China’s gold medal-winning women’s gymnastics team denied any of its members were underage after winning an epic battle with the United States for the Olympic team title. The Chinese continue to face questions about the age of three of its six women’s gymnasts, despite repeated assurances from Beijing Olympics officials that they turn 16 this year, as required under Olympic rules.

The New York Times reported last month that online records showed two members of China’s women’s team, He Kexin and Jiang Yuyuan, may be only 14. The age of a third athlete, Yang Yilin, then came into question when the state-run China Central Television website posted a profile indicating she too was 14.

The gymnasts were shielded from the media ahead of the Games but held a press conference after Wednesday’s win where they had to answer the allegations directly for the first time.

“My real age is 16, I don’t care about what other people say, it’s none of my business,” He said when asked about her age. “I want people to know that.” She was even asked to reveal her zodiac sign as it indicates in which year you were born under the 12-year cycle of the Chinese astrological system.

She replied monkey, meaning she was born in 1992, which would make her 16 this year and eligible for the Olympics. Journalists also asked her how she celebrated her 15th birthday, to which she replied she was at a training camp with her fellow gymnasts. Due to concerns about the well being of young gymnasts whose bodies are under huge stress when they reach the elite level, officials introduced a rule in 1997 saying they had to turn 16 during an Olympic year to compete at the Games.

According to their official biographies, the youngest gymnast on the Chinese team is Yang, who turns 16 on August 26.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge initially laid responsibility for enforcing the age limit on China’s national gymnastics federation.

However, as the controversy continued, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) issued a statement last Saturday saying the IOC had examined all Olympic gymnasts’ passports and determined none were underage.

“The FIG has received confirmation from the International Olympic Committee that all passports are valid for all gymnasts competing in the Beijing Olympic Games,” FIG said in a statement.

China runs huge state-funded athletics academies and has long faced criticism for the harsh regime it uses to prepare young gymnasts.

In a BBC report in 2005, British Olympic rowing great Matthew Pinsent described children in a Beijing gymnasium being pushed through the pain barrier and said one young boy had clearly been beaten by his coach.

from: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Few athletes dominate any event like Blanka Vlasic does the high jump. The current European Athlete of the year bagged 18 of the 19 outdoor events in 2007, and for Beijing she’ll be red hot favourite.

“I’m very much aware that somebody can come out and beat me no matter how big a favourite I am at the Olympics,” Vlasic said prior to the games.”So I will be preparing by concentrating on the worst possible scenario – needing to jump 2.10 and beat the world record in order to win the gold medal.”

Still 24, this will be her third Olympic games after she competed in 2000 as a 16-year-old and in 2004 – when she failed to win a podium position.

Vlasic is the daughter of Josko Vlasic – a decathlete who retains the Croatian high jump record. Standing at 6ft 3, the peppy and attractive 24-year-old sure has reasons to be grateful for her genes

Her opponents are very aware of the challenge that awaits them.

“I am ready to beat all my opponents, including the unbeatable Vlasic” said Italian Antonietta Di Martino, arguably her closest rival.

After successful jumps, Vlasic likes to thank the audience with a little dance and finishes it off by striking an imposing pose. With gold practically demanded, the question is – does she have what it takes to surpass her own jumps by the 3cms required to set a new world record?

source:yellmalta.com

Of all the swimming sessions in Beijing, this is the one Michael Phelps had to worry about the least. In fact, his worrying days might be over.

One record down, several more to go.

Phelps became the Olympics’ all-time gold medal leader Wednesday with two more wins at the National Aquatics Center — one by himself in the 200-meter butterfly and one as part of the United States’ winning 800-meter freestyle relay team.

It gave the 23-year-old American 11 career gold medals, two more than any other athlete in history, and put him more than halfway to breaking Mark Spitz‘s 36-year-old record of seven gold medals in one Olympics.

“The end is close,” Phelps said. “I love it.”

He now has now five gold medals in Beijing. The last two were all but guaranteed.

Phelps lowered his own world record in the 200 butterfly by .06 seconds despite having trouble seeing the last two walls through the water that filled his goggles.

He may not have been able to see the swimmers on either side of him pushing their way into contention, but it didn’t matter. Also the 2004 gold medalist in this distance, Phelps touched at 1 minute, 52.03 seconds.

His 10th gold medal moved him out of a tie with Spitz, American track and field star Carl Lewis, former Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi for the all-time Olympic gold medal record.

“I couldn’t see anything for the last 100 (meters),” Phelps said of the race. “My goggles pretty much filled with water and it kept getting worse and worse through the race and I was having trouble seeing the walls, to be honest.

“But I wanted to break the record. I wanted to 1:51 or better, but for the circumstances I guess it’s not too bad.”

Cseh won silver behind Phelps for the second time here after also finishing second to the American’s first gold medal swim in the 400 IM on Sunday. He touched in 1:52.70 — .67 seconds behind Phelps — for a new European record.

Matsuda took the bronze and set a new Asian record at 1:52.97.

Less than an hour later, Phelps was in the pool again for the 800 freestyle relay, a race the Americans were an overwhelming favorite to win. Swimming the first leg, he gave his team nearly a two-body-lengths lead over the first 200 meters while putting them more than two seconds ahead of their own world record pace.

Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay swam further under the world record pace over the next 600 meters until Vanderkaay touched to finish his anchor leg and secure the U.S. the first sub-seven minute time ever in the event.

The foursome broke the world record Phelps, Lochte and Vanderkaay set with Klete Keller last year by 4.68 seconds, finishing at 6:58.56 to successfully defend the gold the U.S. won in Athens four years ago.

“We talked about breaking seven minutes,” said Phelps, “and we did it.”

Said Lochte: “It was just a matter of time.”

Russia’s European-record swim of 7:03.70 wasn’t nearly good enough, as the country finished more than five seconds behind the U.S. at 7:03.70. Australia won bronze at 7:04.98.

Phelps has now been part of a world record in each of his gold medal swims here, also winning the 400-meter medley and 200-meter freestyle as individual events. He was part of the thrilling, record-setting 400-meter freestyle relay the U.S. ran Monday.

He only has three events remaining, and he’s won gold in all three before: the 200-meter individual medley, the 100-meter butterfly and the 400-meter medley relay (though he didn’t swim the final of that event in Athens).

If Phelps goes on to break Spitz’s Holy Grail record for gold medals in one Olympics — or even if he wins eight medals of any kind here — Phelps would be the all-time winningest medal winner among male Olympians with 16.

Said Phelps: “From now on it’s just a downward slope” — in momentum, that is.

