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*2004 Olympics, Athens

Forum: Sports

Category: OLYMPIC GAMES

Section: *2004 Olympics, Athens

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The Heart of Sports An Olympic Prayer Revisited
Posting Member: OneNewsNow.com

News Source:	AgapePress
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

(AgapePress) - Prior to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, I penned a prayer that I thought could serve as a preamble to the Games. Of course, I don't expect Olympic officials to allow any sort of prayer, ever, during the opening ceremonies or at any other time during the Games. But I'm sure -- I hope -- there are some Christians competing in the Turin Olympics this month (I hear U.S. bobsledder Vonita Flowers is one). I wonder what they pray before... MORE

Gold Medal In Arrogance
Posting Member: Frederick Meekins

News Source:	The Epistolizer
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

Olympic Officials Assume Godlike Powers Over Human Lives... MORE

U.S. Men's Hoops Team Set to Face Spain
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- LeBron James is the latest to lower expectations for the U.S. men's basketball team. "We have one job, to win the gold medal, but we don't think it's a failure if we don't accomplish that," James said Wednesday after the Americans held their final practice before their quarterfinal contest with Spain. The Spaniards were the class of the tournament in the preliminary round, but it remained to be seen if that success would carry over. The other quarterfinals Thursday pit Puerto Rico against Italy, Lithuania against China and Argentina against Greece. The U.S. team's final practice at the American College of Gre... MORE

Marion Jones Chasing Two Medals
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Marion Jones is back, chasing not one but two medals, while Allen Johnson - the captain of the U.S. Olympic track team - can only watch others run the race he thought he would win. And Allyson Felix has finally broken through on the world stage and accepted her role in the future of her sport. Jones returned quietly to the Olympic scene she dominated four years ago in Sydney, qualifying for the finals Wednesday in the long jump. Afterward, she talked and laughed with reporters just like the old days - before the U.S. Anti-Doping Association began investigating her. ... MORE

Bronze, Then Tearful Farewell for Gardner
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- 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 264 1/2 pounds, Gardner sat down on the mat, an American flag draped in his arms, and took off his shoes in the traditional sign o... MORE

Olympic-Sized Doubletalk
Posting Member: Frederick Meekins

News Source:	The Epistolizer
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

Headline: “Puerto Rico beats the United States in Olympic Basketball.” What’s wrong with the above statement? Well, the last time I checked, Puerto Rico is part of the United States.... MORE

Paul Hamm Waits Out Boos, Then Wins Silver
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- For 10 minutes, the crowd booed and whistled, creating a deafening roar. Paul Hamm sat around and waited to start his routine. A week's worth of controversy in gymnastics boiled over into the stands Monday during a bizarre, extraordinary evening. Hamm was able to block out the noise and win a silver medal on high bar, and four-time Olympic gold medalist Alexei Nemov finished fifth, much to the chagrin of the crowd. ... MORE

U.S. Softball Team Wins Third Gold Medal
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- They are America's newest golden girls - powerful and just a shade from perfection. The U.S. softball team won its third straight gold medal with an unprecedented and nearly unblemished romp through the Olympics, capped by a 5-1 victory Monday over an Australian team that, like the rest of softball's elite, never had a chance. The Americans zeroed in on a gold medal, and were 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. One minor flaw on an otherwise perfect run on the game's grandest diamond. Women's softball has... MORE

Wariner Leads U.S. Sweep in 400
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Jeremy Wariner is just 20 years old. He just led a U.S. sweep in the 400 meters at the Olympic Games. So c'mon kid, get excited! Cool, calm and with a fluid running style all his own, the lean Baylor University student raced to the gold medal Monday night wearing sunglasses, two earrings and a jingling necklace. After crossing the line, he waved a U.S. flag and embraced the teammates who finished right behind him. But there was no massive show of emotion. That's not his style. "It hasn't sunk in yet," he said. "I have a four-by-four relay I've got to concentrate on. It's going to hit me in a couple of d... MORE

U.S., Australia Battle for Softball Gold
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Tanya Harding jumped up, shrieked with delight and wrapped her arms tightly around Australian catcher Marissa Carpadios as the two kicked up dust with a dance in the infield dirt. The Aussies were guaranteed one more game at the Olympics - and another shot at the United States. This time for a gold medal. Harding pitched her fourth shutout of the Athens Games, leading Australia to a 3-0 win over Japan on Sunday and setting up a rematch with a U.S. team that is flirting with perfection in its pursuit of a third straight gold. The game begins at 9 a.m. EDT. "We're going to come out firing," Aussie first baseman... MORE

