Olympics

Olympic Rings Meaning
Almost after 96 years of their introduction, many of us are still not aware about the Olympic rings meaning. To know the meaning of Olympic rings, and its association with the concept of Olympic games, read on....

Democrats Accuse Republicans of Rooting Against America
Fury over Republican responses to Chicago’s failure to land the Olympic Games is a crazy partisan’s dream come true, but cooler heads have remained decidedly calmer.

2016 Olympics: Rio de Janeiro Bags the Honors
Rio de Janeiro becomes the city that will host the 31st edition of the Olympics in 2016.

Olympic Gold Medalist Dara Torres Named PTA National Ambassador
Dara Torres, an Olympic gold medalist swimmer, has been named as the newest National Ambassador for the National PTA.

List of Olympic Sports
Olympic games are an international sports event that the world looks forward to. To know all about the various sports that are a part of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, go through this list of Olympic Sports.

Famous Olympic Swimmers
With the Olympics approaching fast, it seems a good time to recall some of the champions that have enthralled us with their scintillating performances. So, here is an account of a few famous Olympic swimmers.

Wrongly Accused Olympic Bomber Suspect Richard Jewell Dies
Richard Jewell, who was miscast in the press as a suspect in the 1996 Olympic bombing, has died from complications of diabetes.

The Ancient Olympic Games
Most people know that the modern Olympic Games are a revival of an ancient competition. What were these games like? Are there any similarities between them and the Olympics today?

Kenteris and Thanou Suspended Through 2006
Former Greek heroes Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, a couple with a history for being elusive at drug testing times, will put the Athens incident behind them.

London Beats Out Paris to Host the 2012 Olympic Games
In the final round of voting, London has been awarded the right to host the Olympic Games in 2012.

Brazilians Celebrate As Rio De Janeiro Grabs 2016 Olympic Games
Locals express jubilation over decision as they prepare for first South American games

Rio De Janeiro Captures 2016 Olympics – But Now the Work Begins
Rio has beaten Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo to claim the 2016 Olympic Games for Brazil, but this beautiful city has a dark side

Tom Daley Shrugs Off School Taunts to Focus on London 2012
Olympic teen diver Tom Daley has learnt as much out of the pool as he has in it since Beijing, he tells Donald McRae

Construction Work Begins on Last Big Olympic Building Project
Construction of press center to house 20,000 journalists starts despite ongoing funding questions

Eight British Olympic Sports Face Crisis Over 2012 Funding Budgets
Eight British sports face a funding crisis ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games

Olympics Has Positive Economic Impact on Both Winning - and Losing - Bidders
New research states that event has positive economic impact for both successful and unsuccessful bidders

Fancy Olympic 2012 Gold for Gardening? Just Join the Queue
Tessa Jowell unveils X Factor-style competition to chose 'Best of British' garden design for 2012 games

Sir Clive Woodward's Talents Directed at Olympic Small Fry
Sir Clive Woodward's plans for the London 2012 Olympics have been hit by a funding shortfall and opposition from some sports

Will London 2012 Be a Fairer Olympics?
Is the Olympics sexist? Tessa Jowell seems to think so, says Barney Ronay

Funding Cuts Threaten 2012 Medal Hopes
Paralympic and Olympic budget cuts in 12 sports set to have impact on Britain's performance in 2012

Long Road to London 2012 Starts in Glasgow
Steve Cram: Olympic hopefuls can make an early impression indoors at the Kelvin Hall

Government Forced to Bail Out Major Olympic Projects
Government forced to bail out major Olympic projects as private investment dries up

Olympics to Sprint Ahead With Workforce of 6,000
Ministers hope acceleration in work on east London site will offset widespread redundancies in building industry

Olympic Team Unveils Plan to Keep Traffic Moving in 2012
Government announces designated road network for 55,000 athletes, officials, media personnel and sponsors

Government Says Backing for London Olympics is Up
The country is becoming more enthusiastic about London 2012, says a new survey

Olympic Sports Handed Extra £29m to Plug 2012 Funding Shortfall
The culture secretary Andy Burnham has found extra funds to support the quest for Olympic medals

Warren Hopes to Turn Olympic Trio Into World Champions
Frank Warren plans to take James DeGale, Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders to the top of the professional ranks

Radcliffe to Take on Olympic Champion in 2009 London Marathon
Paula Radcliffe will face Olympic champion Constantina Dita in next year's London marathon

Let's The Olympic Games Begin!
This month it’s time to go for the gold! Experience the Olympics Games with fun activities and crafts.

Follow the Money: Olympic Protest Movement Turns Its Sights on to Sponsors
Companies sponsoring the Beijing games are the targets of a new, more vigorous war on China's human rights

Struggle to Find International Sports Translators for the Olympic Games
Lots of trained international translators, educated in math, computer science, medicine and more are always in high demand for companies needing translation for high tech or medical text, but with the Olympic Games just around the corner, who knew professional translators who moonlighted as coaches or sports announcers would be in high demand.

Chinese in Manchester Protest Over Bbc 'bias' on Tibet and Olympics
Demonstrators read an open letter to the broadcaster, accusing it of 'tarnishing and demonising China'

Dark Moments and Desire That Drove a 13-year-old to Beijing
Big interview: Tom Daley has overcome his father's cancer and crippling doubts to qualify for the Olympics and beat the best in Europe

Who is Going to the Olympics Opening Ceremony?
Julian Borger: News that the UN secretary-general will not attend the Beijing opening ceremony will be taken as a signal for other dignitaries to consult their calendars

There's News, American News, and Then There's Fox News
Will Buckley: On Fox, the travails of the Olympic torch provided an excuse for some aggressively racist coverage

At Least the Torch Tour Shone a Light on Olympic Hypocrisy
Catherine Bennett: The vision of the Games is sacrificed in pursuit of Beijing gold and now the flame burns as a potent symbol of Chinese oppression

Olympic Chiefs Deny Bowing to China on Tibet
Olympic Games: Officials denied succumbing to pressure from China after the IOC apparently watered down calls for a solution in Tibet

San Francisco Authorities Forced to Switch Plans Amid Torch Protests
The San Francisco leg of the Olympic torch relay descended into farce last night after the authorities cut the route in half and canceled the official closing ceremony

Olympic Torch Journey Descends Into Farce
Authorities cut the route in half and drive the torch a mile inland to keep it away from waiting protesters

The Long March
Leader: Parading the Olympic flame through Tibet will only go down as another act of cultural imperialism

On Second Thoughts: Linford Christie
Don't let the failed drugs tests distort your memory - the Olympic gold medalist is one of the greatest sportsmen in British history, argues Andy Bull

Budget for Olympic Aquatic Centre Triples
London 2012: The Olympic aquatic center will now cost £240m, more than three times the estimate when the bid was made

San Francisco is Braced to Greet Olympic Torch - and Thousands of Protesters
Thousands of protesters expected to line the route of the latest leg of the Olympic torch's 'Journey of Harmony'

San Francisco Authorities Brace for Olympic Protests
Thousands of protesters are expected to line the route of the latest leg of the Olympic torch's "Journey of Harmony"

Ten Burning Questions About the Olympic Torch
Who was to blame for London's chaotic parade? Will it make any difference to Tibet? Patrick Barkham has the answers

Olympic Torch Relay Cut Short Amid Paris Protests
Officials scrap procession after demonstrations force them to put out torch four times

Thousands Protest As Olympic Flame Carried Through London
Police and security staff forced to fend off anti-Chinese demonstrators in chaotic scenes

Arrests, Fights, Jeering: Olympic Spirit Flickers Amid the Chaos
Government concedes torch relay brought an atmosphere of 'threat and menace' to London

Sri Lankan Minister Among Dozen Killed in Suicide Blast at Marathon
Victims of bombing at New Year race include former Olympic runner and coach

Olympic Torch Hits London But Tibet Remains Closed
The Chinese authorities hope flame will draw visitors to China, but tourist visas to Tibet remain suspended

Enchanted By the Old World Values of a Five-star Show
Kevin Mitchell studies the modern pentathlon, a crusty anachronism to some, but still an important event for Britain in Olympic years

A Spluttering Flame
Leader: Whatever happens to the flame tomorrow, the Olympic spirit is not burning that brightly just now.

Top Names Withdraw From Relay As Torch Becomes Beacon for Protest
Demonstration plans and sensitivities grow prior to the Olympic flame's passage through London

Olympic Sports to Look for Football Cast-offs
Digger: Footballers who do not make the grade will be encouraged to transfer their skills to other sports

IOC Inspectorate Confirms That Games Will Not Be Censored
Beijing 2008: The IOC's coordination commission has announced that reporting from the Olympics will not be subject to state restrictions

UK Hopefuls Given Target of Eighth in Beijing Medal Table
Olympics: UK Sport rejected claims that the stated aim of eighth place in the Beijing medals table was a 'soft target'

Rogge Hopes to Meet Chinese Prime Minister
Beijing 2008: IOC president Jacques Rogge is to meet with the Chinese government to try to ease tensions over the Olympics

India Captain's Olympic Torch Protest
India's captain, Bhaichung Bhutia, has pulled out of the Olympic torch relay in protest at China's response to demonstrations in Tibet

Beijing Has Used Games for Political Ends, Says Amnesty
Olympic Games: An Amnesty International report will allege that abuses have increased in the build up to Beijing 2008

Reedie Stands By Beijing Games As a Force for Good
Beijing 2008: Britain's IOC member Sir Craig Reedie believes that the Olympics should remain above national and international politics

Will Dave Be Dancing in Beijing?
The victory jig of GB Performance Director Dave Brailsford has been a familiar sight at the world championships - let's hope it will be repeated at the Olympics, writes William Fotheringham

Reedie Stands By Beijing Games As a Force for Good
Beijing 2008: Britain's IOC member Sir Craig Reedie believes that the Olympics should remain above national and international politics

Pendleton Finds a Silver Lining As Crampton Emerges As Cream of New Crop With Olympics in Their Sights
Cycling: Victoria Pendleton capped a fine individual display at the world championships with silver in the women's keirin

Playing the Boycott Game
Peter Preston: If Tibet proves that the Olympics are a time for protest, London had better be prepared

Enchanted By the Old World Values of a Five-star Show
Kevin Mitchell studies the modern pentathlon, a crusty anachronism to some, but still an important event for Britain in Olympic years

McDonald to Be Protester Target
Olympic Games: Anti-China protesters say they will target Sir Trevor McDonald when the Olympic torch arrives in London next month

UK Athletes Urged to Inform on Dopers in Run-up to Beijing
Athletics: UK Sport will test every British Olympic athlete in the run-up to Beijing later this year

British Keep Home Fires Burning
Cycling: Starting today in Manchester, the world championships will present a big challenge for British cyclists in Olympic year

McDonald to Be Protester Target
Olympic Games: Anti-China protesters say they will target Sir Trevor McDonald when the Olympic torch arrives in London next month

Permanent Olympic Home Can Avoid These Repellent Spectacles
Richard Williams: China's only interest in the Olympic Games is to turn the event into a vehicle for its own global aggrandizement

A Clarion Call
Leader: World leaders who have committed to attending the Olympic games in August are finding it equally hard to hold the line

Britain Opposed to Boycott of Beijing Despite Tibet Uproar
Athletics: The British government remains opposed to a boycott of the Beijing Olympics in August despite the escalation of violence in Tibet

Whitehall Could Put 'scroungers' to Work
Peter Hetherington: Are ministers failing to harness the resources of their multi billion pound procurement program - from school and hospital building to the great Olympics "spendathon" - to steer the unemployed into work?