Also on Wednesday, Federica Pellegrini of Italy won the gold medal and broke her own world record in the women’s 200-meter freestyle. Pellegrini, who had set the old mark on Monday, lowered it by .63 seconds to 1 minute, 54.82 seconds to win by just less than one-tenth of a second.

“I have been expecting to win for the last four years,” said Pellegrini, the 2004 silver medalist. So I have been avenged.”

Slovenia’s Sara Isakovic won the silver medal, her country’s first in swimming, at 2:06.34 while China’s Pang Jiaying took bronze in 2:06.42.

American Katie Hoff failed to win her third medal of the Beijing Olympics, finishing .73 seconds out of contention for the bronze with a new American record in the event of 1:55.78.

Hoff also finished fourth in the day’s other final, the 200-meter individual medley, where U.S. teammate Natalie Coughlin won the bronze to go along with the backstroke gold she won Tuesday.

Stephanie Rice of Australia lowered her own world record in the 200 IM by .47 seconds to 2 minutes, 8.45 seconds, claiming her second gold medal of the Beijing Olympics. Rice also won the women’s 400 IM on Sunday.

Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry has finished second behind Rice in both races, claiming silver again on Wednesday with a time of 2:08.59 — .14 seconds behind the winner. It was Coventry’s third silver medal here.

Coughlin finished a distant third, touching 1.89 seconds after Coventry at 2:10.34 for her bronze.

Rice said the two other swimmers pushed her to go faster.

“It’s really good being next to Natalie. She pushed me the first 100 meters,” said Rice. “And Kirsty swam amazing as always.”

from: canada.com

Up to four billion people around the world are preparing to watch the 2008 Olympics explode into life.

Final preparations are being made for a spectacular opening ceremony to the most eagerly-anticipated moment in China’s modern history, when 35,000 fireworks will light up the sky above 10,000 dancers and performers in the stunning Bird’s Nest stadium.

The Games, which will open at precisely 8.08pm on Friday, on the date 08.08.08, come as the culmination of seven years in which the Olympics have dominated China’s politics, culture and industry, with £20 billion spent on venues and infrastructure in a desperate bid to improve the country’s image internationally.

Protests over Tibet, human rights and free speech have overshadowed the build-up to the Games and made them the most controversial since Moscow in 1980, but the Communist Party hopes politics will be temporarily forgotten during a 90-minute display which has been in rehearsal for months.

China will come to a standstill during the ceremony, as there has been overwhelming support for the Games from the Chinese public, many of whom see it as the most exciting event of their lifetime.

The timing has been chosen to coincide with the luckiest possible minute this millennium. In a nation where eight is a lucky number, 8.08pm on the eighth day of the eighth month of the eighth year is as auspicious as is possible.

In truth, luck will play no part in the success of the opening ceremony. A security detail of 110,000 police and soldiers will be on duty in Beijing, where tension has been high following a terrorist attack by regional separatists earlier this week which killed 16 policemen in northern China.

The Chinese air force also has a fleet of 74 fighter jets and 48 helicopters on standby, with surface-to-air missiles at nearby military bases ready to shoot down hijacked aircraft in the worst case scenario.

Another feared enemy is the weather, along with its ally, pollution. Forecasters were optimistic yesterday, saying that they expected light drizzle at worst during the ceremony, despite the intense heat and humidity yesterday when temperatures rose to 85 degrees F and humidity above 90 per cent.

The air pollution index for the city was 95, close to the 100 maximum set by the government as a target and way above the accepted international standard of 50.

Predictions by a Cambridge-based company that is providing advice to the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau suggested that the air on the Olympic Green will fail the government’s own safe standards for air quality.

Although details of the opening ceremony have been shrouded in secrecy, with film crews and journalists banned from all rehearsals, officials have advised TV viewers to “fit seat belts to their sofas, because it’s going to be a spectacular ride”.

They have hired China’s most successful film director, Zhang Yimou, to choreograph the show, which will be on the same epic scale as his blockbusters Hero and House of Flying Daggers.

Brief film clips released to the media show endless ranks of performers dressed in lavish costumes from different imperial dynasties of China’s 5,000-year history. There will be exactly 2008 drummers beating out a rhythm for acrobats and trapeze artists ‘flying’ over the arena from wires, hundreds of kung fu fighters and a human pyramid forming the shape of the Bird’s Nest stadium.

The country which invented fireworks has promised a pyrotechnic display like no other, with rockets fired from 1,800 locations around Beijing, from the Great Wall to Tiananmen Square, making pictures in the sky of dragons, flowers and children’s faces.

It will be followed by the procession of athletes from the 205 competing nations, who will arrive not in alphabetical order but in the order of how many brush strokes it takes to write the country’s name in Chinese, meaning Team GB is 115th and Australia is third last. The Chinese, as usual for the host country, will enter the stadium at the end.

The identity of the torchbearer is still unknown, though there have been reports that a Chinese dragon or an athlete dressed as a phoenix will light the Olympic flame, which, it is rumoured, will then ‘float’ high above the stadium supported by tethered helium balloons.

source: telegraph.co.uk

With a record number of sports men and women participating and a hockey player chosen to carry the national flag, the Dutch are ready for Friday’s official opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Some 242 Dutch sportsmen and women and 141 support staff will walk into the Olympic ‘Bird’s nest’ stadium in the Chinese capital today. Between now and the end of the Olympics on August 24, the Dutch will participate in 94 of the total 302 Olympic events..

The oldest member of the Dutch sports delegation is 45-year-old Mitch Booth (sailing). And at 17, softball player Britt Vonk is the youngest. The heaviest athlete is Rutger Smith (130kg)who is competing in the shot put and discus events, while at 46kg runner Hilda Kibet, who will take part in the 10,000m race, is by far the lightest.

The two-times Olympic dressage champion Anky van Grunsven will participate in the Olympics for the sixth time, a Dutch record shared by two other competitors this year.

The national Olympic organisation NOCNSF has appointed men’s field hockey captain and record international Jeroen Delmee (35) to carry the Dutch flag during the opening ceremony. This is the hockey veteran’s fourth Olympic Games. DElmee has wontwo gold and one silver medals in previous Games.

No major problems

The NOCNSF is ‘relatively satisfied’ with the Chinese organisation of the event, reports news service ANP on Friday. Apart from some trouble with logistics, no major problems have occurred so far.

Even anticipated problems with smog are not as bad as expected. The NOCNSF website says no complaints have been reported by Dutch athletes, although they have been given various medicines to avoid respiratory problems.

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende will have lunch with the Chinese president Hu Jintao today before attending the opening ceremony. Balkenende will be in China until Sunday and will watch several sporting events as well as visiting Chinese state television together with Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas who designed the broadcaster’s new building.

