2004 Summer Olympics!

[yudansha]

Post anything Olympics related here (your favourite sport, who you're rooting for, and so on...)

Canada sending smallest team since 1980 to Athens Summer Olympics

TORONTO (CP) - When Nicolas Gill marches into Olympic Stadium hoisting the Maple Leaf at the opening of the Summer Olympics, he'll lead Canada's smallest team in 24 years.

Gill, a judoka from Montreal who will make his fourth Olympic appearance, was unveiled as Canada's flag-bearer for the opening ceremonies at a news conference Monday to announce the full squad for Athens. Canada will send 266 athletes to Athens - 134 women and 132 men - the smallest squad since 1980. Canada boycotted those Olympics in Moscow, but 211 athletes were still chosen to the team.

Some 270 support staff are also going to Athens.

The Canadian Olympic Committee toughened the qualifying standards for Athens, and the gruelling task of making the team became a theme that ran throughout the various trials.

Canada's Olympic qualifying standard was athletes who could finish in the top 12 in the world. The result? A team that's small, but has high hopes of podium performances - Canada won 14 medals four years ago in Sydney.

"With the way the COC criteria is set now, it's top 12 in the world, or a probability of finishing in there, so we've got a lot of people we feel are in the upper echelons," David Bedford, Canada's chef de mission for Athens, said at a news conference at the Hellenic Cultural Centre in Toronto.

"The Olympic Games are about outstanding athletic performance and I think we will find that our athletes will deliver a number of those."

Gill, who won a bronze at the 1992 Games and a silver in 2000, was chosen among 11 nominees to carry Canada's flag.

"It's a big surprise to be carrying the flag," Gill said in a video feed from Belgium where he has training. "To carry the Olympic flag will be my best memory from my Olympic career. It's an incredible honour."

Canada will only send teams in baseball, softball, and women's water polo, another reason for the smaller number of athletes.

The goal for the Canadian team, says Bedford, is to top the 14 medals - three gold, three silver, eight bronze - won in Sydney where Canada sent a team of 309 athletes.

"I think we've got some great opportunities. We've got some returning medallists, we've got some world champions, the rowing team's strong, our canoe-kayak team is strong." Bedford said. "I think we've got a shot in baseball, I think we've got a shot in women's water polo, I think we've got shot in diving. . ."

In rowing alone, Canadian coach Al Morrow is hoping for medals in all seven boats, saying "if I were a betting person, I might bet on five for sure."

Morrow added that his squad fully backed the new qualifying criteria.

"We completely support the so-called rigid COC standards, we think that's the way to go for the Olympics. Top athletes should go to the Olympics," said Morrow. "Top athletes should be supported."

Canada has three returning gold medallists from Sydney: wrestler Daniel Igali, triathlete Simon Whitfield, and Daniel Nestor in men's tennis doubles.

Equestrian Ian Millar, who at age 57 will make a Canadian-record ninth Olympic appearance, is the oldest athlete on the team while 17-year-old gymnast Melanie Banville is the youngest.

Caroline Brunet, who carried the flag in the opening ceremonies in Sydney en route to winning a silver medal there, will compete in her fifth Olympics while Gill, race walker Tim Berrett, sailor Richard Clarke, paddlers David Ford and Steven Giles, and cyclist Alison Sydor, will compete in their fourth.

Canada will compete for the first time in men's synchronized platform diving, women's epee team fencing, women's wrestling, and the yngling class of sailing.

The motto for the Canadian squad is Our Day in History, taken both from the fact Athens is the birthplace of the Olympics, and 2004 marks the 100th anniversary of Canada's participation.

Jeff Adams, Chantal Petitclerc and Diane Roy will compete in wheelchair races as part of the track and field schedule in Athens. The events are considered demonstration, but the athletes were subjected to the same tough qualifying criteria as the rest of the Canadian team.

Adams, who had to finish in the top eight at a world qualifying race two weeks ago, said the tough standards boil down to finances.

"(The COC) can't bring a full team of everybody who's qualified, that's the reality," said Adams. "At the bottom of their hearts, I don't think they really believe (the theory on the new standards) anyway.

"I think they believe in participation, I think they believe in giving Canadians the ability to dream, and they believe in excellence which is the Olympic Games, and keeping people from the Olympic Games is not excellence."

The Athens Olympics, Aug. 13-29, will open amid a cloud of numerous uncertainties and scandals, including the threat of terrorism, positive drug tests, the readiness of the venues and the city, especially in light of a recent blackout that plunged Athens into darkness.

"I think it's all part and parcel of the biggest spectacle, the biggest sporting event in the world and you expect it," said Bedford, on the stories of impending doom that have plagued the Games. "I've been there three times in the past 14 months, and I can say I think they'll put on an outstanding Games.

Bedford added the venues are first rate.

"I hate to say this being from this area, but I'd drop any of them in Toronto. I think they're great," said Bedford.

The chef de mission relayed the critique of the whitewater venue from kayaker David Ford.

"He said the racecourse in Athens is like the Sydney course on steroids," said Bedford. "It's that much better."

LORI EWING; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[Serena]

Nice idea for a thread, yudansha! I've always enjoyed the Olympics, both winter and summer. If it wasn't for the Canadian station CBC, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy them as much through the years.

[yudansha]

Oh yeah great thanks... and what about Schummi and Cars! ??? :D
(I personally like the thread "2dayz thought of 2morrow" the best! :D)

[Serena]

(I personally like the thread "2dayz thought of 2morrow" the best! :D)

Next thread. :rolleyes: :D

[yudansha]

You're ready for your night out. Have fun! :D (but I guess you were already planning that)

[yudansha]

Get your tickets! Get your tickets! :D
__________

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Tickets! Tickets! Get your Olympic tickets!

The Athens Games were supposed to make this ancient land a top tourist destination. But with just three weeks left before the opening ceremonies, the figures are hardly encouraging. More than half the tickets for the games remain unsold, tour operators are reporting sluggish bookings and up to 6,000 of Athens' 62,000 hotel rooms are still up for grabs despite earlier fears of a serious accommodation shortage.

In fact, fewer tourists are expected in Greece this summer compared to last year.

"Generally, it looks like this year we will have less people," George Drakopoulos, head of the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises, told The Associated Press. He said some parts of Greece have seen a 10 to 15 per cent drop in bookings.

Tourism is a vital industry in Greece, where island vacations at beach resorts and visits to archaeological monuments bring in 18 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.

Last year, Greece attracted about 12 million visitors, 85 per cent of them from Britain and Germany.

Olympic construction delays and the threat of terrorism have hurt bookings. Evidently, many tourists are not comforted by the record $1.2 billion US being spent on protecting the Aug. 13-29 games.

"Athens is as safe a place as it can be," said Harry Coccossis, head of Greece's National Tourism Organization.

A weak international economy and a strong euro have also lowered travel interest.

Aliki Hamosfakidou, who works for Athens-based Dolphin Travel, said the response from potential tourists has been lukewarm.

Don Williams, vice president of sales and marketing for Cartan Tours in Manhattan Beach, Calif., said his company decided to allocate fewer tickets for Athens than it did four years ago for the Sydney games.

"We anticipated Athens would be lighter," Williams said. "The venues are smaller, the dollar's weaker and some people have security concerns.

"The ticket prices are 30 per cent lower than at Sydney," he added. "But the accommodations are more expensive in Greece, and they haven't really backed down."

Many tour operators feel the Olympics were not publicized enough and that Greece as a whole should have been promoted as part of the package.

The new conservative government blames the former socialist administration for delays and lack of international enthusiasm.

"The bad thing is that campaign for the Olympic Games was not connected with the campaign for tourism," Coccossis said.

Optimists insist a turn around is still possible, noting that Sydney was well below its ticket targets a month before the 2000 Olympics and that Athens, at last, is an attractive capital.

Improvements include a spruced-up city centre, hundreds of volunteers to help tourists get around, multilingual information centres, and extended hours for archaeological sites and stores. Even Athens' notoriously surly taxi drivers have received etiquette lessons.

Greeks' spirits have soared since the country pulled off a major surprise to win the European soccer championship this month.

A weekend opinion poll found 60.2 per cent of all Greeks were "interested" in attending an Olympic event, with 21.3 per cent saying they will buy a ticket before the start of the games, compared to 15.9 per cent in a May survey. No margin or error was provided.

Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni sees the Olympic glass as half full.

"The construction projects that tired everybody so much are finishing," she said Tuesday.

"There is a great feeling of satisfaction when all the dust lifts, and you can see all the new sidewalks, roads and the colors of the building facades . . . At last, we're done."

LISA ORKIN; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[tora]

Estonia is gonna be represented too :D And we do have Olympic champs here!

[yudansha]

This is a slow thread.
What, nobody likes the Olympics or something?
Come on guys get on board! (please.)

[Littledragon]

I can't wait to watch the Judo and Tae Kwon Do matches. We have 2 people from our team going to the Olympics for TKD, at least they have to qualify first.

[yudansha]

LittleD could you post some info on them here?

[Littledragon]

LittleD could you post some info on them here?


All I know is that they train at the Olympic Training Center in Colarado because they won USTU Nationals and are on the US National TKD Team, I think they have to qin in order to qualify to the Olympics for the Olympic Qualifiers but I dont think the TKD qualifiers have taken place yet.

[Serena]

Yikes! $1.2 billion being spent by the U.S. on security. I appreciate why, but I'm not sure I can justify in my mind spending that kind of money for this.

It's unfortunate that attendance is way below expected at this point. With all the money and effort by Greece into planning for these Olympics, it must be quite worrisome thinking they won't recoup some of that. I'm not so sure they can blame all this on fear of terrorism, though. I don't think people have an interest in the Olympics as much anymore. Very few people I know besides myself are even remotely interested.

Fear of terrorism never stopped me from traveling. Two weeks after 9-11 I was back in Europe. Heck--I figure I have more of a chance of getting taken out on the interstate driving to and from work. :rolleyes: :D

Thanks for the updates, yudansha. :) I'll look for more to contribute to this also.

[yudansha]

O.K. LittleDragon. You are a TKD guy. What would you have to do to go for the Olympics?


"I'm not sure I can justify in my mind spending that kind of money for this"

LOL Serena! :D I can't justify it either. After I'd spend on my Ferraris... :D

[Littledragon]

O.K. LittleDragon. You are a TKD guy. What would you have to do to go for the Olympics?


"I'm not sure I can justify in my mind spending that kind of money for this"

LOL Serena! :D I can't justify it either. After I'd spend on my Ferraris... :D


You have to compete and win for the TKD USTU Olympic Trials..

[yudansha]

Can anyone with TKD training go there and try out?

[Littledragon]

Can anyone with TKD training go there and try out?


You have to win nationals and be on the National TKD Team.

[yudansha]

And how do you get to nationals... walk us through it :D

[Littledragon]

And how do you get to nationals... walk us through it :D


You have to place 1-3rd in the State Championships and then you go to Nationals if you are 16 and over and a blackbelt and win Gold you get to be on the Junior or Senior National TKD team and an option of living in Colarado and training there and having a tutor for school.

Our TKD team is the 3rd best in the U.S.

[yudansha]

Are there regional championships you have to go through first?

[Littledragon]

Are there regional championships you have to go through first?


We dont go to regionals because it is too easy for us, State we are required to if we want to qualify for Nationals but regionals is just a waste of time for our team..

[yudansha]

How often are those held? Once a year? How many people are on your team?

[Littledragon]

How often are those held? Once a year? How many people are on your team?


Check out our site: www.wtkdm.com

[yudansha]

I don't see you listed there.
That's an interesting link.

[Littledragon]

I don't see you listed there.
That's an interesting link.


4X International Champion.

[yudansha]

Are you listed on that site?

[Littledragon]

Are you listed on that site?


Ye, 2X Pan Am Champion Blackbelt USA International Champion and Fort Worth International Champion

[yudansha]

Good stuff, LittleD!

[yudansha]

FRIDAY!

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) - Martial arts movie star Jackie Chan took a turn Friday carrying the Olympic flame as it passed through this northern port on its tour of Greece before next month's Summer Games.

Chan, who flew to Greece from China to carry the torch, said he was glad the Olympics were returning to their ancient homeland but was also looking forward to the Beijing games in 2008.

"It is very important that the Olympics are returning to their birthplace, just as it is equally important to me that the next Olympics will take place in Beijing," Chan was quoted as saying by Athens' organizing committee.

The Olympic flame is on a tour of Greece after returning from an unprecedented global relay.

Currently in northern Greece, it will be carried in Greece by about 7,000 runners to 29 cities and six major archaeological areas ahead of the Aug. 13-29 Games.

[Littledragon]

FRIDAY!

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) - Martial arts movie star Jackie Chan took a turn Friday carrying the Olympic flame as it passed through this northern port on its tour of Greece before next month's Summer Games.

Chan, who flew to Greece from China to carry the torch, said he was glad the Olympics were returning to their ancient homeland but was also looking forward to the Beijing games in 2008.

"It is very important that the Olympics are returning to their birthplace, just as it is equally important to me that the next Olympics will take place in Beijing," Chan was quoted as saying by Athens' organizing committee.

The Olympic flame is on a tour of Greece after returning from an unprecedented global relay.

Currently in northern Greece, it will be carried in Greece by about 7,000 runners to 29 cities and six major archaeological areas ahead of the Aug. 13-29 Games.


Thats fantastic news for Jackie!!

[yudansha]

(CP) - One of the most successful sports for Canada at the Olympic Games in Athens should be diving.

Led by wunderkind Alexandre Despatie, the most talented diver Canada has ever produced, three medals, and possibly a fourth, could surface from the diving tank. "I'll be disappointed if we have less than that," Canadian head coach Mitch Geller said. "Three medals and I'll be extremely happy with a fourth."

At the Olympic Games in Sydney four years ago, Anne Montminy and Emilie Heymans won a silver medal in synchronized diving, which was new to the Olympic menu then, and Montminy also won a bronze in the individual 10-metre tower.

Canadian women have won five medals, one gold, a silver and three bronze, in the history of Olympic diving while a Canadian man has yet to win one.

Despatie could be the first. He is the reigning world champion on the men's 10-metre tower. The 19-year-old from Laval, Que., was also ranked first in the three-metre springboard on the Grand Prix circuit this year.

He is capable of a gold medal in either or both.

"He's one of the best in the world in both events, which is not very common," Despatie's club coach Michel Larouche said. "It's something unique and spectacular."

Heymans, from St.-Lambert, Que., is the world champion on the women's 10-metre tower and is a medal threat there.

Blythe Hartley of North Vancouver, B.C., was second in the women's three-metre springboard on the Grand Prix circuit this year and has a shot at hardware.

Hartley and Heymans, both 22, will team up to dive synchro in both the tower and springboard events. And Heymans will also compete in the individual springboard, making her one of the busiest Canadian athletes at the Games as she will compete in every diving event.

While some countries focus on developing synchro diving teams, Dive Canada focuses on developing the best individual divers in the world and hope when they compete in synchro, they hit the water at the same time.

A darkhorse on the women's tower could be Myriam Boileau. The 26-year-old from Montreal does not have as high a degree of difficulty in her list of dives as Heymans does, which translates into lower scores for Boileau, but she is so clean when she hits the water, she disappears with barely a bubble.

At the Canadian diving trials in June, Geller said he wanted a top-six result from Boileau in Athens, but said in July she was diving so well, his expectations were rising.

Boileau, from the Pointe-Claire Diving Club, is the only diver on the Canadian team not out of Larouche's CAMO Club in Montreal.

Christopher Kalec of Laval will join Despatie on the men's tower. Kalec finished 17th in Sydney and is shooting for top 12 in Athens.

Philippe Comtois of Laval returns to the Olympics in springboard after missing the Games in Sydney with a broken leg. His goal is to reach the final and he will also compete with Despatie in the men's synchronized 10-metre event.

The Olympic diving competition opens Aug. 14, when medals will be awarded in synchronized diving in men's tower and women's springboard, and concludes Aug. 28 with the men's tower final. The individual events consist of preliminaries, semifinals and finals.

A quick look at the Canadian diving team heading to Athens for the Olympic Games from Aug. 13-29:

Divers - Alexandre Despatie, Laval, Que., Emilie Heymans, St-Lambert, Que.; Blythe Hartley North Vancouver, B.C.; Myriam Boileau, Montreal; Christopher Kalec, Laval; Philippe Comtois, Laval.

Where - Olympic Aquatic Centre, Athens.

Ones to watch - Despatie, 10-metre platform final, Aug., 28, springboard, Aug. 24; Heymans, Boileau, 10-metre platform final, Aug. 22; Hartley, springboard final, Aug. 26.

DONNA SPENCER; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - Israeli athletes have been given an additional layer of security at the Olympic Village, including a fence placed around the team's residential compound.

The U.S. team also asked for a fence, but later withdrew the request, Olympic officials said Monday. The Israelis also had an extra fence at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Australian Olympic Committee chief John Coates said.

Hundreds of Olympic athletes arrived at Athens airport Monday, after the Olympic Village opened last week.

The site in suburban Menidi, about 15 kilometres northwest of central Athens, is protected by a double-perimeter fence, 24-hour police and army patrols, scores of cameras and sensors and concrete barriers to prevent a car bombing.

"There is no question about the Olympic venues being wonderfully secured," said Coates, who is visiting Athens. "People like our sailors, who are not in the Olympic village . . . that we are bit concerned, but we respect the sovereignty of the Greeks."

He said Australian guards escorting athletes are not carrying weapons.

The issue of arming overseas security agents in Athens remains sensitive. Authorities fear foreign guards could react inappropriately in an unfamiliar environment.

"Australia did not allow any other countries to come in with armed security personnel (at the Sydney Games) and that's the position here," Coates said. "We have some security directors in our team, unarmed, and some liaison police outside the village who are assisting us, unarmed, from Australia."

Greece is spending a record $1.5 billion US, with 70,000 police and soldiers providing security, and is receiving advice from Australia, Britain, the United States, Israel, Spain, France and Germany.

Olympic traffic restrictions - cordoning off a lane for games-related vehicles - went into effect Sunday to facilitate the arrivals and last-minute preparations.

Also on Monday, three suspected members of an urban guerrilla group were released from custody after the expiration of an 18-month limit on their detention. The suspects - on trial since February - are allegedly members of the far-left Revolutionary Popular Struggle, or ELA, and were arrested early last year in a crackdown on domestic terror groups leading up to the Games, which begin Aug. 13 and run through Aug. 29.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[Serena]

I think if the Israeli athletes have been given extra protection, then the rest of them should, too. I'm surprised the U.S. withdrew their request; it doesn't explain here why they did. I would think it would be the same protection for all of the athletes, and not just one group receiving "an additional layer of security".

Thanks for all the updates, yudansha. :)

[Littledragon]

I can't wait to see the Judo,Tae Kwon Do and Wrestling events.

[yudansha]

Same here LittleD ... I don't know if they will be having a sambo competition.


Serena, you're welcome. :)

[Littledragon]

Same here LittleD ... I don't know if they will be having a sambo competition.


Serena, you're welcome. :)


I don't think Sambo is in the Olympics uet.

Wushu will be in it in 2008. They are trying to get Karate and Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu into the Olympics.

[yudansha]

... it has been in Olympics on and off with judo... I don't know about this time.

[Littledragon]

... it has been in Olympics on and off with judo... I don't know about this time.


Then it is a demonstration sport, TKD used to be a demonstration sport until it became officially a sport in the Olympics.

[yudansha]

No, I don't think so. It was the same as Judo.

[Littledragon]

No, I don't think so. It was the same as Judo.


What do you mean the same with Judo??

Sambo is NOT an OFFICIAL Olympic sport Yudansha. The only OFFICIAL Martial Arts in the Olympics are, Judo,Tae Kwon Do. Combat sports are Wrestling and Boxing.

In 2008 Wu-Shu will be an OFFICIAL Olympic sport.

[yudansha]

"In 2008 Wu-Shu will be an OFFICIAL Olympic sport."

I can't wait for that! And isn't the 2008 Olympics held in China? Then that would be a PERFECT introduction! It's gonna be great!!!

[Littledragon]

"In 2008 Wu-Shu will be an OFFICIAL Olympic sport."

I can't wait for that! And isn't the 2008 Olympics held in China? Then that would be a PERFECT introduction! It's gonna be great!!!


Yup in Beijing 2008.

Yudansha it was a demonstration sport, TKD used to be a demonstration sport as well as Judo, when it became more well known and popular then it became an official sport. Every time at the olympics they have demonstration sports, if they are popular enough then they eventually become an official one. Sambo was not an official one and never "used to be" an official Olympic sport, it was just a demonstration one.

[yudansha]

Sambo is very similar to Judo though maybe that's why they decided not to stick to it as Judo was already part of Olympics... (btw, combat Sambo is a very effective martial art...)

[Littledragon]

Sambo is very similar to Judo though maybe that's why they decided not to stick to it as Judo was already part of Olympics... (btw, combat Sambo is a very effective martial art...)


Yes I know Sambo is effective, in my opinion it is very important to learn Grappling in a street fight.

[yudansha]

It's still grappling based, but it has techniques for those 'every day situations' ... It is a very brutal defence system (requires quite a bit of power in some instances, and not alot in others, but it physically hurts the attacker so that no attacks follow...)

[Littledragon]

It's still grappling based, but it has techniques for those 'every day situations' ... It is a very brutal defence system (requires quite a bit of power in some instances, and not alot in others, but it physically hurts the attacker so that no attacks follow...)


Yes I know, its Russian based reality martial art.

[yudansha]

... but it was invented as a grappling 'art' (more like a sport though).

[Littledragon]

... but it was invented as a grappling 'art' (more like a sport though).


LoL Yudansha I told you I know.. :D

[yudansha]

Usually, the top trainers are those that came from Specnaz.

[Littledragon]

Usually, the top trainers are those that came from Specnaz.


I haven't checked.

[yudansha]

The Non-Olympians :D

Javelin Toss: http://www.i-am-bored.com/show_video.cfm?myurl=http://64.29.138.92/videos/javelin.mpg&myname=Javelin+Toss&backname=Athletes+Not+Going+To+The+Olympics&backurl=http://www.i-am-bored.com/no_olympics.html

The Vault: http://www.i-am-bored.com/show_video.cfm?myurl=http://64.29.138.92/videos/bronze.mpg&myname=The+Vault&backname=Athletes+Not+Going+To+The+Olympics&backurl=http://www.i-am-bored.com/no_olympics.html

The Bars (I found this one the funniest): http://www.i-am-bored.com/show_video.cfm?myurl=http://64.29.138.92/videos/silver.mpg&myname=The+Bars&backname=Athletes+Not+Going+To+The+Olympics&backurl=http://www.i-am-bored.com/no_olympics.html

The Bars (this is I think the most dangerous part of Olympics): http://www.i-am-bored.com/show_video.cfm?myurl=http://64.29.138.92/videos/gold.mpg&myname=The+Balance+Beam&backname=Athletes+Not+Going+To+The+Olympics&backurl=http://www.i-am-bored.com/no_olympics.html

[tora]

I love extremes.Plus you have to be creative at including new elements in the program :D

[yudansha]

That bounce LOL remember that old Tora bouncing (and then she went hiding behind the door's key hole :D)

[yudansha]

Canadians to watch at Olympic Games in Athens
(CP) - A look at 10 athletes to watch at the Olympic Games in Athens. While some will win medals, other are just starting to make their international mark or simply are a sentimental favourite:


Brittany Reimer, swimming

At 16, Brittany Reimer of Surrey, B.C., is the youngest member of Canada's swim team but may have the most potential. Her medal chances are slim at Athens, but these Olympics could lay the groundwork for a podium finish four years from now in Beijing.

Pete Laforest, baseball

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays envision Laforest as their catcher of the future. While the Ottawa native's strength is his bat, his defence has improved and he'll have a shot with the Rays next season.

Alexandre Despatie, diving

Canada has never won a medal in Olympic men's diving and the 19-year-old from Laval, Que., can win two - both gold. After winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal at just 13, Despatie is living up to his potential as the best diver this country has ever seen.

Perdita Felicien, track and field

At just 23, Perdita Felicien is a relative rookie on the international track scene, but has dominated in the 100-metre hurdles in meets around the world this season. She has the fastest time in the world this year, and comes to Athens as the reigning outdoor and indoor world champion.


Simon Whitfield, triathlon

The 29-year-old from Kingston, Ont., has a legitimate shot at defending the gold medal he won four years ago when triathlon made its Olympic debut. Whitfield, who lives and trains in Victoria, likes the attention and the pressure of the big races.

Pauline Van Roussel, rowing

The rower from Bow Island, Alta., is making her Olympic debut at 37, an age where most Olympic athletes have been long retired. Van Roussel is a member of the women's eights, which is a long shot for a bronze medal. The former university basketball player didn't take up competitive rowing until age 29.

Christine Nordhagen, wrestling

The 33-year-old teacher from Calgary is a six-time world champion in women's wrestling and will compete for Canada in the 72-kilogram division in Athens, where women's freestyle wrestling will make its Olympic debut.

Ryder Hesjedal, mountain biking

The 23-year-old Victoria native is aptly named. He won a silver medal at last year's world mountain biking championships and signed a contract with the U.S. Postal Service road race team, which is anchored by six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. Hesjedal is wavering between mountain biking and road racing. A mountain biking medal in Athens might help him decide.

Ian Millar, equestrian

The most successful competitor in the history of Canadian show jumping will make his eighth appearance at an Olympic Games. It would be his ninth had Canada not boycotted the Games of 1980. Despite his international success, an Olympic medal has eluded the 57-year-old from Perth, Ont., making him Canada's sentimental favourite. Millar will compete aboard Promise Me, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding.

Nicolas Gill, judo

A third podium finish in judo for Canada's flag-bearer would be a triumph considering he is coming off reconstructive knee surgery last November. A lack of competition this year means the 32-year-old will have to rely on his experience. Gill won silver in 2000 and bronze in 1992.

DONNA SPENCER; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

(CP) - The Olympics are returning to their ancient birthplace but Canadian athletes in Athens face some very modern problems at the Games.

http://www.broadband.rogers.com/bband/feeds/cpfix/xml/sports/s080919A.jpg
Nicolas Gill will carry Canada's flag at the opening of the Summer Olympics in Athens. (P/Tom Hanson)

The chilling threat of terrorism, concerns over venue construction, sweltering heat, choking pollution and worries the transportation system may become snarled are all 21th-century dilemmas not envisioned when the first Olympics were staged in 776 B.C. on the plains of Olympia.

"I'm prepared for anything," said swimmer Mike Mintenko, a Moose Jaw, Sask., native who now lives in Vancouver. "I'm prepared to roll with it. If you go into the Olympics not ready for these things you will not do good."

Canada's team includes 266 athletes - 134 women and 132 men - for the 16-day Games that open Friday.

It's the smallest Olympic team in 24 years, partly due to tough new Canadian Olympic Committee qualifying standards praised by some athletes and reviled by others.

Even if Canada improves on the 14 medals won at the 2000 Sydney Games, some will argue the standards - athletes must have the potential to finish top 12 in the world - are too harsh.

Chris Rudge, the COC's chief executive officer, defends the selection criteria.

"It has, if nothing else, sent a message that athletes are going to compete, not participate," said Rudge. "There is a focus on not just wanting to get a personal best but on winning."

Rudge predicts Canada will win 12 to 18 medals in Athens.

"I'd like to see 16 to 20 medals," he said.

"Realistically we're going to do 14 to 18."

Chef de mission David Bedford expects to improve on the three gold, three silver and eight bronze won in Sydney.

"I don't think there's any correlation between team size and success," said Bedford. "We think we have a very strong team."

Canada's best podium threats come from world champion hurdler Perdita Felicien; triathlete Simon Whitfield, defending gold medallist from Sydney; Karen Cockburn, world champion in trampoline; and a rowing team that could win a fistful of medals.

The team already has had a minor brush with controversy after Nicolas Gill, a judoka from Montreal who has won a bronze and silver medal in his previous three Olympic Games, was named flag-bearer.

Gill was forced to defend himself after the Toronto Sun reported he voted for Quebec sovereignty in 1995. Gill said his decision then doesn't reflect his current sentiments and that he is proud to carry the flag.

The Athens Games will be the first Summer Olympics since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Games security is costing $1.9 billion and will involve 70,000 police and soldiers.

Fears run so deep American athletes have been cautioned against wearing team uniforms in public places.

Bedford said RCMP officers will travel with the Canadian contingent, as they've done in past Games, and there will be daily security briefings.

"To date we have been told we don't have to force every athlete to live in the village," said Bedford. "We've not been told to tell our athletes not to wear their clothing or not to go out and enjoy Athens. But, if the RCMP tells us those things change, you can rest assured we will change them immediately."

Athletes have different reactions to the threat of terrorism.

"I wanted to bring my wife and daughter with me but the more I thought about it, we decided against it," said Jason ****son, of London, Ont., a pitcher for the baseball team.

Edmonton cyclist Lori-Ann Muenzer will arrive just before her event and leave immediately after.

"Security is a concern," she said. "You really need to be careful."

But mountain biker Alison Sydor isn't worried.

"You have to live life and be aware of things," said the North Vancouver veteran who is attending her fourth Olympics. "I have no special concerns.

Heat will be another factor. Temperatures could soar to a cooking 40 degrees.

"Potentially, it could be the hottest Olympics in 50 years," said Gordon Sleivert, a sports physiologist who has helped design cooling vests that will be made available to Canadian athletes.

Rudge said a larger and more extensive medical staff will be on hand to deal with any heat problems.

The extra medical and security personnel are partly responsible for the 270 Canadian support staff in Athens, Rudge said.

A 30-member team from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) will also be in Greece to "observe and learn."

Leading up to the Games there were fears venues wouldn't be ready. But as the clock counted down to the opening ceremonies, nearly all venues were ready or very close to completion.

Transportation concerns remain and power outages crippled Athens earlier this summer.

"As an athlete I'm a little disappointed that Athens isn't ready the way Sydney was," said Mintenko. "You're hosting the world. It's like bringing a dinner guest over and not having any food in the fridge."

Rudge said despite all the concerns the Games should be a success.

"In the absence of any security issues, generally I think athletes across the world will see these Games as being very successful," he said.


A look at the Canadian team at the Summer Olympics, which open Friday in Athens:

Size: 266 athletes (134 women, 132 men). Support staff of 270.

Flag-bearer: Nicolas Gill, judo.

Returning Gold Medallists: Wrestler Daniel Igali, triathlete Simon Whitfield, tennis player Daniel Nestor.

Sydney Medals: Three gold, three silver, eight bronze.

JIM MORRIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - If you're going to the Olympics, you'd better be careful what you say and do in public.

Software will be watching and listening. Recent leaps in technology have paired highly sophisticated software with street surveillance cameras to create digital security guards with intelligence-gathering skills.

"It is a very vast network and it is the first time it is being done on such a scale at an international level," said Greek police spokesman Col. Lefteris Ikonomou.

The system - developed by a consortium led by San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp., or SAIC - cost about $312 million US and took up a sizable chunk of Athens' record security budget of more than $1.5 billion.

It gathers images and audio from an electronic web of over 1,000 high-resolution and infrared cameras, 12 patrol boats, 4,000 vehicles, nine helicopters, a sensor-laden blimp and four mobile command centres.

Spoken words collected by the cameras with speech-recognition software are transcribed into text that is then searched for patterns along with other electronic communications entering and leaving the area - including e-mail and image files.

The system, which includes components already used by U.S. and British government intelligence agencies, covers all of greater Athens, nine ports, airports and all other Olympic cities.

Ikonomou said it "allows the users to manage a critical incident in the best way possible and in the shortest time possible because they have all the information in front of them."

The software used for surveillance camera recordings is designed to spot and rank possible risks, said Dionysios Dendrinos, general manager of One Siemens in Greece, one of the companies in the consortium.

"They can distinguish the sound of a flat tire from an explosion or a gunshot and inform the user at the command centre of the incident," he said. "This is also the case with any anomaly in the picture, such as a traffic jam."

Technology also allows the users of the system at the main command centre to save and analyze data from the surveillance network and beyond. And the material from the closed circuit cameras is kept for seven days, Ikonomou said, so specific incidents can be analyzed in depth.

Much of that analysis is enabled by software from London-based Autonomy Corp., whose clients include the U.S. National Security Agency, that parses words and phrases collected by surveillance cameras and in communications traffic.

In June, the Greek government expanded surveillance powers to screen mobile and fixed-line telephone calls during the Olympics.

"It listens, reads and watches," Dominic Johnson, Autonomy's chief marketing officer, said of his company's software. Then it synthesizes. Beyond Greek and English the software understands Arabic, Farsi and all major European languages, Johnson said.

Other companies in the SAIC consortium include Germany's Siemens AG; General Dynamics Corp. and Honeywell International Inc. of the United States; and the Israeli company Elbit Systems. Several Greek companies also are participating.

According to the contract, the system was to be delivered by May 28, but due to construction delays at some Olympic venues - such as the main Olympic stadium - it was delivered just weeks before the opening ceremony.

Nevertheless, Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis declared last week that all the security systems were in full deployment and working smoothly.

There'll be other sniffing going on, of course.

A network of sensors designed to detect chemical agents has also been deployed near Olympic venues and around the capital, including on the security blimp.

Advanced technology is also used in the creation of the Olympic credentials, which use such security features as holograms. All cardholder information, such as a person's photo and passport number, are printed on a very thin film designed to make the cards impossible to forge.

The digitally enhanced surveillance net may provide comfort to Olympics attendees, but not everyone is happy at authorities' computer-aided eyes and ears.

Several groups have held protests in recent months against what they say is an invasion of their privacy, and some demonstrators have spray-painted street cameras, seeking to blind them.

"The Olympic Games are accompanied with extended security measures that are unprecedented for Greece," six human rights groups said in a protest letter to Greek Parliament in July. "Although the state's right to take all necessary measures that it deems necessary is recognized, there is fear that these measures will have a negative impact on basic human rights."

MIRON VAROUHAKIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - It was an ordinary afternoon at the Olympic athlete's village, which meant some extraordinary happenings were under way.

An Iraqi boxer, a recent arrival, grinned broadly about his improbable trip to Greece. A delegation from Ghana assembled for a quick picture beneath their flag. And minutes later, to the sweet sound of Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On, dozens of U.S. Olympians strolled past for a welcoming ceremony.

The Olympics, in theory, unite athletes from around the world; the athlete's village, home to 17,000 Olympians from scores of countries, achieves the goal.

"To me, to be here is a big thing," Iraqi boxer Najah Salah Ali said, a big smile spread across his face. "I'm so excited to be here."

Side by side in 336 buildings at the foot of Mount Parnitha, the athletes share experiences both memorable and mundane - swapping stories in the 24-hour cafeteria, or simply shopping for CDs.

"The village is awesome, incredible," U.S. softball outfielder Laura Berg said. "I'm having a great time. All the different flags are up, and it's great to talk with the different athletes from the different countries."

Her Olympic teammate, high jumper Jamie Nieto, took a break from bopping to Motown to second that emotion.

"I just arrived today, and I already feel electrified," Nieto said. "I feel it's a blessing to be here."

The village is where a weightlifter from Kyrgyzstan can find the perfect pair of sunglasses, where a half-dozen Swiss athletes can hang out and people-watch an endless parade of guests from across the globe. Athletes seeking a workout can visit the village sports complex with its pool, track and tennis court.

Early reviews of the food were positive. "Great - lots of fruit and salad," Berg said. "But I'm not picky. I'm willing to try anything."

Obviously, site security is intense. The village's four-lane approach road, closed to normal traffic, has checkpoints manned by armed authorities. In the village parking lot, a team of soldiers inspects vehicles with the intensity of archeologists on a dig.

The U.S. women's soccer team found the security "omnipresent but not overbearing," with a soldier stationed right outside their apartment complex, according to a USOC Web site report.

The three- and four-story apartment complexes, in Spartan shades of white, grey and brown, have expansive porches that let the athletes survey their surroundings. Already, different countries have their pride on display: "Czech Olympic Team" announces one banner outside a building, while the Japanese flag flutters in the soft wind from a nearby building.

The cross-cultural scene is immediately evident to visitors. On a single afternoon, flag-raising ceremonies were held for Zambia, Gabon, Ghana and the United States.

Just outside the gate to the village, the athletes are honoured in artwork: a sculpture of a discus thrower joined likenesses of a weightlifter, a basketball player and a gymnast. The area serves as a mini-mall for the athletes, where they can get a haircut, pick up Athens souvenirs, and drop off their dry cleaning.

Buck Wessel, leader of the U.S. judo team, was impressed by the scene.

"New, massive, beautiful, very exciting," he said after checking out the accommodations.

It's not all exciting. With some athletes set to spend three weeks in the village, there's a store that provides the essentials for day-to-day life: detergent, shampoo, and Odor Eaters for those funky sneakers.

Store workers alternately stock the shelves and keep an eye out for recognizable athletes wandering in and out of the air-conditioned building.

"It's a huge buzz working here," confessed Katie Gauld, one of the volunteer employees.

LARRY MCSHANE; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[Serena]

That's a great article, yudansha! What a thrill for these young people--aside from their outstanding achievements in their particular events--to be able to meet people from all around the world, to be a part of the same community for the duration of the Olympics. It sounds like many of them truly do appreciate how fortunate they are to be there and are enjoying this experience of a lifetime. :)

[yudansha]

It's great though that Greece decided to do the same.
You're welcome, Serena. :)

[Littledragon]

As I have mentioned before one of our black belt masters at our Tae Kwon Do school will be going to Athen's to referee the Tae Kwon Do events.

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Some two-thirds of the 266-member team representing Canada at the Olympic Games turned out Tuesday night to watch the Maple Leaf being raised.

http://www.broadband.rogers.com/bband/feeds/cpfix/xml/sports/s081071A.jpg
Swimmers Lauren Van Oosten from Nanaimo, B.C., Britanny Reimer from Victoria, B.C., Rhiannon Leier from Regina, and Elizabeth Warden from Toronto yell out a team cheer during the flag raising ceremony at the Olympic athletes village. (CP/Paul Chiasson)

There was plenty of laughing and joking but a hush fell when the flag was hoisted into place beside those from other countries. Strains of O Canada drifted over the village as the flag hung limp on a muggy night without a breath of wind.

Afterwards the gymnasts headed off to a knoll to get their picture taken while the swimmers surrounded the flag pole and shouted a rousing cheer.

Nicolas Gill, the judoka who will carry the flag during Friday night's opening ceremonies, said in his mind the Games have officially began.

"It's the first occasion for a team to get together," said the Montreal native. "It's really the opening of the Games for the Canadian team. You get more excited. Slowly the stress and excitement builds up. Today it took another step towards that."

Still Canadian officials were making sure there wasn't too much spirit on the team.

Included in the gift bag given all athletes at the Games is a small bottle of ouzo, a Greek drink that tastes like licorice but has a kick like a mule. Officials reminded athletes no alcohol is allowed at the village and many members of the team can't drink because they are underage.

Kate Richardson, a gymnast from Coquitlam, B.C., said the flag-raising further heightens the excitement of being an Olympian.

"It's exciting that it's all actually starting," said Richardson, who will compete in her second Olympics."We're all here, come a long way and worked really hard. Now this is the beginning of the Games, the beginning of training and all the excitement is about to begin."

Seeing the flag and hearing O'Canada stoked the patriotic fires in swimmer Brittany Reimer of Surrey, B.C.

"It's sort of an indescribable feeling," said Reimer."You feel really patriotic. When you hear the national anthem you get really emotional."

"You get some goose-bumps," added Nathaniel O'Brien, who will swim both the backstroke and butterfly.

"It's pretty exciting knowing that's the country you're representing and when you go up there to compete you've got your whole team behind you."

O'Brien was born in Seattle but his Canadian mother, Lisa Geary, swam for Canada at the 1976 Games in Montreal.

O'Brien attended the University of Texas and trained with American 200-metre backstroker Aaron Peirsol. He now trains in Victoria.

The swimmer said he's enjoyed the cultural mix of the athletes village. He has yet to meet any of the big-name athletes, but a female pole vaulter did leave an impression.

"Wow," he said. "She might not be famous but she caught my eye."

Those attending the ceremony were in a jovial mood. Any concerns about security or worries over the sweltering temperatures that have roasted Athens seemed forgotten as athletes hammed it up for friends with video cameras.

Some athletes, like the track team, haven't arrived in Athens yet. Other teams, like women's softball, water polo, the gymnasts, the synchronized swimmers and the swimmers, have started training in the Olympic facilities.

JIM MORRIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[Serena]

Eat Greek and be merry
August 10, 2004

http://www.azcentral.com/home/gifs/0811greek.jpg
Clockwise from top left: Greek crackers, calamari salad, tzatzki dip, Greek salad and zucchini patties.

From the people who brought us Mount Olympus comes a divine cuisine filled with the flavors of oregano, dill, garlic and thyme. Think of moussaka, spanakopita, dolmades, saganaki, souvlaki and juicy, nutty baklava.

It's Greek - the food of the gods.

As many Americans will discover when the Olympics begin in Athens on Friday, Greeks have an affinity for flavors that date back centuries.

So much so that "they could sit at a table and eat for hours," says Eugenia Theodosopoulos, a Greek-American whose family has run a restaurant since the 1930s in Cambridge, Ohio. She and her French-born husband, Gilles Combes, own Essence Catering in Tempe. He handles the business end; she has the Midas touch in the kitchen.

The foundation for Greek cooking is its local, fresh, seasonal ingredients, Theodosopoulos says. "It's very true to what they have available," she says. "It's what people are eating every day."

It's what they're eating in the tavernas, or restaurants, and it's what they're eating at home, where some of the finest meals can be found.

Essential are meats such as lamb, chicken, goat and seafood. And lemons, lots of lemons. Lots of spinach. Pungent feta cheese made from sheep's milk. Also phyllo, a thin, flaky pastry dough as ethereal as Pan's flute. Phyllo is used for savory dishes such as spanakopita - triangles filled with feta and spinach - as well as pastries such as baklava, in which it is layered with nuts, melted butter, honey and citrus juice.

While Americans associate Easter with a feast that includes a ham or lamb dish, Greeks might celebrate by roasting a whole goat on a spit.

Most Greek food is familiar to Americans who have taken Italian cooking into their hearts, says George Kyrtatas, a New Jersey restaurant chef and author of a new cookbook, My Big Fat Greek Feast (Small Potatoes Press, 2004, $15.95 paperback). The two cuisines share many of the same spices, although Italians use more rosemary and basil. Both use olive oil. Tomatoes and olives are abundant.

"Greek is just as good as French or Italian," says Kyrtatas, who grew up on the food in his family's restaurant, Hathaway's, in Cinnaminson, N.J., where he is chef and partner.

He sees Greek food as an amalgam of many cuisines because the world's oldest democracy has been occupied by so many other cultures over the centuries. But its roots are in the flavors of the regions along the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. Some dishes have been around since ancient times, he says.

Kyrtatas expects an explosion in the popularity of his native food when Americans are exposed to Greek culture during the Olympics.

"With everyone talking about Greece, people are going to say, 'That looks good,' " he says. "People will be intrigued enough to try it."

That will be easy to do, Theodosopoulos says. Greek cuisine might be the food of the gods, but it's easy for mortals to prepare. "It's very approachable and it's the kind of food you can eat every day," she says.

It's rustic, forgiving food that does not require perfection. And it's healthful. Greek dishes are not based on butter and cream. They're packed with healthful oils, fish and fresh vegetables.

"It's healthy and tasty," says Combes, who often requests moussaka instead of his native French cuisine.

Theodosopoulos can whip up both, having studied at a Paris culinary school. But she's happy to oblige with her native cuisine every night of the week. "You never get tired of it," she says.

Here are some classic Greek dishes:

Baklava (BAHK-lah-vah): A rich pastry made of flaky phyllo dough layered with nuts, butter, honey and citrus juice.

Feta (FEHT-uh): Pungent cheese usually made from sheep's milk but also goat's or cow's milk.

Moussaka (MOO-sah-kah): A kind of lasagna containing eggplant and ground lamb or beef.

Ouzo (OO-zoh): Anise-flavored liqueur, usually mixed with water to make a whitish aperitif.

Saganaki (sah-gah-NAH-kee): Slices of cheese sautéed in butter or olive oil, sprinkled with lemon juice and sometimes flambéed in brandy.

Souvlaki (soo-VLAH-kee): Marinated lamb chunks and vegetables grilled on a skewer.

Spanakopita (span-uh-KOH-pih-tuh): Phyllo triangles filled with spinach and feta cheese. The ending "pita" indicates a kind of pastry pie.

Tyropita (tee-RO-pih-tuh): Pie made of phyllo filled with feta cheese.

[Serena]

Celebrities to carry the Olympic flame
Wednesday, August 11, 2004

SUPERMODEL Naomi Campbell is among 100 celebrity torch-bearers due to carry the Olympic flame on its final stage of a round-the-world journey to the Athens Olympic Stadium this week, organisers said yesterday.

Pop stars, opera singers, sculptors and businessmen will bear the torch in the shape of an olive leaf from the ancient Marathon site to the port of Piraeus, on to an altar at the Acropolis and finally to the main stadium, they said.

The inclusion of modern style icons such as Campbell and Nicolas Hayek, father of the Swatch watch, is a nod to modernity in a Games steeped in symbols of antiquity, as the Olympics return to their ancient birthplace.

Former US Olympic athletics hero Carl Lewis is also due to hold the emblem of the Games aloft for a short stage of its 53km (33 mile) journey, which begins today and ends with the lighting of the flame of the 49th Olympiad on Friday.

The identity of the person awarded that honour – the last of some 12,000, who have borne the Olympic flame around the globe in the run-up to the Games, remains a secret.

[Serena]

Big names gather for Games,
Tue 10 August, 2004 22:48
By Ralph Gowling

ATHENS (Reuters) - Former U.S. President George Bush has begun a gathering of political heavyweights for the Athens Olympics but doping was again the talking point for sport when a Kenyan boxer was thrown out.

Patrolling NATO warplanes and troops and police on the ground kept the threat of terrorist attack in view, although worries about half-finished stadiums and transport chaos faded into the background three days before Friday's opening ceremony.

Bush's arrival in Greece followed hard on the heels of expressions of confidence from world leaders and Olympic officials that Greek authorities had done everything possible to ensure the world's biggest sporting extravaganza is safe.

Bush, father of President George W. Bush and head of the official U.S. delegation to the Games, boarded a yacht owned by Greek billionaire Spyros Latsis in the northern port of Kavala.

Prime Minister Tony Blair, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Jacques Chirac are among other world leaders due to attend the opening ceremony.