Queally Out As Young Guns Are Given Chance of World Titles
Cycling: The 2000 Olympic gold medalist Jason Queally has pulled out of this month's world championships

Moynihan Will Resist Any Chambers Challenge Over Olympic Ban
Athletics: Dwain Chambers' attempts to compete again at the Olympics will be strongly opposed by the BOA

Olympic Stadium Ahead of Schedule
Athletics: Construction of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium in Stratford is due to start three months early

Gebrselassie Rules Out Olympic Marathon Challenge
Athletics: Haile Gebrselassie will not compete in the marathon in Beijing amid fears about the city's pollution levels

Gebrselassie Rules Out Olympic Defence
Athletics: Haile Gebrselassie will not defend his Olympic marathon title in Beijing amid fears about the city's pollution levels

Chambers Heads for Court - and Beijing
Athletics: Dwain Chambers has his sights sets on the Beijing Olympics after revealing he will appeal against his lifetime ban

Sport and Politics Go Hand in Hand in the New China
The 2008 Beijing Olympics will be a showcase for the country's achievements and ambitions

BOA Ready for Chambers Challenge
Athletics: The BOA will "vigorously defend" any legal challenge by Dwain Chambers to their ruling which prevents drug cheats from competing at any future Olympics

Pound Questions Legality of Chambers Ban
Athletics: Dwain Chambers' hopes of competing at the Olympics have received a boost from an unlikely source

Bjork's Shanghai Surprise: a Cry of 'tibet!'
First, Stephen Spielberg upset Chinese internet users after resigning as artistic adviser to the Olympics over Darfur. Now, Bjork is under attack after shouting "Tibet! Tibet!" at the end of her song Declare Independence at a concert in Shanghai

Games Organisers Trawl Essex for Biking Site
Digger: An alternative site has yet to be found for mountain-biking events at the London Olympics

Cheap and Efficient: Capital's New Subway Route
Subway route and airport part of construction projects to impress visitors to the Beijing 2008 Olympic games

Miliband Rejects Olympic Boycott But Urges Reforms
Foreign secretary David Miliband calls on China to open up politically as well as economically

IOC Visit Puts London Plans Under Scrutiny After Month of Controversy
A team of IOC officials will conduct a biannual project review of London's Olympic preparations

London 2012 Reveals Training Venues
The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games have lined up more than 600 sporting venues across the UK to host training camps for visiting teams

Cathy Freeman
Small Talk: Australia's 400m Olympic medallist on flamin' galahs, Coronation Street and fridge magnets from Vanuatu

Making a Splash
At 13, Tom Daley is already ranked as Britain's best diver and will represent his country at this summer's Beijing Olympics. He tells Patrick Barkham how he's coping with the global attention and his new role as a teenage pin-up

'They Are Hosting an Event to Promote Peace and People Are Being Killed for Their Organs'
European politicians are expressing their concern about China's appalling human-rights record ahead of the Beijing Olympics, says Will Buckley

Christie Will Not Carry Olympic Torch on London Leg
Beijing 2008: Decision to invite disgraced former sprinter was 'a mistake' says Greater London Authority

The Only Way to Save the Olympics: Ban All Sport
Harry Pearson: Sport will be far more divisive than politics when it comes to the Beijing Olympics

'They Are Hosting an Event to Promote Peace and People Are Being Killed for Their Organs'
European politicians are expressing their concern about China's appalling human-rights record ahead of the Beijing Olympics, says Will Buckley

A Great Summer of Sport?
From Henmania to the Olympics, sport makes it all too easy for us to forget about real life, says Stephen Moss.

The Competitor Going to Beijing 44 Years After His Only Previous Olympics
With six months until the start of the games, 66-year-old Japanese event rider Hiroshi Hoketsu is already causing a stir, writes Paolo Bandini

Chris Tomlinson
The world's No1 long-jumper and British Olympic hopeful bashes motorway service stations and fails to fall for Small Talk's fiendish attempts to get him in trouble with his fiancee

British Airways Signs As Official Airline for 2012
Olympics: British Airways is to be the games' official airline partner in a deal worth £40m

Wiggins and Cavendish Denied Place in Giro
Cycling:Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish have been denied a place in the Tour of Italy, hampering their Olympic preparations

Mass Food Poisoning Raises Query Over Chinese Olympics Catering
Safety standards in China's food industry were called into question again today with reports that dozens of people in Japan had become ill after eating imported dumplings containing insecticide

Prince Charles Used in Campaign to Boycott Beijing Olympics
Olympics: The Prince of Wales' decision not to go to Beijing is being used in a campaign to boycott the games

Importing Olympic Athletes Isn't Going to Fool Anybody
Jackie Ashley: For British success to make us genuinely proud in 2012, there is no alternative to serious investment in sport

Why London 2012 Had to Swot Up on the Guardian
London 2012: Senior Olympic officials prepared for at least one grilling by turning to the Guardian's sports pages

Sporting Bodies Wary of Forging Beijing Alliance
Digger: Leading Olympic sports are worried about the 'appropriatness of a Sino-British alliance, writes Matt Scott

Government Promises No More Lottery Raids to Pay for 2012
London 2012: Culture secretary James Purnell has said no-more lottery money will be used for the Olympic project

British Team Quick March to Aldershot for Training Camp
Olympics: Aldershot army barracks selected to be the training camp for London 2012

Jones Under Suspicion Since Sydney
Athletics: Disgraced sprinter's surprising performance in 2000 Olympics set initial alarm bells ringing

Rising Price of Olympic Dreams Paints Dark Future for the Arts
The London Olympics should not be allowed to benefit at the expense of funding for the arts says Richard Williams

Good Day for 13-year-old Olympic Hopeful
Duncan Mackay watched as Tom Daley, Britain's 13-year-old prodigy, moved a step closer to qualifying for the Beijing Olympics

Saracens Consider Move to Olympic Stadium
Rugby union: Saracens have confirmed that Eddie Jones will coach them next season and the club are considering leaving Vicarage Road for the 2012 Olympic Stadium

Eight Wishes for 2008
From Olympics to Ryder Cup via Andy Murray, Richard Williams presents his hopes for the year

'Paranoia' Keeps London Games Team on Track
Fear of falling behind schedule is forcing the London 2012 project to stay on course, according to Olympic organizers.

Thanou Considers Legal Action
Athletics: Katerina Thanou will consider legal action if the Sydney 2000 Olympics 100 metres gold medal, returned by the US sprinter Marion Jones, is not awarded to her

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games
Games: With countless diverse events, Sega's latest offering is classic post-pub, party-time Wii fare.

Army in Running to Host British Olympic Camp in Final Days Before London Games
· Team may use Aldershot barracks for preparations· Sports officials impressed by facilities and security

£1bn Extra for Olympic Park Puts More Pressure on Games Budget
Contingency funds likely to be needed, Jowell says· Security bill up sixfold to £1.2bn since bid

Jowell Confident 2012 Olympics Budget Under Control
Olympics minister Tessa Jowell today insisted the cost of staging the 2012 games is on track despite speculation of further cost overruns

Jowell Rejects 2012 Cost Overrun Claims
Olympics minister Tessa Jowell today insisted the cost of staging the 2012 games is on track despite speculation of further cost overruns

Team Gb Closes Fast on Olympic Berth in Beijing
Cycling: Bradey Wiggins and Mark Cavendish's final day heroics at the World Cup brought qualification for Beijing a step closer

Marathon Mum
Athletics: Paula Radcliffe talks about her determination to keep taking risks and her dream of at last achieving Olympic glory

Jowell to Reveal Budget Details
Olympic minister Tessa Jowell will bow to pressure and detail how the revised London 2012 budget is actually being spent

Rogge Blames Jump in Olympic Budget Figure for Confusing Public
IOC president is happy with London's progress but tells Paul Kelso costs left out of bid have been damaging

Olympic Organisers Consider Scrapping £90m Fencing Arena
London 2012: Organizers are considering moving the fencing away from the ExCel Center to save the games £90m

Orient Open Discussions Over Olympic Stadium Move
Soccer: Olympic officials have approached Leyton Orient over the possibility of them moving into the Stratford Olympic Stadium following the 2012 Games.

Ohuruogu Given All-clear to Compete in the Olympics
Christine Ohuruogu has won her appeal against a lifetime Olympic ban for missing three out-of-competition drugs tests.

Ohuruogu Hopeful After Appeal
Athletics: Christine Ohuruogu was quietly confident that her lifetime Olympic ban would be overturned after her appeal hearing today

Radcliffe: Let Ohuruogu Run
Paul Radcliffe has called upon the BOA to overturn Christine Ohuruogu's Olympics Games ban for missing drugs tests

Rising Olympic Costs Slammed As Catastrophic
London 2012: Olympic organizers have been heavily criticized by an influential committee of MPs about the huge increase in budget

Olympic Cash Breakdown Promised in New Year
The Olympic Delivery Authority will finally bow to public and political pressure in the new year and publish a detailed breakdown of its "program scope and budget", according to assurances given to opposition politicians yesterday.

Calling London's Olympic Plans to Account
Paul Kelso outlines the key questions the public accounts committee must ask the organizers of London 2012

Olympic Arena May Get £40m Roof After Games
Digger: The ODA is considering a boost to the Olympic stadium budget so a roof can be fitted after the 2012 Games.

Long on Legacy, Short on Wow
Jonathan Glancey: If you like your Olympic stadiums like Beijing's next year or like Athens's in 2004, then the London stadium is unlikely to be your cup of green tea, much less your shot of ouzo.

London 2012 Stadium Revealed
Organizers of London 2012 have today unveiled designs for the Olympic stadium.

Woodward's Effect on 2012 Funding Questioned
Digger: Clive Woodward's involvement in the Olympic Program is causing problems amid concern he could affect fundraising, says Paul Kelso.

Radcliffe Returns
Athletics: Paula Radcliffe aims to prove she still has Olympic gold potential when she returns to marathon competition in New York.

China Takes Tough Line on Olympics Protests
Warning to activists eyeing Games spotlight · UN passes truce resolution supporting 2008 event

Pound Backs Ohuruogu's Olympic Campaign
The chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency says he has sympathy for Christine Ohuruogu's Olympic plight.

We Have Not Lost Control of Olympic Budget, Claims Jowell
Olympics minister Tessa Jowell was again on the defensive over questions raised about the cost of London 2012.

Woodward's Secrecy Clause Causes Concern
Digger: Olympic athletes working with Sir Clive Woodward will not be able to reveal details of their training, writes Paul Kelso.

Cost of Olympic Stadium Nearly Double By 2012
London 2012: The Olympic stadium will cost £496m, not £280m, but the ODA say it is still within budget.

Embarrassed London Forced to Abandon 2012 Canoe Venue
London 2012: Olympic organizers have abandoned their original plans for a site in Hertfordshire due to contamination.

Doubts Persist Over Olympic Stadium's Legacy
Digger: There are doubts about the commercial viability of London's Olympic stadium after the event is finished, says Paul Kelso.

Radcliffe Second in Comeback Race
Great Britain's most successful athlete moved a step closer to the Olympics by competing in the Great North Run on Tyneside.

Britain Left With Only One Lab for Dope-testing As Olympics Loom
Olympics: A drug-testing laboratory in Cambridge has had its Wada accreditation revoked, leaving Britain with only one remaining option.

French Builder Pulls Out in Aquatic Centre Row
Digger: One of the building firms bidding to work at the 2012 Olympics has pulled out after a payment row.

London 2012 May Offer Special Role to the Special One
Digger: Seb Coe said he may ask Jose Mourinho to be an ambassador for the London Olympics.

Seven Cities Bid for 2016 Olympics
Olympics: Chicago are the early favourites to host the 2016 games after the IOC revealed the cities bidding.

Olympic Board Yet to Provide Cover for Stadium
Digger: With only a month to go before the design's for the main Olympic stadium are to be unveiled there are still disagreements over crowd covering, says Paul Kelso.

Coe Fights Channel 4 Allegations of Personal Gain Through 2012 Bid
Olympic Games: The London 2012 organizing committee have denied allegations that Sebastian Coe has exploited his position as chairman of the organizing committee for personal gain.

Coe Worried Over Olympics Allegations
Olympic Games: London 2012: Sebastian Coe's lawyers have held talks with Channel 4 amid concerns that a Dispatches program will air damaging allegations about the LOC chairman.

Olympic Budget Under Fire Again
Athletics: The government is set to face renewed accusations that it mishandled the London Olympic budget in a Channel 4 Dispatches program.

Warner Calls for Ohuruogu's Olympic Ban to Be Lifted
Athletics: UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner insists that Christine Ohuruogu's lifetime Olympic ban should be lifted.

World Champion Ohuruogu Eyes Path to Beijing
Athletics: UK Athletics performance director, Dave Collins, is hopefully that world champion Christine Ohuruogu's Olympic ban will be lifted.

Reade Triumphs in Olympic Bmx Warm-up in China
Cycling: After Shanaze Reade's victory in an Olympic warm-up event, the call for a BMX training facility in Manchester was repeated.

'When I Came Here There Was Still This British Thing About Underdogs'
Olympic Games: Jürgen Grobler transformed British rowing but his story is far from over as he chases more gold at the world championships.

China Prays for Olympic Wind As Car Bans Fail to Shift Beijing Smog
Prayers for strong winds look set to become a major component of Beijing's Olympic preparations after a traffic-reduction trial failed.

Olympic Chief Dismisses Call to Boycott Beijing
Olympic Games: Britiain's Olympic boss says a claim to boycott the Beijing Olympics for human rights reasons is "absolutely extraordinary".

Rogge Warns of Smog Threat to Olympics
Olympic Games: Beijing 2008: IOC president Jacques Rogge admits air pollution could force events to be postponed next year.

Olympic Artist Attacks China's Pomp and Propaganda
· Man behind bird's nest stadium to boycott games · Row with Spielberg over role of film directors

Olympic Fears Over Beijing Smog
Beijing 2008: IOC president admits air pollution could force events to be postponed next year.

Lottery Sales 'harming Grassroots Sport'
Digger: Olympic lottery scratchcards are outselling other scratchcards in such numbers that sports, art and charities are all feeling the pinch. By Andrew Culf

Georgia Up in Arms Over Olympic Cash
· Anger at Russian deal with breakaway republic · Diplomatic row could end in international boycott

British Pair Claim London Glory
Great Britain's Tim Don and Michelle Dillon overcame strong fields to win the men's and women's Olympic races at yesterday's London Triathlon.

After 180 Million Years, First 2012 Olympic Venue is Ready for Action
Olympic Games: Weymouth looks forward to new facilities, tourist boom, and long-awaited relief road.

Gatlin Handed Olympic Hope By Fbi Evidence
Athletics: Joint 100m world record holder Justin Gatlin is hoping the FBI will help him get his eight-year testosterone ban reduced.

Brown's Olympic Structure Under Fire
Digger: Confusion reigns as to who exactly is in charge of London 2012, says Andrew Culf.