Football result disappointing

The Dutch team kicked off the Olympic football tournament yesterday with a 0-0 draw against Nigeria. Oranje lost two important players during the game, Roy Makaay was substituted with a heavily bruised foot and is likely to miss Sunday’s match against the US, while Evander Sno was given a red card for a fierce tackle.

Head coach Foppe de Haan told the media he was disappointed with the result and said many players had difficulty coping with the heat and humidity.

source: dutchnews.nl

Beijing Olympic Games

Powered by Cisco, NBC to Provide Olympic Experience Anywhere, Anyplace, Anytime to Multiple Delivery Platforms

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced today it has been selected to provide Internet Protocol (IP) video network infrastructure and video-encoding solutions to NBC during the network’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Aug. 8-24. Cisco’s IP video infrastructure will enable NBC personnel in New York and Los Angeles to edit video as it is captured in Beijing and deliver it to three screens: TV, PC and smartphone.

Described as one of the most demanding network environments in the world, the groundbreaking trans-ocean network powered by Cisco will enable the transfer of gigabyte-sized files between Beijing, New York and Los Angeles. In previous Olympics, NBC staff had to work from videotapes to add graphics and captions to event shots. In one of the single most ambitious media projects in history, NBC will present more than 3,600 hours of broadcast coverage during the 17-day event. It would be impossible to use a tape library to replicate enough video copies for use at eight different networks as well as NBCOlympics.com. Using a file-based workflow for shot selection, the network can select shots and distribute them to affiliates even before an event is finished.

“With the Cisco network solution, we’ve achieved the Holy Grail of digital video, which is the ability to perform shot selections on low-resolution files and extract high-resolution material from those files even as they are being recorded. That is a huge accomplishment,” said Craig Lau, vice president for Information Technology, NBC Olympics. “Cisco is a trusted partner, and in the demanding IT environment of the Olympic Games, we depend on trusted relationships. We have absolute deadlines for when Olympics coverage begins and ends. Cisco technologies help us exceed expectations and meet our timetables in an unforgiving environment.”

Viewers of NBC’s coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games will be able to use their PCs and laptops to access 2,200 hours of video that they can play back on demand, as well as 3,000 hours of highlights, rewinds, encores and scoring results. Individuals will also be able to watch video and view results on their smartphones.

“We are making broadcast history, executing the creation, management and distribution of digital video in a way that’s never been achieved before,” said Tony Bates, senior vice president and general manager, Cisco Service Provider Group. “We are entering the visual-networking era where video changes everything, especially the way people connect with the Olympic Games. The Olympics is all about the experience. The next best thing to being in Beijing is to be able to see the event coverage. This year, not only are thousands of hours of Olympic coverage being transmitted in real time, but Cisco’s IP video network and encoding technologies are also giving people the ability to access hundreds of event videos on demand using their PCs, laptops and mobile devices for an unprecedented Olympic experience anywhere, anyplace, anytime.”

Through the comprehensive Cisco IP video network infrastructure and video-encoding solutions, NBC was able to address the following technical challenges:

– Creating a high-bandwidth, high-performance connection between Beijing
and NBC studios in New York and Los Angeles to give shot selectors and
editors in the United States the ability to edit video as it is being
captured in Beijing.
– Providing the quality of service (QoS) required to assign priority to
real-time Olympic Games video footage over the trans-ocean network.
– Encoding and transmitting low-resolution (low-res) video from Olympic
venues for broadband viewing. Low-res video uses far less bandwidth, which
enables NBC to provide Internet coverage of more Olympic sports.
– Using a single, converged IP infrastructure for a wide spectrum of
services ranging from the video delivery to data-intensive logistics
applications.

About NBC Olympics

NBC, “America’s Olympic Network,” owns the exclusive U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games, television’s most powerful property, through 2012, which includes Beijing in 2008, Vancouver in 2010 and London in 2012. From August 8-24, 2008 NBC Universal will present an unprecedented 3,600 hours of coverage, highlighted by NBC in primetime with live swimming, gymnastics and beach volleyball. In August 2004, 203 million viewers watched s the networks of NBC Universal — NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, Telemundo, and NBC’s HD affiliates — offered a then record 1,210 hours of Olympic coverage from Athens. For additional information, go to NBCOlympics.com, a year-round destination for fans of Olympic sports, featuring news, Beijing previews, athlete features, expert blogs, photos, Olympic video from the NBC archives and social tools enabling users to build communities around their favorite sports, post comments and blogs.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

Cisco, the Cisco logo, and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.

For direct RSS Feeds of all Cisco news, please visit “News@Cisco” at the following link:

http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/rss.html

Glamorous US swimmer Amanda Beard became the first athlete to cross the boundary between sport and politics at the Beijing Olympics today when she took part in a naked protest against the international fur trade.

Ms Beard, a double Olympic Champion, posed for a nude picture as part of a publicity campaign run by the animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The swimmer, who is no stranger to showing a little skin – she posed naked for a centerfold in Playboy Magazine last year – said she was determined to use the Olympic platform as a stage for her views.

“What happens with animals when their skin is ripped from their bodies when they are still alive, it’s heartbreaking for me,” she told reporters.

The Chinese authorities did their best to limit the impact of her protest, shutting down a press conference which PETA had planned on the terrace of a hotel overlooking the ‘Water Cube’ Olympic swimming venue.

After police turned organisers away from the hotel citing ‘safety concerns’, Ms Beard was forced to present her message from the side of the main road outside the Athlete’s Village.

Amanda Beard holds a poster of herself posing naked for an anti-fur campaign – Photo: EPA

“It was very disappointing,” said Jason Baker, PETA’s Asia-Pacific director, “We weren’t making a political attack on the Chinese government and had sent our press release in advance to the Beijing Committee, but apparently that was not enough.”

Ms Beard, 26, said she had no intention of upsetting the Chinese authorities, but wanted to convey her anti-fur message in China which is the world’s leading fur exporter.

“I’m not trying to be in everybody’s face and be harsh or negative. I want to be calm and yet get my voice out there. I’m doing it for all those animals who don’t have a voice,” she said.

Although the Olympic rules prevent athletes from making political statements, Swimming USA said that Ms Beard would not be censured for her actions.

“Each athlete has been allowed to do one pre-competition publicity appearance and Amanda was only endorsing a campaign which she had signed up to before the Games,” a spokeswoman for Swimming USA said.

source: telegraph.co.uk

Should and can athletes stand up and take a stance on political issues? DW-WORLD.DE spoke to the German Olympic Sports Federation amid a growing debate on human rights as the Beijing Olympics loom.
This weekend, the president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering called on athletes traveling to the Beijing Olympics to protest against human rights violations in Tibet. “Each athlete can, in their own way, give a signal. No official should prevent that,” he added, insisting that a love of sport and the Olympic Games is no excuse for “blurring our outlook” on human rights.