Patriot air defence missiles and thousands of surveillance cameras have been deployed in the biggest security operation in peacetime Europe to guard the first Summer Games since the September 11 attacks on the United States three years ago.

PALESTINIAN REASSURANCE

Marwan Abdelhamid, diplomatic representative in Athens for President Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority, said no true Arab or Muslim would carry out any violence against the Games.

"We...declare that any possible action against the Athens Olympics, by anyone invoking the name of Palestine will be considered by the whole of the Palestinian people as an action against Palestine itself," he said.

While U.S. team nutritionists itemised chocolate chip and cheeseburger diets of 5,000 calories per athlete, the lumpier mixture of sports and politics prompted visa bans on sports ministers from Myanmar and Zimbabwe on human rights grounds.

Belarus's man, told last week he would also not be welcome, announced he would direct the team from the benches, at home.

But Japan displayed the gracious face of diplomacy, helping Iraq return to the Olympic family in style with a donation of uniforms and shoes for Baghdad's team of 31 athletes.

"We have arranged with our sponsors to donate uniforms, windbreakers, socks, shoes, shirts and bags," said Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda.

DRUGS FLOOR KENYAN BOXER

Kenya's only Olympic boxer was expelled from the Games after becoming the first competitor to test positive in Athens for a banned drug.

"David Munyasia has been excluded from the Athens Olympic Games after testing positive for cathine, a prohibited stimulant," International Olympic Committee spokeswoman Giselle Davies told reporters.

The substance derives from the leaf of the qat plant, commonly chewed as a recreational drug in East Africa.

It was the first positive case among more than 200 dope tests conducted in Athens since late July among athletes arriving for the Games. Six others have been barred in the past few days for failing pre-Olympic tests elsewhere.

But amid the talk of politics, doping and terrorism, Olympic 100 metres champion Maurice Greene kept his focus firmly on timings and his place in history as the Athens Games moved closer to the sporting challenges at their heart.

One of the biggest names in Athens, Greene dismissed consecutive recent defeats by Jamaican rival Asafa Powell as irrelevant to his hopes of another gold medal and talked up his claim to be the greatest sprinter of all time.

"It doesn't matter what you do before the Games," said the American. "It doesn't matter what you do after. It only matters what you do on the two days of competition."

Retaining his Olympic crown will bolster Greene's claim to historic supremacy. But the man himself is already in no doubt.

Of forerunners such as Carl Lewis and Jim Hines, he said: "I don't think any of those people can stand up to my stats."

One Games highlight is sure to be the battle between the United States and Australia in the swimming, where first-time Australian Olympian Lisbeth Lenton burst into tears when she saw the pool where the contest commences on Saturday.

"But they were tears of joy," the 19-year-old said.

Greek Olympic officials said organisers were confident of selling all five million tickets for the two weeks of events.

The officials predict the Olympics will transform Greece into an "A-class" nation.

McDonald's hamburgers, Heineken beer, Visa credit cards and Coca-Cola are among multinational sponsors paying big bucks to boost their brands by association with the globally televised exploits of 10,000 athletes from 202 countries.

[yudansha]

The food of the Gods ... I wonder what the Godly diet is ... :D ... otherwise, Jesus would be like a role model to all the Gods :D

Thanks for the article, Serena ... but I'd rather eat the food than read about it. :D

[Littledragon]

Very excited to see the Judo/Wrestling and Tae Kwon Do event this Olympics.

The countdown.. just 3 more days!!

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Giant replicas of statues from Greek history break apart and float in the air. An acrobat dressed as the ancient love god Eros flies in the sky as two lovers play and dance on the ground. Performers dressed as images from Greek art move on platforms.

Friday's opening ceremony of the Athens Games will highlight ancient Greece's art and mythology using modern tricks and lighting.

It will ``set the stage for an historic celebration of the most modern Olympic Games of the ancient values and culture that gave them birth,'' said Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, chief 2004 organizer.

The ceremony was supposed to be a national secret, but no longer.

According to spectators at Tuesday's dress rehearsal - who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity - organizers have planned a satirical pre-show that highlights Athens' bumpy preparations.

Spectators will participate in the main ceremony by clapping and using flashlights and bells when signalled.

The infield of the stadium will be flooded with water to symbolize Greece's connection to the sea. Hundreds of drummers will march into the stadium, pounding to the rhythm of a heartbeat, in the countdown to the festivities.

A centaur, half man and half horse, appears from the centre of the lake. He shoots an arrow intended to look like a comet into the water and lights up an Olympic symbol of the five rings.

A boy on a replica of the ship, sails out into the arena. Getting off the ship, he runs to officials and the Greek flag is raised.

In another segment, three giant statues from Greek history - one placed inside the other - break apart. They are then pulled by wires high above the ground and float, where images of human conception are projected onto them. The last sculpture is a cube on which a man, dressed as an athlete, sits. He is lifted into the air by wires and runs on the cube.

The main part of the ceremony is ``an allegoric journey of the evolution of human consciousness . . . We embark on a journey using three Greek sculpture periods to take us through this journey . . . from the mythological perception of the world to the logical,'' said Dimitri Papaioannou, the concept creator of the ceremony.

The ancient god of love, Eros, flies above two lovers dancing and playing in the water.

Performers on moving platforms enact famous scenes of Greek art history. Minoan civilization, dating from 2000 to 1,500 B.C., is the subject of the first platform with a woman dressed as Medusa.

For the parade of nations, the people holding the placards with the names of the countries will be dressed up as ancient vases. A foreign entertainer - possibly Iceland's Bjork - will sing.

Performers dressed as athletes will ascend into the air holding lanterns that look like rays of light, while a large metal ring floats above a tree that was lifted from the center of the infield. The ring breaks apart to become a whirling three dimensional globe and the floating people go toward it.

``The images were designed in a way to really take us to an emotional journey . . . to be inspired by the images and not simply by the storytelling,'' Papaioannou said.

Canada will be the 73rd of 202 countries to enter the stadium, ahead of Cambodia and before Qatar. Canada will be coming in later than usual because it starts with a K in Greek.

TV is showing the ceremonies live at 1 p.m. EDT, repeated at 7 p.m. local time.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

PARIS (AP) - Officials have tests to detect athletes using new doping techniques at the Athens Olympics but are keeping the details secret, the global anti-doping chief said in an interview published Wednesday.

"We want it to stay a little secret. It will have more effect," Canadian **** Pound said in an interview in the French daily Le Parisien.

The Montreal lawyer, who heads the World Anti-Doping Agency, said a test to detect Human Growth Hormone is in place, but officials don't want to reveal details such as how long they can detect it after athletes have taken the substance.

WADA also has approved tests to detect athletes using blood transfusions or so-called blood substitutes to raise the level of oxygen in their blood, he said.

He said WADA hadn't introduced the tests until it had a "scientific consensus" that they would work.

"We are confident that they are reliable," Pound said.

Pound said that last year's revelations about athletes taking the designer steroid THG and its distribution by a San Francisco drug company had shown that the fight against doping would be a long one, and it was "possible, even probable" that other labs are working on new drugs.

THG was detected after a coach handed authorities a syringe containing the drug. Pound said WADA encourages whistleblowers.

"We're asking the athletes and trainers to help us. The messages is that we can save hundreds of millions of dollars in scientific research by obtaining a small portion of a doping product," he said.

"But from our experience with THG we can ourselves imagine what products could be created from a molecule and devise tests for them."

However, Pound cautioned: "The test will take years. It's a marathon."

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (Reuters) -- World 100 meters champion Torri Edwards was banned for two years on Wednesday after a positive test for the stimulant nikethamide.

Edwards, who had been included in the U.S. team for the Athens Olympics opening on Friday, has appealed to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"Edwards was banned for two years from all sanctioned competition beginning in July 18, 2004, and all her competitive results were disqualified from that date," the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said in a statement.

The 27-year-old inherited the world title after compatriot Kelli White was also banned for two years after admitting taking a variety of banned drugs.

Edwards tested positive at an April meeting in Martinique.

She subsequently qualified for the U.S. team in the 100 and 200 meters and was expected to run on the 4x100 meters relay.

The sprinter contended she was given glucose tablets by her physical therapist who did not know they contained a banned substance.

Her ban opens up a place on the 100m team which will now go to twice-Olympic gold medalist Gail Devers, who finished fourth at the U.S. trials.

Devers, 37, won the gold medal in 1992 and 1996 and has also qualified for the 100m hurdles, an event in which she has yet to win an Olympic title although she is a three-times world champion.

Edwards's place on the 200m team will be taken by LaShaunte'a Moore -- unless her ban is overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which has set up a tribunal in the Greek capital.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece -- Birgit Prinz scored four goals as world champions Germany crushed China 8-0 in their opening Group F game in the women's Olympic tournament in Patras on Wednesday.

Gabriel Heinze played a starring role as Argentina crushed Serbia/Montenegro 6-0 to get their quest for a first Games football gold medal off to a flying start in the men's tournament.

The Manchester United player scored one and set up another, while Mali are Mexico ended goalless, Greece drew 2-2 against South Korea and Tunisia and Australia ended 1-1.

Korea's Kim Chi-gon was red-carded after 31 minutes against the host nation who needed late goals from Ioannis Taralidis and Dimitrios Papadopoulos, from the spot, to salvage a point.

Newly-crowned German footballer of the year Prinz sparked the scoring in the 13th minute and made it 2-0 eight minutes later, again with a header, as Germany took charge.

With the Chinese tiring in temperatures reaching 40 degrees celsius, Pia Wunderlich added a third on 65 minutes and 2003 World player of the Year Prinz made it 4-0 eight minutes later.


Wambach, left was among the scorers as the U.S. opened in style
The floodgates then opened as Renate Lingor scored from the penalty spot on 76 minutes and Conny Pohlers made it 6-0 on 81 before Prinz got her fourth with two minutes of normal time remaining.

Martina Mueller completed the rout in the last minute while Prinz said: "I'm totally surprised. I never expected this big win."

In Group G action of the women's tournament, 1996 Olympic champions and Sydney 2000 silver medalists, the United States, overcame hosts Greece 3-0 in Heraklio.

Shannon Boxx gave the Americans the lead on 13 minutes with Abby Wambach making it 2-0 on the half-hour mark. Mia Hamm completed the scoring eight minutes from time.

Brazil opened their Group G account with a 1-0 win over Australia, thanks to a first-half goal from Marta while in Group E, Eriko Arakawa got the only goal as Japan beat Sweden.

[Littledragon]

MADRID, Spain (Reuters) -- Spanish cyclist Janet Puiggros Miranda has been dropped from the Olympic team after after a positive drugs test, the Spanish Cycling Federation said on Wednesday.

Puiggros Miranda was tested at the Spanish mountain bike championship in Candanchu on July 17 and found to have EPO in her system.

"After notifying the affected party, who waived the right to a 'B' test, the Federation informed the Spanish Olympic Committee that the rider would no longer be participating at Athens," the Federation said in a statement.

"The Federation will now begin proceedings to deal with the case."

Puiggros Miranda is the second Spanish athlete in two days to have been forced to drop out of the Games after testing positive for EPO, a banned blood-boosting substance associated with improved performance in endurance events.

Canoeist Jovino Gonzalez was dropped on Monday after failing a surprise pre-Olympic drug test.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece -- Former women's world number one Serena Williams has pulled out of the Athens Olympics.

U.S. Olympic spokesman Randy Walker said her sports surgeon had advised her to withdraw rather than risk long-term injury to her left knee.

Serena paired with her sister Venus to win Olympic gold in the doubles at the Sydney Games and was due to contest both doubles and singles in Greece.

Her withdrawal comes follows news that U.S. rival Jennifer Capriati is also to miss the Games with a hamstring problem.

Williams, beaten by Russian Maria Sharapova in the Wimbledon final, was forced to withdraw from WTA tournaments in San Diego and Montreal because of the knee injury.

She will be replaced in the singles draw by Australia's Samantha Stosur.

Venus, the defending women's singles champion, will now team up with Chanda Rubin in the doubles.

Rubin was originally scheduled only to contest the singles when the tennis tournament starts Sunday.

Both sisters have been hampered by various injuries for about a year.

Serena had knee surgery last August and was sidelined for eight months.

Organizers also announced the seeds for the tournament on Wednesday.

Belgian world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne is the top seed in the women's singles, followed by France's Amelie Mauresmo and Russian Anastasia Myskina.

Venus is seeded sixth in the singles, but with new partner Rubin is unseeded in the doubles.

Compatriots Lisa Raymond and 47-year-old Martina Navratilova are seeded three in the women's doubles with Russian pairing Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Likhovtseva top.

Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Roger Federer of Switzerland heads the men's seedings, as expected, followed by American Andy Rod****, Spaniard Carlos Moya and Briton Tim Henman.

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan are the top seeds in the men's doubles.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece -- World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president **** Pound said there was nowhere left for drugs cheats to hide after confirming that athletes at the Athens Olympics will be tested for human growth hormone (HGH).

"We have a test," Pound told a news conference.

"The parameters of the test we are keeping to ourselves. If there are people taking this we are going to be able to find them."

There has never previously been an effective test for HGH, which stimulates muscle and tissue growth.

The new test is the latest weapon in WADA's arsenal following the development of tests for the endurance-boosting drug erythropoietin (EPO) and so-called designer steroids such as tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), which have been chemically engineered to deceive the testers.

"The likelihood of getting caught is getting larger ever day," said Pound.

"EPO, growth hormone, any designer steroid we know about, we now have a test for."

Pound also criticized U.S. athletics bosses over a spate of recent drugs cases among American athletes following an investigation into the BALCO laboratory in California, where THG was developed.

On Wednesday world 100 meters champion Torri Edwards was banned for two years after testing positive for nikethamide.

"The leadership within USA Track and Field has been largely responsible for this problem getting as extensive as it has," said Pound.

"They are going to have to look very carefully at their own house. A lot of the problem has been that there is simply a lack of no tolerance for cheating.

"Unless and until that message goes out and there's some stringent measures to ensure it happens, it's kind of an invitation to flirt out there at the edges."

Pound said a comprehensive out-of-competition dope-testing program was already in operation ahead of the Games which officially start with the opening ceremony on Friday.

On Monday canoeist Jovino Gonzalez was thrown off the Spanish team after failing a surprise pre-Olympic drug test.

Kenyan boxer David Munyasia was also dropped after testing for a recreational drug.

[Littledragon]

The U.S. gymnastics team has arrived in Athens and is preparing for next weekend's preliminaries. The men's competition begins with the qualification round on Saturday, August 14, with the women's qualification the following day. The U.S. women are expected to contend for their second Olympic gold medal in the team competition, after winning their first world championship a year ago this month. After the Mag Seven had its memorable victory at the 1996 Atlanta Games, the women's team left the 2000 Games in Sydney with no medals and finished fourth in the team final.





NBC gymnastics analysts Elfi Schlegel and Tim Daggett are on site in Athens. They watched the U.S. women's squad at practice on Saturday at the competition venue: the Olympic Indoor Hall in the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. Schlegel talks about that practice, including how national team coordinator Martha Karolyi is planning out every detail of the qualification round and the team competition -- from how the gymnasts walk onto the floor to who warms up when. Daggett discusses the intensity of the team and the image they're working to project.

Below are the six members of the Athens Olympic team, with links to their bios, plus video and analysis of each gymnast from NBC commentator Elfi Schlegel.


Robert Laberge/Getty Images
MOHINI BHARDWAJ
Age in Athens: 25
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Did you know? Hollywood celebrity Pamela Anderson has reportedly spent $25,000 funding Bhardwaj's training for the Olympics.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Mohini Bhardwaj

Go to Mohini Bhardwaj's complete bio.



Steve Lange/USA Gymnastics

ANNIA HATCH
Age in Athens: 26
Hometown: West Haven, Conn.
Did you know? Hatch was a seven-time national champion in Cuba before moving to the United States in 1997.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Annia Hatch

Go to Annia Hatch's complete bio.



Robert Laberge/Getty Images

TERIN HUMPHREY
Age in Athens: 18
Hometown: Blue Spring, Mo.
Did you know? Before she became a full-time gymnast, Humphrey competed in barrel racing on her horse.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Terin Humphrey

Go to Terin Humphrey's complete bio.



Robert Laberge/Getty Images

COURTNEY KUPETS
Age in Athens: 18
Hometown: Bedford, Texas
Did you know? Before a torn Achilles kept Kupets out of the final at the 2003 Worlds, she had qualified for the individual all-around and uneven bars finals.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Courtney Kupets

Go to Courtney Kupets' complete bio.



Robert Laberge/Getty Images

COURTNEY McCOOL
Age in Athens: 16
Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.
Did you know? Less than a month after she began competing as a senior, McCool won the all-around competition at the Athens international test event in March.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Courtney McCool

Go to Courtney McCool's complete bio.



Robert Laberge/Getty Images

CARLY PATTERSON
Age in Athens: 16
Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.
Did you know? At the 2003 Worlds, Patterson took the all-around individual silver, becoming the first U.S. woman to win a world championship all-around medal since 1994.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Carly Patterson

Go to Carly Patterson's complete bio.


ALTERNATES: Allyse Ishino, Chellsie Memmel and Tasha Schwikert.

[Littledragon]

South Korea has dominated the sport of taekwondo since the sport's beginnings.

The South Korean men have won all 16 world championship titles; at the sport's Olympic debut in 2000, South Korea claimed gold in three of the four classes it competed in.


Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
American Nia Abdallah (right) competes against South Korea's Eun Kyung-Kwon at the 2004 Titan Games.

"They're kind of like the Lakers," 2003 world championships silver medalist Mark Lopez of the U.S. says.

What can a taekwondo squad have in common with an NBA team?

Depth, for one. Mark Lopez's older brother and 2000 Olympic featherweight champion, Steven Lopez, says the sheer number of talented taekwondo athletes in South Korea reminds him of the underused talent sitting on the Los Angeles Lakers' bench.

"If one person gets hurt, [the South Koreans] have a bench full of people who are just as good to come in and replace him," says Steven Lopez, who will compete in the welterweight division in Athens.

Extremely popular in South Korea, taekwondo is taught to kids at a young age -- much like American youths who play basketball from the time they are toddlers.

"Most of the people doing it start when they are four or five years old. Like we train when we start competing at the Olympic and elite level, they train like that from the age of four," 2004 U.S. Olympian Nia Abdallah says. "It's just so dominant in South Korea."

Yet despite its advantages, South Korea's stranglehold on its international opponents is starting to slip.

At the 2003 World Taekwondo Championships, for example, the South Korean men's team was in danger of losing to Iran. A loss would have ended the team's winning streak at 15 consecutive crowns.

Tied at two gold medals apiece, Korea's last opportunity to get past the Iranians came in the final of the men's featherweight competition, where South Korea's Nam Won Kang faced Mark Lopez.

The action-packed fight -- highlighted by Mark Lopez knocking down Nam in the first round -- came down to the last seconds. Nam narrowly defeated the 1999 world bronze medalist, 6-5.

When the match was officially awarded to Nam, the Korean simply returned to his sideline -- he accomplished what he came to do, and South Korea was once again the victor.

"I am very satisfied, especially because the Korean team now is on top of the medal standings," Nam said following his match.

Yet Mark Lopez and the Iranian fighters sent a message to South Korea -- the rest of the world is catching up.

And Korea knows it.


Adam Pretty/Getty Images
Steven Lopez is declared the gold-medal winner over South Korea's Sin Joon-Sik at the 2000 Sydney Games.

"It's true we did a good job in Sydney," South Korea head coach Kim Sae-hyeock told the JoongAng Daily. "Are we still a force to be reckoned with? Yes. But there are no guarantees -- absolutely none."

South Korea learned this lesson at the 2000 Olympics when Steven Lopez ruined the near-Korean sweep. The American battled back to beat Sin Joon-Sik 1-0 in the gold-medal match, preventing South Korea from capturing its fourth gold medal.

In Athens, Kim expects Iran to put up the biggest challenge against his Korean squad.

"It does not matter who they send; if they are from Iran, they are all potential medalists," Kim told the JoongAng Daily.

The biggest threat to South Korea's attempt at a sweep could be in the men's featherweight class, where 20-year-old Song Myeong-Seob will have to prevent 2000 bronze medalist Hadi Saei from capturing the featherweight title.

Iran enters Athens as the defending world champion in the men's middleweight and men's heavyweight divisions, while Korea won gold in the men's lightweight, featherweight and flyweight at the 2003 Worlds.

Korea still holds the advantage, but even the most dominating organizations can be defeated. After all, the Detroit Pistons beat the Lakers in the 2004 NBA finals.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/2004/0628/5019148_320X240.jpg
http://www.nbcolympics.com/2004/0428/5010076_320X240.jpg

[Littledragon]

When American Steven Lopez returned from the 2000 Olympics as the taekwondo featherweight champion, he was initially overprotective of his prized gold medal.

"I said right after the Sydney Games, 'I'm not going to let anyone handle this, this is mine,' " Lopez says with a laugh. "But it's just like one person asks to hold it, 'please, please,' I couldn't say no. They handled it, then I was like, what the heck.


Steven Lopez (back) fights against Tony Graf at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

"It's something that I think everyone should be able to touch, see, feel if they want to."

But now that his Olympic jewel has been passed like a $5 bill, Lopez's generosity is beginning to wear.

"The one I have now, so many kids have handled it -- I pass it around classrooms at show-and-tell -- so it's a little bit dirty," Lopez said with a smile. "Hopefully I can get a new one in 2004."

To do that, Lopez must replicate his Sydney success against a new field of competition. In 2002, Lopez decided to move up from featherweight (68kg/150 lbs) to welterweight (80kg/176 lbs), a more natural weight for his 6-foot-2 frame.

Suddenly fighting against bigger and taller opponents, the 2001 and 2003 world champion adjusted his technique to better optimize his advantages and minimize his new weaknesses.

"(Steven) doesn't have the reach that he used to have in the featherweight division," says Jean Lopez, Steven's older brother and coach. "So technically we've had to adjust how to fight taller opponents and how to adjust your distance."

Though Lopez's opponents caught up to him in size, they still can't match his quickness, which he developed fighting smaller, faster featherweights.

"It's almost like a hummingbird," Jean Lopez says. "It has its own timing, its own sense of speed. Where we see a hummingbird, it's so fast, but for the hummingbird it's just normal speed.

"It's the same thing for Steven. They may look at Steven being so fast, and Steven sees everything so slow. But that's an advantage because he sees things coming before they even do it."

That was evident in 2003, when Lopez won gold at the Pan American Games and the World Championships. Lopez beat Germany's Mohamed Ebnoutalib in the Worlds final for his second consecutive title, and bested 2000 Olympic welterweight champion Angel Matos of Cuba in the first round of the Pan Am Games.

Comfortable in his new weight class, Lopez has enjoyed his lifestyle off the mat as well.

"Now I can eat what I want to eat and I can lift weights," says the 25-year-old Lopez.

This was a luxury he didn't have before the Sydney Games. Lopez said he weighed 172 pounds when he started reducing to make the 150-pound featherweight limit. Lopez often ran nine miles a day and watched everything he ate until he made weight in Sydney.

"My brother (Jean) told me, 'You know what Steven? You make that weight class and you'll win the gold medal,' " Steven Lopez says. "So the biggest opponent was not the actual guys I was going to be competing against, but just making the weight class."

Heading into the 2004 Olympics, Lopez only has to worry about the other fighters -- an approach he hopes will result in a new gold trinket for show and tell.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/2004/0606/5016443.jpg

[yudansha]

Thanks, LittleD, those TKD articles - very interesting stuff there ... South Korea - the Lakers of TKD (I'm not that surprised, but I'd like to see other nations break that ice.) And this article was very interesting as well:

The U.S. gymnastics team has arrived in Athens and is preparing for next weekend's preliminaries. The men's competition begins with the qualification round on Saturday, August 14, with the women's qualification the following day. The U.S. women are expected to contend for their second Olympic gold medal in the team competition, after winning their first world championship a year ago this month. After the Mag Seven had its memorable victory at the 1996 Atlanta Games, the women's team left the 2000 Games in Sydney with no medals and finished fourth in the team final.





NBC gymnastics analysts Elfi Schlegel and Tim Daggett are on site in Athens. They watched the U.S. women's squad at practice on Saturday at the competition venue: the Olympic Indoor Hall in the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. Schlegel talks about that practice, including how national team coordinator Martha Karolyi is planning out every detail of the qualification round and the team competition -- from how the gymnasts walk onto the floor to who warms up when. Daggett discusses the intensity of the team and the image they're working to project.

Below are the six members of the Athens Olympic team, with links to their bios, plus video and analysis of each gymnast from NBC commentator Elfi Schlegel.


Robert Laberge/Getty Images
MOHINI BHARDWAJ
Age in Athens: 25
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Did you know? Hollywood celebrity Pamela Anderson has reportedly spent $25,000 funding Bhardwaj's training for the Olympics.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Mohini Bhardwaj

Go to Mohini Bhardwaj's complete bio.



Steve Lange/USA Gymnastics

ANNIA HATCH
Age in Athens: 26
Hometown: West Haven, Conn.
Did you know? Hatch was a seven-time national champion in Cuba before moving to the United States in 1997.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Annia Hatch

Go to Annia Hatch's complete bio.



Robert Laberge/Getty Images

TERIN HUMPHREY
Age in Athens: 18
Hometown: Blue Spring, Mo.
Did you know? Before she became a full-time gymnast, Humphrey competed in barrel racing on her horse.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Terin Humphrey

Go to Terin Humphrey's complete bio.



Robert Laberge/Getty Images

COURTNEY KUPETS
Age in Athens: 18
Hometown: Bedford, Texas
Did you know? Before a torn Achilles kept Kupets out of the final at the 2003 Worlds, she had qualified for the individual all-around and uneven bars finals.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Courtney Kupets

Go to Courtney Kupets' complete bio.



Robert Laberge/Getty Images

COURTNEY McCOOL
Age in Athens: 16
Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.
Did you know? Less than a month after she began competing as a senior, McCool won the all-around competition at the Athens international test event in March.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Courtney McCool

Go to Courtney McCool's complete bio.



Robert Laberge/Getty Images

CARLY PATTERSON
Age in Athens: 16
Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.
Did you know? At the 2003 Worlds, Patterson took the all-around individual silver, becoming the first U.S. woman to win a world championship all-around medal since 1994.
NBC's Elfi Schlegel on Carly Patterson

Go to Carly Patterson's complete bio.


ALTERNATES: Allyse Ishino, Chellsie Memmel and Tasha Schwikert.

[Littledragon]

Thanks, LittleD, those TKD articles - very interesting stuff there ... South Korea - the Lakers of TKD (I'm not that surprised, but I'd like to see other nations break that ice.) And this article was very interesting as well:


Other nations have, IRAN and EGYPT has some of the best Tae Kwon Do teams ever. As well as GERMANY. ;)

[yudansha]

I meant... other nations dominating for a period of time and then maybe changing to another nation after awhile... South Korea dominates that sport from what I've read. Others may have gotten gold medals, but Koreans are still considered to have the top team - the one that is the greatest challenge. That's what I meant. I'm sure other countries challenged, but it's amazing how South Korea remains in its top form over the years.

[Littledragon]

I meant... other nations dominating for a period of time and then maybe changing to another nation after awhile... South Korea dominates that sport from what I've read. Others may have gotten gold medals, but Koreans are still considered to have the top team - the one that is the greatest challenge. That's what I meant. I'm sure other countries challenged, but it's amazing how South Korea remains in its top form over the years.


IRAN also has one of the top teams as well, yes South Korea constantly wins but you have to remember there are many weight divisions in TKD so therefore S.Korea is not dominating every division. Last year IRAN was ranked by the World Tae Kwon Do Federation the top team of the year at the World Championships and the U.S. Open.

[yudansha]

But you see, being called the top team for one year is not domination... I don't doubt they're good though.

[yudansha]

Click for audio (http://www.broadband.rogers.com/bband/feeds/cpfix/xml/sports/s081161A.ra)

ATHENS (CP) - Enough practice and enough training. Canada's athletes want the Olympic Games to start.

http://www.broadband.rogers.com/bband/feeds/cpfix/xml/sports/s081161A.jpg
Actress Nia Vardalos, of Winnipeg, addresses member of the Canadian Olympic Team during the team reception in Athens Wednesday. (CP/Paul Chiasson)

"As my coach says 'the hay is in the barn,"' swimmer Mike Mintenko said Wednesday. "It's time to put our performances down and see what we can do." For those teams and athletes who have been training in Greece for days or weeks, the buildup to these Games has been tedious at times.

Canada's softball team has been in this country since the beginning of August. The team got a taste of competition Wednesday with a 2-2 exhibition tie against Australia, but the real thing starts Saturday - the first official day of competition - when Canada opens against Taiwan.

"Saturday has seemed like it would take forever to get here and it's getting close," outfielder Alison Bradley said. "Some of the girls are like 'Oh, is it ever going to get here?"'

The Canadian Olympic Committee held a reception for the athletes at an Athens estate Wednesday evening.

Winnipegger Nia Vardalos, creator of the hit movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Philip Somerville, Canada's ambassador to Greece, B.C Premier Gordon Campbell and Minister of State for Sport Stephen Owen attended, but barely half of Canada's 266 athletes made it.

Some athletes who compete later in the Games have yet to arrive in Athens. Others were at training camps elsewhere in Greece and Europe.

Trampolinist Karen Cockburn and tennis player Daniel Nestor, both from Toronto, landed Wednesday afternoon with barely enough time to drop their bags and get to the reception.

"We just arrived here and it's been rush, rush, rush, getting our accommodations, clothes and this event," Cockburn said. "Right now I'm really tired and looking to go to sleep."

But diver Alexandre Despatie of Laval, Que., a gold-medal hope in diving, was more than ready to go.

"I'm very anxious because we want to get this started," he said. "We've been talking about this for over a year now. I want it to start."

There's only one more major ceremony before the official competition begins. And many Canadian athletes in action this weekend will skip Friday night's opening ceremonies (1 p.m. EDT) to avoid standing around in the energy-sapping heat.

The temperature in Athens has been well into the 30s and synchronized swimmer Fanny Letourneau said it has read as high as 56 on the deck at their outdoor pool. The heat affects athletes' decisions on how much time they'll spend walking around outdoors and how much rest they'll need.

Mintenko, from Moose Jaw, Sask., said when he's not training, he plans to keep his feet up and write postcards before racing in the freestyle relay Sunday morning.

Canadian athletes weren't surprised by the heat as most have been preparing for it by coming to Greece early to acclimatize or training during the winter in hot-weather climates.

"It definitely will affect your performance," Montreal triathlete Samantha McGlone said. "The times are going to be slower because of the heat and people who aren't acclimatized and aren't ready for it are going to suffer out there."

Many at outdoor venues are making use of the ice vest designed by Victoria sports physiologist Dr. Gordon Sleivert. McGlone plans to wear one for the 30 minutes or so it takes to marshal athletes at the starting line of the triathlon, in order to avoid overheating before her race begins.

Coaches of athletes competing outdoors are preaching water and hats as well, making sure when the training or game is over, they head for air-conditioned cover.

"Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate," softball coach Mike Renney said. "You won't find any of our athletes walking around the village without their hats on."

The athletes' village in Athens is a more sprawling version of the one in Sydney four years ago. Letourneau, from Quebec City, said she takes a bus to get to the cafeteria.

But there were few complaints from the athletes about their digs as they have spacious air-conditioned apartments.

"The only thing we need is a mat for our bathroom," Bradley said. "There's no tub, so the water just runs everywhere, so the floor is either really clean from the water or really dirty from us."

Security checks add to travel time between the village and venues, but Bradley, from Pinkerton, Ont., was OK with that.

"They are very secure with making sure our bags go through the X-ray thing before we go in to make sure nothing has been picked up along the way," she said. "I'd rather they do it and be safe than not do it and have something happen."

The Canadian team held a security briefing earlier in the week. All athletes carry a cellphone and must have it on at all times, said Letourneau. If the athletes are out in the city and an emergency arises, there are designated places to go.

The athletes are accompanied by a security guard to and from the venues.

"I feel very safe," Letourneau said.

Earlier Wednesday, Owen told reporters the federal government has cut down on its presence at the Olympics. He said there were between 25 and 29 officials at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and in Athens, there are 10.

Heritage Minister Liza Frulla will also attend the Games but will not be here at the same time as Owen.

"It's a very considerable reduction in the government program," he said. "As we all know, it's expensive here and we've made a conscious effort to reduce the participation."

DONNA SPENCER; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Marching in a Games opening ceremony can be a hard day's night so more than 100 Canadian athletes will skip Friday's elaborate celebration to welcome the Olympics back to Greece.

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Nicolas Gill poses with the Canadian flag in front of the Parthenon in Athens, Gill will carry the flag to lead the Canadian team at the opening ceremonies. (CP /COC-Mike Ridewood)

About 150 of Canada's 267-member Olympic team will participate in the opening celebrations which will see the stadium infield flooded with water and giant replicas of statues from Greek history break apart and float in the air. CBC is showing the ceremonies live at 1 p.m. EDT, repeated at 7 p.m. local time.

Since Canada is spelled with a K in Greek, those Canadians who do march will show the world a new look.

"We've got some clothing made with Canada spelled out in Greek letters," said chef de mission David Bedford.

With competition in many events beginning Saturday, only two members of the 20-member swim team will march while just six of 32 rowers are expected. The women's softball team has decided to give the opening a pass while the track team won't arrive from a training camp in Italy until next week.

For many athletes the once-in-a-lifetime excitement of being part of a breathtaking spectacle viewed around the world has to be weighed against the price you pay the next day.

The ceremonies alone can last more than three hours.

The march of nations - Canada will be the 73rd of 202 countries to enter the stadium, ahead of Cambodia and before Qatar - can last two hours. Sometimes athletes are on their feet for a couple hours just waiting to be ushered into the stadium. Add to that the time it takes to go home and it turns into a very, long night.

"It's going to finish very late," said Alexandre Despatie of Laval, Que., who will compete in synchronized diving Saturday.

"I'd rather stay home and rest. It's a little disappointing but competition is obviously the priority."

Daniel Nestor, who won a gold medal in doubles tennis four years ago in Sydney, will march despite some pressure not to.

"I've gotten requests from close friends and fiancees not to do it," chuckled the Toronto native. "I think it's my duty to walk and represent Canada. I don't have to play on Saturday."

One of the proudest Canadians in the Olympic Stadium will be flag-bearer Nicolas Gill.

"It's something you live once in your life," said the judoka from Montreal who has won a bronze and silver medal in his previous three Olympic appearances.

"It's something to enjoy at the time being. You can't predict how you're going to feel at that time and how the sensation is going to be. I'm sure it's going to be a memory I'll keep for the rest of my life."

Just a year ago many people were sceptical the Games would become a reality. Venues weren't completed, the budget was ballooning out of control and fears over terrorism had some athletes considering staying home.

The Athens organizers got things done just under the wire.

Venues, many still smelling of fresh paint, are ready. A security force of more than 70,000 police and soldiers keep a watchful eye on the ground. A blimp, full of electronic surveillance equipment, hovers overhead.

After a sluggish start ticket sales have been brisk with a record 92,970 sold on Wednesday alone. Officials say overall 2.7 million tickets have been sold, but revenues still haven't reached their target.

Once the sparkle of Games ends, a dark deficit will remain. The initial budget soared from $7.3 billion Cdn to over $9.5 billion. Some analysts predict the price tag will top $15.8 billion.

Helping drive up the cost is the record $1.9 billion US being spent on security.

Wrestler Daniel Igali, a gold medallist in Sydney, is pleased with the security measures.

"I don't have any fears about security," he said. "I think the IOC and the organizing committee are doing a good job and I think they will look out for us."

The opening ceremony will feature ancient mythology and legends but will also have a modern taste. For the first time in Olympic history, a DJ will perform.

Although disappointed he won't be part of the opening ceremonies, swimmer Mark Johnston of St. Catharines, Ont., is already looking forward to the Games closing on Aug. 29.

"The closing ceremonies is more a time to shine," he said. "That's where we all let it out and party on."

JIM MORRIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[Serena]

http://www.athens2004.com/Images/Legacy/ceremonies/Opening_Ceremony.jpg

On the 13 August, the biggest celebration of the world begins at the Athens Olympic Stadium. Exactly at 20:45, the Opening Ceremony of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games signals the return of the Olympic Games to the country where they were born and revived.
It will be the beginning of a celebration that will last for 16 days, with the Olympic spirit and the athletic achievements dominating and with the athletes’ emotions competing peacefully to overcome themselves.

Concept Creator and Artistic Director of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Athens Olympic Games is Dimitris Papaioannou.
The 40 years old dancer and founder of “Omada Edafous” dance group has stated about his “mission”: “What I have been asked to do now for my country and to memorialise my country makes me extremely proud. I feel fortunate to have the finest calling a man could have”.

In the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Athens participate 8,000 performer volunteers and 2,000 artistic and technical support volunteers, as well as famous artists.

Among them is DJ Tiesto, who will perform his DJ-set live in the Olympic Stadium in Athens for approximately 90 minutes. This will include new tracks, produced especially for the Opening Ceremony, and songs that have been tailored to compliment the spirit of the Ceremony.

In connection with his participation in the opening ceremony, DJ Tiesto said: “I am honoured to be to be part of the biggest sports event in the world. The fact that the Games are returning to their birthplace and to the city where they were revived makes Athens 2004 very special”.

The torchbearers who will carry the Olympic Flame during the Opening Ceremony of the Games of XXVIII Olympiad in the Olympic Stadium are, in alphabetical order, the following:

Domazos Dimitrios (Mimis)

Gallis Nikos
Kakiasvili Akakios
Kaklamanakis Nikolaos
Melissanidis Ioannis
Patoulidou Paraskevi

According to the Hellenic Olympic Committee announcement, Mr. Pyrros Dimas will be the Flagbearer of the Greek Olympic Team.

Statements on the Opening and Closing Ceremonies
During the Opening Celebration the 202 National Delegations will parade in the Olympic Stadium in alphabetical Order (according to the Greek alphabet).

[Serena]

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August 13, 2004 - For a hundred years, the Olympic flame has to home atop Acropolis Hill, putting the global torch relay to an end for its last overnight stay outside the Olympic Stadium.

Greek heroine athlete Niki Bakoyianni, runner-up in the women's high jump at the 1996 Olympic Games, was the last who escorted the torch into the 2,500-year-old Acropolis. CRIENGLISH.com reported Friday.

The flame will stay inside of the columns of the Parthenon, dedicated to the Goddess Athena, protector of Athens, for the night before it lights the cauldron at the Olympic stadium on Friday for the opening ceremony.

The flame was lit on March 25 by the sun rays at Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the games, and traveled 78,000 kilometers through 34 countries for the first time.

A concert, played by the Patras String Ensemble, was held at the Theater of Herodes Atticus to welcome the comeback flame.

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12 August: Mimi Denisi and Leonidis Valerios passing the Olympic flame in Sounio Temple.

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12 August: The Olympic winner in Weightlifting , Valerios Leonidis, carrying the Olympic flame in Sounio Temple.

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12 August: Niki Bakogianni carrying the Olympic flame in the Acropolis.

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - The Olympics returned home Friday in an epic welcome that many once believed Athens could not muster: venues completed after serious delays, security bolstered amid terrorist fears and the world's greatest athletes assembled at the site of the Games' rebirth 108 years ago.

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Canadians Fred and Kathy Masters show their excitement as they approach the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremonies. (CP / Adrian Wyld)

But the pride and relief of Greek organizers was tempered by a doping scandal that could threaten the country's biggest track stars.

Under a new weblike stadium canopy - finally bolted into place only last month - the modern heirs of the Olympics hope to make the world forget the bumpy road to the opening ceremony and start the clock ticking down 16 days of competition.

Not surprisingly, Greek mythology plays a central role in the extravaganza to officially begin the Olympiad. What's startling, however, is that the round-the-clock work blitz - under broiling sun and blinding spotlights - managed to accomplish what many considered out of reach: pulling together the vast network of venues, transport links, villages and security needed for the athletes and heads of state at the first Summer Games since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

A sign of the unprecedented policing measures floated overhead: a blimp outfitted with supersensitive spyware. Outside the 72,000-seat stadium were marks of the last-minute work: expanses of dirt, idle construction cranes and trees plants only last week.

Even the Olympic organizers could joke about it now. A short film shown in the stadium - showing workers zipping around at high speed - poked fun at the race to finish.

An International Olympic Committee member who helped oversee the preparations noted how much was at stake.

"I think you have saved Greece and saved the IOC from great humiliation," Alex Gilady told Athens organizers.

But things are just getting started.

A doping investigation has snared Greek heroes from the Sydney Games, 200-metre champion Kostas Kenteris and 100-metre silver medallist Katerina Thanou.

Kenteris had been considered the favourite to light the Olympic cauldron. Instead, he and Thanou were hospitalized with minor injuries following a motorcycle wreck. The accident came after the two were accused of evading a drug test and they might miss the Games.

Greek taxpayers are also starting to tally up the worrying bill. Officials say the will exceed six billion euros ($9.7 billion Cdn) and some analysts say it could hit a staggering 10 billion euros ($16.2 billion), including a record 1.2 billion euros ($1.9 billion) for security.

The big-budget show promises to run from reverent tradition to Las Vegas-style pageantry.

The parade of nations will have a distinct Athens stamp.

Greece, because of its links to the ancient Games, will enter first as usual. But, as the host nation, Greek athletes will also be the last into the stadium in the biggest procession in Olympic history.

Among the eligible 10,500 athletes under 202 flags: the debut appearance of competitors from the sprinkling of Pacific atolls known as Kiribati and the return of Afghanistan after an eight-year absence and the first time Afghan women have taken part. Canadian athletes were to march into the stadium with Canada spelled with a K on their uniforms.

Hundreds of drummers will march into the stadium, pounding to the rhythm of a heartbeat, according to organizers. The infield - flooded with 2.1 million litres of water to symbolize Greece's connection to the sea - will be hit by a fireball to light the five-ring Olympic symbol.

Then a boy on a replica of a child's paper boat will sail out into the arena waving a small Greek flag.

In another segment, a centaur - the mythological half man, half horse - tosses a javelin that begins the rise of a statue representing an ancient form from Greece's Cyclades islands. The form breaks apart to reveal other figures from Greek history.

The ancient god of love, Eros, flies above two lovers dancing and playing in the water. Later, a series of allegories about ancient Greece will end with a pregnant woman entering the water to send aloft a glowing representation of the universe and the DNA double-helix.

Spectators will participate in the main ceremony by clapping and using flashlights and bells when signalled. The Icelandic singer Bjork was one of the night's headliners.

The main part of the ceremony is "an allegoric journey of the evolution of human consciousness ... from the mythological perception of the world to the logical," said Dimitri Papaioannou, the concept creator of the ceremony.

"So here we are. Little Greece is just a breath away from the miracle," wrote columnist Giorgos Karelias in the Eleftherotypia newspaper. "Here is little Greece that - after being stabbed in the back by supposed well-wishers or simply the uninformed - has gone to receiving praise at the 11th hour."

But Greece is lapping it up.

For the hosts, the Olympics represent a chance to confront the deep inferiority complex that shades many aspects of life. The underdog feeling was reinforced by the serious Olympic delays, which led the IOC in 2000 to warn organizers that the Games were in jeopardy.

But, all along, Greek officials continually described the Olympics as a way to shed the country's reputation as a parochial and unruly corner of the European Union. The transport minister even said drivers' respect for Olympic lanes shows Greece can be "civilized."

The Olympic deadlines have forced projects long taken for granted in other European capitals: highways around city centres, a serious subway and rail network and efforts to preserve architectural landmarks.

"No country has been more underrated than Greece," said the chief organizer, Gianna Angelopoulos-Dasalaki.

In the stadium, she proclaimed: "Greece is standing before you. We are ready ... We have waited long for this moment. Olympic Games, welcome home."

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- The Olympic Games returned to their birthplace in Greece on Friday after 108 years, officially opening with a glittering ceremony set to put to memory thoughts of construction delays and doping scandals.

Around 75,000 dignitaries, officials and spectators packed the main Olympic Stadium in Athens for the Opening Ceremony, which began at 8:45 p.m. (1745 GMT) and embraced the theme of old and new.

Giving the Games a new twist, the Greek flag preceded the world's athletes and the Greek team arrived last.

Greek weightlifting legend Pyrros Dimas carried the host nation's flag into the stadium.

Dimas was brought up in Albania but is revered in Greece after winning three consecutive gold medals for his adopted homeland between 1992 and 2000.

Featuring more than 4,000 entertainers, the event was one of the largest theatrical performances ever staged. The organizers had promised to unite elements of ancient Greece and modern times.

As always, much of the attention focused on the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at the stadium.

The details were kept secret until the last minute, in accordance with Olympic tradition -- but Greek mythology was known to be a major theme.

The ceremony began with hundreds of drummers marching into the stadium, pounding to the rhythm of a heartbeat. The infield was flooded to symbolize Greece's connection to the sea.

A boy on a paper replica of a ship sailed out into the arena -- to run to officials as the Greek flag was raised and the country's national anthem played.

A centaur -- the mythical half man, half horse -- threw a lance symbolizing a comet into the water to light the five-ring Olympic symbol.

In another segment, three giant statues representing different stages in Greek history broke apart and were pulled by wires high above the ground.

The ancient god of love, Eros, then flew above two lovers dancing and playing in the water.

Spectators participated in the main ceremony by clapping and using flashlights and bells when signaled.

Dutch DJ Tiesto became the first disc jockey to spin at the Olympics. And there were reports that Icelandic singer Bjork would appear.

Human consciousness
The main part of the ceremony was "an allegoric journey of the evolution of human consciousness ... from the mythological perception of the world to the logical," Dimitri Papaioannou, the concept creator of the ceremony, told The Associated Press.

The ceremony was a special moment for Greece and for organizers in Athens who have had criticism heaped on them for their apparent relaxed attitude towards preparations.

Indeed the final licks of paint may have been slapped on, and the last nails driven in at various venues around the city as the opening ceremony played out, but all will be forgiven and forgotten should Athens deliver its share of special Olympic moments.

Among the eligible 10,500 athletes under 202 flags are the debut appearance of competitors from the sprinkling of Pacific atolls known as Kiribati and the return of Afghanistan after an eight-year absence -- and Afghan women taking part for the first time.

There is a countless number of possible highlights in the 16-day encore, but for many a showdown in the pool between the four fastest men in history over 200 meters looms as this Olympics' first highly anticipated sporting spectacle.

The men's 200m freestyle sees U.S. swimming sensation Michael Phelps take on Aussie superstars Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett as well as defending champion, Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband.