'Now I'm a Senior, I'm Going for Glory'
Interview: Britain's outstanding young triathlete Olly Freeman talks about his training regime, what drives him on and his Olympic dreams.

Boa Consider Ending Life Bans
Digger: The British Olympic Association is on collision course with UK Sport after considering ending life-time bans for drug cheats.

London 2012: Building Begins
Olympic Games: Work begins on the site for the new Olympic Stadium in East London this week.

Olympic Games: Lemley Paid Off With £388,000 After Only Seven Months at Oda
London 2012: Former ODA boss Jack Lemley received a huge payout before being forced out of the organisation.

London 2012: London Signs Up Its Second Major Sponsor in £50m Deal
Olympic Games: London Olympic organizers expect to have nearly all their top-tier sponsors before next year's Beijing Games.

Briton Fears Deportation After Chinese Media Clampdown
Newsletter closure raises concerns prior to Olympics - Influential briefing links non-governmental groups

MPs Demand Tighter Rein on Olympics Spending
Olympic Games: The government is today criticized by a Commons financial watchdog for seriously underestimating the cost of the London 2012 Olympics - and warned of the danger of further budget increases.

China Plans Highway to Mount Everest for Olympics
China is to start building a highway to Mount Everest as part of preparations for next year's Olympics, the state media reported yesterday.

Olympics 2012: London Preparations Are Best Ever
After visiting the 2012 Olympic site, the chairman of the International Olympic Committee says London's preparations are the best he's ever seen.

Seeing the Sites If Not Many Olympic Buildings
Digger: The Olympic organizers gave the IOC members a sightseeing tour with few actual venues to show-off.

Tensions Building Over Olympic Park
Digger: Tensions are building on the London Olympic Board over future plans for the Olympic Park. By Paul Kelso

London 2012: Budget in Check Say Organisers
Olympic Games: London 2012 organizers will today reassure the IOC inspection committee that the budget for the games is in check.

London is Getting Into the Olympic Spirit - By Kicking Out the Gypsies
Evictions of the poor, along with mentally ill people and beggars, are one of the games' best-established traditions. By George Monbiot

London 2012: Spiralling Construction Costs Are Major Challenge
Olympic Games: Gordon Brown says spiraling construction costs are the major obstacle to the delivery of London 2012.

Scots Back at Wembley: How to Bring Out Best of British Through Sport
Olympic Games: Thinktank urges return of home internationals - Jowell backs focus on pride and tolerance

Olympic Games: Construction Shambles on Cards for London, Says Union
London 2012: Olympic preparations could be jeopardized by strikes and delays just like Wembley, according to one union.

Please Look Away ... It's the 2012 Logo
Olympic Games: The organizers of London 2012 may have foreseen some of the criticism they have received since unveiling the Olympic logo - variously derided as an uninspiring emblem, a puerile mess, an artistic flop.

Olympics Blamed for Forcible Removal of 2m Over 20 Years
More than 2 million people have been moved from their homes over the past 20 years, many of them forcibly, to clear space for the Olympic Games, a human rights group reported today.

Edgy Symbol of Digital Age or Artistic Flop - London Unveils Olympic Logo
Glitzy launch of brand designed to work with new media greeted by online petition for it to be scrapped.

World Triathlon Champion Tim Don
Athletics: World triathlon champion Tim Don will be able to compete in next year's Beijing Games after he won his appeal against a lifetime Olympic ban.

Tories Plan Anti-doping Unit Ahead of Olympics
Digger: If the Conservatives gain power UK Sport will be stripped of its anti-doping duties ahead of London 2012.

Cycling: Hoy Falls Short in Kilometre Record Attempt
Chris Hoy came agonisingly close to breaking Arnaud Tournant's world kilometre record in Bolivia yesterday falling a fraction over 2cm short. That was the margin of defeat as the Olympic and world champion crossed the line in 58.880secs to record the second fastest kilo in history.

Organisers to Give Olympic Clouds a Silver Lining
Chinese metereologists are preparing one of mankind's greatest ever assaults on the heavens next August, which the organisers belatedly acknowledge as the month when the capital gets almost half its annual rainfall.

China Defends Sudan Role After Olympics Threat
China defended its support for Sudan yesterday amid threats of an Olympic backlash unless Beijing makes greater use of its influence to stop the slaughter in Darfur.

Olympic Body Appoints Rail Man
Olympic Games: Digger: John Armitt has been named the new Olympic Delivery Authority chairman, thanks to his experience as Network Rail's boss. By Paul Kelso

Mother Superior
Britain's champion long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe tells Nick Greenslade of her highs and lows, pregnacy and her continuing quest for Olympic gold.

Youth Olympics Questioned
Digger: Jacques Rogge's plan for a Youth Olympics in 2010 has received a lukewarm reception in Beijing...By Paul Kelso

The Olympics Are a Chance to Transform the Nation's Lifestyle
Worries about cost and diverted funds shouldn't obscure London 2012's potential impact on our fitness and obesity crisis. By Jackie Ashley

Olympic Games: Sports Bosses Funding Fear
Sports bosses from the 'big five' are having crisis talks over £100m of grassroots funding being diverted to London 2012.

London 2012: Big Five Sports Demand New Law to Crush the Ticket Touts
Olympic Games: The government will implement ticket-touting protection for the London Olympics, and other sports want the same protection.

Grassroots Participation is the Loser As Sport England Props Up Games
Olympic Games: London 2012: The latest cut to the lottery distributor's budget will keep more people on the couch, says Andrew Culf.

The Rising Costs of London 2012
Olympic Games: The Government should cifen taxes gained from the 2012 Olympics back into sport, writes Kevin Mitchell.

Wembley No Open and Shut Case for 2012
Olympic Games: Digger: Wembley emerges as candidate to host opening and closing ceremonies of London Games. By Matt Scott

Hyde Park Triathlon Plans May Founder on Cost
Olympic Games: Digger: British Triathlon is in talks with Olympic organisers to try to bring a World Cup event to the Olympic venue in Hyde Park. By Matt Scott

Sort Out Olympics Funding, Tories Tell Brown
Olympic Games: Hugo Swire, the shadow sport secretary, called on the chancellor to answer questions about the funding as Mr Brown used a school sports visit to declare his pride at the way Britain was organising the 2012 event.

Children's Slides Feed Beijing Olympic Metal Boom
The next time Japanese children turn up at their local park to find that their slide has disappeared overnight, they could try blaming the rise in world metal prices.

London 2012: Ioc 'impressed' With Preparations
Olympic Games: The IOC have declared themselves "impressed" with the preparations for the 2012 games despite fears over the cost.

Olympic Chiefs' Dismay at 2012 Budget Rows
Olympic Games: Digger: The IOC is worried preparations for London 2012 are being overshadowed by concerns over the mounting cost. By Paul Kelso

Cycling: Hoy Retrains His Sights on Keirin
Olympic kilometre time-trail champion, Chris Hoy, will not be able to race in that event at the forthcoming Beijing World Cup, as it has been scrapped.

Athletics: Mps Call for Independent Anti-doping Agency
MPs believe a radical overhaul of Britain's drug-testing regime is necessary ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

British Athletes Slide to 34th in World Alongside Eritrea and Latvia
Athletics: The British Olympic Association says the performances of athletes must improve if Britain is to achieve its medal target in 2012.

Shelley Rudman
The Olympic medallist chats about John Terry, slingshots and "the knicker thing"

Athletics: How Farah Found the Formula to Take on World's Best
Britain's brightest running hope Mo Farah tells Paul Weaver about his remarkable rise and Olympic dreams.

London 2012: Image of Games is Being Hurt By Talk of Rising Costs, Says Ioc
Olympic Games: London's mayor Ken Livingstone has speculated that the cost of the Olympics may rise to as much as £5.1bn.

Cameron Forced to Ditch Olympics Site Cycle Trip
Olympic Games: Heavy snow has forced David Cameron to abandon a cycle trip around the London Olympics site.

Ringing the Changes
Olympic Games: The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics have promised that the games will be the most sustainable ever. But are their much publicised green goals really as ambitious as they sound? David Adam reports.

Interview: Sir Keith Mills
Having won the Olympics for London, Sir Keith Mills tells Donald McCrae that he now wants to land the oldest trophy in world sport.

London 2012: Games Are Not a Black Hole, Says Ioc Chief
Olympic Games: The IOC chief, Denis Oswald believes the media's preoccupation with the cost of the games could detract from their positive impact.

London 2012: Jowell Accuses Tories of Undermining 2012 Games
Olympic Games: The culture secretary hits back, as the Conservatives voice fears about overspending on the Olympics.

London 2012: Radioactive Scare for Olympic Village
Olympic Games: Residents on the site of the Olympic village have sought a court injunction to stop tests that they feel may disturb radioactive material.

London 2012: With 2,012 Days to Go, 2012 Can Be a Success
Olympic Games: Andrew Culf looks at 20 reasons why London 2012 will be a success - and 12 reasons why it won't.

Athletics: Colin Jackson
Colin Jackson, now coaching two Olympic prospects, tells Donald McRae how poorly young British athletes are being trained.

Swimming: Bill Sweetenham Tempted By London 2012
Bill Sweetenham has hinted for the first time that he could stay on until the London 2012 Olympics.

London 2012: Spiralling Costs Could Hit Clubs
Olympic Games: The escalating costs of staging the Olympics could prevent funding from filtering down to sport at grassroots level.

Twelve for 2012
Olympic Games: One year on, Duncan Mackay looks at the progress made by the twelve young athletes tipped for glory in 2012.

Athletics: East Germans Compensated for Systematic Doping
The German Olympic Sports Federation has agreed to pay £6,000 to 167 former East German athletes who were systematically doped.

Your Journey to Olympic Greatness Starts Today
Olympic Games: What's the best way to secure yourself a place in the GB Olympic team? Pick an obscure sport that no-one else plays, reckons Sean Ingle.

Ill-defined Plans Could Leave a Disastrous Legacy for 2012 Olympics
Bloated and ill-defined regeneration plans could leave a disastrous legacy for the 2012 Olympics. By Jonathan Glancey

London 2012: Urged to Prosecute Drug Cheats
Olympic Games: IOC medical commission chief Arne Ljungqvist has called on London to prosecute Olympic drugs cheats.

We Think We Can't
The latest Olympic panic is born of that very British fear that we make a hash of anything ambitious. By Hugh Muir

London 2012: Aquatics Centre Scaled Down
Olympic Games: The "front door to the Olympic Park" has had to be scaled down amid spiralling budget cost worries.

New 2012 Row As Bill for Olympics Stadium Nears £500m
Olympic Games: The true cost of the showpiece venue for the 2012 Olympics was seriously underestimated by organisers of London's bid when they were campaigning to win the right to host the event, The Observer can reveal.

London 2012: Focus on Regeneration, Says Olympic Chief
Olympic boss David Higgins says the Olympic funding row is less important than the social problems the games will solve.

Treasury Wary of Olympic Overspend
Digger: Gordon Brown says he won't bail out London 2012's rising costs with a blank cheque. By Paul Kelso

Olympic Costs Could Cross £3bn Line
The budget for the London 2012 Olympic venues has risen by more than £900m, culture secretary Tessa Jowell revealed today, as she also admitted there are several other major cost increases the government has not yet calculated.

Olympic Support Fades As Bills Soar 'to £8bn'
Public support for the 2012 Olympics is in danger of draining away because costs are likely to reach an astonishing £8 billion, according to a devastating report by members of the London Assembly.

The True Cost of Olympics
Olympic Games: Revealed: With a possible final bill of £8bn London's 2012 Olympics could be the most costly sports event ever, says a report obtained by The Observer. Why were the original figures so much lower? By Denis Campbell.

Mayor's Warning Over Soaring Olympics Cost
Olympic Games: £5bn bill feared amid row over contingency fund · Green light to overcharge, forecasts Livingstone

Livingstone Reveals Row Over Olympics Contingency Fund
Olympic Games: A row has erupted over whether there should be a multi-billion pound contingency fund to cover the costs of the 2012 Olympics project going wrong, Ken Livingstone revealed today.

London 2012: British Coaches Warned Away From Drugs
Olympic Games: Britain's top athletes and coaches have been warned not to see drugs as a shortcut to Olympic success.

Boxing: Britain Hires Amir Khan's Olympic Rival
The Amateur Boxing Association has hired Mario Kindelán - who beat Amir Khan to gold at Athens 2004 - to coach Britain's boxers for London 2012.

Melbourne's British Olympic Reunion
50 years on from the Melbourne Olympics Frank Keating salutes the British heroes given a dollar-a-day allowance and told to do their own laundry.

Greenwich Park 'too Small' for Olympics
Digger: Critics say Greenwich Park cannot handle the number of spectators expected for London 2012's equistrian events. By Paul Kelso

Athletics: Crawford Severs Links With Graham
Olympic 200m champion Shaun Crawford has severed his ties with under-fire coach Trevor Graham.

Architect Lord Rogers in Olympic Boycott Threat
Olympic Games: Award-winning architect Richard Rogers has threatened to boycott London 2012 in protest at how building contracts are being awarded.

