1.
SCU Sign 'Rotonda'
0.05

2.
LV Joe Frazier & other stars in swimming race
0.37

3.
LV Revson leading field in race (swimming) (4 shots)
1.17

4.
SCU Laver bowling
1.25

5.
SCU Bench bowling & leaves 1 pin standing
1.36

6.
SV Frazier bowls & picks up 2 pins
1.47

7.
SV Killy weight-lifting
2.00

8.
SV Spectators
2.03

9.
MV Joe Frazier lifting weight applauded by crowd
2.13



Initials ESP/1540 ESP/1612


NB CORRECTION: POLL VAULER BOB SEAGREN WON OVERALL COMPETITIONS - REVSON LED FIRST DAY ONLY.
SPORT: ATHLETICS

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Millionaire Formula-1 racing driver Peter Revson won on Tuesday (20 February) the world's first "superstar sports" competition in Florida.

Ten noted sportsman participated in the two-day sports festival, with each athlete barred from partaking in the event for which he is famous.

Among the stars competing for the 122,000 dollars (US), (50,000 pounds sterling) prize money were tennis ace Rod Laver, skier Jean-Claude Killy, pole vaulter Bob Seagren, and Joe Frazier, the former world heavyweight boxing champion.

There were nine events in all, and each competitor was allowed to choose seven of the nine to participate in. The winner was the athlete who compiled the highest aggregate score.

Peter Revson surprised few as he took a commanding lead after the first day of competition. Joe Frazier, however, had as much trouble with the swimming pool as he did with George Foreman, who took his title away recently. He couldn't swim the whole distance of his 50-metre qualifying heat.

Second palace in the competition went to Johnny Bench, the baseball star, and third to Bob Seagren who surprisingly outpointed Joe Frazier in the weightlifting event.

SYNOPSIS: The world's first "superstar sports" competition got underway on Tuesday in Florida - with famous stars competing OUTSIDE their own sports. It got off to a fast start in the 50-metre swimming event... when Joe Frazier, all two hundred and fifteen pounds of him, swam for daylight. But the swimming pool proved as troublesome to "Smoking" Joe as George Foreman... who recently took away his world heavyweight boxing title. After twenty-five metres of hard, sometimes unorthodox swimming, Joe called a halt. "I sure don't have any trouble staying in the ring," said Joe, "but I sure do have trouble staying on top of the water."
Ten of the world's noted athletes competed in this two-day event... among them Peter Revson, the eventual overall winner. This millionaire Grand Prix driver surprised everyone by not only winning the swimming event, but also the tennis match. But Revson did not enter the competition for fun or glory... "When I found out how much money was involved", he said, "that's when I decided to get into it." Like the other superstars competing, Revson had to swim, lift weights, run, bowl, play tennis, and golf for a total prize money of over a hundred and twenty thousand american dollars.

Rod Laver, barred like the others from competing in the event for which he is famous, failed in the overall competition.

Johnny Bench, the baseball star from Cincinnati came second.

Joe Frazier finished well down the list... but fared batter in bowling than he did in swimming.

Jean-Claude Killy, winner of three Olympic Gold medals in 'sixty-eight, was also there... but must have felt the pressure of having to compete with nine other idols of the sports world. He didn't place in the top three.

In the weightlifting event, "Smoking'" Joe was upset by the pole vaulter Bob Seagren, third in he overall competition. It just wasn't Joe's day.