SUMMER GAMES SPOTLIGHT : BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS : MAYBE THE METAL ISN’T PRECIOUS ENOUGH

Ibragim Samadov of the Commonwealth of Independent States refused his bronze medal for weightlifting in the 82.5-kilogram category Friday. Samadov, 24, of Grozny, Russia, apparently was angered when Greek fans cheered as he failed on his last lift. Pyrros Dimas of Greece won the gold and Krzysztof Siemion of Poland the silver.

No statement from Samadov or official explanation for his action was immediately available. One Tass journalist told The Times: “Perhaps it was political, or perhaps he is a crazy man.”

This a daily roundup of Olympic-related items from reporters in Barcelona from the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Baltimore Sun and Hartford Courant, all Times-Mirror newspapers.