U.S. Gymnasts Win 3 Medals; Hamm Angry
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Three got medals, and Paul Hamm got mad. The United States upped its gymnastics medal haul to seven Sunday night, the most since the Americans won 16 at the boycotted Los Angeles Games in 1984. And they might not be finished yet. Hamm failed to medal in either of his events, finishing fifth on floor and sixth on pommel horse. But he was more upset with the International Gymnastics Federation, which acknowledged Saturday that a scoring error wrongly gave him the gold in the all-around over Yang Tae-young of South Korea. Though FIG says it cannot change the results, the South Koreans plan to appeal to the Court of Arbi... MORE

Russian Shot Putter Stripped of Gold Medal
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Russia's Irina Korzhanenko was stripped of her shot put gold medal Monday, the first athlete of the Athens Games to lose an Olympic title because of doping. Korzhanenko, the first woman to win a gold medal at the sacred site of Ancient Olympia, tested positive for the steroid stanozolol after Wednesday's competition. The backup B sample confirmed the initial finding. The International Olympic Committee executive board expelled Korzhanenko from the games and ordered the Russian Olympic Committee to return the medal. ... MORE

Felix, Two Other U.S. Women Advance in 200
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Allyson Felix led three American women into the second round of the 200 meters on Monday, posting the fastest time of 22.39 seconds in the qualifying heats. Joining the 18-year-old Felix in the quarterfinals later Monday were U.S. teammates Muna Lee, who won her heat in 22.57, and LaShaunte'a Moore, who placed third in her heat in 23.10. Also advancing were France's Christine Arron, who was eliminated in the semifinals of the 100 after being favored to win that race, and 44-year-old Merlene Ottey. ... MORE

U.S. Softball Team Posts Shutout No. 7
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Cat Osterman struck out 10 in six innings, Crystl Bustos homered and the United States completed a perfect run through the preliminary round with a 3-0 win over Taiwan on Friday, setting up a U.S.-Australia showdown in the semifinals. On another blistering day, the U.S. (7-0) stayed as hot as the Athenian sunshine. The Americans are dominating in a way never seen before. Through seven games, they've outscored the opposition 41-0, allowed just 11 hits, allowed three runners to reach third and are poised to completely rewrite the Olympic record book. Dominant may not adequately describe what the U.S. has done to... MORE

Patterson Becomes America's Golden Girl
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Carly Patterson wanted to be an Olympic champion for as long as she can remember, hoping she'd be "the next Mary Lou" someday. Now, little girls all over America want to be "the next Carly." Soaring high above the floor and strutting her stuff as if she owned the place, the 16-year-old dynamo became the first U.S. woman to win the Olympic all-around since Mary Lou Retton in 1984. And in the process, she tumbled her way into the hearts of millions of Americans. "I'm happy to be a role model," Patterson said Thursday night, her smile as bright as the golden medal around her neck. "It's just cool that little girls lo... MORE

Local Greeks agog
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

Pete Gouskos wanted to be in Greece for the Olympics. Instead, the owner of the Parthenon Restaurant and Chevy Chase Lounge had to settle for a preview of the Olympic spectacular — visiting the new stadium and driving on the new roads — when he visited his native country for his niece's wedding earlier this month.... MORE

American Nelson Takes Silver in Shot Put
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) -- Adam Nelson couldn't help himself. While parading with his silver medal around the site where the Olympics were born 28 centuries ago, he paused to look at the mark in the dirt he thought was his gold-medal spot. Nelson's final throw appeared to be a winner. But a foul was called, giving the shot put gold to Ukraine's Yuriy Bilonog - who had exactly the same winning toss as Nelson, but triumphed Wednesday because his next-best throw was better. After the foul was called, Nelson remained helplessly in the shot put ring for three minutes, pointing and pleading with officials, even as Bilonog took the fla... MORE

Hall, Lezak Qualify in Olympic 50 Free
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- American Gary Hall Jr., the defending Olympic champion, and teammate Jason Lezak qualified for the 50-meter freestyle semifinals Thursday, but two of their biggest rivals failed to advance. Two-time Olympic champion Alexander Popov of Russia and Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands, the 2000 bronze medalist, didn't make the 16-man evening semifinal. Americans Michael Phelps and Ian Crocker moved on to the evening 100 butterfly semifinal, while Diana Munz and Kalyn Keller made the 800 freestyle final, set for Friday. Van den Hoogenband, the 100 free gold medalist, was 17th in 22.56 - just three-hundredt... MORE