Last week, under the slogan “We are all Chinese,” nine German Olympians posed in their sports kit for a Munich magazine while holding pictures of Chinese dissidents in front of their faces.

Many of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have been criticized by human rights groups for their stances on the situation in China and the regulations that some of them have applied to their athletes traveling to Beijing

As the debate over press freedom and human rights abuses intensifies in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Beijing, DW-WORLD.DE spoke to Michael Schirp, head of the media department at the German Olympic Sports Federation’s (DOSB) about what’s acceptable and what’s not.

DW-WORLD.DE: Amnesty International (AI) has called for the DOSB to clarify its rules on political protests by athletes. Has the DOSB taken any action on this or does it believe the rules are clear?

Michael Schirp: DOSB states that rules have been made clear by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In Germany, the DOSB has explained the rules both in public and on the German team’s internal Olympic Web site.

Generally, athletes are free to say what they think, be it inside or outside of the Olympic venues. They may express their opinions in press conferences or even in the mixed zones, in our “Deutsches Haus” or anywhere else. There is only one issue that is prohibited according to the IOC charter: the showing of signs, flags, bracelets, pins, banners with political, racial, ethnic, religious content or propaganda if shown inside of areas where an accreditation is needed such as the Olympic venues.

Apart from that, Amnesty International and the DOSB have worked together on the subject of human rights since May 2007.

Amnesty International has criticized the DOSB for saying that the wearing of wristbands (AI’s “Gold for Human Rights” or the German athletes’ “Sports for Human Rights” bands) are forbidden as they are political statements. Does this ruling still stand? What is the DOSB’s definition of a political statement?

I would point you to my first answer. This is not limited to Olympic Games. You’ll find this in any major sport event. If every political, religious or ethnic conflict in the world would be carried into sporting events, the weight of such statements would be marginalized anyway. But the most important thing is to keep these conflicts out of the event itself.

Sport is intended to build bridges, not to further build walls. It is only at the Olympic Games that 205 NOCs and the countries they represent come together in a peaceful competition.

What are the DOSB guidelines in terms of punishments for athletes who make political statements or protests in Beijing?

We don’t have any of those. We are sure athletes are aware of their responsibility and have made up their minds regarding human rights in China. They will find ways to express their opinion or, if they choose, not to, which also has to be respected as their free will.

Before the Chinese crackdown in Tibet, neither the IOC nor DOSB mentioned anything about China’s human rights record. Did the Tibet situation force the Olympic committees to accept that China had a human rights problem?

To be perfectly blunt, this is just wrong. Before Tibet, the media were not interested in sporting organizations which dealt with the issue. It was in May 2007, almost a year before the incidents in Tibet, that the DOSB published a declaration on human rights in China. This was unique at the time.

We clearly stated that we consider the situation to be unsatisfactory. But we are a sport organization and cannot solve the problems that the UN and others couldn’t solve for 50 years. Sport is communication, not isolation. We repeated this during Easter 2008 and urged the parties in Tibet to stop violence and bloodshed. Again, this was all published.

Amnesty International has said that it has held meetings with the DOSB to discuss human right. What has been the outcome of the meetings with AI?

This was just the start. Cooperation with AI, Human Rights Watch and the human rights spokesperson of the German government continues. All three of them have met with the team leaders in an attempt to pass on their information to the Olympic Team. The team’s internal Web site provides all this information. In addition, every German athlete who goes to Beijing carries with him or her material from these human rights organizations and the UN.

source: dw-world.de

Russia’s Maria Sharapova withdrew from the Rogers Open in Toronto after her second-round victory Wednesday because of a shoulder injury, possibly jeopardizing her participation in the Olympics.
Sharapova beat Marta Domachowska, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. She will have an MRI today.
Trailing 3-4 in the second, the third-seeded Sharapova had the trainer look at her right shoulder, an injury that might have contributed to 17 double faults.
She said her presence at the Olympics and the U.S. Open, which begins in late August, will depend largely on the results of the tests.
“I’m too good of a player to go out there and try to fight through something that I think can eventually become something serious,” Sharapova said.
Nike swimmers can wear Speedo: Nike will allow its swimmers to wear Speedo’s sleek LZR Racer instead of its suit at the Olympics.

Nike spokesman Dean Stoyer said the company felt it was fair to extend the offer it made in June, when it allowed its swimmers to wear Speedo’s suit at the U.S. Olympic trials.
Four swimmers who signed with Nike, which has some of the industry’s tightest controls on athlete contract agreements, will head to Beijing, including breaststroker Brendan Hansen and backstroker Aaron Peirsol.
Speedo’s LZR Racer has had a major impact this year. Since its launch in February, swimmers have broken dozens of world records and athletes not sponsored by Speedo have clamored to wear it.
Iraqi rowers heading to Beijing: Two Iraqi rowers will be allowed to take part in the Olympics, the International Rowing Federation said.
Haidar Nozad and Hamzah Hussein Jebur were allowed back in the men’s double sculls because their places had not been given to competitors from other countries, Smith said.
North Korea declined to take the spots after the spots were offered last week, IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said.
The IOC readmitted Iraq to the Olympics Tuesday, six days after the deadline to enter athletes for the rowing, judo, archery and weightlifting competitions had passed.
FIFA frees up under-23 players: FIFA ruled that professional clubs must release players age 23 or younger for the Beijing Olympics, clearing the way for Lionel Messi to play for Argentina despite opposition from FC Barcelona, which said in a statement it would appeal the decision.
“Barcelona continues with its stance of not wanting to let me go and I understand it,” Messi said on Barcelona’s website before the ruling. “But I also think they have to understand that my dream is to take part in the Olympic Games.” … The U.S. men’s soccer team was held to a 0-0 draw by Ivory Coast at a four-nation tournament in Hong Kong. … Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans of Australia withdrew from the Olympics road time trial because of a knee injury. … Mate Parlov, the 1972 light heavyweight gold medalist boxer from the former Yugoslavia, died. He was 59. … Former world triple jump champion Charles Friedek of Germany won’t compete at the Olympics after losing a court appeal. Friedek, 36, argued he qualified by leaping 55 feet, 9 1/4 inches and didn’t need to jump that distance twice as required.

