Athletes, officials and observers were yesterday stunned to learn of a vicious assault on the winner of Saturday's International Race Weekend 10K.

Charles Mulinga, a 27-year-old native of Zambia, was badly beaten on Front Street early yesterday morning and was last night resting in the Intensive Care Unit at King Edward VII Hospital.

While Police attempt to piece together the incident, which happened outside Odyssey nightclub shortly after 2.00 a.m., those who know Mulinga -- and Bermuda -- reacted with shock at the news.

"He is an affable, quiet, easy-going young man,'' said Phil Guishard, chairman of the International Race Weekend race committee. "That this should happen to someone like Charles ought to make us all sit up a little straighter.'' Guishard and Bermuda Track and Field Association president Judith Simmons visited briefly with Mulinga, although hospital officials later screened his calls and did not allow visitors.

Upon receiving news of the incident, Sports Minister Tim Smith said he attempted to call Mulinga to "express sincere regrets on behalf of the Bermuda Government and wish him a speedy recovery.'' The bespectacled resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was scheduled to depart with a host of International Race Weekend participants on yesterday morning's American Airlines flight to New York. He had been staying at the Cavendish Heights home of John and Diana Plested, who did not return a telephone message left yesterday.

Now it appears the 1996 Olympian will be spending a few more days in Bermuda recovering from his beating.

Guishard said he told Mulinga's agent in Albuquerque, New Mexico, of the attack and she, in turn, contacted the runner's family in Zambia. Guishard said he also expected to speak yesterday with Mulinga's fiancee in Arkansas.

Mulinga, who also won the International Race Weekend 10K in 1996, picked up the $1,000 first prize this year with a time of 30 minutes and 15 seconds in blustery conditions on Saturday.

England's Paul Freary, who was fifth in the 10K before winning Sunday's Half-Marathon, was with Mulinga at a Hamilton pub until about 12.00 a.m.

yesterday and said he was surprised when he heard of the incident from Race Weekend secretary Pam Shailer.

"This is my sixth time here and I've never encountered anything but friendly people,'' said Freary.

Freary said he had never been assaulted in his travels around the globe nor was he aware of similar incidents involving Race Weekend athletes in Bermuda.

Asked if it might make him think twice about coming to the Island, Freary said he "certainly wouldn't hesitate in returning and I would certainly recommend anybody coming here.'' Guishard also said he was not aware of any other competitor encountering any similar trouble in the 19-year history of the event but conceded Bermuda's history of tranquillity "is a little less reassuring when something like this happens.'' "We're always conscious of our image and I'm very concerned of any negative impact in situations like this.'' But Smith cautioned that there appeared to be no relation between the attack and the fact Mulinga was a renowned athlete.

"I don't think it's a situation we need to be concerned about from an international sports perspective,'' he said.

CHARLES MULINGA -- listed in stable condition in King Edward Hospital's intensive care unit.