Venus, Roddick Upset in Olympic Tennis
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Maybe all that talk from Andy Roddick and Venus Williams about taking the Olympics as seriously as a Grand Slam was just that: talk. Or perhaps they just played poorly against inspired opponents. Either way, both former No. 1 players were sent home by straight-set upsets in the third round Wednesday, taking their star power with them and leaving the tournament with the feel of just another second-tier event. A day after top-ranked Roger Federer lost, apparently easing Roddick's path to a medal, the U.S. Open champion was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by No. 16 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile. ... MORE

Hamm Wins All-Around Gymnastics Title
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- With his medal hopes all but gone after he hit the judges' table on his vault landing, Paul Hamm performed two of the most spectacular routines of his career to win the men's all-around gymnastics title by the closest Olympics margin ever. "I'm happy right now. Shocked, actually," he said. "To be in first place after that kind of mistake, I thought there was no chance to win." ... MORE

IWF Suspends Five More Weightlifters
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Five weightlifters were suspended Thursday for flunking drug tests they took before the Olympics, including two who were pulled out just before walking to the lifting stand. The International Weightlifting Federation said the suspended lifters were Wafa Ammouri of Morocco, Zoltan Kecskes of Hungary, Viktor Chislean of Moldova, Pratima Kumari Na of India and Sule Sahbaz of Turkey ... MORE

Five weightlifters fail drugs tests
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Ananova
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

The Olympic Games were rocked on Thursday by the revelation that five weightlifters have failed drugs tests. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the news at their morning briefing, without naming the quintet. Myanmar weightlifter Nan Aye Khine had already been thrown out of the Games for returning a positive result, and these were all new cases. IOC director of communications Giselle Davies said : "These test were done during the period of the Olympics but out of the event itself. "The five athletes concerned tested positive before they competed." Names could emerge later today when the International Weightlifting Fed... MORE

Smith Returns to U.S. Women's Hoops Team
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Katie Smith spotted up just behind the 3-point line, caught a pass and without hesitating, flicked the ball toward the basket. Swish! Though she has made hundreds of such shots in her career, this one was a little more significant. After being sidelined more than three weeks by a knee injury, Smith was practicing with the U.S. Olympic team for the first time - and loving every minute. "Just running, playing a little defense, little things, it didn't matter what I was doing, it felt good," said Smith, all smiles after the workout. "You don't necessarily take it for granted, but you when do have injuries and you f... MORE

Miscues Cost U.S. Women Gymnastics Gold
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- They're the kind of errors only judges see, little things that seem so inconsequential. But those mistakes added 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 sheer superiority. Their errors in every event cost 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. Silver is nothing to be ashamed of, of course. The U.S. men won one Monday night and were positively giddy. And it's far better than leav... MORE

Greek Sprinters Withdraw From Olympics
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou withdrew Wednesday from the Athens Games, nearly a week after they missed a drug test and were later hospitalized following a suspicious motorcycle crash. "I'm withdrawing from the Olympics," Kenteris said after meeting with the International Olympic Committee's disciplinary commission. He also said he cut ties with his coach, Christos Tsekos, who had been suspended by the Greek Olympic Committee, along with the two runners. Kenteris' announcement had no bearing on the hearing. The IOC's executive board met to discuss whether the two were guilty of doping... MORE

U.S. Bounces Back to Beat Greece 77-71
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Lamar Odom made a key defensive play on Greece's Dimitris Pipanikoulaou, preventing him from getting a clean layup attempt that could have cut the United States' lead to two points, and the Americans won 77-71 Tuesday night in the second round of the Olympic men's basketball tournament. In a much closer game than expected, the Americans bounced back from their embarrassing loss to Puerto Rico in their opener and avoided dropping to 0-2, which would have matched their loss total from the previous 68 years. "We wanted to play this one and get that out of our heads," Tim Duncan said. ... MORE

Phelps Advances in 200-Meter Medley
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Michael Phelps, seeking his sixth medal of the Athens Olympics, advanced in the 200-meter individual medley Wednesday with a conservative swim. The world record holder and heavy favorite for gold, Phelps was second-quickest with a preliminary time of 2 minutes, 0.01 seconds. The 19-year-old from Baltimore didn't get to sleep until 2 a.m. after helping the Americans win gold over Australia in the 800 freestyle relay. "There's a lot of emotion around from last night," Phelps said. "I'm a little tired, but I'll get a nap and I'll be better tonight." ... MORE