Black Hole Expands for 2012
Digger: As if £250m wasn't enough to add to the Olympic deficit, it now appears a further £100m is needed to train athletes. By Paul Kelso

London 2012: Chancellor Plays Down Olympic Vat Problem
Olympic Games: Chancellor Gordon Brown played down the Olympic VAT issue, describing it as a simple transfer between government departments.

Olympics 2012: Vat Bill Could Add £250m to Cost
It has emerged that VAT was not included in the budget for the construction and infrastructure needed to deliver London's games.

Jowell and Caborn Need to Use Same Hymnsheet
Digger: Despite her department acknowledging Richard Caborn was correctly quoted, Tessa Jowell is blaming the media for the Olympic stadium confusion. By Paul Kelso

Is London's Olympic Site Behind Schedule Already?
Olympic Games: The man who was charged with making the 2012 Games run on time claims they are mired in politics and indecision. Is he right?

London 2012: Can London Really Deliver Its Promises?
Olympic Games: Battle lines are being drawn over key areas of the Olympic vision for six years and beyond.

London 2012: Lemley Called to Explain Fears Over 2012 Package
Cricket: "Warm words and vague reassurances" on Olympic venues are at odds with the warnings of ex-Olympic Delivery Authority chairman, Jack Lemley.

Olympics 2012: Political Rows Threaten Games, Says Former Olymoic Chief
Jack Lemley says he quit as Olympic Delivery Authority supremo because he feared political rows would undermine construction projects.

Reedie Cannot Go to the Ball
Digger: Despite playing a big part in bringing the Olympics to London, Sir Craig Reedie was not invited to the BOA's annual corporate fundraiser.

West Ham Consider Olympic Stadium Move
Soccer: After Tottenham ruled themselves out of the running, West Ham are in "serious negotiations" over a possible move to the 2012 Olympic Stadium.

London 2012: Met Assistant to Handle Olympic Security Threat
Olympic Games: Metropolitan Police chief Sir Ian Blair has appointed an assistant commissoner specifically to look after games security.

Can't Pay Won't Pay 2012 Bill
Digger: A pair of pensioners have refused to pay a portion of their hiked council tax as they believe they will not benefit from the Olympics. By Paul Kelso

French Sports Minister Backed for Anti-drug Role
Sports politics: French double Olympic gold medallist Jean-Francois Lamour is the favoured European candidate to become chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

London 2012: Emirates Team to Build Olympic Stadium
Olympic Games: The builders of Arsenal's Emirates stadium have been awarded the contract to design and construct London's 80,000 capacity Olympic stadium

Cities on Mark for 2012 Piggyback Race
Olympic Games: British cities face stiff competition from abroad over the Olympic training camp bonanza, writes Andrew Culf.

London 2012: Crystal Palace to Host World Event
Olympic Games: Crystal Palace has been chosen as the host venue for the Modern Pentathlon world championships in 2009.

Athletics: Olympic Walking Champion Thompson Dies
Don Thompson, the 1960 Olympic 50 kilometres walking champion, has died at the age of 73.

New School of Excellence to Head Olympic Darts Bid
Darts: Britain is to get its first school of excellence in darts as part of an effort to achieve Olympic status for the game.

Conflict After British Olympic Football Team Gets Go-ahead
Soccer: The Scottish and Welsh FAs fear they will lose their separate status as both men and wmone get the go-ahead to compete in 2012.

Lord Foster in Frame for Olympic Stadium
Digger: The architect who designed the new Wembley, Lord Norman Foster, has bid for the design-and-build of the Olympic stadium. By Duncan Mackay

Olympics: Woodward Facing Tough Battle for Hearts and Minds
Sir Clive Woodward has been linked with many jobs at the top of sport. Now he has one, can he be successful?

Ohuruogu Hit With One-year Ban
Athletics: Christine Ohuruogo's also faces a lifelong Olympic suspension after missing three drug tests.

London 2012: Livingstone Signals Paralympic Danger
Olympic Games: The Mayor of London has warned of a low medal tally in 2012 if sports clubs fail to improve facilities to attract disabled athletes.

Athletics: British Star Faces Olympic Ban
Britain's Christine Ohuruogu must explain her failure to attend three drugs tests or face an Olympic ban.

London 2012: Woodward Role Sparks Anger
Sir Clive Woodward has sparked a row among Olympic organisers after being appointed as the BOA's director of elite performance.

Jones Cleared of Doping Allegations
Athletics: Three-time Olympic champion cleared of doping allegations after 'B' sample comes back negative.

Olympics: Woodward Handed Olympic Role
Sir Clive Woodward has charged with bringing Olympic success back to Britain in his new role as eite performance director of the BOA.

Bustling Beijing Gives London an Olympic Lesson
The 2008 Olympics is shaping up to be one of the most spectacular festivals in human history - which could make it a hard act to follow for London in 2012.

London Olympics: No Repeat of Wembley Fiasco
The Olympic Delivery Authority say that the British construction industry will deliver the Olympic stadium on time and on budget.

International Rider Killed in Fall at Horse Trials
A three-day event rider who hoped to take part in the Beijing Olympics has been killed after her horse lost its footing in a competition and fell onto her.

The Male Domination of Sport
Olympic Games: Women's sport used to have real heroines but, as the London Olympics draw nearer, there's a shortage of role models, says Duncan Mackay.

London 2012: Cheaper Aquatics Centre Will Be Better
Olympic Games: After being refused for being overpriced, plans for the 20,000 seater Olympic aquatic centre will finally be approved.

Olympics: Main Stadium Could Cost £120m Than Plan
Rising construction costs could force the price of the London Olympic Stadium up by £120m to £400m.

London 2012: Olympic Sports Left to Grovel for £100m
Olympic Games: A treasury funding "black hole" has left UK Sport with a huge sponsorship headache, writes Andrew Culf.

London 2012: Improve or Games Will Fall Flat, Says Coe
Olympic Games: Seb Coe has told British athletes that they must improve if the London Olympics are to be a success.

Tories Accuse Ministers of Neglecting Olympic Legacy
Olympic Games: The government is in danger of squandering the opportunity to create a sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympics because of a drastic reduction in lottery funding for sport at the grassroots, it was claimed yesterday.

BBC at War Over 'mad' Olympic Start Times
Protest at bid to change times of 2008 events to suit American viewers.

Scandal Threatens Italy Bids
Digger: Italy's match-fixing scandal has jeopardised the country's hopes of hosting both the 2012 European football championships and the 2016 Olympics. By Duncan Mackay

Pregnant Radcliffe Vows to Keep on Competing
Athletics: Paula Radcliffe still plans to take part in the 2012 Olympics after revealing she is due to become a mother.

London Parties As Lottery Boosts Funds
2012 Olympic Games: Lord Coe talks of strengthened resolve as 2012 team head to Trafalgar Square for a party to celebrate the anniversary of winning the Games.

Athletics: British Athletes Given Freedom of London
Britain's elite athletes will be allowed to travel free in London as part of a new scheme to ease the cost of training for the Olympics.

Athletics: Johnson Invited to Help British Sprinters
Despite often criticising British sprinters, Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson may soon be coaching them after he was offered a role nurturing the UK's top athletes.

Johnson Discussing Uk Athletics Role
Sprint legend Michael Johnson has been approached by UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins regarding a possible role of helping British athletes. Having won five Olympic gold medals, ten World Championship gold medals and still world-record holder over 200m and 400m, Johnson is one of the most respected voices in the world of athletics.

Athletics: Double Olympic Champion El Guerrouj Forced to Retire
World 1500 metres and mile record holder, Hicham El Guerrouj, has announced his retirement at a press conference in Casablanca.

London 2012: Olympic Finances Come Under Fire
The good feeling generated by London's Olympic win appears to be over, after the government was criticised from all sides over the sudden leap in budget from £1.5bn to £2bn.

Media Must Obey Chinese Law, Warns Olympic Chief
The International Olympic Committee has moved to allay media fears that their freedom will be restricted during the 2008 games, but warned they will have to respect Chinese law. By Julia Day.

London 2012: Ioc Hope to Raise $1bn
The Internatonal Olympic Committee hope to raise $1bn in sponsorship for the 2012 Games but will shun any approaches from gambling companies.

Labour Blamed for Exploiting London Olympics
Digger: Labour and the Conservatives' Olympics peace is set to end as both parties look to exploit the London 2012 bid. By Paul Kelso

London 2012: Full Steam Ahead for Olympic Land Grab
Olympic Games: London Development Agency's last-minute deals with businesses have left only 30 to 40 serious objections to Olympic construction in the Lower Lea Valley.

London 2012: Legacy is Key to 2012
Olympic Games: Sebastien Coe has insisted that creating a sporting legacy remains central to the Olympic project.

London 2012: Land Obtained for Stratford Scheme
The Olympic Delivery Authority has secured crucial land sites for its Stratford City development project.

2012 Olympic Games
Leader: This month a new quango bounced into life with the enormous task of making sure the 2012 London Olympics takes place on time.

Athletics: London Olympics Get Early Boost
The international Olympic Committee gave London a glowing report in its first check on preparations for the 2012 games.

Olympics is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
· IOC scrutinises London preparation for Games · Coe denies French claim delegates were bribed

Olympics: Oswald's Lead Role
Rowing: 58-year-old Swiss lawyer, and Olympic rowing bronze medallist in 1968, Denis Oswald will head the IOC's review group for the London 2012 games.

Cycling: Hoy Quits the Kilometre That Brought Him Gold
Olympic kilometre time-trial champion Chris Hoy today rides the event for the last time in a major event at the World Championships in Bordeaux.

Olympic Funding for 2008 Announced
UK Sport's funding for Olympic success in Beijing has been announced with handball and synchronised swimming among the winners.

£200m Pledge to Push Britain Up Medal Table
A further £200m of public money has been promised for the training of elite athletes, in the hope of propelling Britain to fourth place in the medals table at the London Olympics in 2012.

Brown to Boost Olympic Funding in Budget
Digger: Gordon Brown is expected to unveil his plans to fund athletes for Olympic glory in 2012, but many fear much of the money will come from the private purse.

Government Eases Olympics Ad Rules
Olympic Games: Advertisers that use words such as 'games', 'gold', 'silver' and '2012' in the lead up to the London Olympic games will no longer be automatically found guilty of breaking advertising laws. By Stephen Brook.

London 2012: Uk Sport 'ducking and Diving' on Medal Target
Olympic Games: UK Sport was accused by a committee of MPs of giving unhelpful answers in the row over a British medal target for the London 2012 Olympics.

Curlers Lose to Canada
Olympics: Rhona Martin has admitted GB's women's curling team are under pressure following today's 9-3 defeat to title favourites Canada.

London 2012: Funding Delay is Devastating, Says Moynihan
Olympic Games: The chairman of the British Olympic Association has warned that delayed funding for Britain's athletes has forced a gymnast used to promote the Games to quit.

London 2012: Now Uk Sport is Accused of Misleading Mps
Olympic Games: A senior executive at UK Sport may have to reappear before a parliamentary committee after concerns she mislead MPs over medal targets for the Games.

London 2012: Pendry Calls for Betting Controls
Olympic Games: Lord Tom Pendry has urged ministers to introduce a betting code of practice for the 2012 Olympics.

Rugby League: From Ny Jets to Harlequins Via Olympic Bronze in the Bobsleigh
As a former American footballer and bobsleigh Olympic medallist, Harlequins' new conditioning coach Thibault Giroud boasts an unusual background.

Caborn Promises No Eddie the Eagles at 2012
London 2012: Sports minister Richard Caborn has indicated that Treasury support will be directed towards those sports capable of delivering medals at the London Olympics.

Athletics: Jobs Spared Olympic Park Plans Change
Nearly 100 businesses will avoid relocation after organisers of the 2012 Games announced updated plans for the Olympic Park venue.

Olympics:London Seeks Four Sponsors to Pledge £50m Each for 2012
London 2012 Olympics organisers yesterday started the search for four top-level sponsors who will be asked to commit £50m each to the cost of running the games. By Andrew Culf.

Badminton: Brits Fly Flag for Jazzed-up Game
Olympic stars Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson were cheered into the All England Championship Badminton final at the NIA in Birmingham.

Cycling: Olympic Lessons for Pro Ranks
Coaches for Badley Wiggins' Cofidis professional team have been brainstorming training methods with Britain's Olympians.

Sewage Overflows Threaten London Olympics
The government is drawing up urgent measures to stop the London Olympics being swamped in millions of gallons of sewage. Ministers have set up a working group to "urgently consider" how to avoid sewage overflows backing up the river Lee, which runs through the Olympic site. It...

London 2012:
Olympic Games: Richard Caborn, sports minister, could be reported over allegations he breached ministerial code with answers he gave on the funding of athletes for London 2012.

Olympics: Why Britain's Shooters Should Stop Whinging About Pistol Ban
There is nothing to prevent pistol-shooters from transferring to long-barrelled weapons, thus satisfying a perfectly sensible law.

Formula One: Ecclestone Talks Up Former Olympic Site As Home for Future Greek Grand Prix
The possibility of a Greek grand prix has moved a step closer after Bernie Ecclestone visited Athens to discuss the prospect.

Swimming: Sweetenham Likely to Be Cleared of Bullying
Bill Sweetenham looks set to be cleared of allegations of bullying and may lead Britain's swimming programme through to the London Olympics.

