U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES 1991 : NOTEBOOK

In a reversal, Dennis Pursley, U.S. Swimming Inc. national team director, decided to allow world record-holders Melvin Stewart and Mike Barrowman to swim in the U.S. National Swimming Championships Aug. 12-16 at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and in the Pan Pacific Games Aug. 22-25 at Edmonton, Canada. Stewart and Barrowman will be permitted to miss the first few days of the Pan Pacific Games camp, Aug. 12-20 in Minneapolis, to compete in both meets.

On Wednesday, a U.S. Swimming board of review denied the swimmers’ request to miss part of the mandatory camp. As a result, Stewart and Barrowman planned to swim in the nationals instead of the Pan Pacific Games, the U.S. team’s last international competition before the 1992 Olympic Games.