Bill Cleary scored his first goal in Olympic competition Saturday as the United States whipped Poland, 4 to 0, and Tenley Albright begins her quest for the Olympic figure-skating crown this morning at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Miss Albright, the current world champion, competes in the school figures today, and will perform the free figures Thursday. The leg gash which she suffered in practice has apparently healed well, and to the beginning of competition today.

Helss a Threat

Experts expect Carol Heiss of New York, runner-up in last year's world championship to give Miss Albright stiff competition in the free figures, but the Radcliffe junior's superiority in the compulsory school events seemed likely to bring her the title. Miss Albright, who lost the crown in 1952 when she fell late in the competition, said before leaving the United States that she also anticipated a very strong bid from Catherine Machado. the third United States entry.

The U.S. hockey team, rebounding after a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Czechoslovakia, downed Poland with little difficulty. Paced by the skating of Johnny Mayasich and Cleary and the goal-tending of Don Rigazio of Cambridge, the Americans scored once in the first period and added three goals in the final chapter to sew up their first victory.

Cleary scored the final goal at 11:47 when he closed in on the Polish goalie, Ed Koczab and fired the puck past him from a few foot out. Mayasich opened the scoring when he skated through the entire Polish team to beat Koczab at 14:41 of the first period. Mayasich scored again at 8:59 of the third when he slapped in a twelve-foot backhand shot. Gene Campbell scored the other U.S. marker at 1:48 of the final stanza.

This win puts the American team in a good position to move into the finals if Czechoslovakia defeats Poland. That would leave Czechoslovakia with a 2-0 record, America with a 1-1 record, and Poland with a 0-2 record, in Group B. The top two teams from each of the three groups enter the finals. Canada and Russia, the two leading favorites, have already assured themselves of spots in the final round-robin.

At present, the United States has only six and one-half points in the unofficial scoring, good for a tie for seventh place with Switzerland. Russia leads with 46 points, followed by Finland and Italy with 15, Germany with 10, Austria with 9, and Sweden with 9. The figures are based on the 10-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system.

The hockey and figure skating events are the Americans' strongest, and the U.S. will be trying to sweep the first three places in the men's skating with Hayes Alan Jenkins, Ronnie Robertson, and Dave Jenkins. In the women's division, Miss Albright and Miss Helss will be pointing for a one-two finish. The American sextet is expected to finish third, and has an outside chance for second place