Indeed Phelps has been generating most of the pre-Olympic press. The 19 year-old is vying to break fellow countryman Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games.

Unprecedented security
The attack on Israeli athletes cast a shadow of terrorism over Munich and fears of terror strikes at Athens has led to unprecedented security costing organizers around $1.5 billion and involving over 70,000 personnel.

Indeed, Greek taxpayers are also staring at a huge bill. Officials say the Games will exceed 6 billion euros ($7.2 billion) and some analysts say it could hit a staggering 10 billion euros ($12 billion), including the $1.5bn security costs.

Fo this money security officials are confident the arrangements -- which include batteries of Patriot surface-to-air missiles and surveillance aircraft -- will keep athletes, officials and spectators safe during the Games.

Apart from terrorism fears the other blight is drugs.

Already there have been a wave of positive doping cases amongst athletes from several countries, most prominently the United States.


Ian Thorpe takes on Phelps in the 200m freestyle.
Greek fans were shocked after a test no-show by Greece's top sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou that could spell the end of their Olympic campaign. They faces an IOC drugs tribunal on Monday. (Full story)

Athens is the first Olympic Games at which a tough new, unified doping code has been in force and officials say they are beginning to claw back in the fight against doping.

A record estimated 4 billion people are set to tune in around the world, the International Olympic Committee said earlier this week.

Even before the opening ceremony the action had kicked off, with football first round matches and archery ranking rounds playing out before the Opening Ceremony.

And Iraq has created one of the first stories of the Games, with the men's football team stunning Portugal 4-2 in their opening encounter. (Full story)

Athens officials admit they are not hoping to trump the model Sydney set four years ago.

Instead they were aiming to deliver a well-run, honestly contested and safe Games that had finally returned home.

[Littledragon]

They were fashionably late, of course, caught in traffic so the story went, and considering the congestathon that is Athens these days, there is no reason to disbelieve it. The late arrival only increased the anticipation for the appearance of the United States men's basketball team Friday afternoon in Athens. The press-conference room was packed, the Olympic volunteers and many foreign journalists had their video cams and digitals at the ready, and an expectant buzz was in the air. Finally, the players and coaches arrived. First through the door was Allen Iverson and ... not much happened. A hum perhaps and an audible jostling for camera position, but not much else.

My thoughts returned to 1992 and a corresponding scene in Barcelona, where Dream Team I -- Dream Team Eternal -- sauntered into the hall for its first mass Olympic news conference. I'd like to tell you who was first in the door, but I don't remember. What I do recall is that with the first sign of the Dream Team the room burst into spontaneous applause. It was largely a congregation of journalists, remember, we theoretically objective chroniclers of world events. And it was like the Beatles had strode into a meeting of the Beatles Fan Club.

I bring this up now because of the contrast to the 2004 team, which, as captain and team leader Tim Duncan emphasized, should not be referred to as a Dream Team. ("That was the Dream Team," he said when somebody brought up '92. "There hasn't been one since.")

Still, the Americans are among the top draws in Athens. Players such as Duncan, Iverson and LeBron James are among the most acclaimed at the Games. Larry Brown will be considered, along with someone like longtime Cuban national boxing coach Alcides Sagarra, among the most guru-ish coaches at the Games.

But the U.S. team is in a perilous position. Once past the interest in personalities such as Iverson and James, the U.S. is a big story almost entirely because of its vulnerability. At the risk of oversimplifying, Athens is just waiting for them to lose.

In Barcelona, the sporting world was just waiting for the Dream Team to ... well, do anything. Smile, walk, talk, expel carbon dioxide -- ANYTHING! Every time I went to interview Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan or Larry Bird, some foreign journalist would stick his face behind the player and a friend of his would snap a photo. I'd express exasperation, then they'd ignore me and reverse positions.

Was there pressure on that Dream Team? Some. If it lost, it would have constituted -- and I don't think I'm exaggerating here -- literally the biggest upset in the history of sports. But it wasn't going to lose. It was a superb team, highly motivated and prepared, matched against a field that couldn't hope to compete against it.

That is not the case this time around. The U.S. is much weaker, the rest of the world is much stronger, and this American team is being probed and strobed more so its weak spots can be located, rather than so its image can be deified. In this ancient land where the Games began, how nice it would have been to be treated as gods. But it isn't 1992 anymore.

[Littledragon]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2004/schedules/index.html?cnn=yes

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2004/schedules/index.html?cnn=yes

[Serena]

Some pictures from the opening ceremony. It was quite a magnificent event, and the fireworks display at the end was spectacular! Of course, pictures can't begin to do it justice. Do watch it this evening if you get the chance. Even if you're in chat. :D

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[yudansha]

At the end, when the guy carrying the flag fell... LOL... but then I understood... :D ... very creative!

[suziwong]

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The Olympic rings are lit up as fireworks explode during the opening ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) August 13, 2004.

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An artist symbolizing ancient Greece performs during the opening ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) August 13, 2004. The Games returned to their spiritual home with an opening that brought the myths of Ancient Greece back to life through the magic of 21st century technology.

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Greek torchbearer Nikolas Kaklamanakis lights the Olympic cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Friday Aug. 13, 2004.

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Former Olympic gold medallist Nikos Kaklamanakis lights the cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 13, 2004.
A spectacular opening ceremony launched the Athens Olympics on Friday, lifting spirits in the Games' ancient birthplace.

[suziwong]

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The Olympic cauldron rises in this multiple exposure photo during the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) in Athens, Friday, Aug. 13, 2004. The photo is a single frame time exposure interupted at six intervals while the Olympic cauldron rises after being lit.

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Former Greek Olympic gold medallist Nikos Kaklamanakis waves to spectators after lighting cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 13, 2004. A spectacular opening ceremony launched the Athens Olympics on Friday, lifting spirits in the Games' ancient birthplace.

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Picture shows fireworks during the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Athens

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Thousands of athletes gather on the pitch as fireworks light the sky for the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) at the Olympic stadium in Athens. The opening ceremony for the Athens Olympics got underway here, marking the start of a 16-day sporting extravaganza that will see around 10,000 athletes from 202 countries take part

[suziwong]

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The Olympic flag is carried during the opening ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games

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[suziwong]

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Athletes from countries all over the world assemble on the infield of the Olympic stadium at the conclusion of the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games

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Runners carry illuminated batons they ascend to a globe which illuminates cities the Olympic torch visited during the opening ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 13, 2004. The Games returned to their spiritual home on Friday with an opening that brought the myths of Ancient Greece back to life through the magic of 21st century technology.

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[Serena]

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[Amos Stevens]

Thanks everyone for the photos-geez I didn't know they had the opening ceremonies till I got online this morning

[Serena]

Du Li wins the first gold of Games
Saturday, August 14, 2004 Posted: 6:41 AM EDT (1041 GMT)

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Du won the silver medal at the 2002 world championships

ATHENS, Greece -- China's Du Li claimed the first gold medal of the 28th Olympic Games in Athens, with a victory in the women's 10-meter air rifle event.

Du scored a near-bullseye to pip Russia's Lioubov Galkina of Russia with the last shot in the women's 10-meter air rifle final as Czech Katerina Kurkova took bronze.

The 22-year-old student scored 104 points in a tense final round to finish with a total of 502pts, an Olympic record.

It was her biggest career success, two years after a world championship silver.

Du, who had been oblivious to the loud cheers on earlier shots from enthusiastic China supporters, turned to her backers after the final shot and flashed a broad grin.

Du is the current world record holder with a score of 504.9 set at a World Cup event in Zagreb last year.

Galkina had set an Olympic record in the qualifying round earlier on Saturday with 399.

Shooting, one of nine sports at the first modern Olympics in 1896, has traditionally held the honor of awarding the first medals of the Olympics. It was the first of 17 medals in the nine days of shooting competition.

Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, presented the medals at the Markopoulo Shooting Centre outside Athens just minutes before noon, hours after the Olympics opened.

"It is unbelievable. I am very excited," a delighted Du beamed after receiving her gold medal.

Du -- competing in her first Olympics at the age of 22 -- said she had paid no attention to what her opponents were doing during the shoot-out and was calm on her crucial final shot.

"I didn't watch the scoreboard at all during the competition," she said. "When I fired the last shot I was very calm and confident in myself."

World champion Galkina who had finished fourth in the 2000 Sydney Games, looked on course for gold after leading throughout the 10-shot final, with one shot remaining.

But with glory beckoning the Russian's nerve failed her and she recorded a wayward 9.7 with her last shot. Du scored 10.6 to steal a win which gave China a dream start to the Games.

China finished third on the overall medal standings in Sydney four years ago and are hoping to equal that performance in Athens.

[tora]

There was an Estonian delegation at the opening ceremony by the way.The decathlon champ Erkki Nool was carrying the flag.
Too bad I missed almost the whole thing.Was it interesting?

[Serena]

There was an Estonian delegation at the opening ceremony by the way.The decathlon champ Erkki Nool was carrying the flag.
Too bad I missed almost the whole thing.Was it interesting?

The opening ceremonies were awsome, Tora! Maybe they'll show highlights from them at some point. I really enjoy watching all the athletes parading in. To see them smiling and waving, thrilled to be there, is really great. :) And the fireworks at the end were spectacular!

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Opening Ceremonies of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games
"Athletes of the world, welcome to Athens." With those words the Opening Ceremonies of the 28th Olympiad began. The pagentry and spectacle celebrated the history of Greece, a history which is includes the origin of the Olympic Games around 776 B.C. Athletes from 202 nations marched into Olympic Stadium to the cheers of a nation who worked very hard to bring these Games to life.

[yudansha]

... Russians sell guns to Chinese and Chinese finally learn to shoot straight :D ... well deserved though! I think Seagal should have a movie with an Olympic athlete (like a sharpshooter or an archer or a good gymnast) as a co-star.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Michael Phelps surely didn't bargain for this.

His quest to win eight gold medals is over, doomed by America's worst showing in the 400-meter freestyle relay. Gary Hall Jr. is ticked off. And now comes the toughest race of all against the Thorpedo.

Not exactly what Phelps had in mind when he decided to challenge Mark Spitz.

Phelps got a spot on the relay at the expense of Hall, who didn't even show up to watch the Americans get blown out of the water by a South African foursome that set a world record Sunday night.

With six events left in Athens, the best Phelps can do now is tie Spitz's record of seven gold medals from the 1972 Munich Games -- and there's no margin for error. Next up is the 200 free, a race that has been dominated by world record-holder Ian Thorpe of Australia and the most imposing of Phelps' individual events.

The Americans already seemed to be laying the groundwork for failure.

"Michael will not miss a beat," U.S. men's coach Eddie Reese said, "if he doesn't win seven gold medals."

The 19-year-old from Baltimore opened with a gold in the 400 individual medley Saturday, but needed to win all eight of his events to surpass Spitz.

"We are disappointed, but we're fortunate to win a medal," Phelps said of Sunday night's bronze. "It's a learning experience."

A learning experience that apparently left Hall seething. One of the greatest sprinters in American history didn't even show up at the pool after being told he would be left off the team that swam the evening final.

"It's disappointing he wasn't here," Phelps said.

Hall could not be reached for comment, but his agent, David Arluck, was clearly displeased that a three-time Olympian was left off the team at the expense of someone who had never swam on an Olympic relay team.

"Gary is one of the best Olympians of all time," said Arluck, who was at the pool to cheer on another of his clients, South African Roland Schoeman. "I can't believe they kept him off the relay for some 19-year-old guy who is going after something that he's not going to accomplish anyway."

The South Africans broke the Aussies' world record with a time of 3 minutes, 13.17 seconds. The Netherlands took silver at 3:14.36, while Phelps and his American teammates finished third at 3:14.62.

The Americans had never lost an Olympic 400 free relay until they were upset by the Australians at the 2000 Sydney Games -- both teams breaking the previous world record.

Across the board, a windy night at the pool didn't turn out well for the Americans.

World record-holder Brendan Hansen, swimming on his 23rd birthday, was beaten in the 100 breaststroke by Japan's Kosuke Kitajima, settling for a silver medal. France's Hugues Duboscq took the bronze.

And Jenny Thompson was again denied an individual gold, finishing fifth in the 100 butterfly. Any medal would have been the 12th of Thompson's illustrious career -- more than any other swimmer -- but she remains tied with Spitz, Matt Biondi and Carl Osburn.

"It was tough field," the 31-year-old Thompson said. "I tried everything I could to medal. It just wasn't in the cards."

Petria Thomas of Australia took the gold with an upset of defending Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn, who settled for bronze.

Also winning gold on the second night of the Olympic meet: 18-year-old Laure Manaudou of France in the women's 400 freestyle, with American Kaitlin Sandeno slipping in for a bronze.

Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland won two silvers on the night, finishing behind Thomas in the 100 fly and Manaudou in the 400 free.

The previous men's 400-meter free relay record of 3:13.67 was shattered by Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns, Darian Townsend and Ryk Neethling. Schoeman put some distance on the field on the opening leg, and Neethling closed it out with an amazing 47.91 on the final 100.

The Americans were out of contention quickly. Ian Crocker led off with a dismal 50.05 -- the worst 100 of any swimmer -- and left his teammates with a margin too big to close.

Phelps went second and got the Americans up to sixth. Neil Walker and Jason Lezak tried furiously to catch the South Africans, to no avail. Swimming the anchor, Lezak expended so much energy on his first 50 that he was passed by Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands at the wall.

After finishing, Neethling climbed atop the starting block and flexed his muscles. Standing alongside, Phelps stared at the scoreboard in disbelief, huffing and puffing. Crocker, slowed by a sore throat for three days, was patted on the shoulder by Walker.

At least the Americans got a medal. The Australians were a disappointing sixth, unable to catch up even with Ian Thorpe swimming the anchor leg.

The Americans went with Hall, Walker, Gabe Woodward and Nate Dusing in the prelims. Walker swam the fastest leg of the four, which earned him a spot with Phelps, Crocker and Lezak for the evening final.

The U.S. coaches picked Phelps even though he didn't swim the 100 free at the U.S. Olympic trials last month, skipping the race that normally determines the relay pool. Instead, they based their decision on his time at the spring nationals in February.

That wasn't fair, Hall's agent argued.

"Knowing Gary, I'm sure he's disappointed," Arluck said. "I know how much he loves to race and wanted to be on the relay. That's one of his favorite events."

On Friday, Hall complained that Phelps was getting special treatment in his bid to break Spitz's record. Phelps swam his leg of the final in 48.74 -- better than his performance at the February meet, but 0.01 slower than Hall's time in the morning.

"And everyone knows that Gary is now a good morning swimmer," Arluck said. "It just doesn't make sense."

Hall has said that Reese was pressured by USA Swimming and the media to put Phelps on the relay, ensuring he would have enough chances to go after the record. He's swimming five individual events in Athens and needed to be on all three relays.

While Hall wasn't on hand for the final, he did earn a bronze medal for swimming the prelim -- the ninth medal of his career.

Woodward and Dusing, who also get medals, were part of the American contingent in the stands.

Phelps will have to swim the race of his life Monday night to keep Spitz in his sights.

The teenager is a definite underdog against Thorpe and also will have to contend with van den Hoogenband, the defending Olympic champion who upset Thorpe in Sydney.

Thorpe and Phelps got to race side-by-side in the 200 free Sunday night, but it was only a warmup for their dream showdown. Placed in the same semifinal heat, Thorpe cruised to the wall first in 1:46.65, touching ahead of Phelps' 1:47.08.

As if to show that it's more than just a two-man race, van den Hoogenband put up the fastest qualifying time while winning the other semifinal, 1:46.00. Also advancing was American Klete Keller, who won bronze behind Thorpe and Hackett in Saturday's 400 free.

The Americans don't have much time to put that relay out of their minds.

"To lose in that fashion is tough," Reese said. "It's not any fun at all."

[Littledragon]

THENS, Greece (AP) -- Romania and the United States look set to duel again for gold in the women's artistic gymnastics after dominating qualifying Sunday.

After two of four qualifying sessions, 2000 champion Romania was in front with 152.436 points while the Americans scored 151.848.

"We know we left a lot of tenths on the floor," said Bob Colarossi, president of USA Gymnastics. "That's all right. We didn't come here to win preliminaries."

The Americans are the reigning world champions and the Romanians won gold four years ago in Sydney.

Sydney silver medalist Russia was third with 149.420, followed by Ukraine, Canada, Britain and North Korea.

China, another medal favorite, competed later Sunday. The bronze medalists from 2000 will compete with Australia in the third session, with Spain, France and Olympic debutante Brazil in the final session.

The teams final is Tuesday.

The competition format involves six gymnasts, five performing on each apparatus and the top four scores counting. The top eight teams qualify for the final, as will the top eight gymnasts in the apparatus competition. The top 24 gymnasts in the individual all-around will qualify for the final.

"I think it will be very difficult to win a medal because of the format in the team final that counts all three performances on every event as the team total," Russia's Liudmila Ezhova said. "I think we just need to be calm, and do what we have prepared to do, and everything will come."

Ukraine coach Viktor Lutayenko said the uneven bars let his team down.

"In principle, we did everything we could except on the uneven bars," Lutayenko said. "We started well on the floor exercise, and then did well on the vault. If we advance to the final, I know we can do better."

The Americans came to Athens as heavy favorites to win gold. They haven't lost an international competition since 2002, and this is their deepest team yet.

Struggling in prelims isn't necessarily a pointer -- the U.S did the same last summer but recovered to beat Romania by more than 1 1/2 points for its first team world championship.

American Carly Patterson led all individual scorers with 38.337 points, a mark that was unlikely to be topped in the final two rounds of preliminaries. Daniela Sofronie of Romania was second with 38.062 points, and teammate Oana Ban was third at 37.975.

Courtney Kupets, who shares the U.S national title with Patterson, stood fourth after scoring 37.937 points. Three-time world champion and reigning gymnastics diva Svetlana Khorkina dropped to fifth at 37.836, but the Russian was in the first session, when scores are lowest.

[Littledragon]

VOLOS, Greece (AP) -- Iraq beat Costa Rica 2-0 on Sunday to reach the Olympic Games quarterfinals while Italy and Portugal recovered from shock results to win their second games and stay in contention.

Unable to play any of its qualifying games on home turf because of the war and subsequent violent conflict in its own country, the Iraqi team scored its second victory of the Olympic competition coming after a 4-2 triumph over star-studded Portugal.



Iraq now has a maximum six points from two games and doesn't have to win its third game against Morocco in Patras on Wednesday.

Both goals came in the last 23 minutes, Hawar Mulla Mohammed putting Iraq ahead at the Karaiskaki Stadium in Athens and Mahdi Karim heading the second five minutes later. Each goal sparked wild scenes among the Iraqi fans some of whom ran onto the field.

"This success is very important for our people and our country because we are facing a difficult situation," Mulla Mohammed said. "We had no facilities and fields to train for a long period but we managed to qualify for the next stage of the Olympic tournament.

"I am very happy for this achievement. It was an accomplishment of team work under the contribution of our coach."

Portugal recovered from its shock defeat by beating Morocco 2-1 to stay in contention for a place in the last eight. Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Costa scored for Portugal which must avoid defeat against Costa Rica on Wednesday.

Alberto Gilardino scored twice as Italy beat Japan 3-2 in a thriller in Volos to revive its chances of winning the gold medal for the first time in 68 years. Japan was knocked out after two high-scoring and thrilling losses.

"This game was very different from the first match against Ghana (a 2-2 tie)," said Gilardino, who took his tally in the tournament to three having scored 23 times for Parma in Serie A last season.

"We played much better in the first half but, in the second, our performance got worse."

Against Ghana, Italy fell two goals down in the first half and hit back to tie the game.

"I am very glad for the three goals I scored in the Olympic tournament and I am looking forward to going back to the Olympic village," said Gilardino.

The result eliminated the Japanese who had also lost 4-3 to Paraguay in another entertaining game and Masakuni Yamamoto's team, who had some 2,000 blue shirted followers in the stadium, made many friends with their enterprising soccer.

Daniele De Rossi scored the first with an acrobatic overhead kick while Yuki Abe curled in a 25-meter (yard) free kick for Japan and Daiku Takamatsu scored an injury time second. The second goal sparked a violent melee in the Italian goal as the Japanese tried to grab the ball away from goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli.

Ghana came from behind to beat Paraguay 2-1 in Thessaloniki with Stephen Appiah, who plays in Italy for Juventus, scoring the winner six minutes from the end.

"We were losing 1-0 and we realized we were going to lose the game, so we had to do something," Appiah said. "Fortunately we made it. The point is, we never gave up."

All the goals came in the last 14 minutes with Carlos Gamarra putting Paraguay ahead but William Tiero leveling five minutes later. Appiah's winner means that Italy and Ghana are tied with four points at the top of the group and Paraguay has three. On Wednesday, Italy meets Paraguay in Athens and Ghana faces the eliminated Japanese in Volos.

The soccer tournament takes a break on Monday with some teams preparing for the quarterfinals and others already sure they are returning home.

Argentina made it to the last eight with two shutouts -- 6-0 against Serbia-Montenegro and 2-0 against Tunisia -- with Boca Juniors striker Carlos Tevez scoring three times.

The Serbs then lost 5-1 to Australia and are sure of going out while Argentina and the Socceroos meet in Athens on Tuesday to see who finishes top of the group. Argentina has six points and Australia four.

Host Greece, unable to follow up its senior team's Euro 2004 triumph, has to beat Mexico in Volos to stay alive in Group A after tying 2-2 with South Korea and losing 2-0 to Mali. Korea and Mali have four points each and meet at Thessaloniki.

The women's competition also is on hold until Tuesday when World Cup holder Germany is in action again after a six-day break. The Germans began with an 8-0 beating of China last Wednesday with Birgit Prinz scoring four times and now face Mexico in Athens to guarantee a place in the quarterfinal.

The United States is already there having beaten Greece and Brazil and completes its group games against Australia in Thessaloniki. The other games are Greece-Brazil at Patras and Sweden-Nigeria at Volos.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Their shots clanged off the rim, smacked the side of the backboard or missed completely. Their best player stared at the floor helplessly as the ball squirted between his legs and rolled away.

Whatever remained of America's aura of invincibility slipped away, too, in a shocking, lopsided loss that left their coach embarrassed and angry.

Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and the rest of the U.S. basketball team fell 92-73 to Puerto Rico on Sunday, only the third Olympic defeat ever -- and first since adding pros -- for the nation that ruled the sport for three-quarters of a century.

It was by far the worst defeat for a U.S. men's team, coming in the Americans' first game of the Athens Olympics. Having it happen against a team they had dominated in the past 13 months only made it hurt worse.

"I'm humiliated, not for the loss -- I can always deal with wins and losses -- but I'm disappointed because I had a job to do as a coach, to get us to understand how we're supposed to play as a team and act as a team, and I don't think we did that," Larry Brown said.

Puerto Rico, which had lost to the Americans five times since last July, led for more than 33 minutes of the 40-minute game, was ahead by 22 at halftime and gamely held off a fourth-quarter comeback for one of the greatest sports achievements in the territory's history.

"We're a small island with a big heart," guard Elias Ayuso said.

The loss was a blow to the Americans' confidence, but it did little to hurt their gold medal chances. They need only to finish in the top four of their six-team group to reach the quarterfinals.

Still, the defeat will go a long way toward giving the competition hope that it's someone else's turn to move to the top of the sport.

As Carlos Arroyo left the court with just over a minute left, he defiantly pulled at the words "Puerto Rico" on his jersey. He led his team with 24 points.

"That was him telling his island of 4 million people he was very proud to beat the big colossal from the north," Puerto Rico coach Julio Toro said.

Anyone in America who didn't see this coming hadn't been paying attention to the way international basketball has been changing.

The U.S. team nearly lost in the semifinals at Sydney on a last-second shot by Lithuania, then dropped three games on its home turf at the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis -- the first losses ever by a U.S. team of NBA professionals.

This year's team, weakened by defections and rejections of 12 top players, had opened its pre-Olympic tour of Europe with a 17-point loss to Italy and a last-second victory over Germany -- a pair of games in which their vulnerability to a tight zone defense was clearly exposed.

Puerto Rico exploited that weakness, too, and the Americans could do next to nothing against the strategy.

After Lamar Odom made a 3-pointer for the U.S. team's first points, the Americans missed 16 straight from behind the arc. They tried to get the ball inside, but Puerto Rico collapsed several defenders into the paint and made life difficult for the U.S. team's best player, Duncan. He and Iverson led the team in scoring with 15 points apiece.

American teams had been 24-0 since the professional Olympic era began with the 1992 Dream Team, but now there is a blemish on their record to go with two losses to the Soviet Union in the 1972 gold medal game and the 1988 semifinals.

"I think Puerto Rico right now is celebrating big because of this," Arroyo said. "By far it's the happiest victory of my career."

The Americans handled the loss with grace, congratulating their opponents and joining them in a huddle at center court before both teams exited to a standing ovation.

The U.S Olympic team's record now stands at 109-3.

"Anybody watching that game who enjoys basketball should get a thrill out of it," Brown said. "From our perspective, all we can do is figure out what we're made of. I'm anxious to see if we'll be able to do that."

The Americans shot only 35 percent, finished 3-for-24 from 3-point range and had nearly as many turnovers (22) as field goals (26).

"We couldn't hit anything. I shot two off the side of the backboard. Never in my life have I done that," Richard Jefferson said. "This was a worst-case scenario."

Puerto Rico was 8-for-16 from long range and 31-55 (56 percent) overall to help negate the Americans' 46-27 edge in rebounding.

After Odom's 3, Puerto Rico backed off and dared the Americans to hit from behind the arc. They didn't, missing eight 3s over the rest of the quarter to trail 21-20.

When Duncan and Iverson sat down in the second quarter, Puerto Rico simply outclassed the Americans' young reserves. (Stephon Marbury scored just two points, Carlos Boozer added one.) Arroyo drove past two defenders for a layup that made it 35-22, and the Americans were suddenly on their heels.

"International basketball is so different from the NBA," Jose Ortiz said. "They probably didn't know because of how young they are. I saw them a little panicked, but they were down 20 points, what can you do?"

Whistles and jeers greeted the Americans as they emerged from the locker room after halftime, but the crowd gave them some support when they tried to get back in the game in the third quarter. But each time the Americans tried to make a run, Puerto Rico had an answer.

"They play the game the way it's supposed to be played," Iverson said. "It's not about athletics. That's the game the way Karl Malone and John Stockton play it. It's good for kids to see how the game is supposed to be played."

Now, it's up to the Americans to show whether they can play that way, too.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- About an hour after winning his Olympic debut Sunday, Andy Rod**** found himself in a Rulon Gardner headlock.

Don't worry: They were horsing around, and Rod****'s fine. Just another example of how the U.S. Open champion is embracing every aspect of the games, from living in the athletes' village to trading pins and meeting stars from other sports.

Rod**** smacked 12 aces and 16 service winners in a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Flavio Saretta of Brazil. Then the former No. 1 player got to meet 2000 Greco-Roman gold medalist Gardner and two other American wrestlers who came to watch.

Not too many people did, though Rod**** took it in stride.

"You have to understand -- people see tennis a lot," Rod**** said. "If it's a choice between that or swimming at the Olympics, people possibly go to swimming."

Also making a first Summer Games appearance Sunday: Martina Navratilova, 47. She and Lisa Raymond beat Yuliya Beygelzimer and Tetyana Perebiynis of Ukraine 6-0, 6-2.

"On my first serve of the match, I thought: 'OK, this is your first Olympic toss.' And it was a good one, and a good serve, and that was all the jitters I had," said Navratilova, who lingered on court for a few minutes to sign autographs on everything from tickets to a Greek flag.

She was given a standing ovation by the sparse crowd before and after her match Sunday night. Organizers didn't announce attendance on the tournament's blustery opening day, but only about 500 spectators were at the 8,000-seat center court when defending gold medalist Venus Williams overpowered Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-1, 6-2 in the first match.

All day, across 10 courts, strong, swirling winds made balls dance during points, blew over courtside umbrellas intended to provide shade, and sent ball boys scurrying to gather debris that flew near players.

Center court looked to be a quarter full for Justine Henin-Hardenne's 6-3, 6-4 victory over Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic, and the crowd might have had trouble keeping track of who was leading. The scoreboard didn't work from early in the first set until early in the second.

It was the top-ranked Belgian's first outing since losing at the French Open in May.

For Williams, Sunday was her first match in three weeks. She quit with a right wrist injury during a semifinal at Carson, Calif., then pulled out of the next WTA tournament.

With both wrists and her left knee bandaged, Williams appeared to be bothered more by the wind than Czink, ranked 103rd and 3-17 this season. Williams built a 22-3 edge in winners but made 33 unforced errors.

The first cry of "Let's go, Venus!" didn't come until the penultimate game of her 57-minute match. Williams' grunts and the squeaks of players' sneakers echoed off the thousands of empty blue seats.

A big crowd did turn out at Court 1 for Marat Safin's 6-0, 6-4 victory over Karol Kucera of Slovakia. Safin lost in the first round at the Sydney Games right after winning the 2000 U.S. Open title.

The biggest stunner Sunday was No. 4 Tim Henman's 6-3, 6-3 loss to Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic, while No. 11 Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina was upset by Max Mirnyi of Belarus 3-6, 7-6 (0), 6-4. Winners included No. 5 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, No. 8 Sebastien Grosjean of France, No. 14 Nicolas Kiefer of Germany, and No. 16 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile.

No. 7 Paola Suarez of Argentina, No. 8 Ai Sugiyama of Japan, No. 10 Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, No. 11 Francesca Schiavone of Italy and No. 16 Chanda Rubin also reached the second round.

"The wind affected everyone today," Rubin said. "This was the first day where it has been windy. We've been practicing in beautiful and calm conditions -- it was a little bit of a shock."

She helped the U.S. contingent go 5-0, with Mardy Fish advancing when Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden quit in the second set because he pulled a muscle on his right side.

U.S. coach Patrick McEnroe said tennis at the Olympics would be better for fans, players and TV if the tennis event was modeled on the Davis Cup, with countries' squads facing each other instead of individual competition. One idea: have two men's singles matches, two women's singles matches, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles.

International Tennis Federation president Francesco Ricci Bitti dismissed the proposal as "only popular in the United States, where people are shortsighted. This is a non-valid option."

"Tennis is an individual sport," he said, "so the tournament is an individual tournament."

Rod****, for his part, is excited about being part of the U.S. Olympic team.

He proudly points out that his pass is decorated with plenty of commemorative pins from various countries, and his eyes widen as he talks about meeting athletes from basketball to kayaking.

Where would a gold medal rate, compared with a Grand Slam title?

"It would be on a par, in my eyes," said Rod****, who plays 2000 silver medalist Tommy Haas next. "It would be right there. Especially with tennis players -- not too many of them have gold medals. So it would be pretty special. I guess I'd have to experience it first."

[ORANGATUANG]

Another "GOLD MEDAL" for us aussies..In trap shooting or something like that i dont care what it was as long as we won "GOLD".....

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - China and Australia overcame wind-blown conditions on a mountain-top range outside of Athens to add to their gold medal totals early on the third day of Olympic competition on Monday.

Zhu Qinan won the men's 10-metre air rifle for China's sixth gold of the Games. Earlier, Suzanne Balogh won the women's trapshooting to give Australia its fifth gold, one ahead of third-place Japan in the gold-medal count.

Off the playing fields, Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou got another reprieve from an IOC panel looking into their missed drug tests while police intensified an investigation of the purported motorcycle accident that left them hospitalized.

The IOC hearing will now likely be held Wednesday, when both should be out of hospital and be able to attend the meeting.

Elsewhere, international judo officials cancelled a meeting to investigate whether a two-time champion from Iran who reportedly said he wouldn't fight an Israeli opponent deliberately avoided the first-round bout by showing up overweight.

Arash Miresmaeili, a favourite in the under 66-kilogram class, was declared overweight at the morning weigh-in and disqualified for his first-round bout against Ehud Vaks. Iran does not recognize Israel and bans any contact with the Jewish state.

And a member of Denmark's sailing team was arrested on charges he struck and killed a British pedestrian while speeding in his car on the way to see his country's handball team play.

The sailor, Niklas Holm, hit the man, identified as Errol Strachan, on a suburban Athens street Sunday night, police said. Holm was released by a court after being charged with manslaughter and speeding.

At the Olympic pool, the much anticipated duel between world record holder Ian Thorpe of Australia and American Michael Phelps was set for later Monday in the 200-metre freestyle. It is the only time that the two swimming superstars were to go head to head in an individual race in Athens.

While top-seeded Roger Federer and Andy Rod**** were to play later Monday, French Open finalist Elena Dementieva of Russia was upset in the first round of the windswept tennis action, losing to Alicia Molik of Australia 4-6, 6-0, 6-3.

In other play, former No. 1 Carlos Moya of Spain rallied from a third-set, 5-3 deficit and saved three match points to defeat Thomas Enqvist of Sweden 7-6 (7), 6-7 (8) 9-7.

Molik broke Dementieva's serve six times and was never broken herself over the last two sets.

"It was pretty horrible out there but we warmed up in it this morning and it's not like the wind is blowing at my end and not hers," Molik said. "But I think I dealt with it pretty well."

Four other seeded players were eliminated in early action: seventh-seeded Rainer Schuettler of German, 12th seeded Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand, No. 13 Andrei Pavel of Romania, and No. 13 Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi of Israel.

The United States women's softball team won its third in a row in Athens, beating Japan 3-0. The Americans scored three runs in the eighth inning to extend their winning streak to 73 games.

In women's water polo, Brenda Villa scored four goals and Kelly Rulon added a pair as the world champion U.S. team edged Hungary 7-6. Australia, which beat the United States in the Sydney Olympic final, opened with a 6-5 win over Italy.

In field hockey, reigning women's world champions Argentina defeated Japan 3-1 in the second round. In another early match, Australia beat South Africa 3-0.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) -How Canada has fared so far Monday at the Olympic Summer Games:

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Canada's Maryse Turcotte, from Montreal, makes her lift of 120kg in the clean and jerk portion of the women's 58kg weightlifting final at Athens Monday.(CP/Ryan Remiorz)

ARCHERY

Men's individual 70-metre: Jonathan Ohayon, Toronto, lost 157-140 to Viktor Ruban, Ukraine, in round of 32.

BADMINTON

Women's Doubles: Helen Nichol, Burlington, Ont., and Charmaine Reid, Calgary, lost 15-0, 15-10 to Wen Hsing Cheng and Yu Chin Chien, Taiwan, in round of 32.

BASEBALL

Men: Canada defeated Italy 9-3 in preliminary-round game.

SHOOTING

Women's Trap: Susan Nattrass, Edmonton, finished sixth. Cythia Meyer, Bowen Island, B.C., was 16th,

SWIMMING

Men's 200 Butterfly: Nathaniel O'Brien, Victoria, finished 23rd in qualifying heats, eliminated.

Women's 200 freestyle: Brittany Reimer, Surrey, B.C., was 17th in qualifying, eliminated.

Women's 200 Medley: Elizabeth Warden, Toronto, was 15th in qualifying, advanced.

TABLE TENNIS

Men's Doubles: Johnny Huang, Toronto, and Faazil Kassam, Ottawa, lost second-round match 11-7, 16-18, 11-3, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6 to Jorgen Persson and Jan-Ove Waldner, Sweden.

Women's Doubles: Petra Cada, Halifax, and Marie-Christine Roussy, Repentigny, Que., lost third-round match 11-5, 11-2, 11-7, 11-6 to Svetlana Ganina and Irina Palina, Russia.

SOFTBALL

Women: Canada lost 4-2 to China in preliminary-round game.

TENNIS

Men's Singles: Frederick Niemeyer, Deauville, Que., lost first-round match 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to Taylor Dent, U.S.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Emilie Heymans and Blythe Hartley won Canada's first medal of the Summer Olympics on Monday, a bronze in the women's synchronized 10-metre event.

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Canada's Emilie Heymans, front, and Blythe Hartley twist through a dive on their way to the bronze medal. (AP /Itsuo Inouye)

Chinese teenagers Lishi Lao and Ting Li won the gold and Russians Natalia Goncharova and Yulia Koltunova the silver. Heymans, from Montreal, and Hartley, from Edmonton, previously finished seventh in the synchro springboard.

The Canadian pair finished with a score of 327.788. Lishi and Ting finished first with a score of 352.14, while Goncharova and Koltunova of Russia recorded 340.92 points.

Both divers have better chances at medals in their individual events -Heymans in the 10-metre and Hartley in springboard.

It was a morale booster for the Canadian divers who had yet to hit the podium in early diving events.

"I feel like we really needed this event because they were kind of down after the first day," Mitch Geller, head coach for Canada's diving team, said.

"I think this is a real boost that will get everybody up for the individual events," he added.

The 10-metre synchro event was a warmup for Heymans, the world champion in the individual event. The preliminary round of the women's tower starts Friday.

Heymans won a silver in the same synchro event four years ago in Sydney with a different partner.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - Ian Thorpe won the most anticipated duel at the Olympic pool, taking gold in the 200-metre freestyle Monday night and ensuring that Michael Phelps won't match Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals.

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Ian Thorpe of Australia reacts after winning the 200m freestyle. (AP /Mark Baker)

Defending Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands got off to a quick start -more than one second under world-record pace at the halfway point -but couldn't maintain it. Thorpe wearing a black suit that left only his head, hands and huge feet exposed, caught van den Hoogenband in the final 50 metres, touching the wall with an Olympic record of one minute 44.71 seconds. The Dutchman claimed silver at 1:45.23, while Phelps settled for third in 1:45.32.

Canadian Rick Say of Salmon Arm, B.C., was sixth.

"I feel great," Say said. "This is probably the race in swimming that everyone was looking forward to, probably one of the biggest races that swimming has ever seen. . . . I was in that race, I was there."

Phelps came into the Games hoping to break Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven gold medals, but his quest ended after only three races. He opened the Olympics with a world-record performance in the 400 individual medley to win gold, but settled for bronze when the American team faltered in the 400 free relay Sunday.

Phelps has only five races left, meaning six golds is the best he can do.

The 19-year-old from Baltimore was in third most of the way in Monday's race, setting an American record of 1:45.32 that was only good enough for third.

"It takes a lot more out of you racing in the finals," Phelps said. "I think it's definitely a lot different from the trials, a whole lot more emotionally draining."

The race was the most anticipated swimming event of the Athens Games -perhaps the No. 1 event of the entire Olympics.

There was Thorpe, the world record-holder and holder of the eight of the nine fastest times in history. Beloved in his native Australia, the "Thorpedo" is known for his oversized feet and imposing black suit.

There was van den Hoogenband, the defending Olympic champion. The "Flying Dutchman" pulled off a stunning upset of Thorpe at the Sydney Games four years ago, sending the Aussies into a state of shock.

And, finally, there was Phelps, who lacks a catchy nickname but has become one of the world's best all-around swimmers.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[Serena]

http://www.olympic.org/upload/athens2004/coulisse/93_galery_big.jpg
Cycling, Mens Road Race. The Men's Cycling Road Race wound its way through the streets of Athens today. The Parthenon, atop the Acropolis, provided an incredible backdrop. Italian Paolo Bettini took the gold.


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Men's Individual Sabre. 15 August 2004 - In fencing, an Olympic sport since 1896, the Men's Individual Sabre gold medal match was won by Aldo Montano of Italy. The silver went to Zsolt Nemcsik of Hungary.

[yudansha]

YES! :D And I bet they celebrated with a slice of pizza and a glass of wine :D

[Serena]

Some "typical" fans. :)
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A friendly smile from Japan.

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These fans from Ireland are all smiles. The leprechauns will be looking for Olympic gold!

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This family from the Netherlands is prepared for the sun while showing their support for their team at the same time.

Hey, yudansha! Is this you? :D
http://www.olympic.org/upload/athens2004/coulisse/96_galery_big.jpg
Striking a pose for Russia.

And where would the Olympics be without the thousands of volunteers? :)
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Athens is teeming with volunteers ready to help. Catching some shade, this one is there with a friendly smile, ready to assist.

[Serena]

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Olympic Rings casting a shadow over seating in the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens.

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The Temple of Athena Parthenos, on the Acropolis pictured at dusk.

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The Acropolis. The Temple of Athena Parthenos, the Parthenon pictured at nighttime.

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Aerial view of The Acropolis in Athens.

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Athens, Greece. A general view of Athens as seen from the Acropolis.

[yudansha]

... and no, that's not me LOL - those are some huge sunglasses :D

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The kid couldn't catch the Thorpedo -- and he won't be catching Mark Spitz, either.

Michael Phelps' quest for seven gold medals ended after just three events, doomed by another bronze Monday night in the most anticipated race at the Olympic pool -- the head-to-head showdown with Australia's Ian Thorpe in the 200-meter freestyle.

Thorpe has ruled this event for years, but Phelps couldn't resist seeing what he could do against the man in black -- part of the larger goal to break Spitz's record from the 1972 Munich Games.

His long arms churning smoothly through the azure water, Thorpe passed Pieter van den Hoogenband in the homestretch, finishing with an Olympic record of 1 minute, 44.71 seconds. The Dutchman's time was 1:45.23, while Phelps never caught the top two.

As he touched the wall, Thorpe quickly looked at the scoreboard and thrust a fist in the air, yelling as if to say "Take that!" when he saw a "1" beside his name -- and a "2" beside van den Hoogenband.

Van den Hoogenband, the defending Olympic champion, pulled off a shocking upset of Thorpe four years ago at Sydney. He got off to a quick start and was more than 1 second under world-record pace at the halfway point, but he couldn't maintain it and finished with the silver.

"Well, now we are even," said Thorpe, who won the fifth gold medal of his career and second of the Athens Games.

The 19-year-old from Baltimore was third most of the way, setting an American record of 1:45.32 that was only good enough for bronze.

"It was tough racing the two greatest freestylers of all time," Phelps said. "I had fun out there. I did what I wanted to do."

Thorpe and van den Hoogenband quickly clasped hands, while an exhausted Phelps clung to a lane rope, watching a replay of the race on the video board. Finally, he came over to congratulate his two rivals, then turned to swim out of the pool on the opposite side.

On his way off the deck, Phelps turned to take one final glance at the scoreboard before he disappeared behind the stands.

Even though he'll fall short of Spitz, Phelps has plenty of swimming left in Athens. He returned to the pool just 52 minutes later for the semifinals of the 200 butterfly. There's still the very real possibility that he'll win eight medals -- they just won't all be gold.

Spitz was in Athens for the Olympics and expected to attend the race. He has said he didn't mind losing his record, but it will remain his for at least another four years.

Two other Americans did claim gold on this night.

Natalie Coughlin, the top female swimmer on the American team, won the 100 backstroke, falling short of her own world record but holding off Kirsty Coventry of Britain. France's Laure Manaudou took bronze, her second medal of the games.

Coughlin, who failed to qualify for the 2000 Games and was felled by illness as last year's world championships, looked at the scoreboard with relief rather than ecstasy. She closed her eyes, smiled and waved to the fans.

"It's too hard to put into words," she said. "I have had so many ups and downs over the past years."

Aaron Peirsol was first in the men's 100 back, the first gold medal of his career. Markus Rogan of Austria claimed silver and Japan's Tomomi Morita held off American Lenny Krayzelburg for the bronze.

Krayzelburg, who won three golds in Sydney, fell short of a medal in his only individual event by just two-100ths of a second.

The U.S. team was shut out in the night's other final. Luo Xuejuan of China won gold in the 100 breaststroke, beating Australians Brooke Hanson and Leisel Jones. Three-time Olympian Amanda Beard was fourth and Tara Kirk sixth.

As for Phelps, he got off to a good start in his pursuit of Spitz, opening the Olympics with a world-record performance in the 400 individual medley.

But he settled for bronze when the American team faltered in the 400 freestyle relay on Sunday. Now, with only five races left, Spitz is out of reach.

Six gold medals would put Phelps in storied company. But because his audacious challenge fell short, he could be remembered as something of a failure at the Athens Games -- the same perception that dogged Matt Biondi after he won "only" five golds at the 1988 Seoul Games.

"Will it crush him? No," said Debbie Phelps, the swimmer's mother. "He's already got a page in the history book."

Phelps is the greatest all-around swimmer in the world, and he didn't really need to swim the 200 free at the Olympics. But he knew it was his only chance to face Thorpe in an individual event, so the challenge was issued.

Phelps had nothing to be ashamed of, swimming faster than he ever has in the 200 by more than six-tenths of a second.

"He had an incredible swim," said Krayzelburg, co-captain of the U.S. men's team. "It's just that the other two guys were better."

"Michael is capable of going home with eight medals," Peirsol said. "In this day and age, that's fantastic. It's the Spitzian feat of our time."

An Olympics that has been plagued by poor crowds didn't have any worries on this night. The 10,000-seat pool was packed: orange-clad fans cheering on van den Hoogenband; Thorpe's supporters distinguished by their yellow and green attire; Phelps' backers waving American flags big and small.

The media tribune was overflowing with hundreds of reporters, all drawn to an event that has been hyped incessantly since Phelps entered and qualified for the 200 free at the U.S. Olympic trials last month.

The fans rose to their feet at the giants of the sport emerged from the ready room, heading to their respective starting blocks.

There was Thorpe, the world record holder and holder of eight of the nine fastest times in history. Beloved in his native Australia, the Thorpedo is known for the imposing black suit that covers everything except his head, hands and enormous feet.

There was van den Hoogenband, the defending Olympic champion. The "Flying Dutchman" swam down Thorpe at the Sydney Games, sending the Aussie Nation into a state of shock.

And, finally, there was Phelps, who lacks a catchy nickname but has become the world's greatest swimmer.

In the end, the Thorpedo held off Hoogie and the teenager -- and ensured that Spitz's record will live on.


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Blaine Wilson paced like an expectant father. Teammate Guard Young sat calmly, scribbling numbers on a piece of paper. Morgan Hamm bounced like a boxer during warm-ups.

Nervous? Naturally. After two decades and too many disappointments to count, the Americans were down to one routine on the high bar Monday to determine whether they would be in the medals ceremony ... or just watch it again.

Paul Hamm whipped himself backward over the bar twice, and barely held on the second time. When the routine ended, his score popped up and the nervous energy turned into a celebration.

The U.S. men's gymnastics team won Olympic silver to cap a four-year rebuilding project, taking home its first medal since the boycotted 1984 Games and just the second since 1932.

"Look at this thing," Jason Gatson said, holding the medal and unable to look away. "It's beautiful. I'm going to stare at it all night."

With good reason.

At home, the men long languished in the shadows of the more successful women's program, to say nothing of so many other Olympic sports. Overseas, they were largely considered outsiders, and their fifth-place finishes at the past two Olympics only reinforced that.