London 2012: Coe Given Knighthood to Go With His Peerage
Olympic Games: Sebastian Coe is one of 14 people involved with the London 2012 Olympic bid to receive recognition in the new year's honours list.

Olympian Task to Inspire New Generation of Stars
Olympic Games: 2005 success stories bring hope of new momentum · Revolution in world-class sporting facilities

IOC Member Denies Voting Blunder
Olympics: The IOC member accused of accidentally helping London's to win the 2012 Olympics Games by voting for the wrong bid today denied making any blunder during the election.

Olympics: Caborn Urges Team Spirit for 'strategic' Games Funds
The sports minister Richard Caborn has called for an end to the bitter row over the funding of elite athletes for the 2012 Olympics.

Olympics: Lord of the Rings Shows Old Brilliance in the Finishing Straight
The host city of the 2012 Olympics was decided in Singapore where Lord Coe produced another trademark kick for the finishing line, writes Paul Kelso.

Olympics: Tories Cry Foul on Caborn in Games Funding Row
The Conservatives accused Richard Caborn, the sports minister, of orchestrating a "smear campaign" against the British Olympic Association.

Olympics: Caborn in War of Words With Boa Over 2012 Funding
The sports minister, Richard Caborn, has launched an attack on the BOA calling its behaviour over calls for additional funding for athletes as 'unacceptable'.

Mills Switches Focus in 2012 Build-up
Olympic Games: Digger: Keith Mills will still play a big part in the build-up to London 2012 despite stepping down as acting chief executive of the Organising Committee.

London 2012: Coe Finds His Man in Carshalton
Olympic Games: Carshalton-born Paul Deighton, a multimillionaire banker, has been appointed head of the company that will organise the Olympic Games.

Deighton Handed Olympic Reins
London 2012: Paul Deighton has been chosen as the man responsible of a £2.4bn budget to organise the games.

London 2012: London 2012 Primed to Name Head of Organising Committee
The identity of the person who will be responsible for organising the 2012 Olympics in London will be revealed today.

Cricket: Olympic Stadium Could Be Used for Cricket
Kevin Mitchell adds his support to the campaign for Stratford's planned 80,000-seat stadium to be used for cricket after the 2012 Olympics.

Olympics: Games Must Benefit Everybody, Mps Warn
Staging the London 2012 Olympics will be under close scrutiny after a report warned that regions could be about £2.8bn worse off as a result of the Games.

Olympic Curlers See Future With Vision Coach
Olympic Games: Digger: Britain's Olympic curlers are the latest team to seek help from Sherylle Calder, the vision coach favoured by Sir Clive Woodward.

London Olympics: Government Under Pressure to Provide Funds for London 2012
The government is facing increasing flak over its failure to announce funding for potential medallists at the London Olympics.

Olympics: Aquatic Centre Budget is Unrealistic, Warns Architect
The row over London's aquatic centre for the 2012 Olympics intensified when architects said it would cost more than the sum promised by the Olympics minister.

Olympics: Olympic Cash Fears After Brown Leaves Out Funding
The British Olympic Association is thought to be seeking an extra £50m a year after the chancellor announced no funding in his pre-budget statement.

Sailing: Brown Under Fire for Lack of Olympic Investment
The Royal Yachting Association has criticised chancellor Gordon Brown for failing to back preparations for London 2012 with cash in his pre-budget report.

London 2012: £320m Lottery Windfall Must Benefit All Sports, Tories Argue
Olympic Games: The opposition are backing a bid to increase financial support to non-Olympic sports which fear their funding could be threatened by London 2012.

London Olympics: Rogge Praises Government Enthusiasm for 2012
After meeting culture secretary Tessa Jowell in Lausanne, IOC president Jacques Rogge has praised London's preparations for the 2012 games.

Olympic Games: London and Ioc on Same Team
Denis Oswald has stated that he wants to be considered a partner of London 2012, not an inspector.

Olympics: London Wins Praise for Flying Start to 2012 Olympic Preparations
London's plan for the 2012 games are in line to recieve a thumbs up from an International Olympic Committee who will visit the city.

London 2012: Australian Higgins to Deliver
Olympic Games: An Australian has been appointed to work with an American to deliver the facilities and infrastructure needed for London to stage the 2012 Olympics.

Athletics: Top Athletes Face the Cut in Race for Funding
British athletes including Ashia Hansen and Darren Campbell may miss out on national lottery funding ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Sports Politics: Grassroots Sports to Be Given £75m Boost
National Lottery funding is to be pumped into grassroots sport during the next three years to help it develop for the 2012 Olympics.

London 2012: Deal is Struck Over Land for 2012 Games
Olympic Games: Compulsory purchase orders are about to be served on homes and businesses occupying land required for the London Olympics.

London Olympics: Caborn Moves to Remove Covenant Blocking Games
Sports minister Richard Caborn says an amendment is being inserted into the Olympics Bill to deal with an unexpected planning problem.

Livingstone Turns Screw on Stratford Landowners
Olympic Games: The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has defended his decision to use statutory powers to secure property required for the Olympic Village.

Women Fight to Get Softball Restored for London Olympics
Olympic Games: Dropping sport will cut female participation · Website and IOC lobby help rally support

Moynihan Dirty Tricks Row
Olympic Games: Digger: MPs have heard evidence that two of British sport's leading figures lobbied against Colin Moynihan's election as British Olympic Association chairman.

Olympics: Britain to Go for 18 Golds at the London Games
Britain's athletes have been set a target of 18 gold medals at the 2012 Olympics - which would double the number won in Athens.

North and South Korea to Join Forces in Fight for Olympic Gold
· Team for Beijing 2008 represents breakthrough · Lack of food and facilities hinder northern athletes.

Architect in London's Debt
Olympic Games: Digger: HOK Sport, the leading architectural practice in British stadium design, has been appointed to produce the technical briefs for the London 2012 Olympic venues.

Boxing: Women Boxers Close to Entering Olympic Ring at London 2012
Women's boxing, illegal in Britain until 1998, looks set to be included on the programme for the 2012 Olympics.

Athletics: Chinese Olympic Hope Stripped of Medal After Failed Drugs Test
Sun Yingjie, China's leading distance runner, has tested positive for androsterone - a banned performance-enhancing drug.

London Olympics: Cap Council Tax Bills for 2012 Games, Say Tories
The Tories are adamant that council tax bills must be capped in order to prevent Londoners shouldering the financial burden of the 2012 Olympic Games.

London 2012: London Will Beat the Touts With £20 Tickets, Promises Coe
Organisers of the London 2012 Olympics yesterday pledged that nearly half of the tickets will be sold for £20 or less to make the Games as accessible to the public as possible.

London 2012: Moynihan Plans Funding Boost
Olympic Games: Lord Moynihan, the newly-elected chair of the British Olympic Association, is hoping to secure a "significant increase" in funding for sport to deliver fourth place in the 2012 Olympic medal table.

Athletics: Radcliffe Warns English Clubs
Peter Radcliffe, Paula's father, has written to every athletics club in England telling them to improve before the Olympics in 2012.

Shooters Gun for Olympic Help
Olympic Games: Digger: Shooting laws may be relaxed to help Britain's Olympic shooting team. Current legislation prevents them from training in the UK.

Scots Refuse to Play Ball With Britain
Olympic Games: Digger: Scotland aren't opposed to the idea of a united British football team at the 2012 Olympics - they just don't want any part of it, say the SFA.

Athletics: Moynihan Wins Vote for British Olympic Chief
Former Olympic silver medallist Lord Moynihan has won the race to become chairman of the British Olympic Association.

Moynihan Elected As New Boa Chief
Sports Politics: Former Conservative Party sports minister Lord Moynihan is the new chairman of the British Olympic Association.

Caborn Faces Embarrassment As Moynihan Remains Favourite
Olympic Games: Sports minister Richard Caborn has been accussed of interfering in todays election of the British Olympic Association chairman in a bid to steer support away from the favourite, Lord Moynihan.

Court to Rule on Drug Ban for Kederis and Thanou
Olympic Games: The Court of Arbitration for Sport will adjudicate on whether the Greek athletics federation was right to clear Greek sprinters Kostas Kederis and Ekaterina Thanou of missing a drugs test.

A Blueprint for Sport - But Will It Be Heeded?
London 2012 Olympic: It makes perfect sense to simplify the convoluted model that currently exists in this country, but to do so would mean putting an awful lot of noses out of joint, says Clare Baldwin.

Athletics: Organised Crime is 'in Control' of Doping Trade
Italian Olympic official Sandro Donati has alleged that organised crime groups are trafficking banned performance-enhancing substances across Europe.

Olympics Are Handed an Extra £1bn As Costs Soar
2012 London Olympic: The cost of the 2012 London Olympic is soaring amid growing fears that the final bill will be far higher than the original estimates.

Sports Bodies Streamlined to Prepare Future Medal Winners
London 2012 Olympics: A radical streamlining of the way sport is organised has been announced by the government in an attempt to create a record number of gold medallists at the London 2012 Olympics.

Minister Relives Moment of Euphoria That Will Last for Seven Years
2012 London Olympics: Culture secretary Tessa Jowell has decsribed the moment that London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympics was announced as the most exciting of her life.

Sports News: Business Squabble Rumbles on
Following a London Assembly meeting last week, relations between London 2012 and some of the businesses forced to vacate the Olympic site have hit a new low.

Livingstone Promises Green Olympics
2012 London Olympics: The London mayor, Ken Livingstone, today promised that the 2012 London Olympics will be the most environmentally friendly games ever staged.

'Since When Did Seb Coe Learn to Jive Talk?'
2012 Olympics: He is one of our greatest Olympic champions, once the fastest man in the world, yet no one wanted him to be part of London's bid for the Games. No wonder Linford Christie is so angry. Exclusive interview by Tim Adams.

London 2012: London Handed Strict Timetable in Build-up to 2012
Olympic Games: The IOC is to hold London to a "master schedule" intended to avoid the embarrassing hold-ups that dogged the 2004 Athens games.

London Olympics: Oswald to Head 2012 Watchdog
Denis Oswald, president of the International Rowing Federation, will chair the watchdog body that will monitor London's preparation for the games.

London 2012: No-play Zones Set for 2012
Several sports look set to face major revisions to their calendars to comply with Olympic regulations.

Businesses Cry Foul in Olympic Site Row
2012 London Olympics: The dispute between landowners on the site of London's proposed Olympic park and the London Development Agency deepened yesterday as the businesses accused the LDA of using diversionary tactics and imperilling their future.

Street Olympics Proposed in Run-up to 2012
Frisbee contests in the park, tugs-of-war between neighbours and pub sack races could all be part of a nationwide Street Olympics the government is considering for the run-up to the 2012 games in London.

Sports Politics: Pinsent Opts Out of Boa Race
2012 London Olympics: Ambitious to pursue a media career, Sir Matthew Pinsent has ruled himself out of the running to become British Olympic Association chairman.

Athletics: Radcliffe Plots Her Route to 2012
The Bedford runner is planning an historic double at the world championships and has also fixed her sights on helping young British runners in the 2012 Olympics.

Athletics: Canadian to Lead Drug Fight
Canada-born sports academic Andy van Neutegem will oversee Britain's drug testing programme ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.

Olympics Lottery 'to Raise £750m for Games'
2012 London Olympics: The 2012 London Olympics are set to receive an estimated £750m from a new lottery game being launched today.

Athletics: Cram Questions Radcliffe Double Act
Bookmakers have priced Radcliffe at 8-1 to become the first athlete to do the double at the championships since Emil Zatopek in the same city in the 1952 Olympics.

Duncan Mackay's Digger
London Olympics in 2012: A record number of people have already volunteered to work at the London Olympics.

Let the Olympics Make London a Bikes-first City
The capital needs a grand scheme that will spread sport to everyone. Polly Toynbee

Olympic Bill Reading Postponed
A second reading of the Olympic bill has been postponed because of the death of Sir Edward Heath.

Sport should reflect our out of shape and aging society
Now we have the Olympics, perhaps sport should reflect our out of shape and aging society, calls Harry Pearson.

2012 Olympics: Coe Puts Security First
Sebastian Coe placed security at the top of the agenda for the 2012 Olympics and announced the setting up of a special cabinet committee.

Sports in Call for Funding Shake-up
2012 London Olympics: The funding of elite sport is to undergo an urgent and radical shake-up in an effort to ensure British success at the 2012 London Olympics.

Athletics: Sport is Losing the Plot
Track and field now gets barely a passing mention unless there is an Olympics on: something must be done.

Bids to Host the Bid
2012 Olympic Games: There is immense scope for dinner jackets, low-cut gowns, corny anthems and young children bearing envelopes on velvet cushions. Martin Kelner

Summit Aims to Discover 2012 Winners
Britain's sports leaders will meet this week to develop plans to improve Britain's Olympic performance ahead of the 2012 London Games.

Everything You Need to Know About London 2012
Will it rain during the Olympics? Will you be able to buy tickets, or help as a volunteer... our 2012 insider provides all the answers

UK's Hopes of Gold in 2012
We've won the Olympic bid - but can we now win dozens of gold medals at the Games? Where is the next Kelly Holmes and the next Steve Redgrave going to come from, ask Kevin Mitchell> and Jamie Jackson.

