AREA ATHLETES : WANG KNOWS WAY IN TABLE TENNIS QUANCE, EVANS RETURN TO POOL FOR ANOTHER TRY.

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

First a call from home, then a call from the home crowd, and Pasadena's Wei Wang was on her way.

``I talked to my husband Diego on the phone before the match and he said, `This is it. Give it all you got.' So I did,'' Wei said after she and doubles partner Lilly Yip defeated the Netherlands' Emily Noor and Bettine Vriesekoop 21-18, 11-21 and 21-11 in a table tennis preliminary-round match.

``And with the American crowd rooting so strongly for us, I felt like I wasn't out there just for myself but for the USA.''

The Wei-Yip team returns to preliminary-round action today.

In the pool: Northridge's Kristine Quance and Pasadena's Janet Evans return to the water today after disappointing initial appearances.

Evans, who on Monday failed to qualify for the 400-meter freestyle finals, swims in the 800 meter prelims. (The finals are Thursday.) She holds the world record - 3-1/2 seconds faster than her nearest rival - and another failure to reach the finals would be an enormous story.

Her major competition will be brash young American Brooke Bennett and Australia's Hayley Lewis.

``Before the Olympics started I felt more comfortable about my chances in the 800,'' she said. ``There aren't as many fast girls.''

Quance, who didn't make the 100 breaststroke finals, competes in the 200-meter individual medley prelims this morning. (The final is at 4:45 p.m.)

U.S. Swimming's decision to disqualify her from the 400 IM appears even pettier than it did initially after the International Olympic Committee allowed Ireland's Michelle Smith to compete in the 400 freestyle despite attaining a qualifying time a day after deadline.

``U.S. Swimming is a conservative federation . . . in that the top officials are such slaves to the rules they would rather die than grant an exception to anyone,'' wrote Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon.

``A case in point would be Kristine Quance, who would have been a legit gold-medal contender in the 400 IM had she not been sabotaged by a `turn judge.'. . . Instead of going to the coaches or judges and saying, `Hey, here's something you ought to pay attention to,' some turn judge disqualified the kid and she was out of that event . . .

``She didn't have to be disqualified. She was so far ahead in the trials, it didn't matter, and the turn actually cost her time.''

Not thrilled: Former Bruin gymnast Chainey Umphrey, of Albuquerque, has mixed feelings about his Olympic experience.

``It was the most disappointing and the most incredible (experience),'' he said. ``There were the highest highs and the lowest lows.''

Umphrey was not chosen to compete in the horizontal bar and vault team competition, making him ineligible for individual medals in those events.

The far North: USC center fielder Jacque Jones made two brilliant defensive plays in a 7-2 U.S. victory over South Korea Monday night - including a leaping catch at the wall with the bases loaded in the sixth.

Jones, who is struggling at the plate, spent a summer playing in the Alaska Baseball Federation in Fairbanks. ``It was a lot of fun,'' he said. ``It was different, that's for sure. I didn't know what to expect when I got there. But the biggest thing was it was light for 24 hours.''

The U.S., with Chatsworth's Troy Glaus, La Crescenta's Jim Parque and Simi Valley's Jeff Weaver, is 2-0 in pool play and faces Italy today.

Weaver, who tossed three shutout innings Monday night, has impressed his teammates and major-league scouts. Word out of Fresno State is coaches there believe Weaver will bolt for the majors - as a first-round selection - after his upcoming redshirt sophomore season.

``He's a sinker-slider pitcher with some power. His fastball is 90 to 91 (miles per hour) with movement,'' U.S. catcher A.J. Hinch said. ``His strength is getting ground ball outs early in the count.''

Weaver was around the plate against every batter he faced, even when he walked a batter with two outs in the ninth.

``That whole experience, with the crowd standing and chanting and wanting a strikeout, it's tough to pitch in that situation,'' Hinch said. ``He was right around the strike zone - barely missing if he missed at all. It was a great experience, because he's a guy to come out and get the critical out before we put in (closer Braden) Looper.''

Close to home: The men's soccer team, with UCLA's Frankie Hejduk and Chris Snitko, is in action today against Portugal. If the Americans win, they advance to the second round. If they tie, they need Tunisia to defeat Argentina. If they lose, they're home early.

In 10 Olympic appearances, the U.S. men have never advanced beyond the first round. . . .

Another American team tries to end an ignominious streak today. The men's field hockey team, with six area players and zero wins in 64 years of Olympic play, faces India this morning.

The men's handball team, with Camarillo's Denny Fercho, begins play today (against Sweden). Fercho had a metal plate surgically inserted into his fractured foot last week, but he is expected to be available today.

Circle this date: Ventura's Joseph Harper races in the 1,000-meter canoe sprints at 6 a.m. on July 30.

Alex Rousseau, of Santa Monica and UCLA, scored a goal in the water polo team's 9-7 victory over Ukraine Monday night.

The U.S. is 3-1 after Tuesday night's 10-5 victory over Romania - giving it six points in pool play with one game left. ``I want eight coming out of this bracket,'' coach Rich Corso said.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Chart

Photo: (1) Pasadena's Wei Wang, left, slaps a ret urn shot as teammate Lily Yip watches as they won their table tennis match against the Netherlands.

Associated Press

(2) U.S. gymnast Chainey Umphrey, here shouting in satisfaction after his rings routine on Monday, said the Olympics have been an emotional experience.

Mike Powell/Allsport

Chart: Keeping Watch of Area Athletes