For a while in the final, it looked as if this team might be forgotten again. But after faltering in the middle two rotations, Wilson gathered the guys for a pep talk.

"We knew at that point, we had some ground to make up," Hamm said. "Blaine told us, 'Don't worry about anything; just worry about ourselves."'

The Americans hit their last six routines, on parallel bars and high bar, to push past Romania and finish with 172.933 points.

The Japanese went last and needed to average about 9.5 over three sets on the high bar to win. They did it with ease, winning by 0.888 points.

The Americans applauded the clutch effort, but they also celebrated their own.

"I don't understand whoever said it stinks to get silver, or we lost the gold," Wilson said. "Hey, we won the silver medal. I wouldn't change anything today."

The rebuilding project showed promising signs when the men won silver medals at the world championships in 2001 and 2003. Doing the same in the Olympic finals was anything but easy.

Young and the Hamms took big steps on their vault landings to cap a bad stretch on rings and vault, dropping the Americans from first to a precarious third.

The parallel bars changed that.

Paul Hamm, Wilson and Gatson all scored higher than 9.7. Gatson closed the act with a routine that includes a move named after him -- in which he grips the bar with his left hand and swings upside down while turning himself completely around.

He did it perfectly, prompting coaches Kevin Mazeika and Miles Avery to start high-fiving each other. When the score of 9.825 came up, Gatson slapped hands with his teammates and the crowd started yelling, "U-S-A, U-S-A," a chant heard all too infrequently over the years with the men on the mat.

Paul Hamm's closing high-bar routine was less than perfect. He did only two straight blind-release moves instead of his customary three after nearly falling on the second turn.

But it was good enough. His score, a 9.462, clinched the medal and started the celebration.

"It doesn't get harder than that. It doesn't get more dramatic than that," USA Gymnastics president Bob Colarossi said. "To come back out and hit the last six routines like that is unbelievable."

Japan did the Americans one better, with one of the most clutch performances in Olympic history.

Needing 28.574 points on the high bar, Isao Yoneda, Takehiro Kashima and Hiroyuki Tomita were nearly perfect. The first two did somersaults backward over the bar and caught it to highlight their routines. Yoneda scored a 9.787 and Kashima a 9.825.

By the time Tomita closed, he needed only an 8.9 to clinch. He could have gone conservative but didn't, doing a release move backward over the bar with two somersaults and a full twist. It was a beauty, good for a 9.85.

When he stuck the landing, the Japanese and their big fan contingent cheered, celebrating the country's first Olympic gymnastics medal since 1992 and first gold since 1976.

"I was slightly worried about our other rivals' points, but I tried not to think about it," Tomita said. "When I finished the high bar, I didn't think about the points. But then I realized we won."

The Romanians, meanwhile, led most of the meet until two busted routines on the high bar dropped them to third. Still, it was the country's first Olympic team medal. Like the Americans, the Romanian men can finally shake the feeling of being overshadowed by a superior and more popular women's program.

Nobody in America knew that feeling more intimately than Wilson. The 11-year veteran of the national team suffered through the disappointments in Sydney and Atlanta, along with many others. But he saw a turnaround coming.

Wilson, 30, rushed back from a severe biceps injury in February, correctly thinking he might finally win a medal.

"It's a lifelong dream," Wilson said. "You've been thinking about it. Wanting it. Sometimes, you want it so bad, it makes you sick."

Gatson shared some of Wilson's pain. The 24-year-old has been one of the country's best gymnasts for the past seven years, but missed lots of time -- including the last Olympics -- due to a pair of devastating knee injuries.

The Hamm brothers were viewed as the future when they surprisingly made the Olympic team in 2000. The future paid off, and with a more centralized training program and a boost from these games, there could be more.

Young, a surprise member of this team, showed he belonged by opening the meet with a 9.7 floor routine -- sticking the landings hard on all three tumbling passes.

When it was over, he let out a scream to celebrate, just the first of many happy moments for the Americans.

"I can't imagine it's completely sunk in," Paul Hamm said. "Maybe in about six weeks I'll finally realize what a great accomplishment this was."


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Canada narrowly missed a medal in judo Tuesday but remained hot on the diamond, while a previously unheralded swimmer posted a Canadian record.

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Slovakia's Urska Zolnir (right) gets the upper hand on Canada's Marie Helene Chisholm of Varennes, Que. (CP/COC/Mike Ridewood)

Marie Helene Chisholm lost her bronze-medal match against Slovenian Urska Zolnir on points, settling for sixth in the 63-kilogram event. She would have become the first female Canadian judoka to earn an Olympic medal. It was the sixth match of the day for the 25-year-old from Varennes, Que., who appeared to be tiring -she was penalized twice for passivity during the match.

"I can't be disappointed, because I never expected to get there," Chisholm said. "Being this close to a medal does leave an empty feeling. But since I didn't expect to go that far . . . I'm very happy with the result."

Flag-bearer Nicolas Gill, a silver medallist in the Sydney Games, competes Thursday in judo while teammate Keith Morgan goes Wednesday.

In the pool, Mike Brown of Oshawa, Ont., set a Canadian record in the 200-metre breaststroke in qualifying, and then later shattered that mark with in the semifinals later Tuesday. Brown will participate in the final of the event, which take place in the early morning Thursday EDT.

"Hopefully, my name will be getting around and people will be worried about me soon," he added. "Either way, I'm just focused on my race tomorrow night and I'm going to do everything I can to get on that podium."

However, the Canadian men's 4x200-metre freestyle relay team

finished fifth in the event final later Tuesday.

Another Canadian made headlines from the pool, but not for the right reasons.

A man said to be from Montreal climbed out from the stands, then jumped over the boards into the pool. The name of an Internet casino was written on his body.

GoldenPalace.com, which has used the man for similar publicity stunts in the past, identified him as 31-year-old Ron Bensimhon. But spokesman Drew Black said Bensimhon did the Olympic stunt on his own Monday night.

Bensimhon, 31, was arrested and charged with "interrupting the Games," said a spokesman with the Greek Ministry of Public Order.

On the baseball diamond, Canada improved to 3-0 with a 7-0 victory over the Netherlands.

Peter Orr, Pete Laforest and Stubby Clapp each hit home runs, while Shawn Hill threw five innings of the shutout.

"This is a chance of a lifetime for all of these guys, not only on the team but for myself. So you take advantage of it and go for it," said Canadian team manager Ernie Whitt, a former Toronto Blue Jays catcher.

Another former Blue Jay, veteran left-handed pitcher Paul Spoljaric, gets the start against Greece on Wednesday.

In rowing, Canada's lightweight double rowing crew has advanced to the semifinals at the Olympic rowing regatta after finishing second in Tuesday's repechage.

Mara Jones of Aurora, Ont., and Fiona Milne of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., crossed the finish line in six minutes 54.04 seconds. The Netherlands won the race in 6:52.53 while Greece also advanced, finishing third in 7:04.98.

"Our race was going well, but I took a bad stroke, recovered, and then took another bad stroke," said Milne. "However, that's past us and we are now focused on the semi."

The lightweight women's double semifinal is set for Thursday.

Back in the pool, Takashi Yamamoto -a Japanese swimmer who trains in Waterloo, Ont. -earned a silver medal in the 200-metre men's butterfly, behind American swimming star Michael Phelps.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - After four days of Olympic competition, Canada can lay claim to a bronze medal in diving and the fool in the pool.

With Greece spending 1.2 billion euros ($1.9 billion Cdn) on security for the Games, Olympic organizers were unamused Tuesday after a 31-year-old from Montreal jumped off the three-metre board at the diving venue Monday night. The half-naked man had GoldenPalace.com, an Internet casino, written on his front and back. The stunt was captured on video.

GoldenPalace.com, which has used the man for similar publicity stunts in the past, identified him as Ron Bensimhon of Montreal. But spokesman Drew Black said Bensimhon jumped into the Olympic deep end on his own.

Bensimhon was arrested and charged with "interrupting the Games," said a spokesman with the Greek Ministry of Public Order.

He is due in court in Athens on Wednesday morning.

Bensimhon, identified in some previous stunts as Ron Simon, faces a misdemeanour charge of violating the normal running of the Games. The maximum penalty is five years in jail but a more likely outcome is a 30-day sentence, which will be wiped out if a fine is paid.

Officials refused to identify the man or give his hometown. He spent the night at a police station.

"The guy's done it for us before, but . . . he really did this unexpected," Black, who had heard from Bensimhon's lawyer, said Tuesday from Quebec.

"He claims he did it for notoriety, to get famous. So that's what he did and that's why he put on GP (GoldenPalace.com) because GP has done all this stuff before. And that's about all we got from his lawyer."

Olympic organizers said they had tightened security at venues as a result of the stunt.

"We are going to put security guys around the field of play," said Marton Simitsek, an Athens 2004 executive.

Black said he found the footage hilarious, but admitted: "If I was security, I wouldn't find it too funny myself.

A Canadian Embassy spokesman said the man has hired a lawyer, but has refused assistance from the embassy.

The incident happened around 10:50 p.m. local time Monday during the synchronized diving competition. The man had bought a ticket to the event.

Wearing baggy blue shorts, he jumped off a board into the pool in a somewhat ungainly fashion, waving his arms in the air from the water.

Bensimhon made headlines earlier this year in Dortmund, Germany, when he came on the ice at the world figure skating championships wearing skates, a tutu, ski goggles and a small top hat with the casino name written on his body.

At the time, American star Michelle Kwan was preparing to perform. She eventually left the ice because of the disruption.

The Canadian was later released after German police decided the his actions represented disorderly conduct rather than an offence meriting arrest.

GoldenPalace.com has a history of interrupting major sporting events to seek publicity.

The casino also spent more than $45,000 last month to buy the soccer ball England captain David Beckham blasted into the stands during a Euro 2004 loss to Portugal. It plans to use the ball for charity events.

GoldenPalace.com has also used notorious British streaker Mark Roberts to crash the world swimming championship, Super Bowl, Real Madrid home opener, French Open tennis and UEFA Cup soccer final.

At the swim championship, Roberts wore a pink tutu and red bathing cap when he jumped into the water during the synchronized swimming final.

The casino also has used boxers as human billboards during fights and employed topless women to crash golf tournaments. And it had former NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman run with the bulls in Pamplona to raise money for MS research.

But Tuesday, a somewhat flummoxed Black said he was "more surprised than anything at all" about the Olympic incident. The free advertising might ease his concerns, however.

GoldenPalace.com has Canadian ties in that it is one of many gambling ventures licensed by the Quebec-based Kahnawake Gaming Commission. It has an office on the First Nation community near Montreal, where Black is based, as well as in Antigua and England.

Its CEO, Richard Rowe, is a native of Guernsey -an island in the English Channel.

Monday night's incident came after Canadian divers Blythe Hartley and Emilie Heymans won a bronze medal in synchronized swimming Monday.

JIM MORRIS - With files from CP reporter Neil Davidson in Toronto
© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Canada is on the board at the Olympics, thanks to a bronze medal Monday from synchronized divers Emilie Heymans and Blythe Hartley. Heymans, from St-Lambert, Que., and Hartley, from North Vancouver, will both go after more medals in their individual diving events later in the Games.

"I'm very overjoyed and I was just happy that my family is here watching and happy to share the podium with Emilie," said Hartley. "The coaches were thrilled and I'm very happy that they're happy."

The host Greeks also celebrated their first medal -a big fat gold courtesy of divers Nikolaos Siranidis and Thomas Bimis in the synchronized three-metre springboard.

The celebration continued right through to the Greek national anthem, with chants of "Hellas" and dancing and hand claps.

"We are a nation with heart," Greek coach Peter Firigos said.

Elsewhere in the pool, bragging rights belonged to the Thorpedo as Australian Ian Thorpe beat American Michael Phelps in the 200-metre freestyle. Phelps was third in the only head-to-head duel at the Games between the two marquee swimmers.

Thorpe caught Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands in the final 50 metres, touching the wall in an Olympic record of one minute 44.71 seconds. Van den Hoogenband upset Thorpe in Sydney over the same distance four years ago.

It was Thorpe's fifth career Olympic gold medal -and second of these Games.

Canadian featherweight boxer Benoit Gaudet also had a day to remember.

The 24-year-old from Drummondville, Que., who was only added to the Olympic team three weeks ago after an appeal, beat former Olympic champion Somluck Kamsing of Thailand 32-17.

China increased its gold total to 10 when Chen Yanqing and Shi Zhiyong won weightlifting golds, swimmer Luo Xueguan took the 100-metre breaststroke and Lao Lishi and Li Ting won the synchronized 10-metre platform diving.

China, with 10 gold, four silver and one bronze, continues to lead the overall medal count ahead of Australia (6-2-5) and the United States (3-5-5).

On the scandal front, the IOC put off a hearing into Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou over a missed drug test. The IOC hearing will likely be held Wednesday.

Niklas Holm, a member of Denmark's sailing team, was charged with manslaughter and speeding. Police allege he struck and killed a British pedestrian while speeding in his car to see his country's handball team play.

And a female weightlifter from Myanmar was kicked out of the Games on Monday after a positive drug test.

Nan Aye Khine, 27, was also stripped of her fourth-place finish in Saturday's 48-kilogram class after testing positive for a banned steroid in a pre-competition test.

She is the second doping case of the Games, but the first who competed. Kenyan bantamweight boxer David Munyasia was barred last week after testing positive for the banned stimulant cathine in an out-of-competition test.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

Vitaliy Makarov of Russia (silver), Won Hee Lee of Korea (gold), Leandro Guilheiro of Brazil (bronze) and James Pedro of the United States (bronze) pose with their medals during the medal ceremony in the men's judo -73 kg class event, at Ano Liossia Olympic Hall in Athens on 16/08/2004 © GETTY IMAGES / Ben Radford
http://www.athens2004.com/Images/Sport%20Gallery/Judo/16%20August%202004/51086617BR005_JUDm73medal.jpg

Vitaliy Makarov of Russia pauses while receiving his silver medal in the men's judo -73 kg class event, at Ano Liossia Olympic Hall in Athens, on 16/08/2004 © GETTY IMAGES / Ben Radford
http://www.athens2004.com/Images/Sport%20Gallery/Judo/16%20August%202004/51086617BR006_JUDm73medal.jpg

[Serena]

http://images.ofoto.com/photos767/1/45/58/13/29/5/529135845105_0_ALB.jpg
The flags of all 202 nations participating in the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games greet the fans as they enter the main Olympic complex, OAKA.

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The sleek veledrome in the main Olympic sporting complex, called OAKA (oh-ah-kah), looks like something out of a science fiction movie.

http://images.ofoto.com/photos742/1/55/1/42/3/3/303420155105_0_ALB.jpg
Sunset at OAKA, Athens Olympic Sports Complex. This park is just beautiful.

[Littledragon]

Vitaliy Makarov of Russia (silver), Won Hee Lee of Korea (gold), Leandro Guilheiro of Brazil (bronze) and James Pedro of the United States (bronze) pose with their medals during the medal ceremony in the men's judo -73 kg class event, at Ano Liossia Olympic Hall in Athens on 16/08/2004 © GETTY IMAGES / Ben Radford
http://www.athens2004.com/Images/Sport%20Gallery/Judo/16%20August%202004/51086617BR005_JUDm73medal.jpg

Vitaliy Makarov of Russia pauses while receiving his silver medal in the men's judo -73 kg class event, at Ano Liossia Olympic Hall in Athens, on 16/08/2004 © GETTY IMAGES / Ben Radford
http://www.athens2004.com/Images/Sport%20Gallery/Judo/16%20August%202004/51086617BR006_JUDm73medal.jpg


I didn't get to see the JUDO yet. :(

When are they showing it on NBC?

[Serena]

http://images.ofoto.com/photos767/1/45/58/93/22/7/722935845105_0_ALB.jpg
The Men's Water Polo Teams from Egypt and Australia waiting to begin their match. The Aussie went on to win.

http://images.ofoto.com/photos742/1/55/1/42/3/7/703420155105_0_ALB.jpg
The start of a Men's Swimming event.

And the agony of defeat.
http://wwwi.reuters.com/images/2004-08-17T205135Z_01_DEN774917_RTRUKOP_2_PICTURE0.jpg
World number one Roger Federer has been bundled out of the Olympic tennis tournament by unheralded Czech Tomas Berdych. Switzerland's Federer watches his racquet after losing the men's second round match against Berdych at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 17, 2004.

http://www.olympic.org/upload/athens2004/coulisse/109_galery_big.jpg
World number one Roger Federer has been bundled out of the Olympic tennis tournament by unheralded Czech Tomas Berdych. Switzerland's Federer watches his racquet after losing the men's second round match against Berdych at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 17, 2004.

[yudansha]

Serena, how come I can't see most of your posted pictures ... same with Tora's pics in her posts???

The first 2 pics of your latest post I cannot see (red x) and none of the pics in your second last post...

LittleD, Judo was shown on CBC.

[Reservoir Dog]

I didn't get to see the JUDO yet. :(

When are they showing it on NBC?

It's not on NBC, it's on Bravoe, the NBC affiliate.

[Littledragon]

It's not on NBC, it's on Bravoe, the NBC affiliate.


Do you know what time?

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The mistakes were so minor. Carly Patterson's foot scraping the lower of the uneven bars. Courtney Kupets' tumbling pass that ended here instead of there. Mohini Bhardwaj's slight stumble on the beam.

They're the kind of errors only judges see, little touches that seem so inconsequential. But those mistakes add up, and they cost the U.S. gymnastics team a gold medal.

The Americans settled for silver Tuesday night, done in as much by their own sloppiness as Romania's superiority. They had errors on every event, costing them valuable fractions of points. They finished with 113.584, just behind the Romanians, who won their second straight gold medal. Russia won the bronze.

"We made small mistakes," said Bela Karolyi, whose wife, Martha, is the coordinator of the team. "Small mistakes are to be paid for. And we paid."

And the Americans knew it. After Patterson closed out the team's night with a saucy, sassy floor routine that had the Olympic Indoor Hall rocking, she and her teammates sat somberly on the sideline as the Romanians took the floor.

Romania, which had finished second to the United States at last summer's world championships, had to average only 9.35 points per routine to catch the Americans. They did it with ease.

Daniela Sofronie soared above the floor on her tumbling passes, flying so high fans sitting in the first few rows had to look up to see her.

Catalina Ponor, the final Romanian, brought the crowd to its feet with one of the finest routines of the night. Technically perfect, she stuck her landings with sureness and confidence. Her teammates were already hugging each other and crying when her music stopped, and Ponor sprinted off the mat with a grin on her face. Even Karolyi had to applaud.

The Americans, meanwhile, sat glumly in their seats. A few clapped. Most simply stared ahead, perhaps thinking about all the wasted opportunities.

A silver medal is nothing to be ashamed of, of course. The U.S. men won one Monday night and were positively giddy at their prize. But the women are world champions, perhaps the best team the United States has ever put on the floor, and this was supposed to be their coronation.


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The zeros are beginning to line up like Olympic rings for the U.S. softball team.

Lori Harrigan allowed only a first-inning bunt single and Crystl Bustos homered Tuesday as the Americans posted their fourth straight shutout of these games, 4-0 over China.



Harrigan, a security supervisor at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas when she's not whipping fastballs past hitters, struck out eight as the U.S. (4-0) coasted past another of the tournament's medal contenders.

Lovieanne Jung had two RBIs and Leah O'Brien-Amico drove in a run as the Americans ran their winning streak to 74 games and their international record against China (2-2) to 10-1. The U.S. has outscored its opponents 24-0 in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.

Unlike their thrilling win Monday against Japan, this one was easy for the Americans, who have blanked Italy, Australia, Japan and now China in succession. Since softball joined the Olympics in 1996, the United States has recorded 14 shutouts in 23 games.

Harrigan, a three-time Olympian, only allowed two baserunners in the second straight dominant performance by a U.S. pitcher. On Monday, Cat Osterman pitched a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts as the Americans beat Japan 3-0 in eight innings.

Harrigan doesn't get the publicity of teammates Jennie Finch, Lisa Fernandez or even Osterman. But the left-hander has been one of the mainstays for the U.S. team for more than a decade.

China was one of three teams to beat the U.S. during round-robin play four years ago in Sydney, winning 2-0 in 14 innings. However, the Americans avenged that setback -- and the two others -- with a 3-0 victory in 10 innings in the semifinals on their way to a second straight gold medal.

For the third time in four games, the Americans scored in the first inning, taking a 2-0 lead off Chinese starter Lu Wei.

Natasha Watley reached on shortstop Wei Qiang's error leading off, and Lisa Fernandez walked on four pitches with two outs. Jenny Topping also walked and Jung, whose walk after a 17-pitch at-bat keyed Tuesday's win over Japan, dropped a two-run single into shallow left-center.

The U.S. tacked on a run in the second -- again with two outs _ as Watley walked, stole second and scored when O'Brien-Amico sliced a double that fell just inside the left-field foul line.

Bustos, considered the world's best power hitter, connected for his first homer of the games in the fifth inning.

The muscular Californian had been 1-for-10 in the tournament before pulling a pitch from Li Qi over the 220-foot wall in left. As she left the batter's box, Bustos did a Sammy Sosa-like hop before heading toward first.

As she came to the plate where her teammates were waiting to greet her, Bustos let out a big exhale as if relieved to have finally contributed to one of the U.S. wins.


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Littledragon]

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Click to select Total Medals Gold Medals Silver Medals Bronze Medals Countries Sports

Country Total Medals Gold Silver Bronze
United States 19 6 7 6
China 18 10 6 2
Australia 14 6 3 5
Russia 12 2 5 5
Japan 9 6 2 1
France 8 2 2 4
Italy 7 2 3 2
Ukraine 5 3 1 1
Netherlands 5 0 2 3
Germany 4 1 2 1
South Korea 4 1 1 2
Cuba 4 0 0 4
Greece 3 2 0 1
Romania 3 2 0 1
Turkey 3 2 0 1
Hungary 3 1 1 1
Thailand 3 1 0 2
North Korea 3 0 2 1
Austria 2 0 2 0
Poland 2 0 2 0
Great Britain 2 0 1 1
Slovakia 2 0 1 1
Zimbabwe 2 0 1 1
Belgium 2 0 0 2
Brazil 2 0 0 2
Bulgaria 2 0 0 2
South Africa 1 1 0 0
Switzerland 1 1 0 0
United Arab Emirates 1 1 0 0
Georgia 1 0 1 0
India 1 0 1 0
Indonesia 1 0 1 0
Portugal 1 0 1 0
Serbia and Montenegro 1 0 1 0
Spain 1 0 1 0
Argentina 1 0 0 1
Canada 1 0 0 1
Colombia 1 0 0 1
Czech Republic 1 0 0 1
Mongolia 1 0 0 1
Slovenia 1 0 0 1

[Littledragon]

For the USA Olympic softball team, Tuesday was another day, another collar.

At promptly 9:30 a.m. Lori Hannigan began serving goose eggs for breakfast to overmatched China as the American shutout streak in the tournament continued. If you are scoring (and you better be, because no one who faces the Team USA staff of Hannigan, Lisa Fernandez, Cat Osterman and Jennie Finch is), through the 4-0 Chinese yawner, U.S. pitchers have allowed no runs, just six singles and struck out 29 in 25 innings. They throw rises and drops and heaters and change-ups, the Four Horsewomen of the Apocalympics.

The pitchers make everyone stop ... and Natasha Watley makes Team USA go.

She would be the Rickey Henderson of softball -- except she speaks in sentences that don't need subtitles and gives answers that make perfect sense. The Team USA leadoff hitter took an 0-fer against China, but reached on an error and a walk and scored twice (giving her five runs in the four games) and stole a base. Her Mach 1 speed makes infielders, forced to handle the balls she slaps, look over-caffeinated.

"In this era of softball, Natasha is unique," said China coach Treshan McDonald, who used to lead the softball program at UNLV. "There have been some players who've slapped it like Natasha, but they haven't had her speed. She's probably one of the best ever in her role. She holds the position of offensive queen."

Indeed there is athletic royalty in her blood. Her father, Ed, is a cousin of both NBA great Willis Reed and Orlando Woolridge, who played 15 years in the NBA and Italy. When Watley, who led UCLA to the NCAA title in 2003, flew to New York to receive the Honda Award as the top female collegiate athlete, Reed telephoned Ed Watley and said, "That's the only athlete on your side of the family."

"Two NBA titles in the family," Ed Watley said as he watched from the Olympic Softball Complex, "and maybe one gold medal."

Natasha, 22, grew up in Orange County, Calif., the epicenter of American softball, and began playing at age five. Ed Watley taught his daughter, a natural right-handed hitter, to bat from the left side in order to take better advantage of her quickness. While the move initially robbed her of her power, it forced Natasha to learn to slap the ball around. She now is a Punch-and-Judy hitter -- with enough punch to have started the Olympic tournament with a double and triple against Italy. Because she manipulates a bat with so much dexterity, opposing the first and third baseman have to cheat in so close -- softball bases are 60 feet apart -- they can practically count her fillings. If she swings away, Watley can perform a Mizuno root canal. Said Watley, "I love to hit it down somebody's throat."

But Watley, batting .462, earned a place on her first Olympic team not with line drives but with sweet glove work at shortstop and happy slapping, an act of hitting that is counterintuitive. "There's an art to it," said Watley, who has completed her college eligibility but will return to UCLA to complete her degree in sociology. "You have to hit the ball late. When you're hitting away, the bat has to be out in front. Slapping the ball goes against the rules of hitting."

Watley, a rare African-American in her sport, is involved with the Major League Baseball's RBI program, designed to revive baseball programs in inner cities. Her father mentioned that if the USA -- winners of the two previous Olympic gold medals -- makes it a hat trick in Athens, his daughter might be invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a World Series game. When Natasha Watley was questioned about it, she frowned. There is a long way to go, even if nobody in softball makes 60 feet look so close.

[Littledragon]

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[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- American beach volleyball pair Misty May and Kerri Walsh say the Olympics is more of a mental test than a physical one.

So far, they've passed it with ease.

The top-ranked team was overpowering Tuesday night for the second straight match of pool play, beating Rebekka Kadijk and Marrit Leenstra 21-11, 21-13.

"That felt unbelievable, that felt so right. Misty and I played some great volleyball," said the 6-foot-3 Walsh, who finished with 21 kills and two blocks.

Walsh was anxious to play again after the duo's straight-set win over Japan's Chiaki Kusuhara and Ryo Tokuno on Sunday. In fact, the wait was driving her crazy.

On the domestic AVP tour, teams can play three matches in one day and six matches in two days. In Olympic pool play, teams play only three matches across six days.

"It's going to be a test of your emotional and mental strength," Walsh said. "Physically, you have enough time to recover. But every match is so important, if you have 36 hours to think about it, you can get a little 'headsy."'

May says she's the more low key of the pair. The gaps between matches don't bother her.

"Kerri and I were talking about that today," said May, who scrambled for 10 digs. "As long as the days are, they fly by. It's been going pretty fast."

As they did in their opener, the Americans jumped to a big early lead on Tuesday, with Walsh pounding down spikes and May fielding every attack from the Dutch duo. May and Walsh led only 12-10 in the second set before a spike by May started a decisive 6-2 spurt.

"Our goal is always to play ahead because when you have that confidence, it allows you to breathe a little bit easier," Walsh said.

May and Walsh finish pool play Thursday against Czechoslovakians Eva Celbova and Sona Novakova. The other American pair, Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs, returns to action Wednesday against Swiss pair Simone Kuhn and Nicole Schnyder-Benoit.

While the American women are cruising to the 16-team, single-elimination medal round, both men's teams are on the brink of elimination.

Dax Holdren and Stein Metzger dropped to 1-1 in pool play Tuesday with a 14-21, 21-15, 16-14 loss to Norwegians Iver Horrem and Bjorn Maaseide.

"We blew it," said Metzger. "We had a lot of opportunities. Every ball we touched or popped it up. We just couldn't finish in the second and third games."

The 12th-seeded Americans were sharp early, but the Norwegians, the lowest seed in the tournament, were equally good in the second.

The Americans staved off one match point in the third, but at 14-15, Horrem blasted a serve that nicked the net cord and bounced off the line, out of Holdren's reach.

"A heater on the net cord and down the line. What are you going to do?" said Metzger.

The Americans were coming off an exciting three-set win over Australians Andrew Schacht and Josh Slack. Thursday, they face top-ranked Brazilians Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos, a team they defeated last September.

The other American men's duo, Dain Blanton and Jeff Nygaard, will face fifth-ranked Swiss pair Stefan Kobel and Patrick Heuscher on Wednesday. Blanton and Nygaard have looked sluggish and overmatched in losing their first two matches.

Also Tuesday, all four Brazil teams stayed unbeaten and clinched berths in the medal round.

Playing in front of a dancing, singing throng of yellow-clad fans, second-ranked Marcio Araujo and Benjamin Insfran defeated 14th-seeded Cubans Francisco Alvarez and Juan Rosel 23-21, 22-20.

Second-ranked women's pair, Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar, the 2000 silver medalists in Sydney, followed with a 21-17, 21-17 win over 14th-seeded Italian pair Daniela Gattelli and Lucilla Perrotta.

"The atmosphere in the stadium was very important to us. The Brazilian fans kept us going," said Bede, a silver medalist in Sydney with Behar.

Later, third-seeded Ana Paula Connelly and Sandra Pires defeated 15th-seeded Greek duo Efi Koutroumanidou and Vassiliki Arvaniti 21-13, 21-14. Rego and Santos ended the day with a 21-17, 21-17 win over the 13th-seeded Australians Schacht and Slack.


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- For the first time in a century, the United States won a gold medal in Olympic fencing, and it added a bronze for good measure.

Oregon resident Mariel Zagunis beat Tan Xue of China 15-9 in the saber final, and American Sada Jacobson was third, beating Catalina Gheorghitoaia of Romania 15-7.



"I don't even know what to say right now," Zagunis said. "I'm so happy."

The United States had never won a medal in women's fencing. The last American medal in the sport was in Los Angeles in 1984, when Peter Westbrook won the bronze in men's saber.

Zagunis, of Beaverton, Ore., controlled the final, charging in on the opening point to score the first touch. Throughout the bout she took the initiative, scoring repeatedly on direct attacks. She also had enough versatility to defend herself on Tan's charges, and score on the counter-attack.

Tan beat Jacobson 15-12 in one semifinal to reach the gold-medal match.

In the quarterfinals, Jacobson, of suburban Atlanta, beat Leonore Perrus of France 15-11. Perrus had knocked out Sada's sister, Emily, 15-13 in the round of 16, preventing the sisters from playing each other.

"I had really thought she was going to do it. I had really prepared myself to fence her," Sada Jacobson said. "I'm sorry she didn't win her bout, but when it comes down to it, it was only going to be one of us, anyway."

In men's epee competition, Soren Thompson of San Diego upset No. 2 seed Alfredo Rota of Italy to reach the quarterfinals, where he lost to Russia's Pavel Kolobkov, the 2000 gold medalist.

Sada Jacobson trailed in the early going against Perrus, but took the lead at 4-3 and never relinquished it, defending her family pride in the process.

"I don't like anyone beating up on my little sister," she said with a smile.

Women's saber is the newest of fencing's six disciplines and is making its first appearance in the Olympics. The first world championship in women's saber was held in 1999.

Saber is the fastest of fencing's three weapons. The target area is the entire body above the bend in the hips, including the head. Unlike in foil and epee, saber fencers can score with the tip or the edge of the blade.

Sada Jacobson is ranked No. 1 in the world, and Zagunis is ranked fourth. Tan is No. 5.

With so many highly skilled fencers competing, factors beyond skill and preparation come into play.

"At this stage of the game, it's completely mental," Zagunis said.

She nearly didn't make it to this stage, just missing out on qualifying for the Olympics in April. She didn't earn a spot on the U.S. team until June, when the Nigerian Olympic Committee declined to have its fencer participate in the competition.

That opened up a spot in the field, which Zagunis filled as the highest-ranked fencer in the world who had not already qualified.


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Frustration is boiling over for Canada's swim team in Athens.

Day 4 of the Olympics saw Calgary's Morgan Knabe tearfully question his hopes of ever winning a medal and Victoria's Rick Say blast his relay team's performance in the 200-metre freestyle finals. The emotional outbursts stole the spotlight from some positive Canadian performances Tuesday, including a near-medal in women's judo and another win for the baseball team.

"I guess I wasn't destined to be an Olympic medallist," a heartbroken Knabe, 23, told reporters after finishing a disappointing 29th in the qualifying for the 200-metre breaststroke.

Say had a lot to say after the men's relay team finished fifth in the 200-metre freestyle final.

"I'm pissed off. I wanted a medal in this race and I take full responsibility," he said in a fiery CBC interview in which he criticized his teammate's "mistakes" in the race and his own leadership.

There was one positive at the pool: Mike Brown qualified for the Wednesday's final in the men's 200-metre breaststroke. Brown, who was born in Oshawa, Ont., but now lives in Perth, Ont., is only the second Canadian swimmer to record a personal best time at the Games.

But the most bizzare incident for a Canadian in the water at the Games involved a spectator from Montreal. The half-naked man jumped in the water with GoldenPalace.com, an Internet casino, written on his front and back. The stunt was captured on video.

GoldenPalace.com identified him as Ron Bensimhon of Montreal. They said they have used him in similar publicity stunts in the past, but claimed they had nothing to do with the Athens stunt.

In judo, Marie Helene Chisholm lost her bronze-medal match on points, settling for sixth in the 63-kilogram event. She would have become the first female Canadian judoka to earn an Olympic medal.

"Being this close to a medal does leave an empty feeling," Chisholm said. "But since I didn't expect to go that far . . . I'm very happy with the result."

In baseball, Canada improved to 3-0 with a 7-0 victory over the Netherlands. Peter Orr, Pete Laforest and Stubby Clapp each hit home runs.

Elsewhere, U.S. sprinter Torri Edwards lost her appeal to overturn a two-year suspension for taking a banned stimulant.

And Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou left an Athens hospital four days after a motorcycle crash that followed a missed doping test.

"I am suffering a great injustice and I want to say I never used banned substances," said Kenteris, who is scheduled to appear before an International Olympic Committee panel Wednesday and faces suspension from the games.

The U.S. basketball team beat Greece 77-71, recovering from a Sunday loss.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou pulled out of the Athens Games on Wednesday, nearly a week after they missed a drug test and were later hospitalized following a suspicious motorcycle crash.

Kenteris, after meeting with the International Olympic Committee's disciplinary commission, also said he had cut ties with coach Christos Tsekos, who had been suspended by the Greek Olympic Committee, along with the two runners.

Their decision ends a week of scandal that has shocked and embarrassed Greece. Kenteris, the country's most celebrated athlete had been the favourite to light the Olympic flame, but the honour went to a Greek windsurfing champion instead.

In competition, Dutch cyclist Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel defended her time trial title three days after sustaining hip and shoulder injuries in a fall late in Sunday's road race. She covered the 23.98-kilometre course in 31 minutes, 11.53 seconds. American Dede Barry took second and Switzerland's Karin Thuerig won the bronze.

"After my crash, I thought it was over," said van Moorsel, who added a gold to the three she won in Sydney. "I didn't want to end my career in a bad way."

The 47.96-kilometre men's time trial was later Wednesday, with defending gold medallist Viatcheslav Ekimov of Russia and this year's gold favourite, Jan Ullrich of Germany, in the field.

Shot put took a rare step onto the Olympic centre stage as sport returned to Ancient Olympia, 320 kilometres from Athens. In the first competition at the site since the games were banned as pagan 1,611 years ago, Irina Korzhanenko of Russia won the women's gold medal with a throw of 21.06 metres, ahead of Yumileidi Cumba and Nadine Kleinert of Germany. The men's event was scheduled later.

Twenty medals will be awarded Wednesday.

Bulgarian shooter Maria Grozdeva won the 25-meter pistol ahead of Czech Lenka Hykova and Irada Ashumova of Azerbaijan. In the canoe single slalom, Frenchman Tony Estanguet won the gold medal when a post-race review gave Slovakian Michal Martikan of Slovakia a two-second penalty.

"I was at my best," Estanguet said. "I paddled as I needed to, and that makes me want to continue until Beijing 2008," he said.

In kayaking, Elena Kaliska of Slovakia won gold ahead of American Rebecca Giddens, with Britain's Helen Reeves taking bronze.

American Kim Rhode rallied in the final rounds to win the double trap, staking a unique claim as the first and last winner of the Olympic event. Rhode won the 1996 gold when double trap was introduced at the Atlanta Olympics.

This is the last Olympics for the double trap. Lee Bo-na of South Korea won silver and China's Gao E took bronze.

Later in the pool, world record holder Pieter van den Hoogenband seeks to defend his 100 meter freestyle gold -but has to beat Australian Ian Thorpe, swimming from lane eight, and South African Ryk Neethling.

Australian Petria Thomas aims for 200 butterfly gold to add to wins in the 100 fly win and 400-metre freestyle relay. Japan's Kosuke Kitajima, who won the 100 breaststroke Sunday, will renew rivalry with American silver medallist Brendan Hansen in the final of the 200 breaststroke. Australia and the U.S will battle for the women's 800 freestyle final.

The men's individual all-around title is contested in the gym, with American world champion Paul Hamm and Japan's team gold medallists Hiroyuki Tomita and Isao Yoneda, South Korea's Yang Tae-young and China's defending champion Yang Wei among the contenders.

The first equestrian medals were to be awarded in team and individual eventing, with Nicolas Touzaint and his French team favourite after leading after the dressage and cross country.

Other golds up for grabs -the women's 63-kilogram and men's 69-kilogram weightlifting, the women's 70kg and men's 90kg judo, women's foil and the women's 70-metre archery.

KRYSTYNA RUDZKI; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - The Canadian who embarrassed Olympic officials by jumping into a Games swimming pool during a diving competition wearing a skirt and advertising an on-line casino has paid the price for his 15 minutes of fame.

Ron Bensimhon of Montreal walked out of a Greek courtroom Wednesday after paying a 2,000-euro ($3,225 Cdn) fine and sporting a bruise under his eye which, he said, came when he was roughed up by police during his arrest.

"I wanted to have fun but I never knew it would finish like this," Bensimhon, 31, said before being whisked away in a car. "I thought they'd laugh about it."

He accused the police of punching him, leaving him with a black eye and chipped teeth.

"Yes they hit me," he said. "They took me in a bathroom and beat me up."

Bensimhon made an international splash during Monday night's synchronized diving competition. He bought a ticket to the get into the event. During a break in the action, he peeled off his shirt and sweatpants, scampered across the pool deck, then launched himself into the pool off one of the diving boards.

Bensimhon had GoldenPalace.com, an Internet casino, written on his front and back and wore a blue skirt.

After spending $1.9 billion on Games security, Greek organizers were left red-faced after Bensimhon's stunt.

Bensimhon has done similar pranks in the past. Earlier this year in Dortmund, Germany, he came on the ice at the world figure skating championships wearing skates, a tutu, ski goggles and a small top hat with the casino name written on his body.

At the time, American star Michelle Kwan was preparing to perform. She eventually left the ice because of the disruption.

He was later released after German police decided the his actions represented disorderly conduct rather than an offence meriting arrest.

"Some countries interpret having fun in a different way," Bensimhon said Wednesday.

A three-judge tribunal didn't see the humour in Bensimhon's antics and slapped him with a five-month jail sentence for "interrupting the Games."

Bensimhon immediately appealed the sentence. He agreed to pay the fine and was released pending the hearing of the appeal. Under the Greek court system, it could take two years for a higher court to rule on the appeal, so effectively Bensimhon left a free man.

A slender man with short, cropped hair, Bensimhon was led to the courtroom in handcuffs. He wore red Canadian Olympic team T-shirt and matching sweat pants.

The hearing was held in a drab room with yellow, peeling paint on the wall. Spectators sat on hard wooden benches with a religious portrait staring down solemnly at them.

During testimony one of the three judges seemed to battle to keep awake.

"I didn't think what I did was so serious," he told the court through an interpreter. "I won't do it again."

He pointed to his bruised face and said he had "suffered enough."

While one judge made the ruling, a journalist relied the decision on her cellphone. Several Greek television crews waited for Bensimhon outside the courtroom.

A spokesman for GoldenPalace.com, said Bensimhon had performed stunts for them in the past but maintained he jumped into the Olympic deep end on his own.

Bensimhon also told reporters he wasn't paid for stunt.

"'I never receive money for this," Bensimhon said, although he admitted the casino gave him some money for a record he's making.

Asked why he wore a dress, Bensimhon said he wanted to honour Spiridon Louis, the Greek shepherd who won the marathon in the first modern Olympics in 1896.

"I was in Greece and wanted to be like Spiridon Louis," he said.

"You guys here are very nice, except for the police that bruised my face."

Exactly who paid Bensimhon's fine isn't clear.

Two men attended the hearing and spent several minutes chatting with Bensimhon and his lawyer. One identified himself as George Simeonidis and said he played hockey with Bensimhon back in Montreal.

Simeonidis speaks Greek and just happened to be in Athens for the Games. After hearing about Bensimhon's arrest, he came to testify as a character witness.

Interviewed afterwards, Simeonidis said he didn't understand the fuss over Bensimhon's stunt.

"These type of things are done all over the world," he said. "You can't stop an act of non-terrorism. The Greeks shouldn't be upset."

The other man said he was a journalist, but wouldn't give his name or show any press credentials.

"It's not important," he said.

Upon his release, Bensimhon said he plans to take in a few more Olympic events.

"I will stay here," he said. "I want to see some competitions.

"I will not jump again, that's for sure."

JIM MORRIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Canada tasted success but faced controversy at the rowing repechage on Wednesday, while the country's water polo team shocked the world champion U.S. with a big comeback.

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Canada's women's water polo team celebrates their 6-5 win over the United States in a preliminary match at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Wednesday. From left: Rachel Riddell, Andrea Dewar, Melissa Collins and Christine Robinson. (AP/Mark Humphrey)

Victoria's Dave Calder and Chris Jarvis of St. Catharines, Ont., were disqualified from their men's pair rowing semifinal for leaving their lane just before the finish line.

After leading for 1,500 metres of the 2,000-metre race, Calder and Jarvis were caught by the Germans and South Africans. The Canadian boat moved toward the South Africans at the finish, where Calder's oar apparently crossed the line of buoys that separate lanes, according to FISA, rowing's governing body.

Canadian appeals to the board of the jury at the regatta and the FISA executive were both denied.

The news was not all bad, however, as the heavily favoured men's eight advanced to Saturday's final by winning its repechage. The world champion men's four also moved on, as did Buffy Williams of St. Catharines, Ont., and Darcy Marquardt of Richmond, B.C., in the women's pair.

In the pool, the Canadian water polo team trailed 5-1 before scoring five straight goals to stun the U.S. 6-5. Johanne Begin of St.-Foy, Que., scored the winner with 50 seconds left.

Canada (1-1) faces Hungary on Friday with a chance to move into the playoff round.

On the beach, it was a day of mixed results. Guylaine Dumont of St-Antoine-de-Tilly, Que., and Annie Martin of Sherbrooke, Que., defeated Kathrine Maaseide and Susanne Glesnes of Norway 21-19, 29-27 in volleyball. However, Toronto's John Child and Mark Heese were beaten 13-21, 21-15, 15-12 by Australians Julien Prosser and Mark Williams.

With a 2-1 record, the women are virtually assured of a spot in the round of 16 while the men, 1-2, will have to wait until Thursday to see if they move on.

In swimming, Victoria's Nathaniel O'Brien and Keith Beavers of Orangeville, Ont., both qualified for the semifinals in the men's 200 backstroke while Calgary's Lauren van Oosten moved on in the women's 200 breaststroke. Mike Brown finished sixth in the final of the 200-metre breastroke, though the Perth, Ont., resident set a new personal best time in the event.

Meanwhile, the Canadian who caused a furor by jumping into a swimming pool was released by Greek officials after paying a fine of 2,000 euros ($3,225 Cdn).

Convicted of interrupting the Olympics, Ron Bensimhon was originally sentenced to five months in jail and given a fine of 300 euros ($485 Cdn), but that penalty was dropped in place of the stiffer fine.

Olympic organizers were unamused after the 31-year-old from Montreal jumped off the three-metre board in a tutu at the diving venue on Monday night.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - The fight to get Dave Calder and Chris Jarvis into the final of the men's pairs at the Olympic rowing regatta is near the end. Canada appealed their disqualification to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday. The decision is expected Friday, a day before the final.

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Canada's Jon Baere, Gavin Hassett, Jonathan Man**** and Iain Brambell (left to right) speed toward the third place in their Men's Lightweight Four semifinal Thursday. They qualified for Satuday's final. (AP/Armando Franca)

Canadian flag-bearer Nicolas Gill made an early exit from men's judo, while the swimming team continued to struggle on another quiet day for Canada at the Olympics.

Gill, from Montreal, was beaten on an ippon by Italy's Michele Monti in the light-heavyweight (100 kg) division. The 32-year-old was stunned, covering his face with his hands while laying on the mat at the end of the match.

"I felt too relaxed for some reason," Gill said after the loss on Thursday. "He just caught me in one of my attacks and countered me."

Gill was likely making his final Olympic appearance. He won silver in the 100 kg division at the 2000 Games in Sydney and won bronze as a middleweight (92 kg) at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

In the pool, just two Canadian swimmers got past preliminary heats.

Mike Mintenko of Vancouver advanced in the 100-metre butterfly semifinal, which was scheduled for later Thursday night. Jennifer Fratesi of Waterloo, Ont., reached the semifinals in the 200 backstroke but failed to advance to the medal round after finishing ninth overall.

Canada's swim team, which has yet to win a medal in six days of competition, has been under intense scrutiny after posting just two individual sixth-place finishes so far at the Games.

In boxing, Trevor Stewardson of Thunder Bay, Ont., lost his bout with Egypt's Ahmed Ismail on points in the 81 kilogram division.

Canada also had some encouraging results on Day 6.

Kayaker David Ford of Edmonton, who is ranked fifth in the world, overcame four penalty seconds and advanced to the semifinals in the K-1 event.

On the water, the Canadian men's lightweight four qualified for the final at the rowing regatta. Jon Man****, Gavin Hassett and Iain Brambell of Victoria and Jon Beare of Toronto fought off a strong charge from Austria to become the fourth Canadian rowing team to qualify for a final.

Meanwhile, the men's pair of Chris Jarvis of St. Catharines, Ont., and Dave Calder of Victoria, who were disqualified from their semifinal on Wednesday, were granted a hearing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Jarvis and Calder are lobbying to be included in a seven-boat final Saturday.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - What Canada Did on Thursday at the Olympic Summer Games:


BOXING

Light-heavyweight (81-kg): Trevor Stewardson, Medicine Hat, Alta., lost 38-22 on points to Ahmed Ismail, Egypt, in round off 16, failed to advance.


