L.A. BEAT : SWIMMING OLYMPIANS TO COMPETE.

Four Olympic gold medalists - Amy Van Dyken, Amanda Beard, Brad Bridgewater and Kristine Quance - and a host of other U.S. and international Olympians and national team members - are among the competitors at the fourth annual JanetEvans Invitational at USC today through Sunday.

Among the Southern Californians competing this weekend will be Beard (Irvine), Quance (Northridge), seven-time national title winner Jennier Parmenter (Granada Hills), Bridgewater (Pasadena) and 1996 NCAA champion Lenny Krayzelburg (Studio City).

The meet, which is the last major meet before the Phillips 66 National Swimming Championships on July 26, begins at 5 p.m. today with timed finals of the 800-meter freestyle. Preliminary events begin at 9 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Friday's finals are at 5 p.m., Saturday's at 6 p.m. and Sunday's at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at the USC McDonald's Swim Stadium each day of the event. The cost is $2 for prelims, $4 for the finals and $5 for an all-day pass. Children 6-and-under are admitted free. Information: [phone].

?13Daily News

SPARKS

Attendance lags for team

The Sparks' average attendance after three home games is more than 1,000 under the league average.

The Sparks are drawing 9,117 fans, while the WNBA reported the league's average attendance over the first 16 games was 10,369.

The team's home opener at the Forum drew 14,284. Last Friday, it drew 6,670 for a 6 p.m. start. The game was televised on Lifetime and the early time might have impacted the turnout with people still at work or on the freeways at tipoff.

``For a Friday night in L.A. with a 6 p.m. start, I think it's very good,'' WNBA president Val Ackerman said. ``It's a late-arriving crowd. It seems to be filling in and it seems very loud (and) very boisterous. Ithink it's a very, very strong showing.''

?13Kristen Davis

NBA

Stars come out for charity

Karl Malone and Scottie Pippen head an NBA All-Star lineup playing golf for charity July 11-12 at Cypress Golf Club.

The ``Mitch Richmond Hollywood Hoops and Golf for Charity'' features a golf tournament and a basketball exhibition game. Others expected to play are Tim Hardaway, Anfernee Hardaway, Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, Reggie Miller, Vin Baker, Juwan Howard and Alonzo Mourning.

Proceeds will go to the NAACP National Endowment Fund, United Way and the UCLA Scholarship Program. The event aims to raise $1 million over four years.

The golf tournament begins July 11 at 8 a.m. A limited number of slots are available for individuals or corporations. For more information, call [phone].

The basketball game will be held at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 12 at 6 p.m. Each team will be coached by a celebrity and will feature a mix of NBA and Hollywood stars. Tickets cost $10 to $50 and are available at the door or through the UCLA Central Ticket Office, [phone].

Sponsorship packages are available and include golf, apparel, private VIP receptions with players, a private yacht cruise and courtside seats. For more information, call [phone].

?13Howard Beck