ORANGE COUNTY OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK : Barton Comes Back Strong, Qualifies for Two Kayak Finals

Greg Barton, who trains in Newport Beach, bounced back Thursday and advanced to the single kayak 1,000-meter final with the second fastest time among qualifiers.

On Tuesday, Barton faced elimination in the event in which he won the gold medal in 1988. He finished third in his heat and was forced to go through a repechage for the first time since 1983.

Barton qualified Thursday with a time of 3 minutes 36.34 seconds. Knut Holmann of Norway had the fastest time of the day (3:35.21).

“I was a little disappointed Tuesday when I had to go through the repechages, but today both races went down with no problems,” Barton said.

Barton also qualified for the final in the 1,000-meter flatwater doubles kayak. He and teammate Norman Bellingham of Washington, D.C., are seeking to become the first team to defend its Olympic title in the event.

On Thursday, they finished second in their heat with a time of 3:17.93.

“I’m looking for medals in both events,” Barton said. “I know it will take the race of my life to win the gold in either one of them, but that’s what I’m shooting for.”

The U.S. women’s volleyball team was blown away, in a way, Thursday.

Facing Cuba in the semifinals, the U.S was leading, 8-7, in the fifth game when Irvine’s Kim Oden served long. Oden said serving was difficult because of a tail wind coming from one section of the vast hall. The two teams had switched sides in the fifth game just before Oden was to serve, leaving the Cubans on the side unaffected by air currents.

“It was a real downer. It let them off the hook,” U.S. setter Lori Endicott said of Oden’s missed serve.

Because points in the fifth game are won regardless of which team is serving, the Cubans tied the score and went on to win the game and the match, 8-15, 15-9, 6-15, 15-5, 15-11.

HOW THE OTHERS FARED

--Jeff Campbell, UC Irvine, scored a goal to help the U.S. water polo team defeat Germany, 7-2, to stay alive for a medal.

--Mark Hamilton, Costa Mesa, advanced to the final of the men’s kayak 1,000-meter quads with Chris Barlow, San Diego; Michael Herbert, Mascoutah, Ill., and Terry Kent, Rochester, N.Y. Their time was 2:56.57.

--Fred Spaulding, Costa Mesa, finished sixth in his heat of the semifinals of the men’s 1,000-meter single flatwater canoe.

WHO’S COMPETING TODAY

Nick Becker (Newport Beach), Carlos Briceno (Fountain Valley), Scott Fortune (Laguna Beach), Brent Hilliard (Dana Point), Steve Timmons (Newport Beach) with the U.S. men’s volleyball team in semifinals against Brazil.

Tammy Liley (Westminster), Elaina Oden and Kim Oden (Irvine) with the U.S. women’s volleyball team in the bronze medal game against Brazil.