source: courant.com

Some of the biggest and richest names in world sport will be at the Beijing Olympics, with the superstar mega-list headed by Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Lionel Messi, Yao Ming, LeBron James, and Michael Phelps.
Some will be mucking in with their teammates at the Olympic Village although others are expected to stay in hotel suites more becoming of their status and financial clout.
While the Olympics will attract more than 10,000 athletes, only a handful can claim to be truely global household names, and even fewer can boost of multi-million dollar bank accounts to boot.
Perhaps the most recognisable face is Federer, the Swiss tennis machine who has dominated the sport for five years, although in China, home to 1.3 billion people, Houston Rockets centre Yao Ming and 110m hurdler Liu Xiang are bigger.
When it comes to money, the American basketball team carries perhaps the most clout.
Players like James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade are heavyweights of the game who have multi-million dollar salaries and all will be in Beijing.
James, or ‘King James’ as he is known, is one of the richest sportsman on the planet, and, if you believe the reports, is well on his way to becoming the first billionaire athlete.
Once the Cleveland Cavaliers star made it in the NBA, he reportedly bought all of his high school basketball team a new car. And his house just outside Cleveland includes a bowling alley, a barbershop, and casino.
Bryant and his teammates are equally flush, but it will be about face in Beijing after the Americans suffered the most humbling moment in their basketball history when they lost in the semi-finals in Athens.
It ended their three-Olympics reign as champions and they are desperate to reclaim the mantle.
“We will be Olympic champions this year,” James said.
“We have guys who don’t want to lose – Kobe (Bryant), Carmelo (Anthony), Dwyane (Wade) — and the guys off the bench are very good. We’ve got so many great players.”
Federer has reigned as the number one tennis player since 2004 – although his position is now under threat from Rafael Nadal – which makes him not only seriously rich, but a top draw in August.
But he has indicated he will be one of those forgoing the Olympic village.
While the overall experience, including bonding with teammates from more traditional Olympic sports, is part of the attraction of the Games, being a celebrity means autograph hunters badgering you even among fellow athletes.
Federer doesn’t want distractions in his quest for a first-ever Olympic gold.
“It was quite difficult in Athens,” he said. “Taking the bus and not being in control of my own schedule, and many people recognising me in the village.
“Every time I go to eat everyone taps on your shoulder.”
Maria Sharapova will also be in town, and is certain to be one of the most photographed competitors.
“One of the things I’m really looking forward to is the opening ceremony and walking with athletes from my country in front of thousands of people,” said the Russian, adding that she would love to watch some gymnastics.
“When I was younger I wanted to be a rhythmic gymnast,” she said.
Barcelona’s star striker Lionel Messi, considered by many to be the best young player in the world, hopes to be in Beijing, although his club Barcelona are dead set against it.
Many clubs have barred players competing, but Barcelona have little choice. Messi is 21 and clubs are obliged to release players under 23 years of age.
Yao, another from the mega-rich basketball fraternity, is huge in China and is sure to be a major focus of attention.
China’s richest celebrity earned some 55 million dollars from basketball and sponsorship activities last year alone and is perhaps the most recognisable Chinese face in the world, alongside President Hu Jintao.
Phelps isn’t on the same pay scale although he will reportedly receive one million dollars from Speedo if he matches Mark Spitz’ record of seven swimming golds this summer.
Regardless of his earnings power, Phelps could become the star of the show, with few other athletes in a position to win so many medals.
Another major attraction will be Athens gold medallist Liu Xiang, whose rock-star following in China and sponsorships by Nike, Coca-Cola, Visa and a host of Chinese brands have made him not only rich but very popular.
The world’s fastest sprinters, Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay, will also be top draws, with their 100m showdown set to be one of the great moments of the Games.

from: afp.google.com

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Monday that he hopes to see the finest performance of Japanese athletes at the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games.

The Olympics, which is of lofty value, will inspirit every Japanese national to cheer for their team, said Fukuda in a send-off ceremony held for the Japanese Olympic delegation.

He expressed the hope that the athletes will recognize the value of the Olympics and put in their finest-ever performance.

He also expected the athletes to make their respective effort to present a vigorous Japan to the audience.

As Japan won a record 37 medals, including 16 golds, at the Athens Olympic Games four years ago, Fukuda said his expectation is that every Japanese athlete will be awarded a medal at the Beijing Olympics.

The Japanese Olympic delegation, composed of 339 athletes and 237 officials, is Japan‘s largest deputation to participate in an Olympics held outside the country.

The delegation is headed by senior Japanese Olympic Committee official Tomiaki Fukuda, who said that the goal for the Japanese Olympic team is to win double digit golds and at least a total 30 medals.

Present at the ceremony was 19-year-old table tennis player Ai Fukuhara, who will lead the delegation as the flag-bearer during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on August 8.

Earlier Monday, the Japanese Olympic Committee announced the inauguration of the 576-strong Japanese Olympic delegation, which will head for Beijing in separate batches.

from: jappone.blogspot.com

hree seasons ago, nobody would question Ronaldinho’s unparalleled status in the football world.

In his 145 appearances for Barcelona, the Brazilian striker scored 70 goals, helping the club win the Spanish championship in 2005, and then again in 2006, earning back-to-back victories of both the Spanish and UEFA Champions League titles.

Based on his brilliant performance, he was twice awarded FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

But all that is in the past. Since 2006, the Brazilian has been slipping in form.

He failed to make an impression in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, scoring no goals until Brazil was eliminated by France in the quarterfinal.

At the club level, his performance was inconsistent, due to injury and fitness problems. The last two seasons were trophyless for Barcelona, and in the meantime, Ronaldinho was reportedly enganged in continuous arguments with former coach Rijkaard.

Recently, the athlete was also constantly accused of staying longer in nightclubs than on training fields. Some of his current photographs, showing an unbecoming ring of fat around his waist, were particularly unflattering.

Though he was included in Spain’s football squad earlier, Ronaldinho’s Olympic participation was like a day-by-day TV show with ups and downs, since Barcelona was reluctant to grant the lease with the UEFA Champions League preliminary round coming up.

Finally, his contract with AC Milan on July 18 put an end to an unhappy season with the Spanish giant. He was finally given a “go ahead” answer to Beijing 2008 by his new host.

The 28-year-old is now one of the over-age players on Brazil’s football squad. Dunga, the Olympic coach, who is also coach of the national team, was very happy with Ronaldinho’s inclusion. “Ronaldinho is a very important member of our squad and he is recovering from his problems,” Dunga said in Beijing while the Brazilians are training ahead of the Olympic tournament.

