obviously Turner has compressed her schedule somewhat, but it's no surprise. Considering the time frame of her sport, she's from the Jurasic period. Simply put, her time is running out.

Though she has retired and returned twice before, this likely is Turner's last go-round on the world's most slippery stage. She won gold and a silver (in the 500 and 3,000-meter relay, respectively) at Albertville and a gold and a bronze in the same events at Lillehammer. But at 35, she's slowing down. She failed to qualify for any of the individual events here, but will compete in the 3,000- meter relay

In the off years, Turner has had a variety of careers.

Off her first Olympics she landed a bit part in a movie with Jerry Mathers of Leave it to Beaver fame. It didn't go anywhere.

She launched a singing career as Nikki Newland, but still doesn't have a recording contract.

She did once sign a contract to tape a segment of American Gladiators, where she was supposed to square off against figure skating's own goon, Tonya Harding. But Turner says Harding "wimped out."

She did do a turn with the Ice Capades (she was fired), but now spends most of her time building her fitness business. She said she came back for a third Olympics largely to clear her name.

"All that work and I'm thought of as just a dirty skater,'' she said. "It would be nice to be recognized as a good athlete, the athlete that I am.''

No doubt. But if that doesn't happen in these Olympics, maybe Rodman or the President can help.