CANOE-KAYAK

Men's K-1: David Ford, Edmonton, finished 16th overall in qualifying, advanced to semifinals.


JUDO

Men's 100-kg: Nicolas Gill, Montreal, lost to Michele Monti, Italy, by Ippon, Yoko-otoshi, 4:07, in round of 32 after Canadian got first-round bye, failed to advance.

Women's 78-kg: Amy Cotton, Judique, Que., def. Melanie Engoang Nguema, Gabon, by Ippon, Yoko-shiho-gatame, 2:41, in round of 32; Canadian failed to advance when she lost to Lucia Morico, Italy, by Ippon, Kuzure-kesa-gatame, 1:36, in round of 16.


ROWING

Men's lightweight four: Iain Brambell, Brentwood Bay, B.C.; Jonathan Man****, Edmonton; Gavin Hassett, Victoria; Jonathan Bears, Toronto, finished third in group semifinal, advanced to final.

Women's lightweight double sculls: Mara Jones, Aurora, Ont., and Fiona Milne, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., placed fourth in group semifinal, failed to advance.


SAILING

Men's Finn: Richard Clarke, Toronto, was eighth after ninth race and 11th after 10th, placing 20th overall.

Men's Laser: Bernard Luttmer, Pickering, Ont., was 31st after seventh race and not ranked in eighth, placing 29th overall.

Women's 470: Jennifer Provan, Toronto, and Nikola Girke, Vancouver, were 10th overall after finishing sixth in the ninth race and 20th in the 10th.

Yngling Lisa Ross, Lunenburg, N.S.; Chantal Leger, Senneville, Que., and Deirdre Crampton, Toronto, were 15th overall after placing 15th in the ninth race and second in the 10th.


SOFTBALL

Women: Canada lost 1-0 to Australia, dropping to 2-4 in preliminary round.


SWIMMING

Men's 50 freestyle: Matt Rose, Lindsay, Ont., finished 30th overall in qualifying, failed to advance.

Men's 100 butterfly: Michael Mintenko, Moose Jaw, Sask., finished 12th overall in semifinals after placing 14th overall in qualifying.

Women's 200 backstroke: Jennifer Fratesi, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., finished ninth overall in semifinal, did not advanced; after placing sixth overall in qualifying; Elizabeth Warden, Torrnto, was 18th overall in qualifying, eliminated.

Women's 800 freestyle: Brittany Reimer, Surrey, B.C., was 17th overall in qualifying, did not advance.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Montreal's Nicolas Gill didn't have that look most athletes have after being knocked out of an Olympic event.

It's often a strained look, kind of a combination of disappointment, fatigue and sadness. But Gill, Canada's flag-bearer in the opening ceremonies here, was his happy-go-lucky self shortly after his first-round loss to Italy's Michele Monti on Thursday.

"I always thought in my career that there will be a sign that shows me the exit," Gill said. "I think today was one of the signs."

Also on Thursday, Amy Cotton of Judique, N.S., was eliminated from the women's 78-kilogram division. She defeated Melanie Engoang of Gabon but lost to Lucia Morico of Italy.

Monti surprised Gill with a match-ending ippon that may have been the Canadian's Olympic swan song.

Gill appeared stunned after landing on the mat. He put his hands over his face and shook his head disapprovingly when he stood up.

It was a tough finish for Canada's most successful judoka ever. Gill was being mentioned as a possible medal candidate here, his fourth Olympic Games. Many assumed he would at least make it to the quarter-finals.

But for Gill, it seemed like getting to this stage after last fall's knee surgery was the big test and he proved he could do it.

"It's definitely the end (as) far as Olympics goes and probably the end for the world championships and so on," he said. "But I might squeak by in a little tournament here and there."

Keep in mind Gill didn't think he had another Games in him after Sydney, but that plan later changed. He won silver in the same light-heavyweight (100-kilogram) division that year after winning bronze in 1992 at Barcelona in the 86-kilogram draw.

"I think I've done everything I could. I've enjoyed it," Gill said. "That's probably why I'm still here. . . (but) it's not the way I wanted to end it.

"I didn't want to come back for one more just to be there. I wanted to do well, I didn't want to be out first round."

Since taking up the sport in 1978, Gill has won numerous junior titles, 10 national crowns and three world championship medals. With two Olympic medals also in his trophy case, he has plenty of hardware.

When asked about the future, Gill said he'll stay active, may take part in the odd tourney or two and resume his job as a coach.

"Next week I'll have a bit of a holiday over here," he said. "I'll just get back to what I've been doing the last three years back home."

It'll be nice to give the body a break too, especially his knees.

Gill took five months off after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last fall. Six years before that, he tore the ACL in his left knee and recovered.

Gill won a tournament in Germany last month and felt the knee was ready to go. And while he may have been physically set, mental preparedness was another issue. It's often hard to go full-out with your normal confidence after a major injury.

"It (the knee) didn't feel like a problem out there," Gill said. "But maybe it (was) in the back of my mind."

"I fell behind at the start and that was definitely a key factor. This guy just waited for me to open up and (make) a mistake. He caught me in one of my attacks and countered me."

Monti went on to lose his next match to three-time European champion Ariel Zeevi of Israel. Ihar Makarau of Belarus eventually won the gold, Sung Ho Jang of Korea took the silver and Germany's Michael Jurack picked up the bronze.

Many thought that being named flag-bearer may have hindered Gill's performance. He said all along that it was an honour and that he was looking forward to it. But it does put an athlete in the spotlight and heightens expectations.

"It's something you always try to put aside," Gill said of the added pressure. "I mean you have to focus on what you have to do."

And then there was the distraction of a printed report the day after the flag-bearer announcement, that trumpeted his appointment with a front-page headline that read: Our Olympic Flag Bearer Voted for Quebec Separatism.

"Everybody that knows me well thought it was a funny story," he said with a laugh. "I mean it was a little bit stressful a month ago when I came up from practice and had 23 missed calls on my cell.

"I said 'Oooh, what's happening,' but that's finished and went over fairly quickly."

So with all this going on, how did Gill feel before the event?

"Too relaxed," he said. "I've been feeling very good at training.

"Maybe that was the problem. Maybe I should have been a bit more worried."

So, after first taking up the sport over a quarter-century ago after watching his brother, Stephane, compete, this may be the end of the line.

"I don't want to make a decision right on the spot today," Gill said.

Gill may not have made his retirement official, but he sure sounded Thursday like he was close to calling it a day.

"It has been a fun journey," he said.

GREGORY STRONG; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[tora]

Man!That Michael Phelps in unbelievable.I see him participating almost in every swimming events and he wins medals in all of them.He swims with a bull strength-I wonder what he's eating,would like to have that strength too :D

[yudansha]

That Ian Thorpe (the torpedo) is quick ... and so is that Japanese (very fast ... especially seeing as he is so much shorter than the rest).

[tora]

And it's Indrek Pertelson,the judoist,who won the bronze in +100 kg competiton.
http://g.delfi.ee/images/pix/file8434694_Pertelson2.jpg
Indrek PERTELSON (EST) - Bronze medallist

On his tournament:

"Everybody in the Olympic Games can be successful. Everybody is ready for the medal. The stronger person wins".

On his medals:

"There is no big difference between the bronze medals in Sydney and Athens."

On his fitness:

"I had some small problems during my warm up."

On his experience:

"I wanted to participate. I felt the power. I wanted the gold. These were my last Olympic Games."

[yudansha]

I'm not too happy to hear that ... the Canadian heavy weight judoka is also calling it quits - great judokas leaving Olympics.

Good for his medal though!!!

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Montreal's Nicolas Gill will now play the role of spectator at the Summer Games.

Gill, who was Canada's flag-bearer in the opening ceremonies, lost his opening match to Italy's Michele Monti on Thursday.

Monti surprised Gill, 32, with a match-ending ippon. Gill appeared stunned after landing on the mat, putting his hands over his face and shaking his head disapprovingly when he stood up.

It was a tough finish for Canada's most successful judoka ever. Gill, a two-time Olympic medallist, was mentioned as a possible medal candidate here, his fourth Olympic Games.

After his surprising exit, Gill wouldn't directly discuss his future, but sounded like he's at the end of the line of a career that includes 10 Canadian titles, three world championship medals and two Olympic medallions.

"I don't want to make a decision right on the spot today," Gill said, adding. "It has been a fun journey."

Once again at these Games, appeals, disqualifications and drugs took centre stage as well.

Canadian rowers Dave Calder, of Victoria, and Chris Jarvis, of St. Catharines, presented their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after being the pairs semifinal Wednesday for veering into the neighbouring South African boat's lane metres from the finish line. A ruling is Friday afternoon in Athens. The men's pair final is Saturday.

American Aaron Peirsol was disqualified following his victory in the 200-metre backstroke for making an illegal turn. But the win was restored, just in time for Peirsol to have the gold draped around his neck. More protests were filed but the decision was reaffirmed.

There was no disputing compatriot Michael Phelps's victory in the 200 medley, his fourth gold of the Games.

Six more positive doping tests were recorded in weightlifting. Five lifters were suspended for failing drug tests taken before the Olympics, including two disqualified as they were about to walk to the lifting stand. All were caught using steroids.

Another, identified by India Olympic officials as Sanamacha Chanu, became the second to be caught by International Olympic Committee testing. She finished fourth Sunday at 53 kilograms.

Twenty-one world-class weightlifters have been caught or suspended this year alone, or the equivalent of one out of every 13 Olympic qualifiers.

The United States continues to lead the medal standings with 35 (14 gold, 11 silver, 10 bronze). China is second with 29 (14 gold, nine silver, six bronze) while Russia is third with 21 (three gold, eight silver, 10 bronze).

Canada, which did not win a medal Thursday, has a lone bronze.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - A timing problem made it briefly seem that kayaker David Ford had won an Olympic bronze medal Friday but there was no doubting Karen Cockburn's grasp on silver a few hours later.

While Ford eventually finished fourth in his whitewater event, Cockburn was runner-up on the women's trampoline -performing the most difficult routine in the competition to come within a whisker of gold.

Cockburn, the defending world champion and bronze medallist from Sydney, achieved great height on the trampoline while staying within the centre box target area, a key to high scoring, to put up a score of 39.20.

The Toronto native then sat and watched the remaining four competitors try to beat her and only one did, Germany's Anna Dogonadze, who scored a 39.6.

Ford had seemingly preceded her to the podium, when a timing mistake during the run of Britain's Campbell Walsh initially showed the Edmonton native's combined time of 192.58 seconds was good enough for third.

Foaming whitewater, however, falsely tripped the start timer before Walsh had actually crossed the starting line, which caused the scoreboard to initially show he finished out of the medals.

When it was corrected, Walsh's time of 190.17 left him second to Benoit Peschier of France, who took gold with an overall time of 187.96. Ford, 37, then fell to fourth, behind defending world champion Fabien Lefevre of France, who took bronze in 190.99.

Canadian rowers Dave Calder and Chris Jarvis didn't get the ruling they wanted when the Court of Arbitration for Sport turned down their appeal.

The court upheld their disqualification from the men's pairs event at the Summer Olympics, saying FISA, the sport's international governing body, acted properly in dismissing the Canadians following Wednesday's semifinal race for straying from their lane and making contact with a South African oar.

The rowing duo have now exhausted every avenue of appeal.

Boxer Andrew Kooner of Tecumseh, Ont., moved on in the 54-kilogram class with a 37-20 victory over Spaniard Hernandez Espinoza.

The results were split for Canada on the diamond, as the baseball team was bombed 9-1 by Japan while the women's softball team, thanks to a two-hitter by Lauren Bay, beat Italy 1-0.

The women's water polo was eliminated from the tournament thanks to a 5-4 loss to Hungary. Canada entered Friday's game needing a win or tie to advance.

"I cannot find the words to explain what happened. I am very sad," said Canadian Johanne Begin. "It is very tough that we have failed, but now we must look ahead. We are a good team. All Canadians must feel very proud of us."

There was other disappointment in the pool when both the men's and women's medley relay teams failed to advance and Andrew Hurd of Toronto met the same fate in the 1,500 freestyle.

And cyclist Lori Ann Muenzer of Edmonton was seventh in the 500-metre time trial. She was 13th in this event four years ago in Sydney.

The Canadian women's epee team turned some heads by upsetting Hungary in the round of 16. But Canada then lost to Russia in the semifinals and France in the bronze medal match.

The match was delayed with France two points from victory, when the French fencer facing Sherraine MacKay suffered a leg injury and was carted off, leaving a substitute to take her place. MacKay sat patiently during the long delay but was unable to close the game against the newcomer.

The Canadian women finished fourth, their best Olympic showing ever.

In diving, Emilie Heymans of St-Lambert, Que., was third in the women's 10-metre platform preliminaries while Myriam Boileau of Blainville, Que., was ninth. Both advanced to Saturday's semifinals.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Toronto's Karen Cockburn won an Olympic silver medal in trampoline Friday.

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Canada's Karen Cockburn of Toronto shows off her silver medal in trampoline. (CP/Tom Hanson)

Cockburn's freestyle routine had the highest degree of difficulty in the competition. She achieved great height during her routine while for most the part, staying within the trampoline's centre box target area -a key to high scoring -to put up a score of 39.20. "In the finals I went for a harder routine," Cockburn said. "I was a little shaky so I had some travel (outside the target area) and that's what kind of separated first from second. The German girls were in the centre and I was moving around too much."

Cockburn, a bronze medallist four years ago in Sydney when the sport made its Olympic debut, then sat and watched the remaining four competitors try to beat her.

The only one who could was Germany's Anna Dogonadze, who scored a 39.6. China's Huang Shanshan took the bronze with a 39.0.

Cockburn is the current world champion and knew there were big expectations.

"When you care about something you're going to be nervous about it," Cockburn said. "I think you perform well when you're a little nervous. Maybe I was just a little too nervous and put a little too much pressure on myself."

Head coach David Ross agreed.

"It wasn't just her. You could see all of the athletes feeling the pressure and a lot of people failed their routines," he said.

Cockburn showed little emotion after her performance and didn't smile when her marks were announced.

"I'm usually scoring over 40 when I'm on the top of the podium," she said. "So when I saw that (score) come up I was a little disappointed. I already knew that probably wasn't enough."

But she was all smiles on the podium when presented with her wreath and silver medal, flashing her pearly whites and waving to the crowd at the Olympic Indoor Hall.

Heather Ross-MacManus of Almonte, Ont., was sixth at 37.40. She had two spots during her routine where she drifted off the target area but was otherwise solid. She sat second early but was eventually bumped down to sixth.

GREGORY STRONG; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

He just doesn't stop!
_________

ATHENS (AP) - Michael Phelps is beginning to own the Athens Games.

The American swimmer earned his fifth gold medal of the Olympics on Friday -and seventh overall -by winning the 100-metre butterfly to place his name on the list of greatest swimmers of all time. And he's only 19. Phelps, who also has two bronze, has nearly a third of the American total of 17 golds that has helped the United States edge ahead of China in a two-country duel for medal supremacy after seven competition days.

A second pool gold to Gary Hall Jr., in the 50-metre freestyle Friday gave the United States its 17th -two ahead of China. The Americans had 40 medals, including 12 silvers and 11 bronze -while China was four behind overall.

Phelps could get his eighth medal Saturday in the medley relay, which would match the record set by Russian gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin at the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games. Phelps failed in his quest to surpass swimmer Mark Spitz's gold medal haul of seven at the 1972 Munich Games.

Japan won three golds Friday -judokas Keiji Suzuki in the men's 100-kilogram plus and Maki Tsukada in the women's 78-kg plus and swimmer Ai Shibata of Japan in the 800-metre freestyle -and moved up to third in the gold medal standings with 12.

Doping was back in the spotlight Friday, with news that Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis, a bronze medallist here, tested positive for drugs in an initial sample, a source close to the case told The Associated Press.

A backup sample is being tested to determine whether the initial findings are accurate.

A female Indian weightlifter and a woman shot putter from Uzbekistan were expelled from the games, the International Olympic Committee said. India's Sanamacha Chanu and Uzbekistan's Olga Shchukina were disqualified by the IOC executive board.

Five weightlifters were suspended Wednesday for failing tests.

About 500 metres from the pool, the athletics competition began Friday at the Olympic stadium under a blazing sun. Ivano Brugnetti of Italy pulled ahead with two kilometres to go in the men's 20-kilometre walk to win the gold medal, his country's fifth.

Cyclist Anna Meares of Australia won gold in the 500-metre track time trial with a world-record time of 33.952 seconds while Chris Hoy of Britain won the same event over 1,000 metres.

Other gold medal winners Friday included twin brothers Pavol and Peter Hochschorner of Slovakia in the men's canoe doubles, Lioubev Galkina of Russia in the women's 50-metre rifle three-position, Benoit Peschier of France in the single kayak slalom, South Korea in women's team archery and Anna Dogonadze of Germany in women's trampoline.

The American women's softball team continued its amazing run, beating Taiwan 3-0 Friday for its seventh straight shutout win. It was also the team's 77th victory in a row.

While dressage began its preliminary phase at the equestrian complex at suburban Markopoulo -Germany took an early lead -officials from three countries took their case for a change in the result of the three-day event to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

France, Britain and the United States lodged a joint appeal Friday with the court against the decision that gave Germany the gold medal in team eventing.

Germany's riders won the gold medal Wednesday but not before losing it, and then winning it back, in a bizarre flurry of judging decisions and reversals. Initially, the judges gave Germany the gold and France the silver, while Britain took bronze.

A decision is expected Saturday.

And Greek's state drug agency searched an office and warehouse belonging to the coach of two disgraced Greek sprinters as an investigation into a missed drug test expanded to include wider allegations of doping.

Two inspectors with the National Organization of Medicines entered two locations housing Christos Tsekos' food supplement company. They were accompanied by an unidentified prosecutor.

The search came as a senior prosecutor began an investigation into whether sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou tried to avoid a doping test by staging a motorcycle accident on Aug. 12 -one day before the opening ceremony.

DENNIS PASSA; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Jeff Sinnock's pointy red maple leaf-shaped hat made of fleece isn't exactly practical for a hot summer day here. But it goes well with his Canadian flag T-shirt, maple leaf sticker on his cheek and bright red shorts.

The fuzzy hat is a souvenir from the 1999 Pan Am Games in Sinnock's home town of Winnipeg. He admits it makes his head a bit steamy when it's 35 C but he doesn't care. Who knows when he'll get another chance to go to the Olympic Games.

"The first two days of the Olympics were boiling hot," he says during a break in the action of a Canadian women's softball game this week. "But it's worth it. I'll keep it on.

"Even if Canadians aren't competing, we like to wear these things because that's how people associate you and they say 'Hey you're Canadians, we like you,' and then you make friends."

Sinnock and his wife, Marie, are among thousands of Canadians who have made the trek here to take in the Summer Olympics. While it's difficult to pin down exactly how many Canadians are here, more than 1,800 have applied for accreditation at Canada Olympic House, a meeting place for Canadians located in downtown Athens. More than 600 Canucks drop in daily.

While many Canadians in Athens are friends and family of athletes, the Sinnocks are simply fans of amateur sport who have always wanted to experience the Games. Since they are living just a hop, skip and a jump away in Lisbon, where they both work as teachers, they couldn't pass up the chance of a lifetime. They've had their tickets for nearly a year and a half.

"We didn't go to the Salt Lake City Olympics, and we could have driven," he says. "These Olympics happen to be fairly close by in the summer when we aren't working.

"It was a no-brainer."

The decision was a little more difficult for Sonia Hamilton, whose husband, Greg, is a coach with the Canadian baseball team.

"We have our first baby who just turned seven months," Sonia says while sitting in the bleachers at the ball park enjoying some sunshine and a Canadian victory. "It was tough to leave him."

The Hamiltons, who live in Ottawa, contemplated bringing seven-month-old Ty along but the hot Athens sun and long days at the park didn't seem fit for a baby so they left him with his grandparents.

"I was crying when I was leaving," Hamilton says with a laugh. "He wasn't even looking at me. He's too little."

Hamilton, a 38-year-old teacher from Ottawa, was able to take the trip without breaking the bank. She is staying with a friend and used airline reward miles for her flight.

"I'm one of the few people who's here for not a lot (of money)," she says. "I'm very lucky."

Greg Scott, a 41-year-old high school teacher from Ottawa, hasn't exactly made his trip here on nothing.

"This is our house addition," says Scott, the brother-in-law of Canadian rowers Buffy and Barney Williams. "The addition that's not going to happen, obviously."

Scott, his wife, Debbie, son Tiegan and several other friends and family are renting a house nearby the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre, which is about 40 minutes northeast of Athens. They have also rented a car to make the drive to the lake every day. And there are other expenses -tickets to the events, food, souvenirs and flights, just to name a few. So how much does it all cost?

"I've chose not to document it," says Scott, who tacked on a trip to Italy at the beginning. "I'm guessing it's probably going to be $25,000.

"The nice people at the line of credit are very happy."

As with most of the venues where there are Canadians in the stands, the bleachers at rowing are dotted with Canadian flags and red and white hats and T-shirts. The fans cheer 'Go Canada! Go!' when the Canadian crews speed past the spectator area toward the finish line. Rower Jon Man****, whose five brothers and sisters, dad, aunt and uncle have made the trip, says the support is appreciated.

"They've never seen me row anywhere other than in Canada before," says Man****, a member of the men's lightweight four crew. "Some of them are never really there, so I'm thrilled they're all here, it's just too bad I don't get to see them the whole week."

Canadian chef de mission Dave Bedford has been impressed with all the Canadian support so far.

"The one thing we consistently heard in opening ceremonies was how many Canadian flags were in the crowd," says Bedford. "We were just all on the field stunned at how strong the Canadian flags were and how much support we had.

"It really means a lot to the athletes."

But not everyone is loving their entire Athens experience.

Stuart Guiel, whose son Jeff plays for the baseball team, is staying on a docked cruise liner in Pireas, southwest of Athens, with his wife Tracey and 13-year-old daughter Chloe.

"It's nothing like the brochure, you know," says Guiel, a native of Vancouver. "The rooms are tiny, like a rabbit hutch.

"The casino's closed, the restaurants are closed, everything's closed on the ship. And my wife doesn't like heights and she's got to climb two flights on a rickety side ladder to get in. She's cutting off the circulation in my arm. It's a nightmare."

He's too embarrassed to admit how much it's costing him a night but he has no regrets. Seeing his son play in the Olympics is well worth the discomfort.

"It's not like we could wait four years and do it again," he says as his wife hands him a cold beer. "It doesn't work that way, does it?"

JULIE SCOTT; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - What Canada has done so far on Friday at the Olympics:

BASEBALL
Men: Canada lost to Japan 9-1 in preliminary-round game, dropping to 4-1.

BOXING
Bantamweight (54-kg): Andrew Kooner, Tecumseh, Ont., advanced to next round with 37-20 points victory over Hernandez Espinoza, Spain.

CANOE-KAYAK
Men's K-1: David Ford, Edmonton, was seventh in semifinal, fourth in final.

CYCLING
Women's 500-metre time trial: Lori-Ann Muenzer, Edmonton, finished seventh in final.

DIVING
Women's 10m platform: Emilie Heymans, St-Lambert, Que., finished third in preliminaries, advanced to semifinals; Myriam Boileau, Blainville, Que., was ninth, also advanced.

EQUESTRIAN
Individual dressage: Leslie Reid, Langley, B.C., riding Mark, was 15th after Day 1 of the Grand Prix event; Ashley Holzer, on Imperioso, was 20th.

Team dressage: Reid, Holzer, Belinda Kim Trussell, Stouffville, Ont., and Cynthia Ishoy, Jerseyville, Ont., were ninth after Day 1.

FENCING
Women's team epee: Julie Leprohon, Montreal; Sherraine Mackay, Brooks, Alta., and Monique Kavelaars, Appin, Ont., lost to France in bronze-medal match, 45-37, 23:39; after the Canadians beat Hungary in the quarter-finals, then lost to Russia in the semifinals, setting up the match with France.

SAILING
Men's Laser: Bernard Luttmer, Pickering, Ont., was 28th overall after placing ninth in race 9 and 33rd in race 10.

SOFTBALL
Women: Canada defeated Italy 1-0 in preliminary-round game, raising record to 3-4.

SWIMMING
Men's 1,500-metre freestyle: Andrew Hurd, Oakville, Ont., finished 18th in qualifying, eliminated.

Men's 400-metre medley relay: Riley Janes, Saskatoon; Mike Brown, Perth, Ont.; Michael Mintenko, Moose Jaw, Sask., and Brent Hayden, Mission, B.C., were 10th in qualifying, eliminated.

Women's 400-metre medley relay: Erin Gammel, Barriere, Que.; Lauren van Oosten, Calgary; Jennifer Fratesi, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and Brittany Reimer, Surrey, B.C., were 11th in qualifying, eliminated.

TRAMPOLINE
Women: Karen Cockburn, Toronto, won silver medal; Heather Ross-McManus, Almonte, Ont., finished sixth in final.

WATER POLO
Women: Canada lost 5-4 to Hungary, finishing at 1-2 in preliminary round and failing to make medal play.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[tora]

Estonia won a second Olympic medal today and it's silver in Men Single Sculls by Juri Jaanson-his first Olympic medal ever!
http://g.delfi.ee/images/pix/file8392179_Jaanson.jpg
A-Final results:
1. Olaf Tufte (Nor) 6.49,30
2. Jüri Jaanson (Est) 6.51,42
3. Ivo Yanakiev (Bul) 6.52,80
4. Santiago Fernandez (Arg) 6.55,17
5. Vaclav Chalupa (Cze) 6.59,13
6. Tim Maeyens (Bel) 7.01,74

3 medalists
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[yudansha]

Canada wins rowing silver in men's four rowing, women's pairs finish fourth

ATHENS (CP) - The Canadian men's four rowing crew narrowly missed out on gold Saturday, while divers Emilie Heymans and Myriam Boileau secured berths in Sunday's 10-metre platform final.

World champions Cam Baerg, Tom Herschmiller, Jake Wetzel and Barney Williams lost the men's four rowing race by a scant 8-100ths of a second to a British crew Saturday, settling for a silver medal after the photo finish.

The Canadian boat led by a half-second with 500 metres left on the mirror-smooth, 2,000-metre course at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre. However, the British edged ahead in a riveting dash to the finish line.

"After what felt like two or three minutes, I kind of realized that it was all Union Jacks waving and not Canadian flags," said Williams, who hails from Salt Spring Island, B.C.

The British team -Matthew Pinsent, Steve Williams, James Cracknell and Ed Coode -was timed in 6:06.98 and Canada in 6:07.06. Italy placed third.

The only previous medal-winning rows by a Canadian heavyweight four were in 1956 (gold) and 1924 (bronze).

Williams' wife, Buffy, finished fourth in women's pairs with Darcy Marquardt of Richmond, B.C. They led after 500 metres and were second with 500 remaining, but faded in the late going.

Marquardt, 25, and Williams, 27, produced their best row together after overcoming an interrupted training schedule because of an injury to Williams earlier this summer, but it wasn't enough.

"We can't be disappointed with what we did," said Buffy Williams. "You always want a medal . . . but we put our best effort forth and we can't ask for more."

On the diving platform, Heymans, from St-Lambert, Que., and Boileau of Blainville, Que., advanced to the women's 10-metre final Sunday.

Heymans, the world champion, placed fifth in Saturday's semifinals with a cumulative score of 538.17 while Boileau was ninth at 517.56. The top 12 divers moved on.

Canada's hopes also improved in beach volleyball, where the Toronto duo of John Child and Mark Heese beat Argentina's Mariano Baracetti and Martin Conde 21-17, 21-17. The win allows Child and Heese a spot in the quarter-finals on Sunday.

On Friday, Quebec's Guylaine Dumont and Annie Martin made it through to the quarter-finals in women's beach volleyball.

Also Saturday, the Canadian baseball team was left looking for more offence after a 5-2 loss to Cuba, their second straight defeat. The team has scored just five runs in its last three games.

"That's three pitchers in a row that we faced that were exactly the same," said catcher Pete Laforest. "We're going to need to make the adjustment. They keep throwing a bunch of stuff at us and we keep swinging at it."

Despite the loss, Canada is still assured a spot in the medal round, which begins Tuesday. The Canadians play Australia on Sunday in the final game of the round-robin portion of the tournament.

On the trampoline, Mathieu Turgeon of Toronto couldn't match the success of his girlfriend, Karen Cockburn, who won a silver medal Friday. Turgeon failed to qualify for the final.

In track, Nicolas Macrozonaris of Laval, Que., and Pierre Browne of Toronto both failed to advance to Sunday's semifinals in the men's 100 metres, while Diane Cummins, a Victoria native, didn't move to the finals of the women's 800.

Jason Tunks of London, Ont., finished 16th in discus qualifying and didn't move on.

Canadian rowers just miss gold after photo finish in men's four

SCHINIAS, Greece (CP) - It was so close, even one of the world's most experienced and decorated rowers couldn't figure out who had won.

In a thrilling race that is likely to be talked about for years to come, Matthew Pinsent and his veteran British crew came away with the gold medal in the men's four at the Summer Olympics on Saturday, edging world champion Canada by just 8-100ths of a second. After both crews took their final strokes across the finish line, it was only the rowdy British fans that finally tipped them off to the winner.

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Canada's Barney Williams holds up his silver medal as he and Jake Wetzel, Thomas Herschmiller and Cameron Baerg (right) pull away from the dock following their medal ceremony. (CP/Adrian Wyld)

"To be honest, I didn't think we'd won," said Pinsent, who captured his fourth Olympic gold medal. "They shouted across 'Who won? Who won?' And then the only thing that gave it away was when all the Union Jacks suddenly went up on the left."

With that, the Pinsent and his mates sailed along the course for a victory lap, their fans madly waving flags and singing songs.

Canadians Cam Baerg, Tom Herschmiller, Jake Wetzel and Barney Williams could only sit and watch, exhausted from their effort, stunned by the final result.

"There was no sense of disappointment," said Williams. "It was a little bit of amazement that we were that close to a gold medal but at that point, we were completely soaking in that we put in 100 per cent of our effort for it."

Baerg, 31, from Saskatoon, Herschmiller, 26, from Comox, B.C., Wetzel, 27, from Saskatoon, and Williams, 27, from Salt Spring Island, B.C., led by a half-second with 500 metres to go on the glass-like 2,000-metre course at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre. Then the British edged ahead. But the Canadians somehow summoned the energy to dig deep for a final sprint.

Williams likened that final push for the finish line to being exhausted in the desert.

"Then, all of the sudden, 100 metres away, there's a tiger and he's going to kill you and you start running like the wind," said Williams, who dyed his blond mohawk bright red Saturday morning. "That's what basically happens in the last bit of the race. You dig within and you find something extra."

The only previous medal-winning rows by a Canadian heavyweight four were in 1956 (gold) and 1924 (bronze).

Britain -Pinsent, Steve Williams, James Cracknell and Ed Coode -was timed in 6:06.98 and Canada in 6:07.06. Italy was third.

The regatta ends Sunday and the world-champion Canadian men's eight will be on the water along with the men's lightweight four.

Williams' wife, Buffy, finished fourth in women's pairs with Darcy Marquardt of Richmond, B.C. They led after 500 metres and were second with 500 remaining but faded in the late going.

"We rowed the best race that we could and that's all we can ask for," said Buffy Williams. "When we get on that start line, all we can say is let's have the best race we can."

Georgeta Damian and Viorica Susanu of Romania won gold, and world champions Katherine Grainger and Cath Bishop of Britain were two seconds behind to take silver. Yuliya Bichyk and Natallia Helakh of Belarus were left with bronze after being overtaken by the Brits in the dash to the finish.

In the women's lightweight double consolation final, Mara Jones of Aurora, Ont., and Fiona Milne of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., finished second to complete a disappointing regatta in which they had been touted as medal contenders after winning World Cup gold in June.

The Canadian four also came in to the Olympics with high expectations after winning the world championship a year ago in Milan. And they were hungry after a humbling loss to the Americans at the final World Cup of the season in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The British had made it clear winning the four was their only priority, sacrificing their pair and eight teams to assemble the crew at the last minute. But Canada wasn't intimidated by the veteran oarsmen.

"I think when you're in that type of situation, you don't look at them as anything else but peers," said Wetzel. "If you build your opponents up to be the greats then you're not going to stand a chance of beating them. I think they beat us but we brought them down to earth."

The photo finish is just the way an Olympic gold medal should be decided, said Wetzel.

"It's about the smallest of margins, it's about the best performances. I think that's what really makes the Olympics special is there's four years of preparation for each country. They put their best out there. And Britain put their best out there . . . they put all their eggs into this. They're one of the great rowing nations and to be able to be in a race like that is special."

Pinsent was obviously moved by the entire experience, breaking down in tears on the podium to God Save the Queen. The 33-year-old also took gold with the legendary Steven Redgrave in the pairs at the 1992 in Barcelona and 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and in the fours in Sydney four years ago.

"It doesn't get any easier and I've been asking myself why not," Pinsent said. "I said to the crew 'Don't be surprised if I go quiet or I throw up in the morning paddles.' For some reason, it's still as difficult."

In other events, Drew Ginn and James Tomkins of Australia won the men's pairs final while Donovan Cech and Ramon Di Clemente of South Africa won bronze. It was the South Africans' lane that Dave Calder of Victoria and Chris Jarvis of St. Catharines, Ont., encroached on in the semifinals, causing the disqualification of the Canadian crew.

Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski of Germany remained undefeated this year in winning women's single sculls gold; Olaf Tufte of Norway overtook Jueri Jaanson of Estonia with 300 metres remaining to win men's single sculls gold; twin sisters Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell of New Zealand led all the way in women's double sculls and world champions Sebastien Vieilledent and Adrien Hardy of France won men's double sculls gold.

JULIE SCOTT; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Perdita Felicien knows there are still non-believers out there and that only makes her run harder.

The world champion hurdler from Pickering, Ont., one of Canada's top hopes for gold in Athens, takes to the track Sunday night for the opening rounds of the women's 100-metre hurdles. It's another chance to prove, this time on the world's biggest stage, that she's here to stay.

Felicien is the world indoor and outdoor champion, has run faster than any other woman in the world this year, and knocked American's grand dame of hurdling Gail Devers off her post as the world's No. 1-ranked hurdler.

She arrived in Athens on the heels of five consecutive victories.

Still, there are doubters, people who think she's a one-season wonder.

"She knows she's not necessarily the underdog but the fire in her is that so many people are still non-believers and that is a motivation for her," said her agent Renaldo Nehemiah.

And Felicien is just 23 years old in a sport where athletes don't often peak until a decade later, which is why her camp believes there's plenty more to come.

"She's nowhere near her prime, she can be as dominant as she needs to be," said Nehemiah.

Felicien ran 12.53 seconds to win the world championships last summer in Paris, lowering her previous best of 12.67. This year, her average time over the season has been 12.66, she ran a world's best 12.46 in June, and a slightly wind-aided 12.45 to win the Olympic trials.

"I will say this, she can run faster," said her coach Gary Winckler, from the University of Illinois. "We didn't taper training for those runs, we're obviously tapering pretty big for this race.

"We do a pretty in-depth analysis of every run that she's done, and even where she's run 12.40s, there have been some major mistakes along the way."

And while her times have gone down, her confidence has gone up, the biggest affirmation of her place in the sport coming from her victory over 60 metres at the world indoor championships in Budapest in March.

"I think the indoor world championships is a clear indication that the passing of the baton has taken place," said Nehemiah.

The explosive Devers is better over the shorter distance because Felicien usually takes longer to get going. But in Budapest, Felicien had passed the American by the second hurdle and held on for victory.

"She beat Gail Devers at her own game," said Winckler. "To win that championship to me was a great accomplishment, that emphasized that Paris was not a fluke."

More than ever, all eyes will be on Devers in her last Olympic appearance. The 37-year-old, with her trademark four-inch painted nails, will be gunning for gold in the hurdles, the one event she's never won in four previous trips the Games.

Devers told reporters before 2000 in Sydney that she may have retired after Atlanta in 1996 if she had won the hurdles.

"One of the reasons I'm still competing is to get a medal in the hurdles," said Devers.

Felicien though, has shrugged off any talk of rivalry with the woman whose posters she pinned on her wall as a youngster.

"You guys are more obsessed with Gail than I am," Felicien told reporters earlier this week. "I always hear about Gail, but you have to remember Brigitte (Foster), and Delloreen (Ennis-London), and Joanna Hayes and so many other girls who can slip in there.

"And nobody said Perdita last year, everyone was saying Gail and Brigitte and look what happened. So I'm not making the mistake of just thinking about Gail because some surprises might happen to some people."

Felicien's approach is to worry about herself and Winckler has preached that single-minded focus since he started coaching the Canadian hurdler at Illinois.

"We don't really even talk about opponents," said Winckler. "Our focus has to be on a race that is 100 metres long, but 48 inches wide. That's our lane."

There are five or six women who could win the hurdles in Athens, said Winckler. Devers, a three-time Olympic gold medallist in the open 100 and the 4x100 relay, has a season's best time of 12.50. Hayes, of the U.S., has also run 12.50. Ennis-London of Jamaica has run 12.51, while teammate Foster has clocked 12.56.

If Felicien should win on Tuesday night, five days before her 24th birthday, she would become the first Canadian woman to win gold in track since 1928.

Ethel Catherwood won the women's high jump, while Florence Ball, Myrtle Cook, Fanny (Bobby) Rosenfeld and Ethel Smith collected gold in the 4x100-metre relay that year in Amsterdam.

LORI EWING; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - What Canada Did on Saturday at the Summer Olympics:

ATHLETICS
Men's 100: Nicolas Macrozonaris, Laval, Que., advanced after posting a time of 10.40 seconds for second place in his opening-round heat; Pierre Browne, Toronto, also advanced with a clocking of 10.32 for fifth place in his heat.

Men's discus: Jason Tunks, London, Ont., finished eighth in qualifying group, failed to advance.

BASEBALL
Men: Canada lost 5-2 to Cuba, dropping to 4-2 in preliminary round.

DIVING
Women's 10m platform: Emilie Heymans, St-Lambert, Que., finished fifth in semifinal, advanced to final; Myriam Boileau, Blaineville, Que., placed ninth, also qualified.

EQUESTRIAN
Team dressage: Cynthia Ishoy, Jerseyville, Ont., on Proton; Leslie Reid, Langley, B.C., on Mark; Belinda Kim Trussell, Stouffville, Ont., on Royan II, and Ashley Holzer, Toronto, on Imperioso, finished ninth in final.

Individual dressage: Ishoy was in a tie for 31st after Day 2, with final scheduled for Monday. Reid was 35th; Trussell, 36th, and Holzer placed 42nd.

ROWING
Men's coxless fours: Cameron Baerg, Saskatoon; Thomas Herschmiller, Comox, B.C.; Jake Wetzel, Saskatoon; and Barney Williams, Salt Spring Island, B.C., won silver medal, edged by eight-hundredths of a second out of the gold by the British crew.

Women's coxless pairs: Darcy Marquardt, Richmond, B.C., and Buffy Williams, St. Catharines, Ont., finished fourth in final, 3.47 seconds behind the bronze medallists from Belarus.

SAILING
Men's Finn: Richard Clarke, Toronto, finished 18th overall after final race.

Men's Star: Ross Macdonald, Vancouver, and Mike Wolfs, Port Credit, Ont., were 11th overall after two races, finishing seventh in race 1 and 11th in race 2).

Women's 470: Jennifer Provan, Toronto, and Nikola Girke, Vancouver, were 13th overall.

Women's Yngling: Lisa Ross, Lunenburg, N.S.; Chantal Leger, Senneville, Que., and Deirdre Crampton, Toronto, placed 16th overall after final race.

Mixed Tornado: Oskar Johansson, Oakville, Ont., and John Curtis, Kingston, Ont., were 15th overall after first two races, placing 14th in first and 15th in second.

TRAMPOLINE
Men's individual: Mathieu Turgeon, Toronto, was 11th in qualifying, failed to advance.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[Amos Stevens]

Hey thats great Tora-really glad for Estonia!

I don't know if I missed it mentioned here already or not,but I heard that the US is offering $$ for our swimmers to beat the world records...now excuse me but that isn't what the Olympics is about!

I also thought I would comment something that is bothering me & see if anyone else agrees...I'm getting tired of hearing how many Olympians are repeated winners from past years. I would think winning an Olympic medal-be it Gold,Silver or Bronze would be the best you could ever ask for..so why go back & go back and cut out someone that has NEVER got to participate?

[yudansha]

Amos, to qualify for Olympic events, the athletes need to be of a particular ranking based on the recent world championships. For example, Canada made it a rule for these Olympics that if you were not a top 12 in the World, you do not qualify for the Canadian Olympics team. Because of such a drastic rule, Canada has much less athletes to compete this time around - and didn't even have one female marathon runner ... lots of complaints were made - but rules are rules. People who qualify for Olympics - whether an ol' timer or a new comer - you must be at a particular ranking to make the cut. Different countries have different rules, but without a doubt, those who go off to participate in the Games, are of higher ranking than the ones who do not proceed.

Anyways, a Canadian gymnast just won a gold medal for the floor finals!!!!!!!

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - There was disappointment for the rowing team, anger from the women's water polo squad and a good start on the cycling track for Canada early Sunday at the Olympic Games.

The big news came in the morning at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre, where the rowing team's high hopes were burst by the reality of two fifth-place finishes on the regatta's closing day.

Neither the world champion men's eight nor the men's lightweight four were in contention in their finals, leaving Canada with only one medal -men's fours on Saturday -from a sport that was expected to produce a handful for the podium-poor country.

"I'm extremely disappointed," said head coach Brian Richardson. "We did come here with expectations of up to four medals."

The men's eight came into the Games as heavy favourites, but suffered a shocking loss to the Americans in qualifying. They reached the finals via a repechage but could do little to prevent the Americans from winning gold.

The U.S. won in five minutes, 42.48 seconds for their first Olympic victory in the prestige event in 40 years. The Netherlands put on a late charge to grab silver and Australia took bronze.

In the men's lightweight fours final, Iain Brambell of Brentwood, B.C., Jonathan Man**** and Gavin Hassett of Victoria and Jon Beare of Toronto were nearly four seconds behind winner Denmark.

The women's water polo team, meanwhile, secured seventh place in the Olympic tournament by thrashing Kazakhstan 10-4.

Still, it did little to wash away the bitterness over how its fate played out at the Games.

"It's such a joke this tournament format," said Canadian coach Pat Oaten. "I feel for the athletes. They played the best water polo they played in years."

No.-4 ranked Canada was lumped into a group with the top-ranked United States, the defending world champions, No. 3 Russia and No. 5 Hungary, while the other preliminary group featured minnows Kazakhstan and Greece plus Australia and No. 2 Italy.

The Canadians failed to reach the quarter-finals and received a date with Kazakhstan instead.

"Of course it's nice to finish with a win," said captain Ann Dow, "but we know in the bottom of our hearts we don't deserve the outcome of placing seventh."

Edmonton cyclist Lori-Ann Muenzer, on the other hand, advanced to the quarter-finals of the women's sprint competition after beating American Jennie Reed in a head-to-head race.

Muenzer posted the fourth-fastest time -11.380 seconds -in the 12-woman field during the morning's sprint qualifying, drawing Reed, who was ninth in 11.622.

"I knew I had the power and the speed to do it," Muenzer said.

At 38 -making her the oldest woman in track cycling here -Muenzer will take on Venezuela's Daniela Greluis Larreal Chirinos in Monday's quarter-final, which will be a best-of-three round.

Things had the potential to improve for Canada later Sunday, with world champion diver Emilie Heymans on the 10-metre platform, gymnast Kyle Shewfelt on the floor and high jumper Mark Boswell all being medal hopefuls.

Beach volleyball duos Guylaine Dumont and Annie Martin, plus John Child and Mark Heese, were to play quarter-final matches.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - China picked up two Olympic gold medals early Sunday while Greece lost one of its bronze -to a doping case that has again embarrassed the host nation.

And then there was the guy who shot at the wrong target. While China's Zhang Yining won her second table tennis gold, taking the women's singles final, and Jia Zhanbo of China won gold in the men's 50-metre three-position rifle shooting, Greece saw its total go down when weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis was stripped of his bronze medal and expelled from the Olympics for a doping offence.

He was the first athlete at the Athens Games to lose a medal because of a failed drug test.

Sampanis, who was third in the 62-kilogram category a week ago after winning silvers at the previous two Olympics, was disqualified by the International Olympic Committee's executive board and expelled from the Games.

Sampanis, 32, tested positive for twice the allowed amount of testosterone, the IOC said. Doctors established that the testosterone came from outside the body.

The decision was another big blow for Greece, just four days after top sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou pulled out of the Games in a scandal over missed drug tests.

Later Sunday, news broke that Russia's gold medallist in the women's shot put, Irina Korzhanenko, is under investigation for a positive drug test.

Korzhanenko, the first woman to win a gold medal at the sacred site of Ancient Olympia, failed a doping control after Wednesday's competition, Olympic sources said on condition of anonymity.

She will face a hearing before a disciplinary commission of the International Olympic Committee. If found guilty, she would be stripped of the medal and expelled from the Games.

In 1999, Korzhanenko was stripped of the silver medal at the world indoor championships for a doping violation.

American Matt Emmons, who has already won a gold medal in shooting, gave Jia the top spot Sunday when he incredibly aimed and fired at the wrong target with his final shot. That blew a commanding lead and allowed Jia to take gold.

Emmons, far in front after nine shots in the final, shot at the target in lane three while he was shooting in lane two. When no score appeared on the electronic scoring device for his lane, he turned to officials and gestured that there was some sort of error.

"I shot," he appeared to say as three officials in red blazers approached.

The officials went back and huddled briefly before announcing that Emmons had cross-fired and had a score of zero for the last shot which dropped him into eighth position with a score of 1257.4 points. Jia had a score of 1,264.5.

If Emmons had fired at the right target, he would have needed only a seven to win the gold.

Cyclist Sarah Ulmer of New Zealand won the gold medal in the 3,000-metre individual pursuit with a world-record time of 3:24.537, breaking her own 24-hour-old record. Katie Mactier of Australia took the silver and veteran Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel of the Netherlands won the bronze.

Also winning golds Sunday were Andrea Benelli of Italy in skeet shooting; Brailian sailor Robert Scheidt in the Laser class and Siren Sundby of Norway in the women's Europe sailing class.