Women's Volleyball: Dominicans Beat U.S.
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Placed in a difficult pool, the United States appeared to have one easy foe on the preliminary schedule. Try telling that to the Dominican Republic. Milagros Cabral de la Cruz had the match-winning kill in the fifth set Wednesday and the Dominicans upset the Americans, 26-24, 22-25, 27-25, 23-25, 19-17. The U.S. dropped to 1-2 and must face sixth-ranked Russia on Friday and fifth-ranked Cuba on Sunday to close out the first round of the Olympic tournament. The top four in the six-team pool advance to the quarterfinals. ... MORE

U.S. Men Qualify for Final in Shot Put
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) -- Two U.S. men advanced to the final of the shot put Wednesday, hoping to make even more history at the ancient site that gave birth to the Olympics 2,780 years ago. Adam Nelson had the best qualifying throw of 69-4 3/4 (21.15 meters) and John Godina threw 67-4 1/4 (20.5 meters). Teammate Reese Hoffa failed to qualify for the final, ending U.S. hopes of a medal sweep. The shot put is being held at this former religious sanctuary, about 200 miles southwest of Athens, two days before the rest of the track and field competition begins Friday at the Olympic stadium in the nation's capital. "It's a privileg... MORE

Softball: U.S. Beats China 4-0
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

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 the 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. "She was awesome," said catcher Jenny Topping, who added two hits. "She had her full arsenal." ... MORE

U.S. to Get First Fencing Medal Since'84
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The United States was assured of winning its first fencing medal in 20 years Tuesday after Sada Jacobson and Mariel Zagunis advanced to the semifinals in saber competition. In the quarterfinals, Jacobson beat Leonore Perrus of France 15-11. Perrus knocked out Sada's sister, Emily, 15-13 in the round of 16, preventing the sisters from playing each other. ... MORE

U.S. Gymnasts End Rebuilding With Silver
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS,Greece (AP) -- Twenty years later, the boys are back on the medal stand. The American men's gymnastics program, long overlooked and often unappreciated, won Olympic silver Monday, capping a four-year rebuilding project to take home a medal for the first time since the boycotted 1984 Games. After faltering in the middle two rotations, Paul and Morgan Hamm led a rally. 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 p... MORE

Phelps' record dreams fall short
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS — He is still a masterful swimmer, arguably the world's best, and a likely candidate for enshrinement on a Wheaties box. But there will be no equaling of Mark Spitz's record, no million-dollar bonus, no transcending the sport that he has worked so hard to lift from relative obscurity. ... MORE

U.S. Men's Volleyball Team Loses Again
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The U.S. men's volleyball team sees itself as being in a much better position to medal in Athens than four years ago during a miserable performance in Sydney. But that's not to say success will be easy. The field is stacked, as the Americans found out Sunday when Italy beat them in four sets to begin the preliminary competition. "It tells me we can play with this team," said opposite Clay Stanley, who led all scorers with 21 points. "We can play with any team. We've played with all of them. We've beaten all of them." Matej Cernic had seven of his 18 kills in the third set to give his team a 2-1 edge, and the I... MORE

U.S., Romania Gymnasts Set Up for Showdown
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times / AP
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The American gymnasts breezed through the first two events of qualifying, looking every bit the defending world champions and seeming like a pretty good bet for Olympic gold, too. But there are four events, not two. And fortunately for the Americans, the gold medal is given out on the second day, not the first. "They just have to calm down and get it where they need to be," coach Kelli Hill said Sunday after the United States blew a 0.99-point lead over its final two events, winding up more than a half-point behind defending Olympic champion Romania. ... MORE

Martirosyan Gets U.S. Boxing's Second Win
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Washington Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Vanes Martirosyan erased any doubts about the legitimacy of his spot in Athens, battering Algeria's Benamar Meskine in a 45-20 victory in the preliminaries Sunday to earn a second-round match with Cuba's Lorenzo Aragon. "I finished like a champion," said Martirosyan, an Armenian-born 18-year-old fighter from Glendale, Calif. "I could have won another four rounds, to tell you the truth. I felt so good out there." Seven months ago, Martirosyan was the United States' 14th-ranked amateur welterweight - not a typical starting point for an Olympic boxer. But Sunday he showed the power and flair of a contender, dictat... MORE