London 2012: Stadium Will Need New Pool for a Very Modern Pentathlon
Modern pentathlon plans to revolutionise itself for when it appears at the Olympics.

Let the Olympics Be a Memorial
Any hope of preventing a repetition of yesterday's atrocities demands we ask the right questions. Polly Toynbee

'Savagely woken from a pleasant dream'
Londoners woke yesterday still basking in the warm glow of their Olympic triumph. Then came the news they had dreaded - and half expected - since September 2001. James Meek walks through the streets of a suddenly pedestrian city.

Olympics 2012: Rogge Faces Defeat Over Plan for New Sports
Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, faces his second defeat of the week in Singapore today.

London Will Go on Calling
The hideous ordeal inflicted on London will not prevent it hosting the Olympics, one of the most life-affirming events mankind has devised. Richard Williams

2012 Olympics: Spectre That Stalks the Games
Duncan Mackay in Singapore on security fears after yesterday's London bombs.

London Games Safe, Ioc Insists, As Bid Team's Delight Turns to Sadness
Security now top of agenda for Olympics organisers.

The World in One City
London's Olympic triumph depended on its openness to other countries and cultures. Jackie Ashley

London Celebrates Olympics Decision
Tony Blair today hailed "a historic day for London" after it was awarded the 2012 Olympic Games, with the decision sparking scenes of jubilation throughout the capital.

London Wins 2012 Olympics
London today won the race to host the 2012 Olympic Games, beating the long-term favourites, Paris, at the finish line to secure one of sport's greatest prizes.

2012 Olympics Will Be in London or Paris
Either London or the favourite Paris will host the 2012 Olympic games after Moscow, New York and Madrid were eliminated in the first three rounds of voting in Singapore.

The Olympic Vote - As It Happens
Minute-by-minute report: Follow all the - cough - action from the 17th Congress of the International Olympic Committee as it happens.

London Games Would 'inspire Athletes of Tomorrow'
Holding the 2012 Olympic Games in London would offer a "vision of inspiration" for future generations, the city's bid team told the International Olympic Committee in Singapore today.

Olympic Games 2012: Paris is Banking on Third Time Lucky
Can the IOC really afford another 'non' for the French capital?

Olympic Games 2012: Gate-crasher's Guide to the Galaxy of Presidents and Shakers
Singapore witnessed a charming resurrection of the entente cordiale yesterday.

Beckham Tries to Fashion Olympic Win
London will today discover whether two years of planning, 18 months of campaigning and three days of frenetic lobbying led by Tony Blair have been sufficient to earn the right to become the first city to host the summer Olympics three times.

How I Dragged the Olympic Vote Out of a Hotel Room and Into the Television Age
Former Guardian correspondent John Rodda recalls lifting the shroud of secrecy the announcement of a winning Olympic candidate.

Philippe Baudillon, Head of Paris's Bid
As Wednesday's vote to decide the hosts of the 2012 Olympics draws near, Donald McRae hears Paris's bid leader urge caution for the favourites.

Rumour Mill Goes Into Overdrive Ahead of Olympic Vote
The Raffles complex is a hive of intruige and speculation as last-minute lobbying reaches fever pitch ahead of Wednesday's Olympic vote.

2012 Olympic Bids Hang in the Balance
The race to host the 2012 Olympics will go down to the wire, predicts Clare Balding and could yet produce a surprising result.

London Surges in Olympic Race
London is enjoying a last minute surge of support in the five-city race to stage the 2012 Olympics just days before the decision is taken.

Olympic Veteran Looms Large in Stop Paris Campaign
Former IOC chief at centre of late frenzy as London tries to hobble French bid.

Injury and Pain Force Lewis Into Retirement
After 'months of deliberation and setbacks' the 2000 Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis has quit athletics at the age of 32.

Lewis Hangs Up Her Spikes
Athletics: Former Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis has admitted defeat in her battle against injury and confirmed her retirement.

London 2012: Caborn Backs Wada in Bid Boost
Sports minister Richard Carbon's plan to help fund the World Anti-Doping Agency could boost London's Olympic bid.

Olympic Bid Team Heads for Last Lap
London Olympic 2012 bid leaders departed for Singapore last night determined that not even a plane crash will undermine their final push to win the right to host the games.

Athletics: Us Trials Blow Mack's Hopes
Olympic pole vault champion Tim Mack will not compete in the World Championships after finishing seventh in the American trials.

Bid Faces Londoners' Protest in Singapore
Protests by local businesses opposed to the Olympic Games being staged in the capital may undermine the final stages of London's 2012 bid.

London 2012: Promises, Promises - But London's Weakness is Credibility
Olympic Games: New Labour has a habit of promising things it doesn't deliver, says Richard Williams, and the Olympic bid will be no different.

London 2012: London Bid Happy Not to See Slavkov
Olympic Games: London's bid will be spared potential embarrassment after the man at the centre of bribery allegations decided not to attend next month's vote.

TV Sport: Martin Kelner
Olympic gold medals should be the culmination of, rather than the start of, a career on the awards circuit, says Martin Kelner.

FA Backs New British Team at London 2012
The FA said Britain will enter a football team for the 2012 Olympics if London's bid is successful, even though Scotland objects.

Princess Gets Off Fence to Help London Olympic Bid
IOC member Princess Anne has decided to ignore royal protocol and, for the first time, lobby publicly on London's behalf.

London 2012: New York Blow Aids London
Olympic Games: London's bid to host the Olympics could be strengthened after New York saw its stadium plans collapse over a funding vote.

Cautionary Praise for London Olympic Bid
London was praised today in a crucial report assessing the merits of the five candidate cities hoping to host the 2012 Olympic Games but some concerns were raised about the scale of its plans.

IOC Praises Coe Bid With a Month Left
London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games begins a frantic final month of campaigning today when the city is expected to earn a glowing appraisal in a crucial report by Olympic inspectors.

London Surges in Race for 2012 Games
London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics will receive a major boost tomorrow when inspectors from the International Olympic Committee declare that the capital is as well-equipped as the favourite, Paris, to stage the world's biggest sporting event.

Banned Cyclist Blames 'twin' After Dope Test
Olympic champion claims ignorance of his rare blood condition has cost him $1m.

Olympic Bid: Beamon Leaps Into Row With London
'Leap for London', the capital's latest promotional literature for 2012 Olympic bid, has annoyed the long-jump legend Bob Beamon for using his images.

Athletics: Lewis-francis Opens European Season Under a Cloud
Mark Lewis-Francis's first European race since Olympic glory in Athens is overshadowed by his positive test for cannabis use.

Olympics: Paris Voted Big Cheese By Mice
Paris would easily win the race to host the 2012 Olympics if the decision were left to the click of a mouse.

Gymnastics: London Boost As the Dome Hosts 2009 World Event
London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics has been boosted by yesterday's announcement that the capital will stage the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships, says Duncan Mackay.

Athletics: Olympic Call to Sir Clive
Sue Campbell, the chair of UK Sport, believes that the help of Sir Clive Woodward would be invaluable in preparing Britain's Olympic team for the 2008 games in Beijing.

Protection for Olympic Sponsors
The government will introduce legislation to protect the investment of sponsors and advertisers should London win the right to host the 2012 Olympic games.

Khan Takes a Risk in Olympic Sequel
Boxing: Tonight's lightweight rematch with Kindelán is the ultimate amateur bout but one that John Rawling believes could hit the market value of Britain's silver medallist.

Passive Smoking Plea Helps Olympic Athlete Escape Drug Ban
Britain's Olympic gold medallist, Mark Lewis-Francis, has tested positive for cannabis but escaped a career-threatening ban after becoming the latest sportsman to claim he was the victim of passive smoking.

Olympic Games 2012: Drut Will Go If Trial Damages Paris Bid
The Paris 2012 bid committee member Guy Drut says he will resign if corruption charges against him "damage the bid".

Olympic duo vie for the title
Equestrianism: Pippa Funnell and William Fox-Pitt held on to the top two places at the Badminton Horse Trials

Olympics: Sports Fear for 2012
Sports bosses have organised an emergency meeting following the International Olympic Commitee's proposal to vote on which sports should be dropped from the 2012 summer games.

London 2012: Firms Take Anti-bid Case to Ioc
A coalition of London businesses threatened by the 2012 Olympic bid is to lobby the International Olympic Committee against it.

Olympics 2012: London Bid Upsets Local Businesses
A consortium of local businesses that will be forced to relocate to if London wins the Olympic bid, claim their options are 'inadequate'.

Olympic Bid: London's U-turn End of Bruising Week
The London's 2012 committee's decision to withdraw althete incentives may have come just in time to put the bid back on track.

Olympic Bribes Row Forces London Into £15m U-turn
Olympic Games: London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games suffered a major blow yesterday when it was forced to withdraw a £15 million package of financial 'incentives' which the International Olympic Committee claimed came dangerously close to bribery.

2012 Olympic Bid: London Calls on Cherie
Athletics:Cherie Blair is to take a prominent lobbying role in London's bid for the 2012 Olympics after the general election.

Rogge Warns London on Olympic Inducements
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has warned London and its rivals not to become involved in a "bidding war" as July's vote approaches.

Rogge Warning Over 'bidding War'
Olympic president Jacques Rogge has told London and its rivals for the 2012 Games not to overstep the mark in their bidding measures.

2012 Olympics: London Goes the Extra Mile
Lord Coe has been employing some cunning measures to capture the IOC's floating voters for London's bid.

Latest Wheeze to Lure the Olympics to London - £20m of Freebies
Olympic glory is usually the only motivation an athlete needs, but should London host the 2012 summer games all 10,500 competitors will find themselves showered in freebies whether they win or not.

2012 Olympics: London Gets Down to Brass Tacks
London continued its campaign to win the games with an appeal about pockets and practicalities rather than hearts and minds.

Athletics: Brown Britain's Unsung Hero
Jon Brown, who has twice finished fourth in the Olympics, is one of the great underestimated British talents in his sport.

Athletics: Baldini Ready to Milk Marathon
Olympic champion Stefano Baldini has set his sights on the London Marathon where he has never finished out of the top 10 in six appearances.

Olympic Hopes a New Onassis Will Bail It Out
A picture of Aristotle Onassis's smiling face still hangs on a wall of the president's office at Olympic Airlines.

Duncan Mackay's Digger
Olympic Games: Prince Albert may not be able to attend the meeting of the IOC in Singapore on July 6 where he would have voted for Paris.

Gebrselassie Misses London Marathon
Athletics: Double Olympic 10,000 metres champion Haile Gebrselassie has pulled out of the Flora London Marathon later this month because of a lack of training.

Athletics: Court Toes Rogge's Tough Line
The fall-out from the various drugs that blighted the Athens Olympics continues to rumble on.

Conflict on Olympic Sites' Future
The Greek government sparked a political row yesterday when it declared that costly venues built for last year's Olympic Games will not be offered to private enterprise for commercial use, despite calls for the sites to be turned over to the public.

London 2012: Ioc Grandee Rates London Neck and Neck With Paris
Olympic Games: Kevan Gosper, an IOC vice-president, sticks his neck out to give London hopes of hosting the 2012 Olympics a huge boost.

O'Connor Set to Swallow the Medicine
Olympic Games: Ireland's only 2004 Athens Olympics gold medal looks like it will be taken away without a fight from Cian O'Connor

Interview: Richard Caborn, Sports Minister
Olympic Games: Donald McRae talks to the sports minister about his traumatic start and subsequent successes in a role he is likely to vacate soon after the general election.

Olympics: Drugged Horse Costs Ireland Gold
Ireland last night lost the only gold medal it won at the 2004 Olympics in Athens when it was ruled that Waterford Crystal, the horse ridden by the showjumper Cian O'Connor, had been given banned substances.

Athletics: Radcliffe Hits the Road to Beijing
Paula Radcliffe will race in front of the British public for the first time since she suffered humiliation at the Olympics in Athens

Easter Day of Destiny for Crystal
Equestrian: Cian O'Conner and the last shred of Irish Olympic glory will find out on easter whether or not they will retain the gold medal.

Mayor Admits Paris is in Lead
Olympic Games: Ken Livingstone, raiser of transport-costs, raiser of council taxes and opponent of 2012 Olympics? He gave Paris a much needed boost last night.

Athletics: Greek Sprinters Cleared
Olympic Games: The IAAF said it was "very surprised" after Kostas Kederis and Ekaterina Thanou were cleared of deliberately trying to avoid drug tests.

Greek Sprinters Cleared
Olympic Games: Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou have been cleared of dodging dope tests before last summer's Olympic Games.

Paris in Cross-country Row
Olympic Games: The president of the IAAF will have to explain why he allowed the world cross-country championships to be hijacked by organisers of Paris's 2012 bid.

Duncan Mackay's Digger
Olympic Games: Ken Livingstone and Richard Caborn are planning to draw attention to the Pickett's Lock controversy once again this month.

2012 Olympics: Paris Presents Off-the-peg Games
London's main rival for the Olympics tried to seduce the IOC delegation with their low-risk plan and existing centrepiece stadium.

IOC Watches Paris Grind to Halt
Public sector strikes deal blow to French Olympic hopes.

Olympic Watchdog Keeps Close Eye on Paris and London
A host of London-based French sportsmen spearheaded Paris 2012's IOC presentations amid deteriorating Anglo-French relations.