On the rowing course, the United States ended 40 years of Olympic frustration, winning the men's eight, while Elisabeta Lipa-Oleniuc collected a record fifth gold medal as Romania successfully defended its women's title in the same event.

Germany's women led from start to finish to collect their fifth straight title in the quadruple sculls, marking Kathrin Boron's fourth career gold medal. No one could match the defending Olympic champions in the men's lightweight double sculls -Poland's Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz pulled out an early lead and held off France.

Vasileios Plymeros and Nikolaos Skiathitis gave Greece its first ever Olympic rowing medal, springing past Denmark in the closing stages for the historic bronze.

Denmark, two-time defending world champion in the lightweight four, added an Olympic victory while Russia took gold in the men's quadruple sculls.

Among other events later Sunday were the 100-metre men's final in athletics, the women's marathon, women's 10-metre diving, men's team epee in fencing and the men's singles tennis final.

DENNIS PASSA; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

SCHINIAS, Greece (CP) - The high hopes Canada's rowing team had before the Olympics began evaporated Sunday in a pair of fifth-place finishes on the regatta's closing day.

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Members of the American Men's Eight boat throw their coxswain Pete Cipollone in the water after they won the gold medal at Schinias near Athens on Sunday. (AP/David Guttenfelder)

The course was calm but whitecaps of disappointment were sloshing around head coach Brian Richardson's mind as the oars were packed away. "It obviously wasn't a good day at the office," said Richardson.

Neither the world champion men's eight nor the men's lightweight four were in contention in their finals, leaving Canada with only one medal -men's fours on Saturday -from a sport that was expected to produce a handful for the podium-poor country.

"I'm extremely disappointed," said Richardson. "We did come here with expectations of up to four medals."

Canada had qualified boats in seven of the 14 events. Only four made it to the A finals and only the men's four emerged with a medal. It was the same lonely count Canada posted four years ago.

"We had a tough week and some of the very strong crews that have been excellent in training, done extremely well in World Cups, struggled to medal here," said Richardson. "The lightweight four was one, the lightweight women's double was another one and then the men's eight at the end there.

"But the Olympics are always tough and everybody steps up. We expected that, we were prepared for that, unfortunately we weren't able to put the score on the board."

Winnipeg's Jeff Powell, stroke of the men's eight, injured a shoulder muscle in a repechage race last week and had to be treated by doctors to get ready Sunday. It's the only thing that could explain the shocking result.

The Americans thumped the opposition and won in five minutes 42.48 seconds. It was the first U.S. Olympic win in the prestige event in 40 years. Stroke Bryan Volpenhein had the crew ahead early and it led all the way. Canada was only in it for the first few hundred metres.

"We came out of the start really strong and I saw the Americans start to go and tried to go with them," said coxswain Brian Price of Belleville, Ont. "It was obviously a really huge push that they put in there and we didn't answer it as well as we could have."

The Canadians fell further and further behind as the race progressed and were nearly 10 seconds behind the Americans at the finish.

"Going through that third (500 metres), we'd done well through there, and it just didn't happen today," said Price. "I don't have an answer why.

"It's one of those races you've gone over a 100 times in your mind and when it happens you think you're dreaming."

The Netherlands put on a late charge to grab silver and Australia took bronze. Germany, sixth when Canada put in a dominant row to win at the 2003 worlds, even beat Canada this time.

The crew, coached by Mike Spracklen, as seated from bow to stern, was Scott Frandsen of Kelowna, B.C., Kevin Light of Sidney, B.C., Ben Rutledge of Cranbrook, B.C., Kyle Hamilton of Richmond, B.C., Adam Kreek of London, Ont., Andrew Hoskins of Edmonton, Joe Stankevicius of Dundas, Ont., Powell and Price.

It was a highly competitive regatta and no one country dominated. Rowers from 11 countries won gold, and the 42 total medals were spread among rowers from 23 countries.

There were pre-Games fears of winds whipping the 2,000-metre course into an unrowable froth but the winds held off and the surface was calm for both days of finals.

In the men's lightweight fours final, Iain Brambell of Brentwood, B.C., Jonathan Man**** and Gavin Hassett of Victoria and Jon Beare of Toronto were nearly four seconds behind winner Denmark.

The Danes were timed in 6:01.39, Australia was a half-length behind and Italy edged the Netherlands in a photo finish that determined third place. The Danes, who won the event at the 1996 Summer Games, were 2003 world champions so were favourites coming in.

"There was no lack of effort in the boat," Beare told CBC. "We just came up short."

Romania won the women's eights race, in 6:17.70, for the third straight Summer Games, and crew members Elisabeta Lipa, Viorica Susanu and Georgeta Damian each won a fourth Olympic gold medal. Susanu and Damian won pairs gold Saturday. The United States, the leader at the 1,000-metre mark, finished second and the Netherlands was third.

Romania also won women's lightweight double sculls gold for the third straight Olympics. Constanta Burcica was golden for the third time, rowing this time with Angela Alupei. Winning time was 6:56.02. Claudia Blasberg of Germany, who won the 2003 world title with Marie-Louise Draeger, was one-half a length behind with new partner Daniela Reimer. Dutch scullers Kirsten Van Der Kolk mounted a late sprint to win bronze.

Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz of Poland led all the way in winning men's lightweight double sculls gold in 6:20.93. Frederic Dufour and Pascal Touron of France, closing quickly at the end, were only a deck's length behind. Vasileios Polymeros and Nikolaos Skiathitis of Greece put on a late sprint to win bronze.

Germany won the women's quadruple sculls final in 6:29.18. For crew member Kathrin Boron, who came out of retirement after giving birth to a daughter, it was a fourth Olympic gold medal. In the eight Summer Games since women were allowed to compete in the regatta, Germany has won the event seven times. Britain was second and Ukraine third.

Russia, fifth at the 2003 worlds, was a surprise winner in the men's quad final in 5:56.79. The Czech Republic lost by a deck. Ukraine was third.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Canada finally won a gold in Athens on Sunday, giving the team a morale boost on a day in which several other athletes missed the mark after flirting with medal contention.

More than a week into the Olympics with no first-place finishes, Kyle Shewfelt of Calgary won a gold medal in men's artistic gymnastics, putting an end to the country's gold-medal drought so far at the Games. Shewfelt's near perfect routine placed him ahead of Marian Dragulescu of Romania, who took the silver, and Jordan Jovtchev of Bulgaria, who got the bronze.

"I wanted to do my best routine. If I happened to be 4th or 8th, I'd still be happy," Shewfelt said.

"I was very proud of myself that I could perform the routine of my dreams in the Olympic Games."

It was the first time that O Canada was played in Athens and also represented the country's first-ever Olympic medal in men's artistic gymnastics.

But it wasn't the only time O Canada was heard on Sunday. Also winning gold was Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal, who finished first in the women's 800-metre wheelchair race. It's a demonstration event in Athens, meaning Petitclerc's gold won't count in Canada's overall medal standings, though she'll still take home a medal.

Those two achievements helped ease the sting for Canada on a day when the country's men's eight rowing team, expected to take the gold, finished a disappointing fifth and out of the medals and defending world champion diver Emilie Heymans finished fourth, just missing out on bronze.

In rowing, neither the world champion men's eight nor the men's lightweight four were in contention in their finals, leaving Canada with only one medal -men's fours on Saturday -from a sport that was expected to produce a handful for the podium-poor country.

"I'm extremely disappointed," said head coach Brian Richardson. "We did come here with expectations of up to four medals."

In diving, Emilie Heymans of St-Lambert, Que., finished a disappointing fourth in the 10-metre platform diving event. Heymans, the defending world champion in the event, was in second place heading into the competition's fifth and final round.

It was also no day at the beach for Canada on Sunday. Beach volleyball duo Guylaine Dumont and Annie Martin were eliminated from Olympic play after they lost in straight sets to American top seeds Kerri Walsh and Misty May. And later on, John Child and Mark Heese saw their Olympic hopes die in losing their quarter-final match to a Spanish pair.

Elsewhere, high jumper Mark Boswell was a medal hopeful earlier Sunday but fell short, placing seventh overall.

A positive on the track came from Perdita Felicien, who advanced to Monday's semifinals in the 100-metre hurdles, finishing second in her heat. Edmonton-born Angela Whyte also squeaked into Monday's races, finishing 16th overall.

But the biggest shock of the 100-metre hurdles heats was American Gail Devers' tumble that put her out of the competition. Devers, who has three world championships in the hurdles but has always flopped at the Olympics, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle. She sat on the track for about two minutes, rubbing her left leg and grimacing.

Also on the track, Kevin Sullivan of Brantford, Ont., failed to advance to the finals in the men's 1,500-metre event. He finished ninth in his semifinal heat.

"It's nothing to hang my head about, but I definitely had higher expectations than this," a disappointed Sullivan said.

Elsewhere, Canada's women's water polo team secured seventh place in the Olympic tournament by thrashing Kazakhstan 10-4.

Edmonton cyclist Lori-Ann Muenzer, on the other hand, advanced to the quarter-finals of the women's sprint competition after beating American Jennie Reed in a head-to-head race.

Muenzer posted the fourth-fastest time -11.380 seconds -in the 12-woman field during the morning's sprint qualifying, drawing Reed, who was ninth in 11.622.

"I knew I had the power and the speed to do it," Muenzer said.

At 38 -making her the oldest woman in track cycling here -Muenzer will take on Venezuela's Daniela Greluis Larreal Chirinos in Monday's quarter-final, which will be a best-of-three round.

The men's baseball team finished its round robin play with an 11-0 win over Australia. They'll play Cuba in a Tuesday semifinal matchup.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - He held history in his hand.

Kyle Shewfelt slowly turned the gold medal so the light sparkled off it. He smiled at its glow and what it meant.

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Canada's Kyle Shewfelt looks at his gold medal. (CP /Adrian Wyld)

"This is a historical moment," the Calgary gymnast said Sunday after winning Olympic gold in the floor exercise. "I'm so happy I can be the one to make this history." Not only did Shewfelt win Canada's first gold of the 2004 Games, he became the first Canadian to ever win an Olympic artistic gymnastic medal.

It was Canada's fourth medal of the Games.

"I was a kid when I started gymnastics and I had a dream," the 22-year-old said.

"I did an interview once and said I wanted to go to the Olympics and I wanted to win. Today it happened."

Marian Dragulescu of Romania took the silver and Jordan Jovtchev of Bulgaria won bronze.

Shewfelt and Dragulescu finished tied with a score of 9.787, but the Canadian was awarded the gold through a tie-breaking formula that sees the lowest score from each judge dropped until the tie is broken.

Shewfelt struggled to explain his emotions as he watched the Maple Leaf being raised.

"Think of dedicating your entire life to something and having a dream, and finally having that dream come true," he said.

"Inside I had butterflies. I just felt so proud to be a Canadian. I have imagined that Canadian flag going up many a time. To have it actually happen, it was great."

After O Canada was played for the first time at these Games, Shewfelt waved to his parents Nola and Wes, then handed his bouquet of flowers to girlfriend Melissa.

Slightly built at five-foot-four and 134 pounds, Shewfelt looked smaller than most of the other eight finalists. He didn't have the rippling muscles in his arms or the thick, stocky legs.

Any questions about his abilities were quickly answered. He conducted his routine with effortless precision. His flips where smooth and his landings seamless.

"I reminded myself, 'you're in control, Kyle, be calm, have confidence, make it happen,"' Shewfelt said.

A bruised bone in his ankle hampered Shewfelt's training for four months. If the ankle buckled on the final landing, his Olympic dream would be over.

"Before my dismount I told myself, 'put everything you have into this landing, it's the only one that matters, it's the only one that counts,"' he said.

"Having the ankle injury back in March, I haven't been able to stick too many of those dismounts. Today, it took a lot of mental power, a lot of fight. But there's no way my feet were moving."

When his routine ended, Shewfelt clapped his hands together, then pumped his fist in the air. As he walked off the mat he met coach Kelly Manjak. The two wrapped each other in a hug while the Canadian fans among the sparse crowd at the Olympic Indoor Hall roared.

"To be able to do one of the best routines of my life, at the Olympic Games, in the Olympic final, is just the most amazing thing," said Shewfelt.

"I yelled when I stuck my dismount because it was like a release of emotion. There was so much that went into this . . . so much anticipation and anxiousness and expectation."

It was an emotional moment for Shewfelt and his coach. The two have formed a relationship that extends beyond coach and athlete.

When he returns from Athens, Manjak is leaving Calgary to join a gymnastic club in Toronto.

"Kelly is my rock," said Shewfelt.

"This is a sentimental moment. This is just sort of an ending point. I'm so happy for him that his life is moving in another direction."

Manjak remembered the first time he met a six-year-old Shewfelt training at a Calgary club.

"I said 'what can you do?"' Manjak said with a laugh.

"He threw himself at the floor and did a front handspring. I said, 'where did you learn that?' I think his reply was 'the backyard.' I asked, 'can you do a split?' and he naturally did the split."

Eugene Galperin, a coach and mentor to Manjak, offered some advice.

"If this kid isn't special, you're a bad coach, a very bad coach," he told Manjak.

Manjak has watched Shewfelt grow from a child, to a rebellious teenager, to a young man who made Canadian Olympic history.

"I love him like a son," said Manjak.

"Kyle's so passionate about this sport. His whole goal was to win the Olympics. He started that dream when he was nine years of age and he just delivered it today. That shows his character."

At the Sydney Games in 2000, Shewfelt placed 12th in the floor competition.

He won bronze medals in floor and vault at the 2003 World Championships, and gold medals in floor and vault at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

JIM MORRIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Canada won a silver medal in women's wrestling when Tonya Verbeek of Beamsville, Ont., beat a Swedish opponent but lost to a highly-touted Japanese wrestler in the final.

Gold medallist Kyle Shewfelt of Calgary is back in action today. He will compete in the vault final - an event in which he won bronze at the worlds last year. Kate Richardson of Coquitlam, B-C will also compete today in the women's floor final. That event earned Shewfelt Canada's first gold medal yesterday.

Five Canadians boats took part in canoe-kayak flatwater races today and all advanced to the semifinals. They include Nova Scotia's Steve Giles in the C-1 one-thousand. He was second in his heat. Ontario's Adam van Koeverden was also second in his K-1 one-thousand heat to advance. The men's C-2 boat and both the men's and women's K-4 boats also advanced.

Perdita Felicien of Pickering, Ontario returns to Olympic Stadium today for the 100-metre hurdles semifinals. The gold medal favourite was second in her heat yesterday. Edmonton's Angela Whyte will also compete after finishing third in her heat.

Quebec teenager Alexandre Despatie finished first in the opening round of the three-metre springboard. He had more than a week off since finishing fifth in the synchro tower event with Philippe Comtois on Opening Day. The springboard semifinals and the final are tomorrow. The top 18 in the preliminaries advance.

Synchronized swimmers hit the pool today for the duet preliminaries. Fanny Letourneau of Deux-Montagnes, Quebec and Courtney Stewart of Unionville, Ontario will start 22nd out of 24 pairs hoping to make it to the finals on Wednesday. Russia and Japan are seen as the teams to beat.

A Canadian enters the ring for a boxing quarter-final today. Andrew Kooner of Tecumseh, Ontario will take on a fighter from Uzbekistan in the bantamweight class. Kooner had a first-round bye, then beat a Venezuelan in round two.

Edmonton cyclist Lori-Ann Muenzer races in the 200-metre sprint quarterfinals today. She will take on a Venezuelan rider in a best-of-three round.

On SUNDAY, Canada finally won a gold in Athens on Sunday, giving the team a morale boost on a day in which several other athletes missed the mark after flirting with medal contention.

More than a week into the Olympics with no first-place finishes, Kyle Shewfelt of Calgary won a gold medal in men's artistic gymnastics, putting an end to the country's gold-medal drought so far at the Games. Shewfelt's near perfect routine placed him ahead of Marian Dragulescu of Romania, who took the silver, and Jordan Jovtchev of Bulgaria, who got the bronze.

"I wanted to do my best routine. If I happened to be 4th or 8th, I'd still be happy," Shewfelt said.

"I was very proud of myself that I could perform the routine of my dreams in the Olympic Games."

It was the first time that O Canada was played in Athens and also represented the country's first-ever Olympic medal in men's artistic gymnastics.

But it wasn't the only time O Canada was heard on Sunday. Also winning gold was Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal, who finished first in the women's 800-metre wheelchair race. It's a demonstration event in Athens, meaning Petitclerc's gold won't count in Canada's overall medal standings, though she'll still take home a medal.

Those two achievements helped ease the sting for Canada on a day when the country's men's eight rowing team, expected to take the gold, finished a disappointing fifth and out of the medals and defending world champion diver Emilie Heymans finished fourth, just missing out on bronze.

In rowing, neither the world champion men's eight nor the men's lightweight four were in contention in their finals, leaving Canada with only one medal -men's fours on Saturday -from a sport that was expected to produce a handful for the podium-poor country.

"I'm extremely disappointed," said head coach Brian Richardson. "We did come here with expectations of up to four medals."

In diving, Emilie Heymans of St-Lambert, Que., finished a disappointing fourth in the 10-metre platform diving event. Heymans, the defending world champion in the event, was in second place heading into the competition's fifth and final round.

It was also no day at the beach for Canada on Sunday. Beach volleyball duo Guylaine Dumont and Annie Martin were eliminated from Olympic play after they lost in straight sets to American top seeds Kerri Walsh and Misty May. And later on, John Child and Mark Heese saw their Olympic hopes die in losing their quarter-final match to a Spanish pair.

Elsewhere, high jumper Mark Boswell was a medal hopeful earlier Sunday but fell short, placing seventh overall.

A positive on the track came from Perdita Felicien, who advanced to Monday's semifinals in the 100-metre hurdles, finishing second in her heat. Edmonton-born Angela Whyte also squeaked into Monday's races, finishing 16th overall.

But the biggest shock of the 100-metre hurdles heats was American Gail Devers' tumble that put her out of the competition. Devers, who has three world championships in the hurdles but has always flopped at the Olympics, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle. She sat on the track for about two minutes, rubbing her left leg and grimacing.

Also on the track, Kevin Sullivan of Brantford, Ont., failed to advance to the finals in the men's 1,500-metre event. He finished ninth in his semifinal heat.

"It's nothing to hang my head about, but I definitely had higher expectations than this," a disappointed Sullivan said.

Elsewhere, Canada's women's water polo team secured seventh place in the Olympic tournament by thrashing Kazakhstan 10-4.

Edmonton cyclist Lori-Ann Muenzer, on the other hand, advanced to the quarter-finals of the women's sprint competition after beating American Jennie Reed in a head-to-head race.

Muenzer posted the fourth-fastest time -11.380 seconds -in the 12-woman field during the morning's sprint qualifying, drawing Reed, who was ninth in 11.622.

"I knew I had the power and the speed to do it," Muenzer said.

At 38 -making her the oldest woman in track cycling here -Muenzer will take on Venezuela's Daniela Greluis Larreal Chirinos in Monday's quarter-final, which will be a best-of-three round.

The men's baseball team finished its round robin play with an 11-0 win over Australia. They'll play Cuba in a Tuesday semifinal matchup.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Canadian wrestler Tonya Verbeek won a silver medal in the 55-kilogram Olympic division Monday, beaten 6-0 by world champion Saori Yoshida of Japan in the final.

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Canada's Tonya Verbeek, from Beamsville, Ont. holds up her silver medal after losing to Japan's Saori Yoshida in the 55kg wrestling final. (CP/Ryan Remiorz)

Yoshida, one of the best female wrestlers in the world, scored 53 seconds into the match on a takedown and went up 2-0 at 2:15 by again dropping Verbeek. In the second three-minute period, Yoshida scored twice on leg locks in the early going and had total control of the match.

From there Verbeek, a native of Beamsville, Ont., had to pin Yoshida for victory but never came close.

Yoshida is a two-time world champion, defeating American Tina George in the finals at both the 2002 and 2003 worlds. She has dominated the weight class, winning every international competition she has entered, a streak Verbeek never really threatened.

Verbeek defeated Ida-Theres Karlsson of Sweden 3-1 in the semifinals while Yoshida beat Anna Gomis of France 7-6 in a close bout.

"This match I felt a little tighter just knowing that it makes such a huge difference in whether you're guaranteed a medal or you might still have to fight for one," Verbeek, a silver medallist at the Pan Am Games last summer, said after the semifinals. "But if you get ahead of yourself it takes away from what you want to do out there."

Verbeek, 27, has been in the Canadian program for several years, finishing fifth at the 1995 world championships. But she has struggled at the national level due to the depth in her weight class.

She has finished second or third at the senior national championships five times since winning the title in 1995. She earned her spot on the Olympic team by finishing third at the final qualifying tournament and beating fellow veteran Jen Ryz at the Canadian trials.

Going into the Games, Verbeek defeated American Tela O'Donnell at the Titan Games in Atlanta and won a gold medal at the Canada Cup. She was third at the Olympic test event in Athens this winter.

In other bouts, Christine Nordhagen of Calgary won fifth place in the 72-kilogram division when her opponent, Anita Schaetzle of Germany, retired with an injury. Nordhagen had beaten American Toccara Montgomery earlier in the day to advance.

Viola Yanik of Saskatoon defeated Volha Khilko of Belarus 5-2 to take fifth spot in the 63-kilogram class. That followed a win over Stephanie Gross of Germany 4-1.

The Ano Liossia Olympic Hall was abuzz with cheering flag-waving Japanese fans Monday. Japan dominates the sport, with five world champions out of seven weight classes in 2003.

JULIE SCOTT; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - What Canada has done so far on Monday at the Summer Olympics:

CANOE-KAYAK
Men's C-1 1000: Stephen Giles, Lake Echo, N.S., finished second in qualifying to advance.

Men's C-2 1000: (Richard Dalton, Halifax, and Michael Scarola, Waaverly. N.S.) were fourth in qualifying, advanced.

Men's K-1 1000: Adam van Koeverden, Oakville, Ont., second in qualifying, advanced.

Men's K-4 1000: Canada (Steven Jorens, Aurora, Ont.; Richard Dober, Trois-Rivieres, Que.; Ryan Cuthbert, Carleton Place, Ont.; Andrew Willows, Gananoque, Ont.), fifth in qualifying, advanced.

Women's K-4 500: Canada (Karen Furneaux, Waverly, N.S.; Carrie Lightbound, Mississauga, Ont.; Kamini Jain, Calgary; Jillian D'Alessio, Middle Sackville, N.S.), fifth in qualifying, advanced.

SAILING
Star class Canada (Ross Macdonaldm, Vancouver, and Mike Wolfs, Port Credit, Ont.) won Race 5.

Mixed

Tornado Canada (Oskar Johansson, Oakvillle, Ont., and John Curtis, Kingston, Ont.) eight in Race 5.

WRESTLING
Women's 55kg: Tonya Verbeek, Beamsville, Ont., def. Ida-Theres Karlsson, Sweden, 3-1, in semifinal.

Women's 63kg: Viola Yanik, Saskatoon, def. Stephanie Gross, Germany, 4-1, in classification semifinal.

Women's 72Kg: Christine Nordhagen, Valhalla, Alta., def. Toccara Montgomery, U.S., 8-3, in classification semifinal.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

Click for audio (http://www.broadband.rogers.com/bband/feeds/cpfix/xml/sports/s082361A.ra)

ATHENS (CP) - Tonya Verbeek wrestled another Olympic medal into Canadian hands Monday, but Kyle Shewfelt fell just short of a second gymnastics medal in a judging controversy.

Verbeek, a native of Beamsville, Ont., was awarded the silver medal following a loss to world champion Saori Yoshida of Japan in the gold-medal match of the 55-kilogram division. "It's a great moment and I would not change this feeling with everything else in the world," Verbeek said.

It was Canada's fifth medal of the Athens Games.

A sixth one almost came in gymnastics, where Shewfelt was looking to win his second medal of the Games after winning gold in his floor routine on Sunday.

The Calgary native was in third place in the men's vault before Marian Dragulescu of Romania made his final approach. Dragulescu stumbled on his landing, but after a seemingly generous judges' score, he took the bronze with 9.612 points, leaving Shewfelt in fourth place.

Canada has launched a formal protest of the decision, saying Dragulescu's second vault score "is impossible by any reading of the rules" which include automatic deductions for a fall.

Also at the gym, 20-year-old Kate Richardson of Coquitlam, B.C., finished seventh in the women's floor routine final.

On the track, Perdita Felicien easily advanced to the finals of the 100-metre hurdles, where she is the favourite for gold. Angela Whyte of Edmonton also advanced.

Diver Alexandre Despatie was first and teammate Philippe Comtois was 12th in the preliminary session of the men's three-metre springboard Monday.

"The point was to come here and make it through and then feel comfortable. I qualified first, so I guess I am comfortable now," Despatie said. "I had a good preliminary, but once we start (Tuesday), we're back to zero."

There was also positive news on the cycling track.

Lori-Ann Muenzer of Edmonton outraced Venezuela's Daniela Greluis Larreal Chirinos in a best-of-three head-to-head series Monday in the women's sprint competition.

The win allowed Muenzer to advance to the semifinals, where she'll face Australia's Anna Meares. If Muenzer wins that race, she will be assured of at least a silver medal.

"I have to be smarter, I have to be faster than her," Muenzer said.

"It's going to mean going for broke. I'm going to have to pull out everything I have tomorrow."

On the water, five Canadian boats raced in canoe and kayak preliminaries Monday morning and all five moved on to Wednesday's semifinals.

In sailing, Ross MacDonald and Mike Wolfs of Canada won race five in Star-class racing, putting them in second place overall with six races to go in the event.

Boxer Andrew Kooner lost his quarter-final to an opponent from Uzbekistan. He was the last Canadian boxer still fighting in Athens.

In synchronized swimming, Fanny Letourneau, of Deux-Montagnes, Que., and Courtenay Stewart, Unionville, Ont., finished sixth in the preliminary round with a score of 47.500. They'll go back in the water on Tuesday, hoping to qualify for the finals a day later.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Angry Canadian gymnastics officials say judging irregularities cost Kyle Shewfelt an Olympic bronze medal in the vault Monday night, an injustice exacerbated by the fact that their appeal has seemingly been ignored.

Shewfelt, the Calgary gymnast who won Canada's first gold medal of the Games in Sunday's floor exercise, finished fourth in the vault. He was edged off the podium by Marian Dragulescu despite the fact the Romanian muffed his landing.

J.P. Caron, president and CEO of Gymnastics Canada, said it was "mathematically impossible" for Dragulescu to receive the score he was awarded on his second vault.

Canadian officials also said the marks for Dragulescu's vault were improperly tabulated.

Gymnastics Canada officials were further infuriated when Romanian Adrian Stoica of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) refused to hear their protest. Stoica is the technical director for the Olympic meet.

"I was shut down," said Kelly Manjak, Shewfelt's longtime coach and mentor. "They wouldn't accept it. They didn't want to look at me, they didn't want to talk to me. They were rather rude to me. It was sort of an insult."

Tony Smith, another Canadian coach, said this isn't their first brush with Stoica.

"We've had trouble with Adrian Stoica for years," said Smith, a native of Calgary. "He's the Teflon technical director."

Smith said Canada won't let the matter drop.

"We're going to pursue it," he said. "We're going to see where we have to go with this. It that means going to a higher level than FIG, then we're going to try it."

Gymnastics Canada may ask Slava Corn of Toronto, a member of the FIG technical committee, to intervene.

Adding further intrigue to a bewildering chain of events, Shewfelt and Dragulescu tied in points during Sunday's floor competition. Shewfelt was awarded the gold using a tiebreaking formula.

During Monday's competition Shewfelt fell to fourth when Dragulescu, the last competitor, received better marks despite sliding sideways off the mat landing his second vault.

Even with the slip the judges gave Dragulescu a 9.325. Dragulescu had nailed his first vault, earning a 9.900. That translated into a final score of 9.612.

Shewfelt's first vault earned a mark of 9.687, with the second worth 9.512 for a final mark of 9.599.

Spain's Gervasio Deferr won the gold with a score of 9.737 while Evgeni Sarponenko of Latvia took silver with a mark of 9.706.

Gymnastics Canada's complain is twofold.

First, it argues that on Dragulescu's second vault he landed out of bounds, put his hand on the ground and took two steps. All these mistakes should have cost him points, yet he was still awarded a score of 9.325.

"There is no possible way for him to score even a nine, yet he scored a 9.325, something ridiculous," said Smith.

The second argument is based on how the scores were tabulated.

After a vault, a panel of judges give their scores. The high and low score are thrown out, and the rest are averaged.

For any score over nine, international rules say the head judge is supposed to ensure all the scores are within .2 of each other.

But the scores for Dragulescu's second vault were outside the .2 range.

"The judging has been a little bit horrendous all week long," said Manjak. "I don't want to sit silent and go away. I believe Kyle deserved that bronze medal. I'm doing what I can."

The Olympic gymnastics competition has had a World Wrestling Entertainment air about it all week.

Even as Smith and Manjak were pleading their case to the media, the near-capacity crowd at the Olympic Indoor Hall were booing their disapproval over a score given to Russian star Alexei Nemov in the high bar final.

The crowd's vehement reaction caused a 10-minute delay in the program.

Earlier this week, three judges were suspended following erroneous markings in a rings competition.

South Korea is up in arms over a scoring error that gave American Paul Hamm the all-around title over Yang Tae-young.

While a lot of people were talking Monday night, the one who remained silent was Shewfelt. He sat in the stands with his girlfriend and tried to distance himself from the dispute.

"Kyle doesn't know what's really going on right now," said Manjak. "I don't think he needs any more spotlight in a negative way. He did his job today. He's upset that people are telling him he should have been a bronze medallist."

Interviewed after the event, Shewfelt was gracious toward Dragulescu.

"He's a great competitor and a great gymnast," Shewfelt said. "His first vault today was amazing, its huge. He stuck it. He yesterday was extremely courteous towards me. He had a lot of dignity when he came second. He said I did a better routine than him so I deserved to win.

"Landing two vaults I thought that was going to be enough when I saw him fall. It wasn't and I'm accepting it. I won a gold medal at the Olympics. I'm just the happiest guy in the world."

Canada has won one gold medal at the Games but is involved in its second protest.

Last week Rowing Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in an attempt to have the disqualification of a rowing crew overturned. The appeal failed.

Smith agreed that some people may think Canadian coaches are simply whining because their athlete didn't win a medal.

"We may be whining but we're right," he said.

During the vault, Russia's Alexei Bondarenko, the first competitor, had a scary crash on his first vault, landing face-down, almost on his head.

He took a few seconds to gather himself and went ahead with his second vault, but landed on his side. He was clearly hurting and was later carried out of the arena on a stretcher.

Doctors said he had a spine injury, but found no neurological damage. He stayed at a hospital Monday night for further tests.

In other action, Kate Richardson of Coquitlam, B.C., finished seventh in the women's floor event.

JIM MORRIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - The United States swept the men's 400 metres, Britain's Kelly Holmes surprised in the 800, Romania's Catalina Ponor won her third gymnastic gold and Japan headed for its best-ever Olympic total on Day 10 of the Athens Games.

Also Monday, Russian shot putter Irina Korzhanenko lost her gold medal, two-time defending world champion Serbia-Montenegro was ousted from the men's basketball medal round by China and the United States softball team took gold after conceding only one run the whole tournament.

The United States and China both have 23 golds after 184 events in Athens. The Americans also have 11 silvers and five bronze.

Japan is surprisingly third as it aims for its best-ever Olympic haul. The Asian nation has already picked up 32 medals -15 gold, eight silver and nine bronze -after 10 days of competition. That's only one gold off its biggest haul when it hosted the 1964 games in Tokyo, and a vast improvement from four years ago when it won 12 medals, including five gold.

On Monday, Japan added women's wrestling medals -gold for Yoshida Saori and Kaori Icho, silver for Chiharu Icho and bronze for Kyoko Hamaguchi -and gymnastics silver for Hiroyuki Tomita and bronze for Isao Yoneda. The softball team also won bronze.

Ponor's wins in the floor exercise and beam and Nicoleta Sofronie's floor silver gave Romania six Olympic gymnastics medals in Athens, tied with the United States. Ponor, who turned 17 on Friday, also won team gold.

At the track, Jeremy Wariner edged Otis Harris in the 400 metres in a personal best 44 seconds for his first major title and stretched America's winning streak in the event to 20 years. Derrick Brew took the bronze.

Conversely, Holmes was ecstatic at becoming the first Briton to win a track gold since Sally Gunnell's 400-metre hurdles win in Barcelona. She only decided to race the event the day before qualifying. She won bronze in Sydney.

"I absolutely can't believe it, I'm in total shock," said the 34-year-old, who beat training partner Maria Mutola, a three-time world champion, into fourth. "I don't know what state I will be in tomorrow, but I will be on the start line for the 1500."

Holmes won in 1:56.38. Mutola faded in the final few strides as Hasna Benhassi of Morocco and Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia both nipped the defending champion on the line.

Francoise Mbango Etone gave Cameroon its first Olympic medal in athletics when she won the triple jump at 15.30 metres. Ethiopia's Meseret Defar pulled away from Kenya's Isabella Ochichi in the final half-lap Monday to win the Olympic 5,000 in 14 minutes, 45.65 seconds. Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba took bronze.

Greece won another surprise gold, with Athanasia Tsoumeleka's victory in the 20-kilometre walk over Olimpiada Ivanova of Russia and Australian Jane Saville, who was disqualified in Sydney after leading as she approached the stadium. Hungary's Robert Fazekas won the discus with a throw of 70.93 metres.

Away from the stadium, Korzhanenko lost her shot put gold medal and was expelled from the Athens Games for doping, ruining her historic victory at Ancient Olympia after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol. The gold goes to Cuba's Yumileidi Cumba Jay, Germany's Nadine Kleinert moves up to silver, and Russia's Svetlana Krivelyova to bronze.

Meanwhile, Trevor Graham, the coach of Justin Gatlin, the surprise winner of the men's 100 Sunday night, admitted for the first time he was the mystery coach who sent a syringe of the previously undetectable steroid THG to U.S. drug testers last summer -which prompted a criminal case and drug suspensions for six top track and field athletes so far.

In softball, America won its third straight gold with a 5-1 win over Australia. The U.S. team was four outs from a tournament-long shutout before the Aussies scored a run -the first given up by the U.S. pitching staff in 54 2-3 innings.

China shocked Serbia-Montenegro in men's basketball to advance to the quarter-finals. The 67-66 upset was called "a miracle" by guard Liu Wei and centre Yao Ming nearly broke into tears as he described his feelings during the post-game news conference.

In cycling, Australia's Brad McGee won his fifth Olympic cycling medal -and finally his first gold -helping Australia to the 4-kilometre team pursuit by beating Britain in the final.

One day after setting a world record in qualifying, the triple world champions finished only one second outside the mark of 3:56.610 the four riders set late Sunday. Spain took bronze ahead of defending champion Germany. The team title was Australia's third cycling gold in Athens so far.

In men's gymnastics, Ukraine's Valeri Goncharov won the parallel bars and Gervasio Deferr won Spain's first gold medal of the Athens Games in the vault.

Russian Alexei Bondarenko crashed on his first vault, landing face-down, almost on his head. He took a few seconds to gather himself and went ahead with his second vault, but landed on his side on that one. Doctors said he had a spine injury, but found no neurological damage. He was staying at the hospital Monday night.

South Korean gymnast Yang Tae-young won't get a duplicate gold for the all-around after missing out to American Paul Hamm after a judging error. While the U.S. Olympic Committee would consider it, it's against International Gymnastics Federation rules.

Japan picked up four medals in the first-ever Olympic wrestling tournament. World champion Yoshida won gold at 55 kilograms by beating Tonya Verbeek of Canada and Icho won the 63-kilogram division over American Sara McMann. Chiharu Icho took silver after losing to Ukraine's Irini Merleni in the 48-kilogram division. China's Wang Xu won the 75-kilogram division over Russia's Gouzel Maniourova and Hamaguchi.

Bulgarian weightlifter Milen Dobrev won the gold medal at 94 kilograms, over Russians Khadjimourad Akkaev and Eduard Tjukin.

Also, China's stranglehold on table tennis was ended with Ryu Seung-min beating Wang Hao 5-1 to become the first South Korean to win the men's singles since the sport was added at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

The U.S. women's soccer team advanced to the gold medal game when Heather O'Reilly scored the winner in a 2-1 extra time win over Women's World Cup champion Germany. They'll play Brazil -who beat Sweden 1-0 in their semifinal -for the Olympic title Thursday in Athens. Germany will play Sweden in the bronze medal game.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

Seems like some Canadian teams are getting a bit too cocky...
_________

ATHENS (CP) - The Canadian gymnast at the centre of a judging controversy says he's happy with the Olympic gold medal he's won and isn't worried about the bronze that may have slipped away.

Kyle Shewfelt said he appreciates Gymnastic's Canada's efforts to get an explanation for judging irregularities in Monday's vault but doesn't plan to get involved in the debate.

"At this point I don't want to deal with it," Shewfelt said Tuesday after competing in the gala that wrapped up the Olympic gymnastic competition.

"I won a gold medal in the Olympics. That's a huge accomplishment. I've made history here. I'm going to celebrate. In the next few days if it becomes a bigger issue I'll deal with it."

Meanwhile, the president of Gymnastics Canada says he's received a confusing explanation from the head technical official over the judge's marks.

"He gave me an answer which I'm a bit confused over," said Jean-Paul Caron.

"I need to sit down with some of my experts to figure out what it is. I need to get it in writing. He was talking French but he's from Romania. I'm not sure I really got the essence of what he was trying to tell me."

Shewfelt won Canada's first gold of the 2004 Games on Sunday, and the country's first-ever Olympic gold in artistic gymnastics, with his victory in the floor exercise.

During Monday's competition Shewfelt was nudged off the podium by Romania's Marian Dragulescu, who was awarded the bronze despite muffing the landing on his second of two vaults. The Calgary gymnast made it clear it wasn't his idea for Gymnastics Canada to challenge Dragulescu marks.

"I didn't ask them," said Shewfelt.

"They took it in their own hands. I didn't say I should have won bronze. I've never said that. I'm not going to say it now. All I did was what I could do. I don't complain. I don't whine."

Moments after the Monday's competition ended, Gymnastic Canada sent a written request to Adrian Stoica, the Romanian who is the president of the men's technical committee for the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

The Canadians argued Dragulescu made mistakes on his final vault that made it "mathematically impossible" for him to receive the score he did.

The Canadians were also upset the individual judges scores were improperly tabulated.

"At least explain to us why the rules were not applied in two situations," Caron said.

"We're requesting an explanation. I'm not expecting a change in the outcome, I'm not expecting that. But I am expecting an explanation.'

In an interview with CBC, Stoica said he's aware of the Canadian concerns.

"The gymnasts made mistakes and acceptable mistakes," he said.

"Judges are also human people and not every single mistake can be considered as an intentional mistake, no way. If we will find an intentional mistake be sure we will take measures."

Dragulescu said it didn't bother him that Canadian officials were questioning his medal.

"Free speech," he said.

"Everybody can say what ever they want."

Shewfelt was diplomatic when asked if his two vaults deserved the bronze.

"I landed both my vaults and he fell on one of his," he said.

"I was a little bit confused to be totally honest. His first vault was huge, it was crazy and it's an average of two scores. At that point I shrugged my shoulders. I did my best. That's all I can do."

He didn't want to comment on whether politics plays a role in judging.

"I don't pay attention to it," he said.

"If I paid attention to that stuff I would be awake all night. All I can control is my performance."

Gymnastic rules prevent protests being filed over marks awarded to athletes other than your own. Caron wants to see that changed.

"At least have a process in place where you have an opportunity immediately after a routine to at least have a chance to get an explanation on something," he said.

"Right now its almost not there. It's quite frustrating for a coach and a gymnast."

Caron said he will keep pestering FIG for an explanation but doesn't plan to pursue the matter with any outside body like the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Adding further intrigue to a bewildering chain of events, Shewfelt and Dragulescu tied in points during Sunday's floor competition. Shewfelt was awarded the gold using a tiebreaking formula.

A barn-yard odour has waffled over the Olympic gymnastics competition.

During Monday night's competition the near-capacity crowd at the Olympic Indoor Hall were booing their disapproval over a score given to Russian star Alexei Nemov in the high bar final that left him without a medal.

The crowd's vehement reaction caused a 10-minute delay in the program.

On Tuesday, state-run Russian television called his low score "a grandiose scandal."

Earlier this week, three judges were suspended following erroneous markings in a rings competition.

South Korea is up in arms over a scoring error that gave American Paul Hamm the all-around title over Yang Tae-young.

JIM MORRIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Lori-Ann Muenzer claimed Canada's first-ever cycling gold medal at the Olympics, defeating Russian Tamilla Abassova in the sprint final in convincing fashion Tuesday. The 38-year-old Edmonton native outmuscled the 21-year-old Abassova 2-0. Muenzer powered past the Russian in the back stretch of the first race. She was in complete control of the second race, staving off the young Russian.

The gold medal came as Canada had more big medal hopes in the afternoon with Perdita Felicien the favourite in the women's 100-metre hurdles. Angela Whyte of Edmonton will also race.

Earlier Tuesday, all five Canadian boats in canoe-kayak races advanced into the next round. Two-time Olympic silver medallist Caroline Brunet of Lac Beauport, Que., advanced directly to the 500-metre K-1 Olympic final by winning her heat during Tuesday's canoe-kayak flatwater qualifying and third in the K-2 heats with Mylaine Barre, also of Lac Beauport.

Adam van Koeverden of Oakville, Ontario was first in his K-1 500 heat, Richard Dalton of Halifax was third in his C-1-500 and Tamas and Attila Buday from Mississauga, Ontario were second in their C-2 heat.

Charles Allen of Brampton, Ontario has advanced to the semifinals of the men's 110-metre hurdles. The Brampton, Ontario native raced to a personal-best 13.35 seconds to finish second this morning. The 27-year-old Allen is also captain of Canada's men's 4x100-metre relay team in Athens.

Alexandre Despatie of Laval, Que., is in third place heading into Tuesday afternoon's three-metre springboard diving final, advancing easily out of the morning semifinal, although teammate Philippe Comtois of Montreal failed to qualify.

The Canadian men's baseball team faces a big job today - try to knock off the mighty Cubans in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament. Canada lost 5-2 to Cuba during the round robin. The semifinal winners square off for the gold tomorrow and the losers play for the bronze.

One of Canada's best Olympic swimmers ever has been contacted about heading an inquiry into Canada's problems in the Olympic pool. Alex Baumann has not made a decision on the offer but says he's tired of talking about the decline of Canada's once-powerful program. Canada's showing at the Athens Games is its worst since 1952 in Helsinki.

On MONDAY, Tonya Verbeek wrestled another Olympic medal into Canadian hands Monday, but Kyle Shewfelt fell just short of a second gymnastics medal in a judging controversy.

Verbeek, a native of Beamsville, Ont., was awarded the silver medal following a loss to world champion Saori Yoshida of Japan in the gold-medal match of the 55-kilogram division. "It's a great moment and I would not change this feeling with everything else in the world," Verbeek said. It was Canada's fifth medal of the Athens Games.

A sixth one almost came in gymnastics, where Shewfelt was looking to win his second medal of the Games after winning gold in his floor routine on Sunday.

The Calgary native was in third place in the men's vault before Marian Dragulescu of Romania made his final approach. Dragulescu stumbled on his landing, but after a seemingly generous judges' score, he took the bronze with 9.612 points, leaving Shewfelt in fourth place.

Canada has launched a formal protest of the decision, saying Dragulescu's second vault score "is impossible by any reading of the rules" which include automatic deductions for a fall.

Also at the gym, 20-year-old Kate Richardson of Coquitlam, B.C., finished seventh in the women's floor routine final.

"I was thinking about it all day and visualizing and imagining what it would be like to win a medal and I got myself a bit too excited, and too set on getting a medal," said Richardson.

"I really convinced myself that I thought I could do it. I'm disappointed because I know I could have done way better."

On the track, Perdita Felicien easily advanced to the finals of the 100-metre hurdles, where she is the favourite for gold. Angela Whyte of Edmonton also advanced.

There was also positive news on the cycling track.

Lori-Ann Muenzer of Edmonton outraced Venezuela's Daniela Greluis Larreal Chirinos in a best-of-three head-to-head series Monday in the women's sprint competition.

The win allowed Muenzer to advance to the semifinals, where she'll face Australia's Anna Meares. If Muenzer wins that race, she will be assured of at least a silver medal.

"I have to be smarter, I have to be faster than her," Muenzer said.

"It's going to mean going for broke. I'm going to have to pull out everything I have tomorrow."

In sailing, Ross MacDonald and Mike Wolfs of Canada won race five in Star-class racing, putting them in second place overall with six races to go in the event.

Boxer Andrew Kooner lost his quarter-final to an opponent from Uzbekistan. He was the last Canadian boxer still fighting in Athens.

In synchronized swimming, Fanny Letourneau, of Deux-Montagnes, Que., and Courtenay Stewart, Unionville, Ont., finished sixth in the preliminary round with a score of 47.500. They'll go back in the water on Tuesday, hoping to qualify for the finals a day later.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Lori-Ann Muenzer claimed Canada's first-ever cycling gold medal at the Olympics, defeating Russian Tamilla Abassova in the sprint final in convincing fashion Tuesday.

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Canada's Lori-Ann Muenzer celebrates after winning in the women's sprint semifinals. (AP/Laurent Rebours)

The 38-year-old Edmonton native outmuscled the 21-year-old Abassova 2-0. Muenzer powered past the Russian in the back stretch of the first race. And she was in complete control of the second race, staving off the young Russian.

She celebrated with a big smile and a victory lap holding the Canadian flag.

Muenzer is also the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic track cycling medal. Canadian men have collected three silver and two bronze medals on the cycling track.

Muenzer, a bronze medallist at the 2004 world championships in the sprint, and Abassova knocked off some elite competition to get to the final.

Muenzer eliminated Australian Anna Meares, the silver medallist at the worlds, while Abassova beat triple world champion and fellow Russian Svetlana Grankovskaya.

Meares, who earlier in the Games set a world record in winning the 500-metre time trial, won the Olympic bronze by defeating Grankovskaya in a rematch of the 2004 world championship final won by the Russian.

In the semifinals, Meares staved off Muenzer off by half a wheel to win the first heat. In the second, Muenzer held enough of a lead that the 20-year-old Meares pulled up in the final sprint.

In the deciding race, Muenzer was again too strong, cutting off Meares when she tried to pass and holding on for victory.

Muenzer and Meares had raced against each other three times, including at this year's world championships, going into the semifinal. The Australian led the series 2-1 prior to Tuesday.

