AMONG THE FREE-FLYING ELITE : LOOKING FOR MORE GOLD IN 100, 200, THE OTHER MICHAEL SPRINTING TO FINISH.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer

The Michael of choice in track and field at the moment is Michael Johnson, the budding celebrity who will be attempting an unprecedented Olympic double in the 200- and 400-meter sprints.

However, another Michael is worthy of mention.

Michael Marsh, a graduate of Hawthorne High School and UCLA, has quietly become one of America's best short sprinters - 100 and 200 - and, with two Olympic gold medals to his name, one of the nation's most accomplished.

He is the only American who will run both the 100 and 200 in the Atlanta Games.

``Yes, other athletes get more notoriety,'' said Joe Douglas, Marsh's coach with the famed Santa Monica Track Club, which includes Carl Lewis.

``Who's really got attention other than Carl, though? Mike just runs and does the best he can.''

Marsh, 28, was something of a phenom in high school after running 20.82 in the 200.

However, he never fully blossomed once he landed at UCLA. He had credible personal records of 10.07 in the 100 and 20.35 in Westwood, but his best finish in the NCAA meet was third in the 100 as a sophomore.

It was the same after college. Although he ranked among the better U.S. sprinters in the two years following UCLA, he seemed destined to have a nondescript career.

Then he made the best decision of his life: He moved to Houston to work with coaches Tom Tellez and Mike Takaha, under the supervision of Douglas, who had been working with other top sprinters.

The result? A breakthrough 9.93 in the 100 in April 1992, and a 19.94 in the 200 the following month. Suddenly, he was an elite sprinter.

``In Houston, it took a year or so to change his running form,'' Douglas said. ``We changed his body mechanics and that's why he improved like he did.''

Marsh made his biggest splash in the Barcelona Olympics.

With Johnson having been weakened by food poisoning, Marsh was the favorite to win the 200 - his only individual event - and he didn't disappoint, easily winning the gold medal in 20.01 and running a leg on the world record-setting 400-meter relay team.

However, his most spectacular performance came in the semifinals of the 200, when he ran 19.73 - a hundredth of a second off the then-world record - even though he eased up dramatically at the end of the race.

Attributing the fast time to relaxation, Marsh was in the same mode in the final. Only he took it too far.

``I relaxed so much,'' he told Track and Field News magazine, ``I didn't even drive out of the blocks.''

Since '92, Marsh has been hampered by a hamstring injury and his performances suffered. He remained a solid sprinter - winning the U.S. title in the 100 in 1993 and the 200 last year - but finished no higher than fourth in any world-championships race.

Marsh is healthy now, though. In the U.S. Trials, he finished second to Dennis Mitchell in the 100 - running 10.00, his fastest time since the 9.93 - and placing third in the 200 in 20.04, also his best time in years.

Of course, it won't be easy for Marsh to duplicate his 1992 Olympic performance. Johnson, who ran 19.66 to break the world record in the trials, and Namibia's hot Frank Fredericks will be tough to beat.

However, Douglas is optimistic.

``He's worked hard to get where he is,'' he said. ``He's healthy now. We're looking for three gold medals.''

PROFILE Age: 28

Hometown: Hawthorne

Fast fact: Had a disappointing career at UCLA. His best finish in the NCAA meet was third place in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore.

When to Watch 100 meters: July 26, first round 8 a.m., second round 3:35 p.m.; July 27, semifinals 3:10 p.m., finals 5 p.m.

200 meters: July 31, first round 7:45 a.m., second round 3:30 p.m.; Aug. 1, semifinals 3:10 p.m., finals 5 p.m.

THROUGH THE YEARS 1984: As junior in high school, works as parking attendant at Long Beach venue for fencing and volleyball.

1988: Places sixth in 100-meter dash in Olympic trials, thereby qualifying as alternate on 400-meter relay team but doesn't compete because team is disqualified in opening round.

1992: In the 1992 Olympics, runs 19.73 in 200 semifinal, only .01 seconds off the then-world record and goes on to win gold medal in 20.01.

1996: In Olympic trials, becomes only American to qualify for both the 100 and 200, the latter of which pits him against favorites Michael Johnson and Frankie Fredericks.

100, 200 METERS The overwhelming favorite in this event in 1992 was world champion Michael Johnson who had won 29 straight finals until he was beaten by Namibia's Frankie Fredericks on July 5 in Rome. But he didn't even make it to the finals in Barcelona after contracting food poisoning at a Spanish restaurant.

Michael Marsh ran the fastest times in each of the first two rounds and came just 1/100th of a second shy of Pietro Mennea's then-world record in the semifinals. Feeling the pressure of expectations he would break the record, he got off to a bad start in the final. He quickly recovered and beat Namibia's Frank Fredericks with a time of 20.01 and win the gold medal.

Marsh was the third straight 200-meter champion to be coached by Tom Tellez.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos, 4 Boxes

Photo: (1) Michael Marsh, the only American run ning in both the 100- and 200-meter races, aims to add to Barcelona Olympic golds.

Daily News File Photo

(2) Michael Marsh

(3) At the Atlanta Olympics, Michael Johnson will try to become the first man ever to win the 200 and 400 meters. Food poisoning kept him out of the 200 finals in '92.

Box: (1) PROFILE (see text)

(2) When to Watch (see text)

(3) THROUGH THE YEARS (see text)

(4) 100, 200 METERS (see text)