Venues Rot As Greece Loses Its Olympic Gains
Six months after the Athens Olympics, all is not well.

Sport Politics: Campbell Handed Keys for Four Years
Sue Campbell has been appointed as chairwoman of UK Sport until the 2008 Olympics after a successful interim period in charge.

2012 Olympics: New York Gets Half Its Act Together
New York officials have used several Hollywood stars to try to woo the IOC inspectors during their visit to the Big Apple.

2012 Olympics: Paris Bid Undermined By Spectre of Strikes
Several national strikes and demonstrations in France will coincide with the visit of the IOC inspectors to Paris.

London Still 20 Votes Short in Olympic Race
Olympic Games: London will have to convince around 20 voters on the International Olympic Committee if it is to win the race to stage the 2012 games, insiders have warned.

Olympics: London Takes Devil From the Detail
Sebastian Coe's team have left nothing to chance during the four days of IOC scrutiny over the capital, says Paul Kelso.

Gold Standard Prices to Subsidise Cheap Seats
A London 2012 Olympics would feature the most expensive seats in the games' history, as well as some of the cheapest tickets offered, organisers said yesterday as they revealed their pricing plans.

We All Back London's Bid, Politicians Tell Olympic Team
Olympic Games: Queen pulls out all the stops for commission at palace banquet.

The Day the Inspectors Came to Town
Olympic delegation sees vision of regenerated city.

IOC Visit Overshadowed By Mayor Row
Olympic Games: The row over Ken Livingstone's comparison of a Jewish reporter to a concentration camp guard continued to haunt London's bid.

Greene Warning for Golden Quartet
Olympic Games: Maurice Greene has said Britain's gold medal-winning relay team aren't as good as they think they are. Afterall, he is an expert on ego.

Coe Promises 'best Games Ever'
Olympic Games: Race for 2012: Sebastian Coe has kicked off the IOC's inspection of London by saying the capital could host the best ever Olympics.

London Bid for 2012: Sad Plight of the Olympic Venue That Time - and 2012 - Forgot
Olympic Games: Richard Williams visits a venue from the 1948 Games, but not one that the IOC inspectors will be calling in on this week.

London 2012: Eternal Ioc Gratitude Should Be Host Cities' Privilege
Olympic Games: In any sane world the IOC commissioners would be on their knees begging us to host the 2012 Games.

Olympic Panel to Assess London's 2012 Bid
Officials from the International Olympic Committee were today arriving in London for a four-day inspection of the city's bid to host the 2012 summer games.

Olympics 2012: Paris Unhappy to Be Favourites
Wary of being perceived as arrogant following previous failed attempts, Paris officials have been content to let the rest of the world build up their chances.

London's Bid for 2012 Olympics
London in gearing up for a final push to sell itself to the visiting IOC team, writes Duncan Mackay.

London 2012: Arab Heroine Holds Key for London
Moroccan Nawal El Moutawakel will head the team of Olympic inspectors visiting the capital this week.

London 2012 to Be 'the Greenest Games'
Tony Blair's chief environmental adviser will this week boost London's campaign to stage the 2012 Olympics by promising that the capital would deliver the 'greenest games in history'.

How Ready is London for the Olympics? Four Days That Could Make or Break the Bid
Capital puts on its best face for crucial IOC commission visit.

Duncan Mackay's Digger
Lord Sebastian Coe missed out on a small fortune because he resigned from an Australian mining company when he took over London's Olympic bid.

Olympics 2012: Athens Offers Bleak Vision of Future
Everything about the Agios Kosmas Olympic sailing centre speaks of money: pavilions, state-of-the-art mooring space, shiny clinics and computers.

Athletics: Gebrselassie Signs $1m London Marathon Deal
Olympic 10,000m legend Haile Gebrselassie signed a $1m (£555,000) deal to compete in the London Marathon for the next three years.

London's Olympic Dream in Tatters
Key British officials admit Paris 'will win' as lack of funds for sport drains IOC support.

Olympics: British Losers Will See Funds Slashed
Britain failed to get full "value for money" from the millions spent on training athletes for the Athens Olympics, according to a National Audit Office report.

Holmes back where she belongs
Athletics: Britain's double Olympic champion will be running for the sport's future next weekend.

BBC's fractured relations casts cloud over 2012
2012 Olympics: Relations between Lausanne and White City have not been improved by the IOC's late decision to pull the plug on a BBC televised debate between candidate cities.

Olympics 2012: Olympic Bid Cities Barred From Television Debate
The IOC has barred a televised debate between the cities bidding to host the 2012 games amid concerns the programme may breach ethical guidelines.

Olympics Bid at Risk As Sports Quit the Capital
London's bid for the 2012 Olympics is being hampered by a string of influential sports governing bodies deciding to quit Britain and move abroad.

London Bid Must Not Make Any Hollow Promises
It's unlikely the Olympic flame will fly over an undeserving location, says Richard Williams, so if London loses it will be in a straight fight.

Bekele's Teenage Fiancee Dies During Training Session
The 17-year-old fiancee of Ethiopia's Olympic 10,000 metres gold medallist collapsed and died during a training session in Addis Ababa yesterday.

Olympic Rivals Square Up on Live Tv
Talk about a mass debate. The leaders of the five candidate cities for the 2012 Olympics will push their bids in a televised "discussion".

Athletics: Dame Kelly Caps Perfect Year
New Year honours: Double Olympic gold-medallist Kelly Homes has been made a dame, while Matthew Pinsent has been recognised with a knighthood.

The Pair Who Shamed the Games
How the man who was to light the Olympic flame became embroiled in biggest drugs scandal since 1988. Duncan Mackay reports.

Why a Medal By Courier is the New Olympic Glory
It's a sad indictment of the drugs furore tainting the Olympic sheen that medals are being stripped and awarded years later, says Peta Bee.

Athletics: Baldini Lined Up for London Marathon
Olympic champion Stefano Baldini will run in next year's London Marathon.

Athletics: Yelling Banishes Olympic Blues
Decemebr 13: Hayley Yelling made up for not making Britain's Olympic team by claiming the European cross-country title.

Athletics: Third-placed Lawrence Wants Gold
Tayna Lawrence, who finished third in the 100m at the 2000 Olympics, wants the gold medal if Marion Jones and Ekaterina Thanou are banned.

Golden Girl Holmes Still on the Campaign Trail
Britain's double Olympic champion has led a dizzying life since Athens but is desperate for one more title, writes Simon Hattenstone.

Olympics 2012: Coe Earns London Points for Style
December 6: Sebastian Coe's presentation of the London bid was warmly received by the assembly of the European Olympic committees.

How Drugs Shattered America's Olympic Dreams
In a single television interview, one man has blown apart the myths and legends of world sporting achievement.

2012 Olympics: Rogge Raps Olympic Rivals for 'bickering'
December 3: IOC president Jacques Rogge will tell the five competing cities to stop fighting ahead of their presentations to the congress.

Pinsent Hangs Up His Oars for Good
Rowing: Four-time Olympic Gold medallist Matthew Pinsent has announced his retirement from rowing this morning.

She's Behind You
How did Anni Friesinger become Germany's most celebrated female athlete? Well, for a start, there was the Olympic feud with fellow speed skater Claudia Pechstein that gripped a nation. And now neither woman can resist undressing for the camera. Luke Harding, in Berlin, met the stars from East and West whose battles mirror their country's hidden divisions.

Row Over Ny 2012 Olympic Bid
David Teather reports on a bitter row between two New York billionaires over the development of a run-down Manhattan district for the city's 2012 Olympic bid.

Clare Balding: Seeing Sites on Olympic Tour
Clare Balding takes a close look at how the five cities bidding for the 2012 Olympics are advertising their strengths online.

Richard Williams on London's Bid for the 2012 Olympic Games
Richard Williams: If it were a contest between promotional films, the location of the 2012 Olympic games would be settled by the middle of next week rather than the middle of next year.

London 2012: London Begins to Believe the Impossible
November 20: The hugely inspiring Jonathan Edwards managed to convey a real sense of excitement about London's ability to stage the Olympics.

Flying Start for London in Race to Land Olympic Games
Nine months for Coe team to convince IOC that UK can be trusted with games.

Coe Reveals Details of London Olympic Bid
Details of London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic games were unveiled today, with the bid team pledging that the capital could host "the best games the world has ever seen".

2012 Olympic Bid: London 2012 Leap to Put Pressure on Madrid
Organisers of London's Olympic bid called upon their Spanish rivals to condemn the racist chanting in the Bernabeu.

London 2012: London Riled As Olympic Bids Are Handed in
November 16: London 2012 believe that the Spanish FA have reneged on a promise not to use the friendly international to promote Madrid's Olympic bid.

London Submits 2012 Olympic Bid
London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic games - described by the campaign chairman, Lord Coe, as a "winning formula" - was today being presented to the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland. The 600-page candidate file, which outlines the case for staging the games in Britain for...

Interview: Sebastian Coe
On the day London submits its blueprint for the 2012 Olympics, William Fotheringham finds the bid leader ready to begin the toughest part of a gruelling process.

Big Interview With Sebastian Coe
On the day London submits its blueprint for the 2012 Olympics, William Fotheringham finds the bid leader ready to begin the toughest part of a gruelling process.

Designers Unveil Plan for Olympic Park
The spectacular main stadium, designed by Spanish architect Alejandro Zaero-Pollo, will be the centrepiece of a purpose-built Olympic park centred on the Lea Valley in east London.

New York Marathon: New York Run No Risk for Radcliffe
Paula Radcliffe has said she isn't taking any risks by running the New York Marathon so soon after her Olympic dreams were shattered.

Amateurs to Be Able to Fight in Professional Promotions
A break in tradition is set to allow amateur fighters, such as Olympic hero Amir Khan, to compete on professional promotions hosted by Frank Warren.

Radcliffe in Need of a Fun Run
The pressure of a big comeback in New York may not be the ideal balm for Paula Radcliffe's Olympic wounds.

Shirley Robertson
Britain's double Olympic gold-medallist talks top bombing, tipples and yngling.

Athletics: Harrisons Serve Twin Drug Bans Together
From living in a car to winning Olympic gold medals. Twins Alvin and Calvin Harrison did eveything together - including serving a drugs ban.

Journalist on Olympic Doping Story Stabbed
Greek reporter attacked after giving evidence against athletes.

A Very British Affair - Warm, Restrained and With an Eye on the Future Prize
Thousands cheer Olympic heroes as London makes play for 2012 games.

Athletics: Daley Thompson Should Be Appointed By Uk Athletics
UK Athletics should take a chance and bring the iconic Olympic champion Daley Thompson into the fold, says John Rawling.

Swimming: Success Both Short and Sweet for Foster
October 11: Mark Foster, not selected in Britain's Olympic team, won gold at the World Short Course Championships.

Swimming: Short and Very Sweet for Foster
October 11: Mark Foster, not selected in Britain's Olympic team, won gold in the 50m freestyle at the World Shot Course Championships.

Ireland's Gold-medal Horse Fails Drug Test
It was Ireland's only gold medal in the Athens Olympics, a victory for showjumping on a horse owned by one of the country's biggest tycoons. But last night the winning horse, Waterford Crystal tested positive for a banned substance.

Olympic Games: New London Stadium Not for Football
Ken Livingstone has announced that the centrepiece of London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics will cater for only athletics.

Game Over for Minor Olympic Events
The days of tae kwon do, modern pentathlon and equestrianism being part of the world's biggest sporting festival are numbered.

Second Bomb Threat on Greek Plane
A Greek passenger jet bound for New York made an emergency landing in Ireland yesterday after a warning that a bomb was about to explode on board. The Olympic Airways Airbus A340 landed at Shannon airport in western Ireland just before 5pm after a call to an Athens newspaper almost two...

USA juniors save face
With all eyes on the senior men's national team in the Olympics this summer, the under 21 men's national team won the tournament of the America's in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in August. It looks like the NBA players could learn from the exuberance of the collegiate players.

Olympics: Don't diss the effort
Well, the USA men's basketball team couldn't manage gold or silver in Athens. But the way that everything came together, is bronze the worst news for American basketball?

Olympic coverage fails USA. women's teams
Women's team events got short shrift in the television coverage of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. Additionally, programming times and events by NBC were difficult to find and coverage so spotty that the "24/7 coverage" advertising turned out to be just a tease.

Olympics: Failure to win gold could help Team USA in 2008
The "Dream Team's" nightmare performance at Athens could be a big help to the USA Olympic Team's future -- If they learn the proper lessons from the experience.

Greeks Ponder Future of £4.7bn Olympic Facilities
With the expected costs of hosting the Olympics likely to exceed €7bn (£4.7bn) - nearly twice the original budget - some Greeks fear that they might be paying for the venues for years to come. Despite Athens winning worldwide praise for hosting a successful games, the return...

Olympics: Rogge Ready to Step in and Back Pinsent
How to influence people in high places? Win four Olympic gold medals. Jacques Rogge will personally bring Matthew Pinsent into the IOC.

Paul Wilson - How the Olympics Exposed Football's Hollow Heart
In comparison to the Olympic Games, football's European Championships stand revealed as the damp squib of the summe, says Paul Wilson.