When Brazilian athlete arrived earlier in Milan, he was welcomed by thousands of fans in San Siro Stadium. Now the big question that remains for fans and the great football player himself is: Will he be able to regain his pre-2006 electric form? Whatever the answer is, Beijing 2008 may be a platform for him to start proving himself.

source: beijing2008.cn

The Olympic organizing committee has just let the cat out of the bag by revealing how fireworks will be used during the opening ceremony. We now know they can display the five rings in the sky, since a fireworks rehearsal is pretty hard to keep hush-hush.
A theme song, however, can be rehearsed in the privacy of a studio or even a living room. That makes it much more difficult to predict who will sing the all-important tune, which will be guaranteed a zillion air plays in the next year.
The CCTV annual gala might well have given us several clues, though.
The only two singers who consistently get solo chances are Song Zuying and Peng Liyuan, who are both known for their traditional Chinese image and their so-called “Chinese bel canto” style of singing. But who is the likelier choice? They’ve never sung a duet and picking one over the other seems unfair. Besides, Forever Friends, written by perennial Olympic theme song composer Giorgio Moroder, does not seem to suit their style.
Picking from the pop scene is even harder. There are at least half a dozen A-listers, including Liu Huan, Mao Amin, Na Ying and Wei Wei. The national TV station usually abides by the principle of equal opportunity and has them share a song – the latest example is the earthquake relief show. If you push that logic a step further, the theme song may even be sung by a chorus of 100 singers. All the pre-Olympic jingles, including We Are Ready, were recorded this way.
There is little likelihood that popular choices such as Jay Chou and the Super Girls will make the cut. The only known Hong Kong or Taiwan singer with the vocal prowess to deliver a power ballad is Jacky Cheung but he is not exactly Andy Lau or Jackie Chan in terms of his political connections.
What about choosing a foreign singer? That would certainly give the show a touch of “internationalness” and therefore reflect the global aspirations of the host country. Celine Dion would have been ideal – with a song written by Tan Dun and orchestrated by David Foster, such a melody would be a surefire worldwide hit. But the cancellation of her Beijing concert earlier this year pretty much ruled her out of the running. If a foreign singer like Andrea Bocelli or Julio Iglesias were selected, he or she would probably sing with a Chinese partner. Call it the Barcelona way, for which Spaniard Jose Carreras and import Sarah Brightman teamed up for Amigos Para Siempre, a title almost identical to the Beijing theme song.
The last possibility is to have a new face, or more accurately, a new voice. That was more or less the way of the Los Angeles and Sydney Games. The result will catapult the singer to instant fame and it would have a positive spin-off. It would diffuse internal politics by excluding all the A-list stars and it would be the bravest thing organizers could do. So, it is not entirely impossible.
I won’t dwell on the choice of the last torchbearer, who will light the Olympic flame. It has been declared a State secret known to only a few people. Liu Changchun would have been perfect – he was the first Chinese athlete to attend the modern Olympics and he did it in defiance of the puppet government in Japanese-occupied Northeastern China. But he died in 1983.
Liu Xiang’s coach has ruled out the champion hurdler and anyway, he was the first torch-bearer.
And how will the flame be lit? The possibilities are endless! But consider this: The last torchbearer ignites a high-tech fire phoenix, which in turn flies up to kindle the sacred flame.
The phoenix is the feminine counterpart of the dragon, but unlike the dragon, it has more positive connotations in Western mythology. Since the dragon will reportedly keep a low profile, the phoenix might be better for such a high-profile job. A phoenix rising from the ashes is a symbol whose meaning is shared by both East and West. And what image can better capture China’s rise in the last three decades than a phoenix flying up gracefully?
In terms of imagery, the phoenix matches the Bird’s Nest like a glove. As a matter of fact, there is a Peking Opera comedy called Phoenix Returning to its Nest. It was created by the iconic Mei Lanfang, who conveyed Chinese-style feminine beauty better than any modern-day supermodel. The very first place where the torch started the domestic leg of its run was Fiery Phoenix Square in Sanya, Hainan province. Of course, a phoenix flying inside the national stadium, perhaps even above the stadium, would need a high-tech helping hand.
The image of the Bird’s Nest may inspire a great many ideas. Doves symbolizing peace can fly out into the sky, which, on second thoughts, is not something for a night show. What if it’s illuminated? Weather permitting, the shape of the building will not only be a good background, but will be integrated into the artistic concept. A nest is basically home sweet home, but getting in and out of it has Freudian overtones of breaking out and returning to the comfort zone of one’s roots. A person’s life is such a journey, and so is a country’s.

Five opera greats join voices
Five of the world’s most famous opera performers will share the stage in two special concerts to celebrate the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games.
Russian mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina, US soprano Barbara Bonney, US tenor Charles Castronovo, Chinese tenor Dai Yuqiang and Chinese baritone Liao Changyong will join voices in a show entitled Gather Together Under the Five Rings.
The music was inspired by the emblem of the Olympic Games – five interlocking rings of red, blue, yellow, black and green.
On August 5, the eminent quintet will perform at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA). The previous evening, they will give a smaller performance for representatives of the 120th International Olympic Committee Meeting.
These five superstars could each pack a full house. Coordinating their busy schedules to perform together was truly an Olympic feat.
“The concert is special. It was very challenging to have all of these five singers share the stage one night,” says Chen Zuohuang, conductor and artistic director of the NCPA.
“When my friends in US opera scene heard about my idea for the concert, they said ‘Are you crazy?’” He explained that many friends were skeptical that he could pull off the grand vision.
Fortunately, the Olympic spirit of cooperation prevailed. Thanks to Chen’s diligence, the five performers agreed to harmonize.
“The emblem of the five rings represents the five continents of the world, and reinforces the idea that the ‘Olympic Movement’ is international and welcomes all countries of the world to join,” says Chen.
“It’s a pity that we couldn’t get singers from five continents or more different races, due to the consideration of different vocal parts and programs,” he adds.
Leading Chinese composer Xu Peidong wrote the song for which the concert is named. “It’s my honor to be commissioned to write the title song,” says Xu.
Yet, it wasn’t an easy task. “To tell the truth, it’s so hard to create one song featuring two tenors, one soprano, one mezzo-soprano and one baritone. I had to spend quite a few months to do it,” he adds.
“I have enjoyed and suffered from composing it. I must say that every note flows from my heart, and I hope both the singers and listeners will like it.”

source: chinadaily.com.cn

Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) determined the final squad for Beijing Olympics during its July 23 meeting in Rome.

Three-hundred and forty-seven athletes are on the list — 20 less than the number for Athens Olympics. There are 215 male athletes and 132 female ones, the latter comprising 39% of the total — a larger percentage than 2004. Italy will be sending relatively more athletes to participate in individual events than for team sports. Teams will not be sent to compete in basketball, baseball or softball.

According to the Italian National Olympic Committee website, Italian athletes will participate in events including, track-and-field, swimming, water polo, volleyball, shooting, fencing and football. Forty-nine athletes will be competing in track-and-field, 34 in swimming, 26 in water polo and 24 in volleyball competition. Only one athlete has qualified for the badminton event – the country’s smallest number of competitors for any one event.

