Harvard Sledder Fights Onto U.S. Olympic Squad

Those who die by the media can live by the media. Just ask Donald LaVigne.

LaVigne, a Harvard varsity track member who took his senior year off to compete as a bobsledder in the Calgary Olympics, had his membership revoked nearly two weeks ago to make room for Chicago Bears' wide receiver Willie Gault.

The Harvard sledder complained that Gault, who was a world-class sprinter before playing football, hadn't been to Olympic trials and still didn't have good enough times to qualify. In interviews after his dismissal, LaVigne charged that Gault's addition to the team was part of "an arrangement" by the U.S. Bobsled Federation to bring media attention to the relatively-unknown winter sport.

But last week, the coach of the U.S. bobsled team said Gault was the swifter pusher. "We can only take 12 people to Calgary and Gault was the better pusher," said Jeffrey W. Jost.

Yet in one of the stranger twists in this year's Winter Olympics it was LaVigne--not Gault--who has been showered with media attention, although perhaps without the beneficial effects for the Bobsled Federation. LaVigne's story has been front-page fare for the New York Times Sports section, among others.

And at a press conference yesterday at the high-priced offices of Nutter, McClennen & Fish, LaVigne's lawyer, Alan D. Rose '67, announced the conclusion of the bobsledder's feud with the U.S. Bobsledding Federation. After being allowed back on the team as a "non-participating" member of the team, LaVigne had been allowed to join Gault as an alternate, Rose announced.

But what made the Albany, N.Y.-native's improbable fight against the Olympic Committee even more surprising is that alternates rarely compete.

"This was a very practical solution to what could have been a bad situation for everyone," said Olympic Committee President Robert Helmick. "This was a very, very good decision."

LaVigne and Gault are both pushers, the position responsible for giving the bobsled its initial momentum on its run down the narrow, icy course. LaVigne and Gault both ran track in college.

Several of LaVigne's teammates, among them, James Herberich '85, had threatened to boycott the Games in protest of LaVigne's removal from the team. In addition, the team's top two drivers, Brent Rushlaw and Matthew Roy, refused to put Gault on their sleds.

"We're delighted Don's back on the team." said David E. Hyme, executive director of the Bobsled Federation. "What's been misconstrued here is this idea that we didn't want Don on the team. We were just abiding by the rules that were laid down to us."

Under Olympic regulations, each country's bobsled team is allowed to bring only 12 athletes to the games. The International Olympic Committee made a special ruling allowing the U.S. team to bring a thirteenth sledder. The top two sleds compete, while the third comes as an alternate.

LaVigne's replacement and reinstatement have hurt morale on the U.S. bobsled, which is not expected to win a medal.

"There's lots of time for the team to pull together for the United States," Rose said.

Hyme yesterday agreed, saying, "I'm told by the coaches that the attitude of the team is up and that they're ready to go for the gold."