U.S. Softball Team Again Shows No Mercy
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	WASHINGTON TIMES
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Lisa Fernandez and the U.S. softball team showed no mercy - again. Fernandez allowed one hit and the Americans dominated their old Olympic nemesis Australia, blowing out the two-time bronze medalists 10-0 Sunday in a game called after five innings because the Aussies were too far behind. The win pushed the U.S. team's Olympic record to 17-4, but two of the losses came against Australia. Both times, Fernandez was the losing pitcher after giving up walk-off home runs in extra innings. When the Olympic softball schedule was released, Fernandez grabbed a marker and began counting down the days. "This game is alway... MORE

May, Walsh Easily Win Beach Opener
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	WASHINGTON TIMES
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Top-ranked American beach volleyball duo Misty May and Kerri Walsh, teammates for just the second time in two months, defeated Japan's Chiaki Kusuhara and Ryoko Tokuno 21-9, 21-16 in preliminary pool play Sunday. May spent much of the summer rehabbing a pulled abdominal muscle while Walsh played with others and fretted about her favorite partner's status. They played five matches in Hermosa beach in July before May decided she needed more time to recover. On Sunday night, May showed no signs of an injury, leaping and diving with confidence and ease. "It's fine. No problem," she said. "It felt great to get ou... MORE

So Far, Olympics Are a Box-Office Bust
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	WASHINGTON TIMES
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- In the Olympic tennis stadium, Venus Williams' grunts echoed loudly off several thousand empty seats. There were so few people at the gymnastics preliminaries that it looked like a high school meet. So far, the Olympics are a box-office bust. Across Athens, on the opening weekend of the Olympics, the scene was the same: Wrestlers grappled in front of only a few hundred fans, archers had the old Olympic stadium nearly to themselves and softball was played before a backdrop of empty stands. "I watched it on TV and when you looked in the background, you were like, `Wow, it's the Olympics and nobody is there,'" for... MORE

Roddick, Venus, Navratilova Win Openers
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	WASHINGTON TIMES
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- French Open finalist Elena Dementieva of Russia was upset in the first round of the Olympic tennis tournament, losing to Alicia Molik of Australia 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 Monday. At a nearly empty Court 1, whipping winds gave Dementieva, the silver medalist at the 2000 Sydney Games, plenty of trouble with her serving - already the weakest part of her game. Nearly each ball toss was an adventure, with the fourth-seeded Russian having to lean awkwardly just to make contact on serves. ... MORE

Greek Sprinters Get Two-Day Hearing Delay
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	WASHINGTON TIMES
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou got another delay Monday from an IOC panel that will decide whether they should be banned from the Summer Games for missing a drug test. The national sports stars remained hospitalized with cuts and bruises from a motorcycle accident. ... MORE

Puerto Rico Stuns Dream Team, 92-73
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	WASHINGTON TIMES
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- In an upset as historic as it was inevitable, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and the rest of the U.S. basketball team lost 92-73 to Puerto Rico on Sunday, only the third Olympic loss ever for America and its first since adding pros. It was by far the most lopsided defeat for a U.S. men's team. ... MORE

Team USA Pummeled By Puerto Rico
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	NY Post
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

August 16, 2004 -- ATHENS — As the end neared, the vanquished Americans were serenaded with chants of "PUER-to RI-co! PUER-to RI-co!" and they had little choice but to take it in silence. Some of them stole glances at the scoreboard which announced the astonishing truth to the 11,560 people gathered inside Helliniko Indoor Arena: Puerto Rico 92, United States 73. On the other side of the court, a freshly-minted national hero named Carlos Arroyo grabbed his jersey and pulled it in front of the world's television cameras, the better for the world to see the "Puerto Rico" now stitched proudly across his chest. "It was not a sign of di... MORE

Early Olympics: when men were men and women were forbidden
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	New Zealand Herald
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

As the modern Olympic Games gets under way, new theories suggest that the ancient Olympics was a divinely sanctioned testosterone-packed system for selecting warriors for elite military service. What's more, the ancient Games - which were ultimately banned for being too pagan - were probably intended as homo-erotic events, from which all women (apart from virgins ) were banned. Research suggests that by the 6th or 5th century BC, the Games - held under the divine patronage of Zeus, king of the gods - became a medium for obtaining divine guidance as to who should be granted membership of various ancient Greek elite military units. ... MORE

