Open To Attack

Women athletes have become new symbols of the fear of stalking. The Kerrigan episode again raises an issue that has affected ordinary women as well as superstars. Ever since the 1989 shooting of TV actress Rebecca Schaeffer by an obsessed fan, stalking stories have become frighteningly commonplace--and it has taken years for states to face up to it. When Schaeffer was murdered, there were virtually no antistalking laws on the books. Since then 48 states have adopted at least some measures, and a federal study recently proposed a model statute that led several states to begin rewriting their codes. The trick, though, is catching stalkers before they act. But how? Most commonly the stalker is a rejected boyfriend or fan whose romantic obsession flips over into hatred and the desire to harm. Often, his overtures are dismissed--until it's too late.

For now, at least, attacks on male athletes usually take a different tack. "Men are competitive with celebrities, so they pick fights and try to prove themselves in reallife situations," says media psychologist Fischoff. "They'll meet in a bar or on the street and say, 'You think you're a tough guy? Let's see how tough you are'."

World-class athletes--women and men--are tough. Weaklings don't make it to national championships--at Wimbledon or the Orange Bowl. They cope. Says Lynnore Lawton, spokeswoman for the Women's Sports Foundation: "Now, you are not only being judged by your performance, but you also have to fear for your life." It's not the sort of stardom any woman athlete wants.

MEANWHILE, ON THE ICE
By any measure, even without the attack on Kerrigan, it was a remarkable skating championship last week in Detroit. Tonya Harding skated consistently well--and did not get mired in a new personal controversy. The legendary Brian Boitano, returning from the pros, finished second to Scott Davis. But he still won a trip to Norway. And Renee Roca proved her mettle by skating with her dance partner despite breaking a bone in her left arm during practice.

With Stanley Holmes

© 1994