Muenzer defeated Meares at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

In the other best-of-three semifinal, Abassova defeated Grankovskaya after falling behind 1-0.

The sprint is a game of cat-and-mouse as the cyclists ride three laps, but the last lap is the timed one. Whoever crosses the finish line first gets the win.

JIM MORRIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - What Canada has done so far on Tuesday at the Summer Olympics (distances in metres unless specified):

ATHLETICS
Men's 110 hurdles: Charles Allen, Brampton, Ont., ran a personal best time of 13.35 to finish second in his heat, and advanced to the second round.

CANOE-KAYAK
Men's K-1 500: Adam van Koeverden, Oakville, Ont., first in qualifying heat, advanced to semifinal.

Men's K-2 500: Steven Jorens, Aurora, Ont., and Richard Dober, Trois-Rivieres, Que., finished fifth in heat, advanced to semifinal.

Men's C-1 500: Richard Dalton, Halifax, third in heat, advanced to semifinal.

Men's C-2 500: Attila Buday and Tamas Buday Jr., Missisauga, Ont., second in heat, advanced to final.

Women's K-1 500: Caroline Brunet, Lac Beauport, Que., won heat, advanced to final.

Women's K-2 500: Caroline Brunet and Mylanie Barre, Lac Beauport, Que., third, advanced to final.

CYCLING (TRACK)
Women's sprint: Lori-Ann Muenzer, Edmonton, defeated Anna Meares, Australia, 2-1 in the semifinal to advance to the gold medal race.

DIVING
Men's three-metre springboard: Alexandre Despatie, Laval, Que., finished first in semifinal, advanced to final; Philippe Comtois, Laval, Que., 13th, did not advance.

EQUESTRIAN
Individual Jumping: Ian Millar, Perth, Ont., riding Promise Me finished 48th in the second qualifier.

SAILING
Star class: Ross Macdonald, Vancouver, and Mike Wolfs, Port Credit, Ont., finished 17th in Race 6, stand second overall.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[tora]

http://g.delfi.ee/images/pix/file8459326_Sass3.jpg
Estonian sportsman Alexander Tammert gets the bronze in men's discus throw final after Robert Fazekas from Hungary who won the gold yesterday was disqualified for doping.
I bet that Estonian is a lucky dude :D
http://g.delfi.ee/images/pix/file8463959_Tammert.jpg
1. Virgilijus Alekna (Ltu)69.89 (OR)
2. Zoltan Kövago (Hun)67.04
3. Aleksander Tammert (Est) 66.66

[Amos Stevens]

Hey another congrats for Estonia!

I was reading your comment about the Paul Hamm bickering in the other thread Yudansha-I'm tired of hearing it too-I saw an article yesterday saying he should give it up-what they should do is drop it! If they didn't catch it & solve the issue at that time,then it's too late. Or just give another gold medal-geez!

I happened to turn on the set yesterday to see the womens Greece winner coming in on the WALKING competition...excuse me what else are they going to have a category on..playing jacks?

[yudansha]

That's been around for ages, Amos...

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Canadian star hurdler Perdita Felicien fell in the Olympic final Tuesday, her dreams of a gold medal denied at the first hurdle.

Racing in Lane 5, wearing No. 1313, the 23-year-old world indoor and outdoor champion from Pickering, Ont., hit the first hurdle with her right leg and fell heavily into the next lane, taking out Russian Irina Shevchenko in Lane 6 as she fell.

It was a shocking sight. Canadian Olympic hopes had been riding on Felicien.

While nothing is a lock at the Olympics, Felicien had seemed money in the bank.

Instead of crossing the finish line first, the Canadian landed in an awkward pile on the ground just metres from the start, hanging onto a hurdle in the other lane -her hand clamped on her forehead.

Later she lay on her back on the ground, tears streaming down her face.

"I don't know, I have no clue what happened," Felicien said. "It's my worst nightmare come true."

"There wasn't an indication," she added later. "Nothing said to me 'oh, you're not 100 per cent, you don't feel good.' It was just 'boom!' I'm on the ground, it's over."

American Joanna Hayes won the gold in an Olympic-record time of 12.37 seconds. Olena Krasovska of Ukraine was second in 12.45 seconds and American Melissa Morrison third in 12.56.

The previous Olympic record of 12.38 was set by Bulgaria's Yordanka Donkova 16 years ago.

Angela Whyte of Edmonton finished sixth, with a time of 12.81.

The Russian Olympic Federation protested the result, because their runner was knocked out by Felicien.

There seems no precedent for running the race again despite the Russian's misfortune. Still the medals ceremony was postponed until Thursday.

"There's no re-do. This is not marbles in play school, where we're going to do (it) over." said Felicien. "This is it -I have to wait four years."

Immediately after the race, Felicien said she was speechless.

"I was so focused today, so in the zone. That was my race to lose and I lost it today."

Still she showed grace in the face of disaster, sending apologies back home.

"I'm sorry I let you down," she said in her TV interview.

She said she would return to race at the Olympics again.

"I'm a fighter and I'm going to come back, but four years is a long time to wait."

Felicien was consoled at the side of the track by two former Canadian Olympians: Charmaine Crooks and Donovan Bailey -Crooks, now an IOC member, rubbing her back and Bailey rubbing tears from her eyes.

Felicien arrived in Athens with the fastest time in the world -12.46 seconds -and riding a string of five straight victories.

Felicien won her semifinal Monday, leading from the gun in a time of 12.49 seconds. The Canadian opened her Olympic campaign, finishing second in 12.73 in her heat.

Felicien had expected to challenge Gail Devers in the final. But the American veteran was felled at the first hurdle in her heat, the victim of a leg injury.

LORI EWING; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[Amos Stevens]

Taxi driver returns silver medal left in his cab
Posted: Wednesday August 25, 2004 6:08AM; Updated: Wednesday August 25, 2004 6:08AM





ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- A taxi driver returned a silver medal left in his cab by Dutch rower Simon Diederik, Olympics organizers said Wednesday.

Diederik left the medal, which he won Sunday, in a taxi on Monday evening.



After an announcement about the loss to all 5,000 taxis working that night, the medal was handed over to organizers and will be given to the athlete.

The driver will be given a gift for returning the medal, organizers said.


Copyright 2004 Associated Press.

[yudansha]

So careless of that Olympian though...

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Hurdler Perdita Felicien says she has been overwhelmed by Canadian support in the wake of her fall in the final of the Olympic hurdles on Tuesday night.

"The outpouring of support from the Canadian public has been overwhelming," she told CBC in an interview Wednesday. "I didn't expect it. My e-mail is clogged this morning. People are still trying to get e-mails to me, send me (messages by) word of mouth through other people. But it's just amazing how my country has embraced me."

The 23-year-old world champion from Pickering, Ont., said she has watched tape of her fall but still has no answer as to why it happened, other than this time she paid for her trademark strategy of attacking the hurdles.

"The gun went off and boom, it was over before it even started," she said.

Felicien turned away briefly as she watched emotional footage of her being consoled by former Olympians Donovan Bailey and Charmaine Crooks after the race.

"I was so emotional yesterday," she said. "The simplest things would make me cry, but they gave me strength."
_________

Canadian hurdler Perdita Felicien denied gold, falls in Athens final

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ATHENS (CP) - She wanted it too much, and in the end, that may have cost her everything.

Canadian star hurdler Perdita Felicien fell in the Olympic final Tuesday, her dreams of a gold medal denied at the first hurdle, just 13 metres from the start line. Racing in Lane 5, wearing No. 1313, the 23-year-old world indoor and outdoor champion from Pickering, Ont., hit the first hurdle with her right leg, and fell heavily into the next lane, taking out Russian Irina Shevchenko in Lane 6 as she fell to the track.

Felicien, whose pain and tears were plain to see immediately after the race, said her philosophy has always been to "just attack those hurdles."

"I'm living on the edge, that's what I do," she said. "You flirt with disaster and I got a little too close tonight."

It was a shocking sight. Canadian Olympic hopes had been riding on Felicien, who came into this race as the woman to beat, the reigning world indoor and outdoor champion, and owner of the fastest time in the world this year.

There were groans of dismay among the jam-packed crowd in the striking 72,000-seat Olympic Stadium when Felicien went down in a heap. By the time reality set in, American Joanna Hayes had already breezed to victory.

Hayes won the 100-metre hurdle race in an Olympic record 12.37 seconds, Olena Krasovska of Ukraine won the silver in 12.45, while Melissa Morrison of the U.S. took the bronze in 12.56.

The previous Olympic record of 12.38 was set by Bulgaria's Yordanka Donkova 16 years ago.

The scoreboard read: Perdita Felicien, d.n.f. (did not finish).

"I don't know if mentally her composure was just off, she was just not focused on what she needed to do," said Morrison. "But it's a part of being a mentally tough athlete, that's what this game is all about."

While nothing is a lock at the Olympics, Felicien seemed like money in the bank.

The five-foot-four Felicien is known as fluid runner who may be slow out of the blocks but closes hard, reeling in her opponents with her flawless rhythm through the barriers. On this night, though, she strained from the gun.

Felicien knew Hayes, running on her left shoulder in Lane 4, was fast out of the blocks, and she wanted to go with her. But she found herself too close to the first hurdle and precious little room to get the knee of her lead leg up in time.

"I'm a little shocked that she would try to win it right away, but I think she wanted to make something big happen for Canada," said Felicien's agent Renaldo Nehemiah, a former star athlete himself.

"She really wanted to drop a bomb on the field, and she lost sight of what was going on. A costly mistake."

Instead of crossing the finish line first, the Canadian landed in an awkward pile on the ground, hanging onto a hurdle in the other lane -her hand clamped on her forehead. She lay down on her back, tears streaming down her face.

Felicien tried to go back out the tunnel from which she'd come, to find her boyfriend Hubert Ling, but an official turned her back. Instead, she had to walk the lonely 100 metres to the finish line, tugging off her red spikes and throwing them in disgust.

"It hurts to know I have to wait four years, it hurts so bad," said Felicien. "Four years is an eternity, but it will come faster than I know it, and I'll only be 27."

Angela Whyte of Edmonton finished sixth, with a time of 12.81.

"I heard something, it was a big crash so I knew something happened, but I tried to refocus because I had several other hurdles to go for," said Whyte.

The Russian Olympic Federation protested the result, because their runner was knocked out by Felicien, but it was later dismissed.

Felicien was injured in the fall -a suspected bruised left heel and hyperextended knee -and was wheeled off in a wheelchair before being transferred to a golf cart. She was to have X-rays on Wednesday.

Felicien, who had performed poetry from her balcony to inspire her Canadian teammates here in Athens, showed grace in the face of disaster, pouring out her heart to reporters after the race, and sending an apology home to Canada.

She was consoled by the side of the track by two former Canadian Olympians: Charmaine Crooks and Donovan Bailey -Crooks, now an IOC member, rubbing her back and Bailey, a former Olympic champion, rubbing tears from her eyes.

She found Nehemiah, and he grabbed her in a huge hug, the two embracing for several minutes.

"I hope she learns from this what I learned from the Moscow boycott -don't let a race define who you are," said Nehemiah, a former world champion and world record-holder in the hurdles who never won an Olympic gold medal.

"I believe in my heart she will be a gold-medal winner at an Olympic Games."

Canadian track officials snuck Ling in to meet Felicien in the tunnel under the stadium. Under his arm, her boyfriend still clutched the Canadian flag, the one he'd planned to give her for her victory lap.

Felicien vowed she would return to race at the Olympics again.

"If I ever needed any kind of motivation, if I ever needed something to drive me for the next four years, if I was ever comfortable with Budapest gold and Paris gold, I'm not," Felicien said, referring to the site of her world title triumphs. "The only satisfaction I'll ever get is breaking the world record. I'm setting my sights extremely high, because this is so devastating, so hard to swallow.

"For my end to come like this, that is not my destiny, that is not my fate. What can I do? I can't change it.

"I'm going to go home and bawl my eyes out, but you better believe they're going to have a force to reckon with, because I am not going down like this."

And with that, she limped away. And the tears really began to flow.

Felicien arrived in Athens with the fastest time in the world -12.46 seconds -and riding a string of five straight victories.

She won her semifinal Monday, leading from the gun in a time of 12.49 seconds. The Canadian opened her Olympic campaign, finishing second in 12.73 in her heat.

Felicien had expected to challenge Gail Devers in the final. But the American veteran was felled at the first hurdle in her heat, the victim of a leg injury.

LORI EWING; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

Alexandre Despatie finishes strong to claim diving silver at Olympic Games

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ATHENS (CP) - Alexandre Despatie felt like he won the silver instead of losing the gold at the Olympic Games on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old from Laval, Que., nailed his final dive of the night in springboard to pull past his idol Dmitri Sautin of Russia and finish second behind China's Peng Bo. "I definitely don't feel like I've lost the gold because the surprise for me to win silver was just unbelievable," Despatie said.

It was Canada's first Olympic medal in men's diving. Alexander Popov, Russian swimming great and an International Olympic Committee member, hung it around Despatie's neck.

Going into the final round, Despatie clung to third place with China's Wang Feng breathing down his neck less than two points behind in fourth.

Despatie does not look at the scoreboard and did not know his position in the standings when he stood on the board for his final dive, a forward 2˝-somersault with two twists.

He believed he was completely out of the running for the podium after missing his third dive.

Despatie hit his last dive for scores between 8.5 and 9.5 out of 10 and when he emerged from the Olympic Aquatic Centre pool after his final dive, he didn't look entirely pleased.

That quickly changed when he finally did look at the scoreboard and he covered his face in amazement.

"Just knowing I was able to come back when it counted was very, very important to me," he said.

The springboard isn't Despatie's best event as he is the defending world champion on the 10-metre tower.

He'll compete in that event starting with Friday's preliminary round, so there wasn't going to be a celebration of his silver Tuesday night. Despatie predicted he wouldn't sleep well anyway.

"I know tomorrow I'm going to be sore because it's so much adrenaline, so much energy," he said. "But once that 10-metre event starts, it's all gone because that adrenaline is pumping again."

It was Canada's second diving medal of the Games after Blythe Hartley and Emilie Heymans won bronze in the synchronized event on the 10-metre tower last week. The two women will compete in the women's springboard starting Wednesday with Hartley a potential medallist there.

Despatie, who turned 19 in June, has been a diving wunderkind since the age of 13, when he won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the tower.

He has been among the world's elite on the tower since then, but just began tapping into his potential on the springboard this year after finishing sixth in the world in 2003.

Despatie's compact body has developed the kind of power that springboard requires as he can explode off the board and complete the rotations and twists with enough time to set up a clean entry.

"He's only 19 and he's not even yet at his full strength," his club coach Michel Larouche said, adding that Despatie is probably only at three-quarters of his potential on springboard.

"He's going to be able to do dives that probably nobody else can be capable to do."

Despatie went into Tuesday's 12-man final ranked third behind Sautin and Peng based on his semifinal scores.

In the marks for his first dive, he was awarded a perfect 10 by the British judge and moved into second spot and held that position through the second round.

Peng, who often dives with his mouth wide open from the effort he puts in, began pulling away from the field in the second round when he received five 10s out of seven.

"Peng Bo tonight was impeccable," Despatie said "He didn't miss anything and that's what the Olympics are about."

But the gold was still in reach for Despatie when he stepped up for his third and most difficult dive, a reverse 3˝-somersault.

But he was short of vertical upon entry and his low scores dropped him to third.

"I did feel inside me a lot of anger, a lot of sadness of course because everything had gone so well so far that it seemed like it couldn't go wrong, but it did," he said. "But I knew it's not over and I had to keep going and finish strong."

It meant a lot for Despatie to compete alongside the 30-year-old veteran Sautin, who was competing in his last Olympics after an injury filled year.

Sautin has won six Olympic medals in both tower and springboard during his career and gave Despatie his blessing to continue that success.

"Alex is really a unique person. He became a super athlete," Sautin said. "I wish him every success and health in the future to win over and over again."

DONNA SPENCER; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

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ATHENS (CP) - It was a roller-coaster Tuesday for Canada in Athens.

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Canada's Lori-Ann Muenzer holds up the Canadian flag as she cycles a victory lap following her gold medal win. (CP /Adrian Wyld)

The day started with promise after Edmonton's Lori-Ann Muenzer won Canada's first ever gold medal in cycling. Later, Quebec diver Alexandre Despatie won silver in the three-metre springboard. But in between, world champion hurdler Perdita Felicien tumbled out of the race before the first hurdle. And Canada's baseball team lost to Cuba in its semifinal, missing a tie-breaking home run by inches in the ninth inning.

Elsewhere, a Hungarian discus thrower became the second athlete in two days to be stripped of a gold medal over doping.

Canada finished the day with a total of seven medals: two gold, four silver and a bronze.

The U.S. topped the standings with 72 (25-28-19), followed by China at 51 (24-15-12) and Russia at 48 (9-18-21).

Muenzer, 38, beat Russia's Tamilla Abassova in the sprint final.

"This has just been an incredible dream come true," Muenzer said. "You dream about doing things, you go out and achieve it, but no one tells you what happens when you get to the top. You just say 'wow.' It's been beautiful, just incredible."

After Muenzer's performance, it looked as though Canada had a legitimate shot at doing something it had never done: win three Olympic gold medals in one day. Felicien is the world champion in the 100-metre hurdles and Despatie was leading the divers in the springboard event early on.

It wasn't to be. Felicien fell at the first hurdle and did not finish the race.

"It's my worst nightmare come true," Felicien said immediately after the race.

Despatie was elated with his result, considering he's a platform specialist and figures to be one of the leading contenders in that event. He becomes the first Canadian man to win an Olympic diving medal.

"I'm very happy I was able to come back and finish strong," said Despatie, who thought he might have been out after blowing his third dive.

In baseball, Canada lost 8-5 to Cuba, costing the team a shot at the gold medal against Australia. Instead, the team will play Japan for bronze on Wednesday.

With two out and two men on base in the ninth inning, Kevin Nicholson pulled a 2-2 pitch to the wall, but it was caught for the final out.

Doping allegations continue to steal headlines from athletic achievements at the Games.

Robert Fazekas, who won the discus on Monday with an Olympic record throw of 70.93 metres, was disqualified and expelled from the Games, a day after Russian shot putter Irina Korzhanenko's gold was recalled after she tested positive for steroids.
_________

Muenzer wins sprint gold for Canada's first Olympic cycling crown


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ATHENS (CP) - The kid never stood a chance.

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Canada's Lori-Ann Muenzer of Edmonton pumps her fist after being presented with the gold medal for sprint cycling. (CP/Adrian Wyld)

The minute Lori-Ann Muenzer rolled her bicycle onto the track at the Olympic Velodrome on Tuesday, she knew the gold medal would be hers. She didn't care her opponent was 17 years younger. To the 38-year-old Muenzer, Russia's Tamilla Abassova was just the final twist in a very long road.

"I rode her," Muenzer said with a grin. "I was like 'I'm sorry. I'm in charge. Today is my day."'

And what a day it was for the Edmonton resident. Not only did she win Canada's second gold of the 2004 Games, it was the country's first Olympic cycling championship ever.

"I'd say it means the world but I think it means the universe," said Muenzer, who grew up in Toronto riding the bicycles her grandfather used to repair.

"Everything is a progression. Sometimes things unfold. This whole week, everything seems to have been in slow motion. Maybe all the stars are in alignment and I was ready."

After overpowering Abassova 2-0 in the best-of-three final, Muenzer pumped her fist in the air. She draped a Maple Leaf over her shoulders and rode a victory lap around the track with the flag bellowed behind her like a cape to the joy of the cheering Canadian fans.

Later, tears streaked down her face as she stood on the podium listening to O Canada.

"Standing on the podium was wow, such an amazing thing," said Muenzer, who packs 176 pounds of firm muscle into a five-foot-nine frame.

"You think about it, you dream about it. The reality of it happening is pretty slim. Singing the national anthem, you sing that when you're a kid in school. It means so much. This is cool."

Muenzer, who didn't start cycling until she was 23, sees age as a doorway to new experiences, not a gate slamming shut on your dreams.

"I don't think age has a bearing," she said. "I think it's how you feel, what you want to do with it, how you want to go with it. It comes from within. Age is a number."

Muenzer was both finesse and power in the finals. She showed a general's tactical skills and a warrior's courage in battle.

She faced a nemesis in Anna Meares in the semifinal. Muenzer still remembers the 20-year-old Australian beating her in the semifinal of the world championships earlier this year in Melbourne.

"At worlds she kicked my butt," said Muenzer, who had to settle for bronze there. "It took three races and it was a one-pixel photo finish. I have the photo finish on my desk at home."

Meares, who set a world record in winning the gold medal in the 500-metre time trials earlier in the Games, won the opening race of the Olympic final.

Muenzer didn't panic. She calmly played cat-and-mouse with the Australian, beating her in the next two races with her brain, not her brawn.

"Those were good rides," said Muenzer.

"Before I wasn't able to come from behind and win all the time. Now it doesn't matter if I'm at the front or at the back. I have the strength in both."

Muenzer felt bulletproof going into the final.

"That semifinal was the harder one," she said. "That is the one where I had to pull our all my cards, all my jackrabbits. Everything was right there. I knew that if I could get through, I was going to have a super final.

Abassova advanced to the final by beating countryman and three-time world champion Svetlana Grankovskaya.

Muenzer used her strength to overwhelm Abassova. She powered past her in the back stretch of the first race, then was in complete control of the second, staving off the young Russian.

"I think I was smarter," she said. "I was faster, I was stronger, more powerful. I put it together today."

Meares won the bronze by defeating Grankovskaya in a rematch of the 2004 world championship final won by the Russian.

Long after the race, Muenzer couldn't let go of the gold medal. She held it, ran her fingers over its edges like someone petting a kitten.

To her it was a tangible reward for the hours of training, hurt and sacrifice.

"This has been an incredible journey," said Muenzer. "This has been an incredible dream come true. You dream about doing things, then you go out and achieve it. But they don't tell you what happens when you get to the top. It's like wow. It's beautiful."

JIM MORRIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Canada had more solid showings in the pool and on the water at the Olympics on Wednesday.

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Jill Savege of Penticton, B.C., was fifth coming out of the swim before crashing her bike on the first lap. She placed 39th.(CP/Tom Hanson)

It was a fairly quiet Day 12 for Canada at the Games, but five of the country's boats qualified for finals at the flatwater canoe-kayak competition. Divers Blythe Hartley of North Vancouver, B.C., and Emilie Heymans of St-Lambert, Que., both advanced to the semifinals on the women's three-metre springboard.

Canada's medal total remained at seven -two gold, four silver and one bronze.

That number is likely to grow, as eight Canadian boats have now qualified for canoe-kayak finals, which will be held Friday and Saturday.

Adam van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont., advanced in the men's K-1, 1,000-metre event Wednesday while veteran Stephen Giles of Lake Echo, N.S., advanced to the C-1, 1,000-metre final.

Canada's women's K-4 crew squeaked into the 500-metre final, C-2 duo Richard Dalton of Halifax and Michael Scarola of Waverley, N.S., advanced in the 1,000 and the men's K-4 crew reached their 1,000-metre final.

In the pool, Hartley was second to Russia's Yulia Pakhalina during the springboard preliminaries, while Heymans finished seventh. The semifinals and final in the event will both be held Thursday.

In women's triathlon, Jill Savege of Penticton, B.C., was fifth coming out of the swim before crashing her bike on the first lap.

"The girl ahead of me slowed up a bit and I just tapped on my brakes really lightly and I hit a major grease spot on one of the sharper corners and my back end went right out on me," said Savege, who finished 39th.

"It was just shock, that's the only way to describe it."

Samantha McGlone of Montreal placed 27th while Carol Montgomery of North Vancouver, B.C., was 35th.

On the baseball field, the Canadian men's team missed out on a medal, dropping an 11-2 decision to Japan in the bronze-medal game.

Left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada threw five innings of four-hit ball, striking out six for the victory. Catcher Kenji Jojima blasted a two-run homer in the first off loser Mike Johnson of London, Ont. Jojima had four RBIs and three of Japan's 13 hits.

"We are disappointed but we should be pleased because it is our first time in the semifinals," said Canadian manager Ernie Whitt. "Canadians should be proud of this team."

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - What Canada has done so far on Wednesday at the Summer Olympics (distances in metres unless specified):

BASEBALL
Bronze medal: Canada lost 11-2 to Japan.

CANOE-KAYAK
Men's K-1 1000: Adam van Koeverden, Oakville, Ont., won his heat, advanced.

Men's K-4 1000: Canada (Steven Jorens, Aurora, Ont.; Richard Dober, Trois-Rivieres, Que.; Ryan Cuthbert, Carleton Place, Ont.; Andrew Willows, Gananoque, Ont.), third in semifinal, advanced to final.

Men's C-1 1000: Stephen Giles, Lake Echo, N.S., won semifinal, advanced.

Men's C-2 1000: Canada (Richard Dalton, Halifax; Michael Scarola, Waverly, N.S.), finished second, qualified.

Women's K-4 500: Canada (Karen Furneaux, Waverley, N.S.; Carrie Lightbound, Mississauga, Ont.; Kamini Jain, Calgary; Jillian D'Alessio, Middle Sackville, N.S.), were third in semifinal, advanced.

DIVING
Women's three-metre springboard: Blythe Hartley, North Vancouver, B.C., was second after preliminaries, advanced to semifinal; Emilie Heymans, St-Lambert, Que., was seventh, also advanced.

TRIATHLON
Women: Samantha McGlone, Montreal, finished 27th in final; Carol Montgomery, North Vancouver, B.C., was 35th; Jill Savege, Penticton, B.C., placed 39th.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[tora]

Another Estonian athlete-decathlonist Erki Nool finishes in 8th place.But he won't forget Sydney's gold he brought home 4 years ago.

[Littledragon]

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Stephon Marbury, driving here against Spain's Rodolfo Fernandez, broke the U.S. record for points in an Olympic game held by Charles Barkley and Adrian Dantley.


ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Larry Brown was right. The Americans did eventually start hitting their jump shots.

Stephon Marbury set a U.S. Olympic record with 31 points, and the team that spent the first week and a half of the Athens Games missing jumpers finally found its range in a 102-94 victory against Spain in the quarterfinals Thursday.

The Americans made 12 3-pointers and knocked the previously undefeated Spaniards out of medal contention with their best all-around performance of the games.

They didn't let a large foul disparity rattle them, knocked down their free throws when they needed them and surpassed 100 points for the first time in the tournament.

Marbury broke the U.S. record of 30 points shared by Charles Barkley (1992 vs. Brazil) and Adrian Dantley (1976 vs. Yugoslavia).

As the teams left the court, Brown and Spanish coach Mario Pesquera were pointing angrily at each other and had to be separated by their assistants.

Allen Iverson added 16 points, Carlos Boozer had 12 and Lamar Odom 11 for the Americans, who advanced to the semifinals against the winner of the Argentina-Greece game.

Pau Gasol led Spain with 29 points but was held to just four in the fourth quarter by a tenacious American defensive effort.

Duncan scored the Americans' first five points and blocked Spain's first shot, but he was on the bench just 41/2 minutes into the quarter and stayed there for the rest of the first half after picking up two fouls. The U.S. team made four of its first five 3-point attempts, and the first quarter ended in a 25-25 tie.

In a seesaw second quarter, the Americans went ahead by eight points, feeding off the defensive energy of Dwyane Wade, before Spain rallied with an 11-0 run. The United States led 44-43 at halftime despite giving up 18 points to Gasol and being called for 14 of the game's 19 fouls.

Marbury hit a pair of 3s early in the third quarter, and Brown took a risk by leaving Duncan in after he picked up his third foul with 5:22 left. Marbury reached 21 points -- matching his total from the Americans' first five games -- on a 3-pointer that gave the U.S. team a 63-56 lead.

A 7-0 run by Spain tied the game, but Carmelo Anthony ended the quarter with a 3-pointer to give the Americans a 74-67 lead.

Odom drew his fifth and final foul with 5:29 left and the Americans ahead 80-73, and it was 82-78 when Marbury hit the team's 12th 3-pointer. Duncan's putback increased the lead to 87-78.

Gasol didn't score his first points of the fourth quarter until 2:02 remained, and the Americans made seven straight free throws after Spain started intentionally fouling to stay comfortably ahead.


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Littledragon]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Olympic all-around champion Paul Hamm said Wednesday he would prefer not to share his gold medal with South Korea's Yang Tae-young despite a judging mistake that ultimately cost Yang the gold.

In an interview on CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman," Hamm was asked about having another gold medal issued for Yang.



"I personally feel in my heart I was the Olympic champion that night," Hamm said. "I would be a little bit upset if another gold medal was awarded because I really felt I won the event."

The studio audience agreed, applauding and chanting, "U-S-A! U-S-A!"

After a disastrous fall on the vault, Hamm dropped from first place after three rotations to 12th after four. He followed with brilliant performances on the parallel bars and high bar, allowing him to edge Yang, who finished with the bronze, just 0.049 points behind.

But the judges failed to give Yang enough points for the level of difficulty on the parallel bars. That triggered an uproar, with South Korea lobbying for another gold medal.

Officials of the International Gymnastics Federation, or FIG, suspended three judges and acknowledged Yang should have been awarded more points for his routine based on the degree of difficulty. Had he been given the correct score, Yang would have won the gold and Hamm the silver.

The suspensions puzzled Hamm, who said a review of the tape also showed the judges missed a mistake in Yang's routine.

"What's unusual is these mistakes with the start scores are made all the time throughout these Olympics," Hamm said. "It was strange they ended up sanctioning those judges when other judges made those mistakes as well."

"So if you're upset about any of this," Letterman told the studio audience, "send your e-mails to FIG."

Hamm said his first days as an Olympic champion have not been what he expected, given the constant questions and suggestions of how he should handle the mess.

"Do you mind if I bother you a little more?" Letterman quipped. "If you get fed up, just hit me with one of your medals."

Hamm detailed his amazing comeback victory in the all-around and his silver-medal performance in the high bar, which was preceded by boos from the crowd because it was unhappy with a score given to the previous competitor, Russia's Alexei Nemov.

All the booing during the high bar competition left Hamm with few expectations as he began his routine, he said.

"I'd never been put in a situation like that before," he said.

To which Letterman replied, "I've had that where people start booing me Monday night and they are still booing on Tuesday."


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Aug 23 (Reuters) -- Four years after winning an Olympic gold medal in taekwondo, Steven Lopez is a little heavier and a little more mature but no less enthusiastic about being at the Games.

Taekwondo is one of the last sports to get underway at the Athens Games and American Lopez, who was under 68kg champion at Sydney and fights at under 80kg in Athens, cannot wait for Thursday's start to the competition.



"I am living my dream now," said the 25-year-old, who has two world titles under his belt. "Ever since I was nine years old it was my dream to make the Olympic team and I did that in 2000.

"Now I am back and I have matured a bit since then and I can enjoy it a bit now. I feel good, a little bit anxious and ready to go -- I wish I could fight tomorrow."

The other American competitor in taekwondo at Athens is Nia Abdallah, a relative beginner compared to Lopez with her best result to date a bronze medal at the Pan-American Games in Santo Domingo last year.

But the 20-year-old is just as keen to take centre stage at the Faliro Sports Pavilion.

"I went to see the basketball the other day and I watched the women's 100-metre final but now I am ready to go out there and win a gold medal for the U.S.," said Abdallah.

"I feel confident that myself and the coaching staff have prepared me well to go and win."

It has been a long wait for the two Americans, who arrived in Athens on August 9 and have been fine-tuning for two weeks.

Some find the waiting game difficult, but not Lopez who is just enjoying being a part of the biggest show on earth.

"You can't get bored at an Olympics," he said. "Some athletes leave after they've finished their event but I can't understand that.

"I am out here to support my team and just absorbing everything and just waiting for my event. You can't do much more physical preparation now, it's more about the mental side."

Lopez's elder brother Steve, the US team coach, said his job was clear.

"We're just trying to keep these guys relaxed, focused, healthy and mentally confident," he said. "The expectation for them is to go out there and do their best."

Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Results Thursday at the Olympic taekwondo competition:

Men



58Kg

Round 1

Tamer Bayoumi, Egypt, def. Marcel Ferreira, Brazil, 10-2.

Michalis Mouroutsos, Greece, def. Ussadate Sutthikunkarn, Thailand, 5-2.

Mu Yen Chu, Taiwan, def. Ezedin Salem, Libya, Referee Stopped, 01:15, 1.

Juan Ramos, Spain, def. Tshomlee Go, Philippines, 7-6.

Paul Green, Britain, def. Satriyo Rahadhani, Indonesia, 6-5.

Quoc Huan Nguyen, Vietnam, def. Seyfula Magomedov, Russia, 12-10.

Oleksandr Shaposhnyk, Ukraine, def. Akram Abdullah, Yemen, 7-5.

Oscar Francisco Salazar Blanco, Mexico, def. Yulis Gabriel Mercedes Reges, Dominican Republic, 10-1.

Quarterfinal

Tamer Bayoumi, Egypt, def. Michalis Mouroutsos, Greece, 8-2.

Mu Yen Chu, Taiwan, def. Juan Ramos, Spain, 9-1.

Quoc Huan Nguyen, Vietnam, def. Paul Green, Britain, 4-2.

Oscar Francisco Salazar Blanco, Mexico, def. Oleksandr Shaposhnyk, Ukraine, 6-2.

Semifinal

Mu Yen Chu, Taiwan, def. Tamer Bayoumi, Egypt, 5-4.

Oscar Francisco Salazar Blanco, Mexico, def. Quoc Huan Nguyen, Vietnam, 8-0.

Repechages

Quarterfinals

Tamer Bayoumi, Egypt, BYE.

Yulis Gabriel Mercedes Reges, Dominican Republic, def. Oleksandr Shaposhnyk, Ukraine, DNS.

Juan Ramos, Spain, def. Ezedin Salem, Libya, DNS.

Quoc Huan Nguyen, Vietnam, BYE.

Women

49Kg

Round 1

Yanelis Yuliet Labrada Diaz, Cuba, BYE.

Yaowapa Boorapolchai, Thailand, def. Brigitte Yague, Spain, 9-5.

Euda Carias, Guatemala, def. Elaine Shueh Fhern Teo, Malaysia, 4-4, Superiority.

Nevena Lukic, Austria, def. Lineo Mochesane, Lesotho, 4-0.

Dalia Contreras, Venezuela, def. Maya Arusi, Israel, 5-1.

Ivett Gonda, Canada, def. Jermin Anwar, Egypt, 3-2.

Shih Hsin Chen, Taiwan, def. Sangina Baidya, Nepal, 4-0.

Gladys Alicia Mora Romero, Colombia, def. Juana Wangsa Putri, Indonesia, 2-2.

Quarterfinal

Yanelis Yuliet Labrada Diaz, Cuba, def. Yaowapa Boorapolchai, Thailand, 3-1.

Euda Carias, Guatemala, def. Nevena Lukic, Austria, 1-1, Superiority.

Ivett Gonda, Canada, def. Dalia Contreras, Venezuela, 3-2.

Shih Hsin Chen, Taiwan, def. Gladys Alicia Mora Romero, Colombia, 1-0.

Semifinal

Yanelis Yuliet Labrada Diaz, Cuba, def. Euda Carias, Guatemala, 8-3.

Shih Hsin Chen, Taiwan, def. Ivett Gonda, Canada, 3-2.

Repechages

Quarterfinal

Euda Carias, Guatemala, BYE.

Gladys Alicia Mora Romero, Colombia, def. Sangina Baidya, Nepal, 5--1.

Yaowapa Boorapolchai, Thailand, BYE.

Ivett Gonda, Canada, BYE.

Semifinals

Euda Carias, Guatemala, vs. Gladys Alicia Mora Romero, Colombia

Yaowapa Boorapolchai, Thailand, vs. Ivett Gonda, Canada


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Littledragon]

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Rulon Gardner's gold-medal dreams were dashed with a three-point throw in overtime.
AP


ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- He left his shoes in the middle of the mat, maybe a piece of his heart, too. Rulon Gardner finally let his emotions out after trading Olympic gold for bronze, and the tears he cried weren't of sadness.

Gardner, so poised and dispassionate hours before, following the biggest loss of his life, became teary-eyed Wednesday after one of the most surprising gold medalists in Olympic history settled for a bronze on his return trip to the games.

His last one, too. After wearing down Iran's much-taller Sajad Barzi for a 3-0 victory and the Greco-Roman wrestling bronze at 2641/2 pounds, Gardner sat down on the mat, an American flag draped in his arms, and took off his shoes in the traditional sign of retirement.

Then it all came out. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he carried the flag around the arena, escorted by the unmistakable cheers of a dozen family members who made the long trip from Afton, Wyo., to Athens to see if he was good for one more gold.

He wasn't, but he thought he was good enough -- even if a 4-1 overtime loss to Kazakhstan's Georgi Tsurtsumia earlier meant he couldn't duplicate the gold he won so shockingly in Sydney by beating the greatest wrestler ever, Russian Alexander Karelin, in his sport's upset of the century.

"I came back and won a medal. Even though it's bronze, I have no regrets because I gave 100 percent in every match," Gardner said. "I didn't leave anything on the mat."

Except his shoes, of course; he began crying before the match, when he told coach Steve Fraser of his plans.

"That's it," Gardner said. "When you step off the mat for the last time, it's a big deal."

His retirement ends an impossible-to-script career that saw Gardner become one of America's most improbable sports stars -- and one of its most star-crossed once he won the gold.

Eighteen months after ending three-time Olympic champion Karelin's 13-year winning streak with his "Miracle on the Mat," Gardner lost a toe -- and nearly his life -- to frostbite after becoming stranded in the Wyoming wilderness. This year, he survived a head-on motorcycle crash and, days later, badly dislocated his right wrist during a pickup basketball game, briefly jeopardizing his return trip to the games.

Once he got to Athens, his undoing proved to be the Greco-Roman oddity that assured his Sydney gold: the clinch. Both wrestlers lock hands behind the other, maneuvering for the slightest advantage before muscling each other to break the clinch and gain a point.

In Sydney, Gardner's only point against Karelin came on a broken clinch; four years later, all of Tsurtsumia's points did, too. He threw Gardner out of a clinch to start the overtime, surprising Gardner with strength he seemed to have lost much earlier.

Despite being 10 years younger than Gardner at 23, the reigning European champion was perilously fatigued as the match wound down, once fleeing the mat and taking a penalty point to avoid locking up with Gardner.

After the suddenly quick conclusion, Gardner knelt on the mat in near disbelief, Tsurtsumia dancing excitedly behind him. But within minutes, a dry-eyed and composed Gardner patiently offered a clinical explanation of what went wrong.

The condensed version: He gambled by attacking a worn-out opponent, leaving himself unguarded to his back side and allowing Tsurtsumia to step around and throw him to the mat.

"One throw and that's the whole match," Gardner said. "One mistake."

Or maybe two.

"I was surprised Rulon lost two clinches," said Jeff Blatnick, a Greco-Roman gold medalist 20 years ago. "I've never seen him do that when he's healthy."

Still, he doesn't think Gardner besmirched his wrestling legacy by not winning a second Olympic gold. To Blatnick, beating Karelin assured Gardner's place in the sport's history, and always will.

"He'll be remembered as an Olympic champion and a world champion," Blatnick said. "People forget he won the world championship the year after Sydney and proved it was no fluke. I don't think he did anything wrong in this match. He (Tsurtsumia) was well-coached and knew exactly where to attack."

Gardner's restrained emotions after the loss contrasted to the Aegean-sized sea of tears shed Monday when Sara McMann lost the first gold-medal match wrestled by an American woman. Only in victory did his emotions come out.

Maybe it's because, deep down, he's still the aw-shucks Wyoming farmboy who ignored hurtful taunts of "Fatso" to pursue his sport, to achieve its ultimate prize and create a niche as one of America's least likely but most-liked Olympic champions. It is that devotion to wrestling that drove him to come back, to ignore the temptation to be like Mary Lou Retton and let a perfect Olympics be his only Olympics.

"People asked me why go back and take the chance you'll lose and tarnish your record," he said. "I don't look at it as tarnishing anything."

Now, the man who defeated an aging Russian star to become a gold medalist has been succeeded by an on-the-rise young Russian, 21-year-old Khasan Baroev, who beat Tsurtsumia 4-2 for the gold.

"One mishap cost me the chance for the gold, but I'm happy with the bronze and I'll move on," Gardner said. "It's not quite a gold, but it's a medal."


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Littledragon]

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Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Julie Foudy have all been together since the 1991 Women's World Cup.
AP


ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The Fab Five and the rest of the U.S. women's soccer team want to ride their emotions to the gold medal, rather than have those emotions get in the way.

It's a difficult balance to strike: The young players wants to send Mia Hamm & Co. out as winners, but many similarly inspired teams have fallen short because they were simply trying too hard.

"I don't want them to feel that I'm putting pressure on them to have to do it for me, or for us," Hamm said. "Let's do it for each other."

The long goodbye ends for the Fab Five on Thursday when the United States plays Brazil for the Olympic title. It will be the long-anticipated chance for Hamm, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly and Brandi Chastain to end their time together as world champions, a bragging right they haven't been able to claim for five years.

Even though the vets have played down the send-off angle, coach April Heinrichs said she will again appeal to the team's youngsters to make sure the goodbye party at Karaiskaki Stadium is a happy one.

"If we play as a team, if we play for each other, and if we both love and are serving these players who are playing in their final game, then I think things will come together for us," Heinrichs said.

The five players are the last remnants of the 1991 World Cup team, a group that helped a sport grow from ragtag obscurity to a legit place on the international stage in less than a decade. Hamm, Foudy and Fawcett are retiring from the national team, and the end isn't far off for the other two.

Foudy, in fact, might have already played her last game. Her status is uncertain after spraining her ankle in the semifinal victory over Germany.

"I'll miss being here with these players," said Hamm, the game's all-time leading scorer and most recognizable face. "And learning from them, and growing and experiencing the greatest of times and the worst of times."

The Americans dominated the sport throughout the 1990s, winning the 1991 and 1999 World Cups and the 1996 Olympic title, but their success prompted other nations to invest in women's soccer for the first time. Those countries are catching up; Norway won gold four years ago in Sydney, and Germany won the World Cup on U.S. soil last year.

Brazil is another emerging women's program, one that has fought for attention in the shadow of the country's five-time World Cup champion men's team. The mayor of the poor Sao Paulo suburb of Osasco, home of star player Cristiane, is expecting thousands of people to watch Thursday's game on two huge televisions he has installed in the streets, the type of scene usually reserved for the men.

Brazil gave the Americans their toughest challenge of these Olympics, dominating them in the scoreless first half of a first-round game last week. Fortunate not to be trailing by a couple of goals, the U.S. team rallied in the second half for a 2-0 victory.

This week, Brazil's players said their strong early showing in that game has given them hope they can beat the U.S. team for only the second time ever. The other legacy from that game is coach Rene Simoes' accusation that the Americans tried to deliberately hurt his players with rough fouls in the second half.

The Americans say they weren't as rough as the Brazilians. They also know the rematch could get nasty.

"It's not the first time they've talked like that," Foudy said. "They can come hard, they always do. But at the same time you can use that against them. They come so hard, they're easy to beat."

Win or lose, there are certain to be tears amid the final hugs as the American players leave the field.

After 17 years in the international game, Hamm wants to start a family with her new husband, Chicago Cubs shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. Foudy is also thinking about kids, but she expects to remain active in social and political issues. Fawcett already has three children to raise.

Chastain says she'll keep playing "as long as they let me," but she's 36 and unlikely to last until the next World Cup in 2007. Lilly, who has played in more international games than any man or woman, has already said she won't make it to 2007 -- and maybe even to next week, for that matter.

"Who knows?" Lilly said. "I'm so excited for Thursday's game. I just really want that to finish, and then if it suddenly it hits me that I'm done, I'm done."


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Littledragon]

Sort By Total Medals Gold Medals Silver Medals Bronze Medals Countries Sports

Country Total Medals Gold Silver Bronze
United States 76 25 29 22
Russia 54 14 19 21
China 52 24 16 12
Australia 43 16 11 16
Japan 34 15 9 10
Germany 33 9 11 13
France 26 10 7 9
Great Britain 25 7 8 10
Italy 22 8 6 8
South Korea 22 7 10 5
Netherlands 19 4 7 8
Ukraine 18 8 4 6
Romania 17 8 5 4
Spain 15 2 9 4
Greece 12 6 3 3
Belarus 12 2 3 7
Cuba 12 2 3 7
Hungary 11 4 6 1
Bulgaria 9 2 1 6
Poland 8 2 2 4
Canada 7 2 4 1
Czech Republic 7 1 3 3
Sweden 6 3 1 2
Austria 6 1 4 1
Kenya 6 1 4 1
Denmark 6 1 0 5
Turkey 5 3 1 1
Slovakia 5 2 2 1
Brazil 5 2 1 2
Switzerland 5 1 1 3
New Zealand 4 3 1 0
Ethiopia 4 2 1 1
Thailand 4 2 0 2
Indonesia 4 1 1 2
South Africa 4 1 1 2
North Korea 4 0 3 1
Croatia 4 0 2 2
Kazakhstan 4 0 2 2
Slovenia 4 0 1 3
Georgia 3 2 1 0
Chile 3 2 0 1
Zimbabwe 3 1 1 1
Azerbaijan 3 1 0 2
Belgium 3 1 0 2
Portugal 3 0 2 1
Estonia 3 0 1 2
Norway 2 2 0 0
Lithuania 2 1 1 0
Morocco 2 1 1 0
Bahamas 2 1 0 1
Israel 2 1 0 1
Jamaica 2 1 0 1
Latvia 2 0 2 0
Mexico 2 0 2 0
Chinese Taipei 2 0 1 1
Argentina 2 0 0 2
Colombia 2 0 0 2
Cameroon 1 1 0 0
Iran 1 1 0 0
United Arab Emirates 1 1 0 0
Finland 1 0 1 0
Hong Kong, China 1 0 1 0
India 1 0 1 0
Serbia and Montenegro 1 0 1 0
Eritrea 1 0 0 1
Mongolia 1 0 0 1
Trinidad & Tobago 1 0 0 1
Venezuela 1 0 0 1

[Littledragon]

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2004/olympics/2004/writers/08/16/iran.protest/p1_arash_getty.jpg
Arash Miresmaeili was the gold medal favorite in his weight class.


Arash Miresmaeili, a two-time world champion in judo, carried the Iranian flag into the Olympic Stadium last Friday in a moment he described as the proudest of his life. Within 36 hours, he suffered the most shameful moment -- even if he and Iran don't necessarily see it quite that way.