Famed torch, rings of Olympics made famous by Hitler
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Taipei Times
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

AP , ATHENS Sunday, Aug 15, 2004,Page 6 The most beloved emblems of the modern Olympics have a decidedly dark past. The torch relay, which culminated in yesterday's ceremonial lighting of the flame at the Olympic stadium, was a creation of Adolf Hitler, who tried to turn the 1936 Berlin games into a celebration of the Third Reich. And it was Hitler's Nazi propaganda machine that popularized the five interlocking rings as the symbol of the games. Today, both are universally recognized icons of the Olym-pics. But historians say neither had much, if anything, to do with the games born centuries ago in ancient Olympia. A sacred... MORE

Roddick, Venus advance at Olympics
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Sports Network
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Americans Andy Roddick and Venus Williams posted first-round victories Sunday at the Athens Olympics. The second-seeded Roddick cruised through his first set against Flavio Saretta, but struggled somewhat against the Brazilian in the second before winning a tiebreaker to complete the 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory. At times during the second set, Roddick seems hesitant, even screaming at himself to "make shots!" "I was just a little bit tired," Roddick said afterwards. "I played a lot of big matches before coming to Athens." Saretta enjoyed the cheers of dozens of Brazilian fans who turned out to fill... MORE

Judoka Udi Vaks loses second match after default win
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Ha'aretz
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

Judoka Udi Vaks won an Olympics match by default Sunday when his Iranian opponent, a world champion, exceeded the weight requirements in the men's under-66 kg category after saying he refused to play against an Israeli. Vaks then lost his next fight, to an Algerian opponent. "I refused to play against an Israeli rival to sympathize with the oppressed Palestinian people," the official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Iranian world judo champion Arash Miresmaili as saying Saturday. ... MORE

Olympics: Poseiden adventure just beginning, says Phelps
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Channel News Asia
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS : Michael Phelps fired his first shot in his bid for swimming history by winning his maiden Olympic gold medal in the 400m individual medley and the new Poseiden of the Athens Aquatic Centre warned that there was more to come over the next week. Next up for Phelps is the 200m freestyle, where he goes head-to-head with Australian Ian Thorpe, the world record-holder and world champion, and Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands.... MORE

Olympics: Greek athletics stars awaiting final part of tragedy
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Channel News Asia
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

ATHENS : Kostadinos Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou may have won a stay of execution from their national Olympic committee but it's widely expected the IOC will expel them from the Games for missing mandatory drug tests. While the Greek Olympic Committee (HOC) refused to do the IOC's dirty work - Greece's Lambis Nikolau was the only IOC member who voted for immediate expulsion - it should prove to be only a temporary reprieve in what has been termed by one Greek Sunday newspaper as a 'Thriller'. ... MORE

Olympic cyclist's dad arrested over paint stunt
Posting Member: Newsbull

News Source:	Ananova
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

The father of a British Olympic cyclist was quizzed by Greek police after daubing her name in white paint on an Athens street. Anthony Cooke used white spray paint to write his daughter Nicole's name but was spotted by a patrol and taken to a local police station. He was following a cycling tradition where supporters encourage their favourite riders by writing their names on the road where they will race. Nicole Cooke, 21, from Swansea, is a world champion and tipped to win Britain's first road-race gold in Athens, reports Sporting Life. Greek police officers who saw the incident thought it was a case of graffiti by Mr Cooke, wh... MORE

Olympic Opening Ceremonies Wallow In Muck Of Post-Modern Paganism
Posting Member: Frederick Meekins

News Source:	The Epistolizer
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

'Team Taiwan' Focuses on Olympics, Not China's Displeasure
Posting Member: CNSNews.com

News Source:	CNSNews.com
Newspage:	Sports
Category:	OLYMPIC GAMES
Forum:	*2004 Olympics, Athens

Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - In a show of national pride, Taiwanese participants in the 2004 Olympic Games were due Wednesday to raise the island's flag in a ceremony at the Olympic village in Athens, undeterred by China's most recent attempt to deny Taiwan international recognition. The 88-strong "Team Taiwan" is the largest contingent sent to any Olympic Games, and its athletes hope to win more than the record five medals (one silver, four bronze) Taiwan took home from Sydney four years ago. Although it offers no competition to its giant neighbor -- China came in third in the medal count in 2000 and is taking 407 athletes to A... MORE

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