CONI President, Giovanni Petrucci, and CONI Secretary-General and head of the Italian delegation to the Beijing Olympics, Raffaele Pagnozzi, told press Wednesday that without teams in basketball, baseball and softball, it would a challenge for the country to attain the same level of achievement as seen at the Athens Games where the country placed second in men’s basketball. In 2004, Italy took home a total of 32 medals – 10 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze.

The Italian swim team left for Beijing on the evening of July 23 to begin adaptive training and participate in warm-up matches. The remainder of the Italian Olympic team will arrive in stages over the course of the coming week.

from: beijing2008.cn

For nearly six hours on Wednesday, play at the Rogers Cup was disrupted by pounding rain, lightning and thunder. Then Gilles Simon went out and made more noise than all of it combined.

France’s Simon eliminated world No. 1 Roger Federer 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 at the $2.6-million tournament on Wednesday. “That’s just unbelievable for me to win against him,” Simon said. Federer, who won the tournament in 2004 and ’06, became the first top seed to lose in his first match at the Rogers Cup since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Somebody carrying a Canadian passport is bound to win the country’s national golf championship eventually.

Only two men have accomplished that feat since 1914 and neither of them is still alive to tell the players of today how they did it.

LOS ANGELES – Swimmer Jessica Hardy’s trip to the Beijing Olympics could be in jeopardy after testing positive for a banned substance, according to a person familiar with the test results.

Hardy’s “A” sample from the recent U.S. Olympic trials tested positive, the person told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The person, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said the banned substance was a stimulant but did not provide any other details.

MONTREAL – He’s by no means a superstitious guy, so star Canadian kayaker Adam van Koeverden doesn’t believe in the so-called “flag-bearer jinx” that supposedly casts a dark cloud over the athlete chosen to lead his country into the Olympic Games.

“Alex Baumann carried the flag in 1984 and he won two golds, so I can deal with that jinx,” van Koeverden said Wednesday during a news conference to announce he would be Canada’s flag-bearer for the Beijing Olympics.

BALTIMORE – A pitching duel between A.J. Burnett and Jeremy Guthrie ended without a clear winner.

The game between Toronto and the Baltimore Orioles was suspended by rain Wednesday night with the Blue Jays leading 2-1 in the sixth inning.

The Detroit Tigers were nearly perfect, from the pitching of Armando Galarraga right down to the torrid offence.

Galarraga carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, Miguel Cabrera drove in three runs and the Tigers beat Kansas City 7-1 Wednesday, capping off a series in which they hit .355 and outscored their opponent 33-6.

TORONTO – It’s been almost a year since David Beckham sat in his tailored suit on the sidelines of BMO Field, watching as his Los Angeles Galaxy played Toronto FC to a scoreless draw.

The buzz of anticipation in the air that night fizzled into disappointment for Becks fans as the former England captain sat out the game with an ankle injury.

CARSON, Calif. – Jelena Jankovic opened her bid to gain the No. 1 ranking with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over American Vania King in the East West Bank Classic on Wednesday night.

The top-seeded Serbian could knock countrywoman Ana Ivanovic from the top spot by winning the tournament, her first since injuring her right knee at Wimbledon. King pressed Jankovic throughout the first set before the Serb took control in the second.

EDMONTON – Canadian auto racing legend Paul Tracy will run his first practice lap Thursday in a car he’s never been in before in his first open-wheel race in almost four months as part of a one-shot attempt to determine his IndyCar future.

In other words, Tracy said Wednesday, no pressure. “We all want to do well, our expectations are to do well, but I haven’t set any type of goal on myself that we have to win the race,” Tracy told a news conference in advance of Saturday’s Rexall Edmonton Indy (5 p.m. ET) at the City Centre Airport. “We’re just going to take it step by step every day. From my standpoint, this is my opportunity to get back in the (IndyCar) series.”

SALTILLO, Mexico – The Dominican Republic defeated Canada 3-1 Wednesday at the NORCECA junior women’s volleyball championship.

Set scores were 27-29, 25-16, 25-15, 25-17. Canada fell to 1-1 in the preliminary round.

ALPE D’HUEZ, France – Carlos Sastre won Wednesday’s 17th stage of the Tour de France, the hardest ride this year up three huge Alpine climbs, to take the overall lead from CSC teammate Franck Schleck.

Sastre took the yellow jersey by speeding ahead of the main title contenders in the final ascent of the 210.5-kilometre ride from Embrun to L’Alpe d’Huez. “I suffered a lot on the way to the summit, but I take great pleasure in capturing the jersey,” Sastre said through a translator. “A pure climber has to take advantage of his opportunities, and this was mine.”

ALPE D’HUEZ, France – The King of the Mountains and white jersey for best young rider at the Tour de France were probably determined Wednesday.

Bernhard Kohl kept the polka dot jersey given to the best climber after the final stage in the Alps and Andy Schleck increased his lead in the white jersey standings to one minute 58 seconds over Roman Kreuziger.

TORONTO – Time is running out for the federal government to indicate whether it supports Ontario’s bid for Toronto to host the 2015 Pan Am Games, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday.

The formal deadline for bids is Jan. 31, 2009, and the Pan American Sports Organization says it wants informal presentations in October. However, McGuinty said the “real” deadline is much sooner. “It’s time for the feds to make up their mind,” he said.

TROON, Scotland – Greg Norman used last week’s British Open as a warmup and almost made history. The warmup over, he is now setting his sights on the Senior British Open.

Leading the tournament at Royal Birkdale with nine holes to play, the 53-year-old Australian was on course to become the oldest winner of a major, but finished six shots behind Padraig Harrington in a tie for third.

CALGARY – There are many moments of truth for Kyle Shewfelt these days.

Like the kid playing street hockey thinking “Game 7, Stanley Cup final, this goal wins it,” Shewfelt often imagines himself in Beijing on the mat for the men’s Olympic gymnastics floor final. “In training, I have to simulate the competition, so I call my coach over and say to myself ‘this is the one. It counts. It matters,”‘ he said.

VANCOUVER – The seats were empty and the ice wasn’t up to par but members of Canada’s short-track speedskating team liked what they saw as they held their first training camp at the venue where they will compete during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Besides spending time on the ice at the Pacific Coliseum, the skaters checked out the building’s facilities and got a chance to find their way around Vancouver.

LINZ/OTTENSHEIM, Austria – Two Canadian crews advanced after their repechage races Wednesday at the World Rowing Championships.