Miresmaeili, who was scheduled to fight an overmatched Israeli named Ehud Vaks, told INRA, his nation's official news agency, that he refused to face an Israeli because of his sympathy with the oppressed people of Palestine. His stated political beliefs might not have covered him in glory, but he did cover himself with a few extra pounds -- causing him to fail the weigh-in. (Reportedly he was lugging an extra two kilograms, almost 4 1/2 pounds. At the Olympics any veteran judoka who arrives two kilograms over the limit should have his head -- and not his stomach -- examined.)

If Miresmaeili truly had the courage of his convictions, he would have stopped hiding behind his weight and simply told officials he did not want to sully himself on the mat against an Israeli. Period. Or his National Olympic Committee should have sent someone to the judo hall and done it for him. As Reuters reported, an Iranian NOC spokesman said Miresmaeili was instructed not to fight because of government policy of not competing "against athletes of the Zionist regime."

Well ...

If Miresmaeili intentionally ballooned to miss his weight -- and there is no other explanation that makes sense -- the International Judo Federation, which continued to deliberate the case in an emergency session Monday, should suspend him from competition. Then the International Olympic Committee should bar him from future Olympics for blatantly violating the athlete's oath.

Last Friday night the 10,500 athletes amassed in the Olympic stadium tacitly agreed to these words: "I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games ...in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."

See you, pal. Don't let a Doric column hit you on the head on your way out.

But if the Iranian NOC was the driving force behind Miresmaeilias seems likely and as Vaks himself fervently thinks -- then the IOC has a bigger problem. Maybe it should start by finding out if the judoka is being compensated by Iran, rewarded for blowing off his competition with the same bonus he would have been in line to receive had he won the gold medal. Follow the money, in other words. Iran's president already has said the judoka would be compensated for his stance.

And then just to clarity this business once and for all, the IOC should verify the spokesman's statements about Iran's sports policy regarding Israel. If Iran won't face Israel, banning one judoka is not enough. The position of an NOC, on behalf of its government, should make Iran a pariah in the Olympic family. The rules of sport were mocked, the spirit of the Olympic movement trashed. The Miresmaeili/Iran case was worse than any doping violation.

As venal as doping might be, it is (with the notable exception of the former East Germany and a few others) committed by individuals and coaches. There is no official imprimatur. Miresmaeili's move appears to have been a state-sanctioned act that undermines why athletes gather for these quadrennial symposiums of sweat.

As International Judo Federation spokesman Michel Brousse put it, "At the Olympics you have to share the values of the Olympic spirit." There are a record 202 National Olympic Committees represented in Athens. If Iran wants to play by its own rules, the IOC would be better off with 201.

[yudansha]

What a disgrace! Olympics is about friendly sports competitions not about politics (although that's what it was about when the U.S. was getting jealous of U.S.S.R. and wouldn't let their team go to Moscow...)

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - Israel won its first Olympic gold medal on Wednesday when a man whose father named him after the sea won a windsurfing class at the Athens Games, while track cyclists led Australia to equal its highest Olympic medal tally.

Gal Fridman -his first name means "wave" in Hebrew -dived into the Saronic Gulf after winning the first gold in the Jewish state's 56-year history in the 11-race Mistral series. "Every Olympics we dream of hearing the anthem and seeing the flag. It's the top," Fridman said. "I was feeling very proud and so happy to hear the people singing it. I sang as strong as I could, but nobody heard it because everybody was screaming."

Israel's Olympic legacy is primarily sombre -political complications, occasional snubs by athletes from Islamic countries and, overshadowing all else, the killing of 11 athletes and coaches who were seized by a Palestinian terrorist group called Black September at the 1972 Games in Munich.

In 12 previous Olympics dating to 1952, Israel had won only one silver and three bronze medals. Fridman won a bronze in his event in 1996.

The United States leads the medal count with 25 golds, 29 silver and 22 bronze after 11 days of competition and 215 medal events. China is second with 24-16-12.

Australia is a surprising third after equalling its best-ever Olympic total of 16 golds with two wins on the final night of track cycling. Australia won 16 golds, 25 silvers and 17 bronze when it hosted the Olympics in Sydney four years ago. It has cycling to thank for its plunder in Athens, which includes 11 silver and 15 bronze.

The Aussies won 10 cycling medals here -six golds, two silvers and two bronzes.

Stuart O'Grady won his first gold and his fourth Olympic medal when he partnered Graeme Brown in the Madison. Russian Olga Slyusareva added Olympic gold to her collection of world championships, easily winning the points race ahead of Belem Guerrero Mendez of Mexico and Colombia's Maria Luisa Calle Williams.

Then Ryan Bayley won the Keirin, a day after winning the sprint. Spain's Jose Escuredo was second and Australia picked up its final cycling medal with Shane Kelly taking bronze.

Triathlon and baseball nearly created the Australian record.

Kate Allen won the women's triathlon, passing everyone in the close of the 10-kilometre run. Allen, who was born Down Under but relocated to Austria, beat Australian Loretta Harrop, with American Susan Williams third.

It was silver again at the baseball for Australia as favourite Cuba won 6-2 for its second Athens gold.

At the Olympic Stadium, Greece had a surprise win in the 400-meter hurdles, with Fani Halkia spurred on by chants of "Hellas, Hellas" to win in 52.82 seconds over Ionela Tirlea-Manolache of Romania and Tetiana Tereshchuk-Antipova of Ukraine. World champion Jana Pittman of Australia, racing less than three weeks after arthroscopic surgery on her right knee, finished fifth and world record holder Yuliya Pechenkina was last.

Jamaican Veronica Campbell won gold in the 200 in 22.05 seconds, beating American Allyson Felix and Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas. Russia's Olga Kuzenkova won the women's hammer, beating Cubans Yipsi Moreno and Yunaika Crawford.

Marion Jones made her first appearance in Athens and qualified for the long jump final.

"It's a little bit about a gold, but I think to me it's a lot more about coming out here, doing my best in the midst of a hell of a year," said Jones, who is the subject of a steroid investigation, has been accused by her ex-husband of using banned drugs in Sydney and gave birth to a son 14 months ago. She failed to qualify to defend her Sydney 100 title.

America's four-time world champion Allen Johnson clipped a hurdle and fell in the opening heats of the men's 110 hurdles and failed to advance.

Less than 24 hours after capturing his first Olympic gold medal in the 1,500, Hicham El Guerrouj took another step toward a rare double when he advanced to the final of the 5,000.

The Netherlands won its fifth gold when Anky van Grunsven and her horse Salinero danced their way to gold in the Olympic individual dressage finals to overtake Germany's Ulla Salzgeber on Rusty.

In wrestling, Hungary's Istvan Majoros won the 55-kilogram division, Azerbaijan's Farid Mansurov took the 66-kilogram gold and Alexei Michine of Russia took the 84-kilogram division. In the 120-kilogram division, defending champion Rulon Gardner of the United States surprising lost his semifinal to Georgiy Tsurtsumia of Kazakstan but rallied to win bronze. Russian Khasan Baroev won the gold over Tsurtsumia.

Ricardo Alex Santos and Emanuel Rego won Brazil's second gold of the games by winning the men's beach volleyball final over Spaniards Javier Bosma and Pablo Herrera 21-16, 21-15. Swiss pair Stefan Kobel and Patrick Heuscher were third.

Iran won gold in the men's 105-kilogram weightlifting class for its only medal of the Athens Games. Hossein Rezazadeh tied his own world record with 472.5 kilograms. Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova of Russia won the synchronized swimming duet ahead of Japan and the United States.

Meanwhile, prosecutors seized the hospital records of disgraced sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, who withdrew from the Olympics after missing a doping test and crashing on a motorcycle.

Kenteris won the 200 in Sydney and Thanou the silver in 2000. The two athletes crashed on a motorcycle and were hospitalized a few hours after they could not be found at the Olympic Village for a drug test.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - What Canada has done so far on Thursday at the Summer Olympics (distances in metres unless specified):

CANOE-KAYAK
Men

C-1 500: Richard Dalton, Halifax, finished third in semifinal heat, advanced to final.

Men's K-1 500: Adam van Koeverden, Oakville, Ont., won semifinal heat, advanced to final.

K-2 500: Steven Jorens, Aurora, Ont., and Richard Dober, Trois-Rivieres, Que., finished seventh in semifinal heat, failed to advance.

DIVING
Women's 3m springboard: Blythe Hartley, North Vancouver, B.C., was third after semifinal, advanced to final; Emilie Heymans, St-Lambert, Que., was eighth, also qualified.

SAILING
Men's Star: Ross MacDonald, Vancouver, and Mike Wolfs, Port Credit, Ont., were third overall with one race remaing after placing eighth in race 9 and second in race 10.

Open Tornado: Oskar Johansson, Oakville, Ont., and John Curtis, Kingston, Ont., were 17th after race 9 and fourth after race 10.

TAEKWONDO
Women's 49-kg: Ivett Gonda, Port Moody, B.C., was eliminated after losing 3-0 to Yaowapa Boorapolchai, Thailand, in second-chance repechage semifinals; Earlier, Gonda def. Jermin Anwar, Egypt, 3-2, in round 1, then def. Dalia Contreras, Venezuela, 3-2 in round 2, before losing to Shih Hsin Chen, Taiwan, 3-2 in medal semifinals, forcing repechage match.

TRIATHLON
Men: Simon Whitfield, Kingston, finished 11th in final; Brent McMahon, Victoria, 39th.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

SCHINIAS, Greece (CP) - Ten of Canada's 11 boats advanced to finals in the flatwater canoe-kayak competition at the Summer Olympics.

Big deal, says Adam van Koeverden. "I honestly don't think we've achieved a very high level of success, we've just made some finals and that's good," said van Koeverden, Canada's biggest medal threat in men's kayak at the Games. "But it's not time to celebrate. If you start celebrating now, then we're being ultra-Canadian and saying 'Woo-hoo, we're top nine, that's awesome.' I'm not happy with being ninth. It wasn't my goal to come here and make the final."

It's the just the second time ever Canada has qualified for 10 finals in the event. The first was during the boycotted 1984 Games in Los Angeles. Canada had six boats in finals at both the 1996 Games in Atlanta and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

But van Koeverden says Canadian athletes need to aim higher.

"We can go home and get a big pat on the back for coming in fourth," he said. "It's kind of unfortunate."

Van Koeverden, a world silver medallist in 2003 who is coming off three World Cup medals earlier this year, says he's always set the bar high. In his mind, finishing fourth would be a failure.

"I'm lucky that I have that ability to set my goals really high and aim for the unreachable," he said.

Through the semifinals, he appeared to be right on target.

"I'm on a steady progression throughout the week, getting faster each day and feeling more comfortable," he said.

In Thursday's men's K-1 (one-man kayak) 500-metre semifinal, van Koeverden finished first in a time of one minute 38.907 seconds. Australia was second in 1:39.031 while Italy finished third in 1:40.387. The top three advance to the final. Earlier in the week, van Koeverden also qualified for the 1,000-metre final.

Richard Dalton of Halifax advanced in the men's C-1 (one-man canoe) 500-metre event, sneaking into third spot with a lunge at the finish line in a time of 1:51.027. Belarus won the semi in 1:50.563 while Bulgaria was second in 1:50.631. Dalton said he had a breakthrough in the semi when he was able to get off to a quick start.

"Today, I think I was a lot closer to the top guys in the first half," he said. "I really paid for it in the end but at least I showed I can get off the line with those guys."

The K-2 (two-man kayak) duo of Steven Jorens of Aurora, Ont., and Richard Dober of Trois-Rivieres, Que., were the only crew not to make a final after they finished sixth in the semifinals with a time of 1:34.318. Lithuania finished first in 1:30.270. Australia was second while Spain was third.

In Friday's finals, van Koeverden competes in the men's K-1, 1,000 metres while veteran Stephen Giles of Lake Echo, N.S., will paddle in the men's C-1, 1,000. Canada also has boats in the women's K-4, 500-metre final, the men's K-4 1,000 and the men's C-2 (two-man canoe) 1,000.

It will be Giles' swan song. After competing in four Olympics, he's had enough.

"When I'm coming in that last 100 metres in the final, maybe it will make a difference to think this is my absolute, positively, definite last chance ever," said Giles, who works full-time as an electrical engineer. "For me, this is the big finale."

On Saturday, Caroline Brunet of Lac-Beauport, Que., will take another shot at Olympic gold in the women's K-1, 500-metre final and the women's K-2 500 with partner Mylaine Barre. After 10 world championship medals, two Olympic silver medals and a multitude of World Cup wins, only an Olympic gold is missing from Brunet's trophy case.

Van Koeverden will go in the 500-metre final Saturday while the Buday brothers from Mississauga, Ont., -Tamas and Attila -are in the men's C-2 500-metre final and Dalton will race in the C-1 500.

Van Koeverden, who is five foot nine and 187 pounds, says his biggest weapons on the water are his fitness and his technique.

"I don't waste any energy in the water," he said. "I can't afford to. I have shorter arms . . . I don't have any room for bad technique."

The paddlers were treated to dead calm conditions at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre on Thursday, a day after they were forced to battle a stiff tailwind.

JULIE SCOTT; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - Divers Blythe Hartley and Emilie Heymans advanced to the three-metre springboard final on Thursday while two more Canadian boats advanced in flatwater canoe-kayak events at the Olympic Games.

http://www.broadband.rogers.com/bband/feeds/cpfix/xml/sports/s082630A.jpg
Canada's Simon Whitfield, left, from Kingston, Ont., hugs winner Hamish Carter, from New Zealand, after the men's triathlon. Whitfield, the defending Olympic champion, finished in 11th place. (CP/Ryan Remiorz)

Canada's medal count was held at seven -two gold, four silver and one bronze -but Hartley and Heymans had a chance to add to that total in Thursday evening's final.

Hartley, from North Vancouver, B.C., finished third in the semifinal earlier in the day while Heymans, a native of St-Lambert, Que., was eighth.

On the water, Adam van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont., won his K-1, 500-metre semifinal while Richard Dalton of Halifax advanced in the men's C-1, 500-metre event to bring Canada's total number of boats in canoe-kayak finals to 10.

It's just the second time ever in the event that Canada has qualified for 10 finals, which will be held Friday and Saturday. The first was during the boycotted 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

Elsewhere, the Canadian star-class sailing crew of Ross MacDonald and Mike Wolfs moved into position to claim a medal.

MacDonald, from Vancouver, and Wolfs, a native of Port Credit, Ont., sit in third place heading into the 11th and final race on Saturday. They finished eighth and second in races Thursday, and have 49 net points -just behind the French team of Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau, who have 47 net points.

In the men's triathlon, defending Olympic gold medallist Simon Whitfield of Kingston, Ont., finished 11th while Brent McMahon of Victoria was 39th.

"It was a strong man's course, and I'm not the strongest man," said Whitfield, who sat back and let the leaders get too far ahead during the cycling portion of the event. "I took a gamble and it failed. I can live with that."

On the mat, 18-year-old Ivett Gonda of Port Moody, B.C., was eliminated from the 49-kilogram taekwondo event by Thailand's Yaowapa Boorapolchai.

Gonda came within one point of advancing to the final and guaranteeing herself a medal, before losing 3-2 in an earlier match with Taiwan's Shih Hsin Chen.

"It's my second year as a senior so I'm just happy I made it this far," said the teenager, who was fifth at last year's world championship. "This is some people's dream to come here."

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

Canada's Simon Whitfield, left, from Kingston, Ont., hugs winner Hamish Carter, from New Zealand, after the men's triathlon. Whitfield, the defending Olympic champion, finished in 11th place. (CP/Ryan Remiorz)ATHENS (CP) - The Canadian crew of Ross MacDonald and Mike Wolfs remained in contention for a medal in star class sailing while two more of the country's boats advanced in flatwater canoe-kayak events Thursday at the Olympic Games.

MacDonald, from Vancouver, and Wolfs, a native of Port Credit, Ont., sit in third place heading into the 11th and final race Saturday. They finished eighth and second in races Thursday and stand just behind the French team of Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau.

In men's triathlon, defending champion Simon Whitfield of Kingston, Ont., finished 11th while Brent McMahon of Victoria was 39th.

"It was a strong man's course, and I'm not the strongest man," said Whitfield, who sat back and let the leaders get too far ahead during the cycling portion of the event. "I took a gamble and it failed.

"I can live with that."

Hamish Carter of New Zealand won in one hour 51 minutes 7.73 seconds.

On the mat, 18-year-old Ivett Gonda of Port Moody, B.C., was eliminated from the 49-kilogram taekwondo event by Thailand's Yaowapa Boorapolchai.

Gonda came within one point of advancing to the final and guaranteeing herself a medal, before losing 3-2 in an earlier match with Taiwan's Shih Hsin Chen.

"It's my second year as a senior so I'm just happy I made it this far," said the teenager, who was fifth at last year's world championship. "This is some people's dream to come here."

In kayaking, Adam van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont., won his 500-metre semifinal while Richard Dalton of Halifax advanced in the men's 500-metre canoeing event. In all, 10 Canadian boats will participate in finals Friday and Saturday.

The K-2 duo of Steven Jorens of Aurora, Ont., and Richard Dober of Trois-Rivieres, Que., were the only crew not to make a final after they finished sixth in the semifinals Thursday.

It's just the second time ever that Canada has qualified for 10 finals in the event. The first was during the boycotted 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

"I honestly don't think we've achieved a very high level of success," said van Koeverden, the team's biggest medal threat. "It's not time to celebrate . . . It wasn't my goal to come here and make the final."

Blythe Hartley of North Vancouver, B.C., finished fifth in the women's three-metre springboard diving event. Emilie Heymans of St-Lambert, Que., was 10th.

In synchronized swimming, the Canadian team was fifth with 47.548 points after the first day of competition. The squad consists of Erin Chan and Shayna Nackoney, both of Calgary; Jessika Dubuc, Marie-Pierre Gagne and Anouk Reniere-Lafreniere, all of Montreal; Jessica Chase of St-Laurent, Que.; Fanny Letourneau of Deux-Montagnes, Que.; Courtenay Stewart of Unionville, Ont., and Nicole Cargill, of Regina.

On the track, Carmen Douma-Hussar of Guelph, Ont., and Charles Allen of Brampton, Ont., advanced to the final of their respective wevents.

Douma-Hussar was sixth in her heat of the women's 1,500-metre race with a time of 4:05.09. Allen was fourth in his heat of the men's 110-metre hurdles in a time of 13.23 seconds.

Gary Reed of Kamloops, B.C., finished eighth in his semifinal heat in the men's 800 and was eliminated.



© The Canadian Press, 2003

at 16:03 on August 26, 2004, EST.


Click to view image

Canada's Simon Whitfield, left, from Kingston, Ont., hugs winner Hamish Carter, from New Zealand, after the men's triathlon. Whitfield, the defending Olympic champion, finished in 11th place. (CP/Ryan Remiorz)ATHENS (CP) - The Canadian crew of Ross MacDonald and Mike Wolfs remained in contention for a medal in star class sailing while two more of the country's boats advanced in flatwater canoe-kayak events Thursday at the Olympic Games.

MacDonald, from Vancouver, and Wolfs, a native of Port Credit, Ont., sit in third place heading into the 11th and final race Saturday. They finished eighth and second in races Thursday and stand just behind the French team of Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau.

In men's triathlon, defending champion Simon Whitfield of Kingston, Ont., finished 11th while Brent McMahon of Victoria was 39th.

"It was a strong man's course, and I'm not the strongest man," said Whitfield, who sat back and let the leaders get too far ahead during the cycling portion of the event. "I took a gamble and it failed.

"I can live with that."

Hamish Carter of New Zealand won in one hour 51 minutes 7.73 seconds.

On the mat, 18-year-old Ivett Gonda of Port Moody, B.C., was eliminated from the 49-kilogram taekwondo event by Thailand's Yaowapa Boorapolchai.

Gonda came within one point of advancing to the final and guaranteeing herself a medal, before losing 3-2 in an earlier match with Taiwan's Shih Hsin Chen.

"It's my second year as a senior so I'm just happy I made it this far," said the teenager, who was fifth at last year's world championship. "This is some people's dream to come here."

In kayaking, Adam van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont., won his 500-metre semifinal while Richard Dalton of Halifax advanced in the men's 500-metre canoeing event. In all, 10 Canadian boats will participate in finals Friday and Saturday.

The K-2 duo of Steven Jorens of Aurora, Ont., and Richard Dober of Trois-Rivieres, Que., were the only crew not to make a final after they finished sixth in the semifinals Thursday.

It's just the second time ever that Canada has qualified for 10 finals in the event. The first was during the boycotted 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

"I honestly don't think we've achieved a very high level of success," said van Koeverden, the team's biggest medal threat. "It's not time to celebrate . . . It wasn't my goal to come here and make the final."

Blythe Hartley of North Vancouver, B.C., finished fifth in the women's three-metre springboard diving event. Emilie Heymans of St-Lambert, Que., was 10th.

In synchronized swimming, the Canadian team was fifth with 47.548 points after the first day of competition. The squad consists of Erin Chan and Shayna Nackoney, both of Calgary; Jessika Dubuc, Marie-Pierre Gagne and Anouk Reniere-Lafreniere, all of Montreal; Jessica Chase of St-Laurent, Que.; Fanny Letourneau of Deux-Montagnes, Que.; Courtenay Stewart of Unionville, Ont., and Nicole Cargill, of Regina.

On the track, Carmen Douma-Hussar of Guelph, Ont., and Charles Allen of Brampton, Ont., advanced to the final of their respective wevents.

Douma-Hussar was sixth in her heat of the women's 1,500-metre race with a time of 4:05.09. Allen was fourth in his heat of the men's 110-metre hurdles in a time of 13.23 seconds.

Gary Reed of Kamloops, B.C., finished eighth in his semifinal heat in the men's 800 and was eliminated.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (AP) - Shih Hsin Chen claimed the first-ever gold medal for Taiwan on Thursday when she won the women's 49-kilogram taekwondo category, while compatriot Mu Yen Chu added a second in men's 58-kilogram class.

"I know that this is our first gold medal and I'm very proud of it," Chen said. "It means a lot to me and my family." In men's basketball, the star-studded U.S. team finally found its form, beating Spain 102-94 and booking a spot in the Olympic semifinals, while in men's triathlon, Hamish Carter beat teammate Bevan Docherty to lead New Zealand to a rare 1-2 finish.

Andrey Moiseev of Russia won the gold medal in the men's modern pentathlon for the first major victory of his career, beating out Andrejus Zadneprovskis of Lithuania and Libor Capalini of the Czech Republic.

"The gold is the ultimate goal for any athlete and I made it," said Moiseev. "I didn't have good shooting results, but as I haven't had any good shooting results all season, it didn't matter.

Melania Grego scored twice in extra time as Italy edged Greece 10-9 for the Olympic women's water polo gold medal. The championship match was locked 7-7 at the end of regulation, after Martina Miceli scored with 4:14 remaining to pull the Italians even.

In sailing, Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez of Spain won the gold medal in the 49er class, while Brazil's Torben Grael clinched the Star class gold medal.

Jung Ji-hyun of South Korea won the 60-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling gold medal, beating Roberto Monzon Gonzalez of Cuba in the final. Alexandr Dokturishivili of Uzbekistan claimed gold in the 74-kilogram division, beating Marko Yli-Hannuksela of Finland 4-1, while Karam Ibrahim of Egypt defeated Ramaz Nozadze of Georgia for the 96-kilogram gold.

NBA star Stephon Marbury set a U.S. Olympic team record of 31 points and the Americans grabbed 12 three-pointers in their best all-around performance of the Olympics to eliminate the previously undefeated Spain from medal contention. Marbury broke the U.S. record of 30 points shared by Charles Barkley (1992 versus Brazil) and Adrian Dantley (1976 versus Yugoslavia).

In the triathlon, Carter, 34, won his first major title, beating Docherty by 7.87 seconds after a gruelling test consisting of 1.5 kilometres of swimming, a 40-kilometre cycling race and the closing 10-kilometre run under the blazing morning sun on a coastal stretch outside Athens.

The doping scandals that have marred these Olympics are not over.

The Ukrainian four-woman rowing team was stripped of its bronze medal after one member tested positive for a banned drug in what is the fourth medal lost because of doping here.

A weightlifter from Hungary also was expelled from the Games on Thursday for failing to provide a urine sample after his event. Zoltan Kovacs, who finished last in the 105-kilogram class, became the 10th weightlifter punished for doping.

Olena Olefirenko was part the Ukraine crew that finished third in lightweight sculls Sunday. Australia finished fourth and will now get the bronze. Germany won the gold and Britain took the silver.

Olympic hammer throw champion Attila Annus said Thursday he is retiring from athletics because of the way he and his teammate, discus thrower Robert Fazekas, have been treated by Olympic authorities here.

Fazekas had his discus gold withdrawn after failing a drug test and Hungarian officials say the Olympic authorities are looking for Annus to test him as well. Fazekas and Annus share the same coach.

In the latest development to the Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou doping scandal that has marred the Games since before the Opening Ceremony, the athletics international governing body said it would launched an investigation into the two Greek sprinters.

Kenteris and Thanou, the host country's favourites for athletics medals, withdrew from the Olympics following a suspicious motorcycle accident just hours after missing a drug test.

While the International Association of Athletics Federations investigates, Kenteris and Thanou are free to participate in competitions, said Nick Davies, IAAF spokesman.

Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, a lawyer for the two athletes, called it a "positive step."

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - The Canadian Olympic Committee has vaulted into the controversy surrounding the judging irregularities that resulted in Calgary's Kyle Shewfelt being denied a bronze medal.

The COC has sent a letter to Burno Grandi, president of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) demanding an explanation for the marks awarded to Romania's Marian Dragulescu.

"What we're asking from them is we'd like to get a response within 24 hours and an idea of how they are going to rectify the situation," said Jackie DeSouza, the COC's director of communications.

Shewfelt finished fourth in the vault even though Dragulescu muffed the landing on his second of two vaults.

Canadian gymnastics officials argue the mistakes Dragulescu made on his final vault make it mathematically impossible for him to receive the score he did.

They also were upset the individual judges scores were improperly tabulated.

Jean-Paul Caron, the president of Gymnastics Canada, did receive an explanation of the marking from Adrian Stoica, the Romanian who is the president of the men's technical committee

Gymnastics Canada officials were not satisfied with the explanation, resulting in the COC writing the letter to Grandi, said DeSouza.

Earlier this week Shewfelt, who won the gold medal in the floor exercise, said he didn't want to get involved in the judging debate.

"He has since changed his mind," said DeSouza. "We've talk to him and he aid he wants to move forward as much as possible because he wants to ge an explanation."

Gymnastic rules prevent protests being filed over marks awarded to athletes other than your own.

Earlier Caron said he doesn't plan to pursue the matter with any outside body like the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Gymnastics Canada's complaint is twofold.

First, it argues that on Dragulescu's second vault he landed out of bounds, put his hand on the ground and took two steps. All these mistakes should have reduced his score to less than the 9.325 he received.

The second argument is based on how the scores were tabulated.

After a vault, a panel of six judges give their scores. The high and low score are thrown out, and the rest are averaged.

For any score over nine, international rules say the head judge is supposed to ensure all the scores are within 0.2 of each other.

But the scores for Dragulescu's second vault were outside the 0.2 range.

Shewfelt isn't the only Canadian involved in an Olympic gymnastics controversy.

A Canadian judge says Stoica urged him to increase the score he gave to the high-bar performance by Russia's Alexei Nemov.

JIM MORRIS; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

... U.S.A. sweeps the 200m sprint getting all the medals in this event (Crawford with gold) just as they sweeped the 100m sprint.

[Littledragon]

Tae Kwon Do:

Fly Wieght Men and Woman:

Chinese Taipai Wins the Gold!

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- An hour after the game, Mia Hamm was still on the field, hugging, crying, and posing for pictures with an Olympic gold medal around her neck.

Then, finally, she left.

After 17 years, 153 goals and 266 games -- including a grueling overtime finale -- it was time for her to go.

"There are few times in your life where you get to write the final chapter the way you want to," Hamm said. "I think a lot of us did that tonight."

Hamm and the rest of the Fab Five had just enough left in their thirtysomething bodies for one more triumph in their final tournament together. Led by two goals from the next generation, the United States beat Brazil 2-1 Thursday to claim the Olympic title.

Abby Wambach, the player who might break Hamm's records one day, scored the game-winning goal in the 112th minute with a powerful 10-yard header off a corner kick from Kristine Lilly. It was Wambach's fourth goal of the Athens Games and 18th in her last 20 games.

The game marked the final competitive appearance together for the remaining players from the first World Cup championship team in 1991. The five helped bring their sport to national prominence and captured the country's imagination by winning the World Cup in 1999, and together they have played in 1,230 international matches.

Hamm, Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett are retiring from the national team -- although they might play in farewell exhibitions this fall -- leaving Lilly and Brandi Chastain as the last of the old guard. Hamm plans to start a family with her husband, Chicago Cubs shortstop Nomar Garciaparra.

"I talked about feeling good about where I was in my life, and this is a great way to end it," Hamm said.

The retiring players left happy with the final result, but they might never want to watch a replay of a game that showed it was perhaps time for them to hang it up.

The Americans were slower, less organized, less creative and lost the chase to most of the loose balls against the young Brazilians, who weren't afraid to shove the U.S. stars around.

Pretinha scored for Brazil in the 73rd off of a rebound, and the Brazilians twice hit the post later in regulation, coming within inches of what would have been the winning goal.

"I think today, Brazil was the better team," coach Rene Simoes said. "We deserved to win."

What Brazil lacked, though, was the passion of a group of players determined to give their heroes a proper send-off.

"We were bending, but we weren't breaking," goalkeeper Briana Scurry said. "They were throwing the kitchen sink at us, but I knew we had the heart to win it."

Hamm was a nonfactor throughout the game, unable to find space to make the kind of runs that made her famous. Hamm's post-game speech in the locker room was a great big "Thank you" to her teammates.

"They carried me tonight, that's for sure," the 32-year-old Hamm said.

The U.S. team was rescued by Wambach, some great saves from Scurry and a stunning 39th-minute goal from Lindsay Tarpley, whose 24-yard drive skirted two defenders and curled just inside the left post.

"Tarp and I, it's the least we can do for the women who have meant so much to us," Wambach said.

When the final whistle blew, Hamm was quickly swarmed by all 17 teammates. The team then took a victory lap, waving flags to the crowd of 10,416 at Karaiskaki Stadium.

Hamm clenched her fists under her chin and looked to the sky with teary eyes after arriving behind the podium for the medal ceremony. Foudy, Fawcett, Hamm, Lilly and Chastain stood together at the far left -- making them first on their team to receive medals. Hamm blew a kiss to the crowd when her name was announced. Foudy smiled and helped lead the fans in a chant of "U-S-A."

Brazil received its first women's soccer medal after finishing fourth at the last two Olympics. Germany, which beat Sweden 1-0 in the third-place game, took the bronze.

The win helped erase the sting of the loss to Norway in the gold-medal game in Sydney four years ago and a third-place finish at last year's World Cup. In the 1990s, the United States ruled women's soccer, but the other teams have caught up over the last five years.

The victory also offers a measure of vindication for coach April Heinrichs, who took over after the 1999 World Cup and failed to win the top prize in 2000 or 2003.

The team was captained for the last time by Foudy, who played the entire 120 minutes just three days after spraining her right ankle in the semifinal victory over Germany.

The Americans were out of sorts from the opening whistle. They couldn't handle the Brazilian pressure and could barely string two passes together to get their possession game going.

The Brazilians came out playing very physically, pushing and grabbing whenever they could get away with it. Simoes accused the Americans of trying to hurt his players when the two teams met in a 2-0 U.S. victory in the first round last week, but this time his team was clearly the aggressor.

Scurry, while not announcing her retirement, has also said this will be her last Olympics. Her teammates had her to thank for not trailing by a goal at halftime.

Scurry dived right, stretching her body as far as it could go, to barely get a piece of Elaine's 19-yard shot in the sixth minute. In the 41st, Scurry somehow pushed away a short drive from Cristiane that deflected off Chastain, ending a furious sequence that began with an indirect free kick from 10 yards out.

Given Brazil's control of the first half, Tarpley's goal seemed to come out of nowhere. In a rare attack for the U.S. team, she found space to launch her shot from the top of the penalty box and into the upper corner of the net.

But the Brazilians kept pressing. Daniela was wide left with a low 24-yard drive early in the second half, and various crosses were just off target or gathered by Scurry.

In the final minutes of regulation, Brazil was clearly controlling the play, and their goal seemed inevitable.

Cristiane, 19, ran past 36-year-old Fawcett with ease down the left flank, then beat defender Kate Markgraf before sliding a cross toward Pretinha. Scurry could only get a hand on the pass, leaving Pretinha alone for the easy shot to tie the score.

Cristiane was just wide right with a long curling shot two minutes later, then she hit the left post with a 20-yard drive. In the 88th minute, Pretinha beat Scurry with a 16-yard shot, but it also hit the left post.

The U.S. team, the oldest in the tournament, was playing its sixth game in 16 days -- and its second straight 120-minute overtime game.

Even so, the Americans found a way to win it.

"We wanted to send them out on top," Tarpley said. "They've done so much for the women's game. To be able to win gold when some of them are retiring -- it's a great night."


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Littledragon]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Shawn Crawford stood silently amid the Greek chorus of whistles and boos delaying his race. For four minutes, he fought to stay composed while rowdy fans chanted the name of their country and their disgraced sprinting star.

It made little difference to Crawford and his teammates. They finished 1-2-3 in the 200 meters Thursday in a big night for U.S. athletes before a restive crowd that wanted to see defending champion Kostas Kenteris and got an American sweep instead.

Crawford took the lead off the turn and finished in 19.79 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year and a personal best. Bernard Williams tied his personal best of 20.01 seconds for silver. Justin Gatlin, the 100 champion, won bronze in 20.03.

"We're here at the birthplace of the Olympics, the defending Olympic champion is from Greece and there were certain situations that didn't allow him to compete," Crawford said. "I can understand their feelings, I know they're disappointed, I know they're upset."

The crowd still cheered at the finish. It was the sixth time the United States has taken all three 200 medals -- the last sweep was led by Carl Lewis in 1984.

And it gave the United States a total of 18 track and field medals, just two behind the total from Sydney, with the relays and several other events still to come. Russia is next with nine medals.

Dwight Phillips added to the U.S. haul, leading a 1-2 American finish in the long jump with NCAA champion John Moffitt taking silver. In the first round of the 400-meter relay, Marion Jones ran the second leg as the U.S. team's 41.67 matched its own best time in the world this year.

Crawford and Williams were doing a victory lap, draped together in an American flag, when Phillips climbed the victory stand to accept his gold medal. The sprinters stopped on the track as "The Star-Spangled Banner" was played. Williams put his right hand over his heart.

Crawford was asked whether he felt cheated because his victory lap was cut short.

"I didn't worry about that," he said. "I got a full gold medal."

Olympic Stadium was packed, largely because Greeks thought they would be watching Kenteris, who withdrew from the Athens Games after missing a drug test.

The start of the 200 was delayed four minutes while spectators whistled in derision and chanted "Kenteris" and "Hellas, Hellas" -- the Greek word for Greece. They booed loudest when the Americans were introduced.

Crawford, a flamboyant personality who had showboated mercilessly in earlier heats, was unusually subdued after the finish.

His victory gave controversial coach Trevor Graham a sweep of the men's short sprints. Crawford and Gatlin are training partners under Graham, who acknowledged on the night of Gatlin's 100-meter victory that he was the coach who sent a syringe of a mystery steroid to authorities last year -- fueling the drug scandal that has swept the sport.

Phillips won the long jump with a leap of 28 feet, 21/4 inches on his first attempt. Moffitt won silver at 27-91/2. Joan Lino Martinez of Spain took the bronze medal.

Four years ago in Sydney, Americans failed to medal in the long jump for the first time since the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games.

"It's been such a great Olympic Games, just so many positive things happening," Phillips said.

Felix Sanchez won the Dominican Republic's first Olympic gold medal, capturing the 400-meter hurdles in more of a coronation than a triumph. Sanchez has not lost in more than three years, winning two world championships and dominating his event more than any other track and field athlete.

Sanchez, born in New York and raised in San Diego, won in 47.63. Danny McFarlane of Jamaica took silver in 48.11 and Naman Keita was third in 48.26. James Carter faded badly to fourth in the final stretch, and U.S. teammate Bennie Brazell was last.

Also Thursday, Terrence Trammell advanced to the final of the 110-meter hurdles, but U.S. teammate Duane Ross failed to make it out of the semifinals. Allen Johnson, the four-time world champion and a medal favorite, fell in the second round on Wednesday.

France's Ladji Doucoure ran the fastest time of 13.06 in the semifinals. Trammell, a silver medalist in Sydney, tied for second fastest with 13.17. Also reaching the final were defending champion Anier Garcia of Cuba and medal favorite Liu Xiang of China.

In the 400-meter relay, Jones took the baton and sped down the straightaway. By the time she handed it off to 100-meter silver medalist Lauryn Williams, the United States was well on its way to winning the heat.

The race may have implications long after the Olympics. Jones is under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and if she is found guilty of using banned drugs it could impact any medal the team might win.

Jones has not been charged with doping and had repeatedly denied she ever used performance-enhancing substances. But her ex-husband, former shot putter C.J. Hunter, reportedly has told federal agents she used banned drugs before, during and after the Sydney Games.

USA Track & Field officials decided to use Jones despite the drug cloud surrounding her and the precedent of the Jerome Young case.

Young ran on the victorious 1,600 relay in Sydney after testing positive for steroids a year earlier. He was stripped of his medal in June and the world governing body of track and field has recommended that the entire U.S. team -- including Michael Johnson -- forfeit the gold.

U.S. Olympic Committee chief executive Jim Scherr said before the games began that USATF officials should keep the Young case in mind as they decided on relay squads for the Athens Games.

"They have that benefit of hindsight now, and we would hope they exercise it judiciously," he said.

On Friday night, Jones will compete in the long jump final and the relay -- her only events of the Athens Games.

She won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Games, but failed to qualify this summer in the 100 and dropped out of the 200 at the U.S. Olympic trials. Jones won both sprints in Sydney, where she also led the 1,600-meter relay team to gold.

Jones towers over the other three members of the team -- Williams, Angela Williams and LaTasha Colander. She's also the resident senior citizen.

"This team is a lot different than four years ago. They're young, they're fresh, they're excited about every little thing, and that brings a little more excitement to it all," Jones said. "I'm only 28 but I feel like the old lady of the bunch."


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - What Canada Did on Friday at the Summer Olympics (distances in metres unless specified):

ATHLETICS
Men's 50-km walk: Tim Berrett, Edmonton, finished 31st in final.

Men's 100 hurdles: Charles Allen, Brampton, Ont., placed sixth in final in 13.48 seconds compared with winning time of 12.91.

Men's 400 relay: Nicolas Macrozonaris, Laval, Que.; Anson Henry, Pickering, Ont.; Charles Allen, Brampton, and Pierre Browne, Toronto, finished seventh in first-round heat, eliminated.

CANOE-KAYAK
Men's K-1 1,000: Adam van Koeverden, Oakville, Ont., won bronze medal.

Men's C-1 1,000: Stephen Giles, Lake Echo, N.S., finished fifth in final.

Women's K-4 500: Karen Furneaux, Waverley, N.S.; Carrie Lightbound, Mississauga, Ont.; Kamini Jain, Calgary; Jillian D'Alessio, Middle Sackville, N.S., eighth in final.

Men's C-2 1,000: Richard Dalton, Halifax, and Michael Scarola, Waverley, sixth in final.

Men's K-4 1,000: Steven Jorens, Aurora, Ont.; Richard Dober, Trois-Rivieres, Que.; Ryan Cuthbert, Carleton Place, Ont.; Andrew Willows, Gananoque, Ont., ninth in final.

CYCLING
Women's mountain bike: Marie-Helene Premont, Chateau-Richer, Que., won silver medal; Alison Sydor, Noprth Vancouver, B.C., placed fourth in final; Kiara Bisaro, Courtenay, B.C., was 15th.

DIVING
Men's 10m platform: Alexandre Despatie, Laval, was second after preliminary round, qualified for semifinal; Christopher Kalec, Laval, finished 12th, also advanced.

EQUESTRIAN
Individual jumping: Ian Millar, Perth, Ont., on Promise Me, was tied for 12th with eight points after preliminary round.

MODERN PENTATHLON
Women: Monica Pinette, Langley, B.C., finished 13th overall, finishing 10th in shooting, fourth in fencing, 30th in swimming, 21st in riding and 22nd in running; Kara Grant, Stratford, P.E.I., was 22nd overall (20th, shooting; 12th, fencing; 32nd, swimming; 18th, riding; 5th, running).

SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING
Team: Erin Chan and Shayna Nackoney, both Calgary; Jessica Chase, St-Laurent, Que.; Jessika Dubuc; Marie-Pierre Gagne and Anouk Reniere-Lafreniere, all Montreal; Fanny Letourneau, Deux-Montagnes, Que.; Courtenay Stewart, Unionville, Ont., and Nicole Cargill, Regina, finished fifth in final with 95.251 points, while Russia won gold with 99.501.

WRESTLING
Freestyle
Men's 66-kg: Evan MacDonald, Ottawa, lost 11-0 to Serafim Barzakov, Bulgaria, greater superiority, then lost 10-7 to Leonid Spiridonov, Kazakhstan, eliminating the Canadian.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

Russian women dominated the long jump event by sweeping the medals!

[yudansha]

SCHINIAS, Greece (CP) - A year or so ago, veteran kayaker Eirik Larsen agreed to take in a precocious kid from Canada and share with him some of the secrets of the powerful Norwegian paddling team.

It wasn't long before Larsen realized the person sleeping on his sofa was developing into a threat, something Adam van Koeverden reminded him of Friday at the Olympics.

Van Koeverden jumped out to an early lead in the men's K-1 1,000-metre final at the Summer Games and held it halfway through the race. But he couldn't maintain his blistering speed for the full kilometre and ended up winning a bronze medal in a nine-boat field packed with medal contenders.

Larsen chased down his former guest to win the gold.

"After he trained with us, he became very good," said Larsen. "I don't know if that was the reason but he took a big step forward. He beat me in the worlds in 2003."

In all, Van Koeverden spent five weeks training with the Norwegians in Oslo last year. After his silver-medal performance at the 2003 worlds, the native of Oakville, Ont., was essentially given the boot by his hosts.

"(The Norwegian coach) came up to me and said, 'You're getting too dangerous,' " said van Koeverden. "I've trained with Eirik since, but we used to go every day, twice a day together. This year, it was more like twice a week."

The 22-year-old Canadian's solid performance was no surprise to Larsen.

"Of course I was afraid of him for this race," said the 28-year-old Norwegian. "I'm just happy that I beat him, but I'm also happy that he got a medal."

Larsen says van Koeverden has learned a lot from the Norwegians.

"All the paddlers are at a very high level," said Larsen. "That's why I took the decision and told him that he couldn't train with our group this year."

While it was Larsen's coach who actually gave van Koeverden the news, Larsen said it was ultimately his decision.

"Of course, I told him it was my coach who came up with the decision," Larsen said with a laugh.

But van Koeverden says there are no hard feelings and both say they're still friends.

"We're very respectful of each other," said van Koeverden, who steered his kayak over to Larsen following the race and shook his hand.

Larsen, the 2001 and 2002 world champion who won a bronze later in the day in the K-2 1,000, was first in three minutes 25.897 seconds, ahead of New Zealand's Ben Fouhy, the 2003 world champion, in 3:27.413.

Van Koeverden finished in 3:28.218. He went out hard but was eventually caught and narrowly won the bronze over Australian Nathan Baggaley.

"I wanted to give it my all, maybe I gave it a little bit too much," said van Koeverden, who admitted to being emotional on the medal podium. "Going through the 500, I was really dead . . . It was the toughest race I've ever raced."

Van Koeverden came into the Olympic regatta with two World Cup medals - a silver and a gold - and a bronze from an international regatta in Duisburg.

He said earlier in the week he would have considered a fourth-place finish a failure. But he backed off that statement Friday.

"Is fourth, fifth a failure in this field? I honestly think no," he said.

Canada's previous best in the Olympic K-1 1,000 was eighth by Renn Crichlow in 1992 in Barcelona.

Stephen Giles of Lake Echo, N.S., finished fifth in the C-1 1,000-metre canoe final in his final Olympic race. A bronze medallist four years ago in Sydney, the 32-year-old paddler challenged at the 750-metre mark but was overtaken and fell back.

Spain's David Cal won the race, toppling Germany's Andreas Dittmer, the defending gold medallist and three-time defending world champion at 1,000 metres.

"I'm a bit disappointed with the result," Giles said. "It was a pretty good race for me.

"The first 250 was really good. I felt like I was moving at about the right pace."

A 15-year member of the national team, Giles was competing in his fourth Olympics.

"I'm sad and happy all at the same time," said Giles.

Karen Furneaux of Waverley, N.S., Carrie Lightbound of Mississauga, Ont., Kamini Jain of Calgary and Jillian D'Alessio of Middle Sackville, N.S., finished eighth in the K-4 500 final. The Canadian boat was ninth in this event four years ago in Sydney. Germany won the K-4 500 gold.

Richard Dalton of Halifax and Michael Scarola of Waverley, N.S., finished sixth in the C-2 1,000 canoe final, while Steven Jorens of Aurora, Ont., Richard Dober of Trois-Rivieres, Que., Ryan Cuthbert of Carleton Place, Ont., and Andrew Willows of Gananoque, Ont., finished ninth in the K-4 1,000 final.

Athens marks only the second time Canada has qualified for 10 finals in the event. The first was during the boycotted 1984 Games in Los Angeles. Canada had six boats in finals at both the 1996 Games in Atlanta and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Another five Canadian boats are in finals Saturday, including van Koeverden in the K-1 500 metres.

JULIE SCOTT; © The Canadian Press, 2004

[yudansha]

ATHENS (CP) - It was nine years ago that a young volunteer working at a World Cup mountain bike race at Mont Ste-Anne, Que., became swept up in the emotion of the riders.

"I was looking at the girls and the feelings they seemed to have at the finish line," Marie-Helene Premont remembered with a smile. "All the effort they gave. "That's what I wanted to do." Premont created her own excitement and enthusiasm Friday when she rode to a silver medal in the women's mountain bike race at the Olympics Games.

"It's hard to describe what I'm actually feeling," said Premont, who up until last year worked with her mother as a house painter. "I'm so happy.

"It's a feeling I hope to share with everybody."

Canadian flags waved and Premont pumped her fist in the air after crossing the finish line 59 seconds behind