Poland won the race in 5:53.94, but Canada’s lightweight men’s eight (5:55.32) overtook Australia (5:57.37) in the final 500 metres to take the next qualifying spot in the 2000-metre race.

from: ckwstv.com

Croatian high jumper Blanka Vlasic is aiming for her first Olympic honor at the peak of her powers.
The 24-year-old world champion is hot favorite in the Chinese capital after 33 consecutive victories and she has jumped 3 cms higher than anyone else this season.
Vlasic, whose father and former coach Josko was a former decathlete, won her first senior gold medal at last year’s world championships when she set a personal best of 2.07 meters.
She won the high jump at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart in September and the world indoor championships in Valencia this year.
Her father’s 1984 decathlon record still stands, a rare example of father and daughter simultaneously holding national records.
Vlasic was born in Split, Croatia’s main Adriatic artery. Her father named her after the Moroccan city of Casablanca where he took part in the 1983 Mediterranean Games shortly before her birth.
She made the headlines in the early stages of her career with a series of semi-nude photos.
Vlasic won the bronze medal at the 2004 world indoor championships in Budapest but ended the season on a low after finishing 11th at the Olympics in Athens.
Vlasic captured the silver at the 2006 world indoors in Moscow before she took world athletics by storm last year.
She registered 18 wins in 19 outdoor competitions after finishing fifth at the European indoors in Birmingham in March 2007.
The only second-place finish, at the Bislett Games in Oslo, cost Vlasic a chance to earn a share of last year’s $1 million Golden League jackpot won by U.S. sprinter Sanya Richards and Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva.
In October, she became the first Croatian to be named the European women’s Athlete of the Year. This year she remains in contention for the Golden League jackpot.
Known for striking a pose when she clears the bar, Vlasic will certainly be one of the most eye-catching athletes in Beijing. If she hits top form, her other ambition of breaking the world record of 2.09 meters.

(writing by Zoran Milosavljevic, editing by Robert Woodward)
source: reuters.com

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt laid down another marker for the Beijing Olympics when he ran the fastest 200 metres of the year so far at the Athens Grand Prix on Sunday.
The 21-year-old, who broke the 100 metres world record at the end of May, clocked 19.67 seconds, cruising home to a comfortable victory.
It was a personal best for Bolt and the fifth fastest time ever over the distance.
However, he again played down suggestions that he would soon break Michael Johnson’s 12-year-old record of 19.32.
“It is a very hard record to get but someone will take it one day and hopefully I will be that person – maybe next year,” he said.
Cuba’s Daryon Robles also sent out a warning for the Olympics, clocking 13.05 in the 110-metres hurdles. It was well off his world record 12.87, set last month, but still the third-fastest time of the year so far.
“I felt really good. I am working day after day to fulfil my personal objective for the Olympics,” he said.
“I don’t want to think too far ahead yet. I honestly believe it is a question of getting to the (Olympic) final because it is, of course, a desire and dream of every athlete to get an Olympic medal.”

STIRRING FINISH
Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas took the 100 metres for the second year running, clocking 10.10, while Louis van Zyl produced a stirring finish to plough past the Americans Danny MacFarlane and Reuben McCoy to take the 400 metres hurdles.
The South African’s winning time of 48.22 was shy of American Kerron Clement’s 47.79, the best so far this year, but there was a season’s best in the high jump where Sweden’s Stefan Holm cleared 2.37 metres.
The 2007 triple jump world champion Nelson Evora produced a leap of 17.23 to see off Olympic silver medallist four years ago Marian Oprea and the Cuban Arnie David Girat while Louis Tsatoumas gave the home crowd something to cheer when he leapt 8.44 metres, the third best long jump of the year.
Veronica Campbell-Brown made up for disappointment in the same meeting in 2007, winning the women’s 100 metres in 10.92.
The Jamaican said: “I am satisfied with my race. I have been training very hard and I hope I will stay healthy to achieve my goal in Beijing. I adore Athens. I run my best races here.”
Sanya Richards of the US missed out by 0.03 seconds on the fastest time of the year in the 400 metres but still won with something to spare in 49.86.
In the women’s javelin, world record holder Osleidys Menendez of Cuba had to settle for second behind the Czech world champion Barbora Spotakova who won with a throw of 63.70 metres.

from: chinadaily.com.cn

Swedish golden girl Carolina Kluft is determined to bag two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics after renouncing the defense of her heptathlon crown due to lack of motivation.
The Olympic heptathlon champion in Athens is planning to compete in the long jump and triple jump in China.
The switch in disciplines is partly due to fitness worries which have beset the 25-year-old in the past year, but there is also a strong mental aspect with her father Johnny Kluft saying his daughter is rediscovering her motivation.
“Right now she is training a bit less because of the reduction in disciplines, and she is feeling less tired than before,” he said.
“It is an unbelievable challenge for her and she is aiming to do her best. Before, she had won everything and she was starting to get bored.”
The athlete herself explained her decision in terms of motivation.
“I understand that a lot of people will not understand the decision and will contest it but the motivation is not sufficiently there for the heptathlon,” she said in a Swedish newspaper interview earlier this year.
“The decision was tough and yet at the same time a simple one. I had been thinking about it for some time. I had a chat with myself and followed what my heart said.”
Kluft’s extraordinary achievements started at the age of 12 when she came home from school and announced to her parents she could jump higher than her classmates.
By 17 she bagged her first major title at the world youth championships in Chile.
Since then she has gone on to be world heptathlon champion three times, (in 2003, 2005 and 2007) as well as Olympic gold medalist in 2004.
She has been European champion twice (2002, 2006). More recently, Kluft achieved gold twice (2005, 2007) at the European Indoor Championships in a different discipline, the pentathlon.
Her top heptathlon score of 7,032 points is second only to the all-time women’s record set at the 1988 Seoul Olympics by Jackie Joyner-Kersee of the United States.
The athlete, born at Boras in western Sweden, has a formidable pedigree of sporting achievement.
Her mother was one of Sweden’s leading long jumpers in the 1970′s, while her father Johnny was a professional footballer who spent much of his career with the Allsvenskan club in the Swedish first division.
Kluft has been working hard on her two chosen specialities and is currently ranked 8th in the world in long jump, one of the seven disciplines included in the heptathlon.
Last month at the European Cup event in Istanbul, she jumped 6.87m, 10 cm short of her personal best and she hopes to improve on that distance before heading out to Beijing.
But the Swede has yet to show she can win on the biggest of stages in the highly technical triple-jump finshing fourth in a recent meeting in Istanbul.
The 1.78m tall athlete is currently enrolled at Vaxjo University where she is studying peace and development. In September 2007 she married pole vaulter Patrick Kristiansson.

from: chinadaily.com.cn