Olympics About the Bad As Much As the Good
Kevin Mitchell says that the Athens games have refuted those who say the Olympics are dead. They are, in fact, the unkillable beast.

David Aaronovitch: Whingeing is Our True National Sport
As soon as the Olympic Games are over tradition demands the postmortem into why we didn't win more of them.

Olympics: Showtime doesn't win anymore
Our Olympic Basketball team failed because success is what's defined by who is putting on the best show, rather than who can play well as a team player.

Olympics: USA men fall to Russia in bronze medal match
An improbable run to an Olympic medal came to a sudden end for the USA men's volleyball team Sunday afternoon at Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens, Greece, as Russia swept the USA in the bronze medal match. Alexey Kuleshov scored a match-high 16 points to lead Russia to a 25-22, 27-25, 25-16 victory in the bronze medal match.

Olympic ideals taken over by tantrums and tears
In the past two weeks we have seen and heard it all. Whingeing, whining, tantrums and sulks. Accusations of cheating, rule-breaking and of favouritism among judges.

Olympics: The Olympiad of the woman
With Islamic female athletes making history and women comprising 41 percent of the 11,047 athletes vying for gold in Athens, the 2004 Summer Games will be remembered by many as the Olympiad of the woman.

Olympics: Brazil sweeps USA men in Olympic semifinals
Brazil was simply too fast and too strong for the USA men's Olympic volleyball team as the Brazilians roared into Sunday's gold medal match with a 3-0 win over Team USA in the semifinals Friday night at Peace and Friendship Stadium. Read on for the story.

Why we do it
The Olympic games are about drama, upsets, elation, disappointment, tragedy and fairy-tale endings, and the 2004 Olympics in Athens have had plenty of all those, especially from a British point of view with Kelly Holmes and Paula Radcliffe.

Lingering problems take gloss off medal success
Britain's most successful Olympics since 1924 could still have been a lot better, says Denis Campbell.

Olympic gold hero accuses Bush
America's biggest Olympic hero yesterday accused George Bush of exploiting the Athens Games for his own political advantage in the run-up to the presidential election.

Skelton stumbles as joyful
Showjumping: Nick Skelton, who watched the Sydney Olympics from a hospital bed, was desperately close to gold last night.

Brabants starts in harmony but ends up with the blues
Tim Brabants was the first British sprint canoeist to win an Olympic medal when he took bronze in Sydney four years ago.

Hamm asked to give gold medal to Korean rival
United States Olympic officials have accused the gymnastics world body of putting "outrageous and improper pressure" on Paul Hamm to hand over his gold medal to a South Korean rival.

Who were the winners at these games?
As the flame dims at the 2004 Olympics, we look at the fortunes of five major players.

There's only one winner in this race
The Olympic games engages virtually everyone on the planet. The past two weeks have shown they are thrilling, intoxicating and enriching - and, of course, unpredictable.

Olympics: Pinsent Loses Ioc Seat
August 27: Matthew Pinsent's loss of his IOC seat has been dismissed as unlikely to harm London's bid to stage the 2012 games.

Olympics: Brits Despair Despite Sailing Bronze
Sailing: Simon Hiscocks and Chris Draper claimed the bronze in the 49ers class but were they happy? Oh no.

Golden Farewell for Famous Five
Football: The US's genre-defining quintet of female footballers have added a second Olympic gold medal to their career hauls.

Olympics: An Olympian effort ... Viva le Chile!
The 2004 Athens Olympics have provided a number of medal surprises, but none more so then the dominance of Chile in the men's tennis competition. Nicholas Massu comes home a double gold medal winner. Is this a foreshadow of the U.S. Open to come?

Men's Javelin: Backley Scrapes Through
Steve Backley tonight breathed a massive sigh of relief after scraping into the Olympic javelin final. Backley twice came agonisingly close to the automatic qualifying standard for Saturday's final in this evening's heats in Athens. However the 35-year-old Briton was unable to reach...

Olympics - As It Happens
1214 Here's Richard Frampton. "During the swimming section of yesterday's women's triathlon, one commentator said, 'There's the yellow hat of Australia out in front'. All 50 competitors were wearing yellow hats." 1211 In the sailing, Ukraine have rounded the bottom...

Olympics: Beach Volleyball: Sun, Sand and a Bum Deal for Men
Beach volleyball: The women's event is thriving and rightly so, but the men's game is a con and needs to be scrapped immediately, says David Hopps.

Olympics: Athletics: Russian Rivals Break Open the Vault
Richard Williams: It has only been an Olympic event for four years, but the women's pole vault has brought much glamour and excitement to the Games.

Olympics: Baseball: Cuba Strike Gold Despite Base Instincts
Baseball: Cuba beat Australia to win the gold medal, but whether the players will return to their homeland is another matter.

Olympics: Sailing: Bronze for Dempsey
Sailing: Britain's Nick Dempsey battled to a remarkable medal in the Mistral as Israel's Gal Fridman won his country's first ever gold medal.

Olympics: Athletics: Campbell Throws Rivals a Curve Ball
Women's 200m: Where Merlene Ottey failed, Veronica Campbell succeeded by taking gold for Jamaica, with Britain's Abi Oyepitan seventh.

Olympics: Athletics: Halkia Turns Greek Sorrows Into Triumph
Women's 400m hurdles: Fani Halkia replaced Kostas Kederis in the hearts of the hosts with a stunning win in the Olympic Stadium last night.

Olympics: Miraculous comeback vaults USA men into Olympic semifinals
Kevin Barnett scored a team-high 20 points to lead four players in double figures, as the United States overcame a talented Greece team to score a five-game victory that will go down as one of the greatest comebacks in Olympic volleyball history. Read on for the story.

Olympics: Brazil outlasts USA women in Olympic quarterfinals
The 2004 Olympic Games came to a sudden and disappointing end for the USA women's national volleyball team as Brazil posted a five-game victory Tuesday night at Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens, Greece.

Olympics: Gunner for fire
Imagine, if you will: the USA Olympic basketball team, in a game everyone expects them to win handily, is struggling against a supposedly inferior foe. Unquestionably, the USA has more talent than their opponent, but it's apparent that their opponents have more teamwork.

Dillon Falls Short in Triathlon
Triathlon: Great Britain's hopes of an Olympic medal were dashed today despite a strong performance from Michelle Dillon to take sixth.

Olympics: Dream Team?
The Dream Team has fallen from grace and an overhaul is needed to rekindle its past glory. Read on to find out how this can be done.

Macey Gains Respect of Fans But Misses Out on a Medal
Fourth is supposed to be the worst place to come in the Olympics, but for Dean Macey it felt nearly as good as winning the gold medal.

Qatar Flexes the Wrong Muscle
Why bother developing sporting talent when it is far easier to flash wads of money to buy a nationality or two? Wlecome to the bizarre world of the Qatari Olympic team.

Wrestling: Gardner Gets to Grips With Celebrity
Wrestling: The US's most unlikely Olympic champion is finding that surviving Oprah and frostbite is easy next to explaining the rules of wrestling to a US TV audience.

Olympics: Uproar in the Gym: Russians Complain to Ioc
Gymnastics: The Russian Olympic association is to complain to the IOC about the standard of judging in the Athens.

Olympics: El Guerrouj Digs Deep for Long-awaited Gold
1500 metres: Having been denied gold in the past two Olympics, Hicham El Guerrouj finally came up trumps in thrilling fashion.

Macey Suffers Blow in Pole Vault
Olympics: Dean Macey put his decathlon medal pursuit back on track with a personal best in the discus.

Campbell Injury Worry
200m: Darren Campbell limped out of the Olympic Stadium with a tight hamstring after squeezing through this morning's 200m heats.

Macey Into Fourth After Discus
Olympics: Dean Macey put his decathlon medal pursuit back on track with a personal best in the discus.

Olympics: As It Happens
Live: Follow all the action with Mike Adamson.

Olympics: Weekend sports update
Weekend Sports Update is back. I talk mostly about the Olympics because that is what I mostly watched and wrote my jokes about. Hope you enjoy it.

Olympics: Sportsmanship lives again
We can again celebrate the achievements of Olympic athletes and their exemplary sportsmanship.

Olympics: USA men beat Brazil, earn quarterfinal match against Greece
The USA men's Olympic volleyball team sewed up third place in its pool with a 3-1 win over previously unbeaten Brazil Monday night at Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens, Greece, and moved on to the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament.

Women's Wrestling Comes to the Olympics
Women's wrestling: As the masseur of inaugural winner Irini Merlini put it, "Wrestling now for woman. Ukraine women. Ukraine women very beautiful."

'I Felt I'd Let Everyone Down. But Nobody Was Hurting Inside As Much As I Was'
The search for the reasons behind Paula Radcliffe's disastrous performance in the Olympic marathon moved yesterday to a medical laboratory in Athens.

Greeks to Contest Sampanis Decision
Troubled Olympic hosts will plead the case of weightlifter who had third place rescinded after positive test

Radcliffe Undecided on 10,000m
Olympics: An emotional Paula Radcliffe is still unsure as to whether she will run in Friday's 10,000m.

Radcliffe 'was Not Injured'
Paula Radcliffe's failure to add the Olympic marathon crown to her collection of achievements was not due to injury, the British team confirmed today.

Pinsent is Ready for the Highs and the Lows That Follow Victory After Historic Race in Which British Four Rowed for Two Kilometres and Won By This Tiny Distance
Rowing: Matthew Pinsent will be 37 by the time Beijing 2008 comes around but he is not ruling out an attempt at a fifth Olympic gold.

Tearful Radcliffe Stops Short of Her Ultimate Dream
Marathon: Paula Radcliffe's bid for Olympic gold came to a tearful end after 36km of blistering Athens tarmac.

Olympics: Dream Team? Ha!
USA's Olympic basketball team is a joke! Read on to find out why.

Olympics: USA women stun Cuba, qualify for Olympic quarterfinals
The No. 1 team in the world made its Olympic debut Sunday night ... on the last night of pool play. In a match it absolutely had to win in order to reach the quarterfinal round, the USA women's national volleyball team demolished three-time defending Olympic gold medalist Cuba in three sets at Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens, Greece.

Olympics: USA's McPeak & Youngs advance to semifinals
The United States women will get a chance to medal in Olympic Beach Volleyball after being shut out at the 2000 Summer Games, as Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs advanced to the semifinals of Athens 2004 with a win over a team from Germany on Sunday.

Anger As Bush Bids to Exploit Olympic Games
President George Bush stood accused of appropriating the Olympic movement for political means last night, amid reports he was planning to visit Athens later this week to watch some sporting events, including a potential gold-medal winning bid by the Iraqi football team.

Olympics: Campbell Edged Out As Crawford Flies in
Athletics: There were sub 10-second runs all over the place in the 100m heats as American Shawn Crawford ran 9.89. Darren Campbell didn't.

Olympics: And then there was Athens...
The USA men's Olympic basketball team has completely let me down. Then again, the Olympics in general are getting a little easy on what is considered an event.

Olympics: Age Shall Not Weary Them
Merlene Ottey and Gail Devers just keep on running but in very different circumstances to how they began, says Kevin Mitchell.

Rachel Cooke: How I Became an Olympic Groupie
Even couch potatoes have been swept along by Athens 2004. They are truly the games for people who don't like sport.

This is Just One Big Lie, to Be Honest
Athletes and officials are getting away with glib soundbites, half-denials and outright evasion. This Olympics has been full of froth, writes Kevin Mitchell.

Olympics: Radcliffe on Course for Victory
Athletics: Paula Radcliffe must take the heat in a steady stride to triumph in the Olympic marathon, writes Duncan MacKay.

Olympics: Princess Kelly Dethrones Denise
Heptathlon: As Denis Lewis said farewell, Kelly Sotherton kept her head to win bronze in the heptathlon for Britain.

Olympics: Lewis Pulls Out of Games
Denise Lewis has called an end to her fitness battle in the heptathlon and pulled out of the Olympic Games.

Pinsent Wins Fourth Gold Medal
Matthew Pinsent has won his fourth gold medal in as many Olympics after Britain's coxless four pipped the Canadian crew by eight hundredths of a second.

Olympics: Iran's hatred has no place at the Games
The refusal of the Iranians to face an Israeli athelete in judo violates the Olmypic spirit and should be punished.

Olympics: USA women in must-win situation after loss to Russia
Following another disappointing five-set loss on Friday night, the USA women's Olympic volleyball team finds itself facing the ultimate challenge come Sunday: it must defeat three-time defending Olympic gold medalist Cuba to advance out of pool play or their Olymipcs are over.

Olympics: USA's Holdren & Metzger upset European Champions & Olympic fourth-seeds
To the surprise of the assembled beach volleyball followers and countless numbers of Americans and Germans in the crowd, the USA's Dax Holdren and Stein Metzger scored a three-game upset victory over Markus Dieckmann and Jonas Reckermann of Germany to advance to the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament.

Striking similarities between Olympic teams
Everything comes full circle, or so the saying goes. For the United States Olympic men's basketball team, this has especially proven to be true. The 1988 team was the last one made up of collegiate players. The similarities between the 1988 and 2004 teams are striking.

Olympics: Britain's Athletes Brighten the Gloom
Athletics: For all the doom and gloom, the British athletes may just be quite good. Maybe.

Olympics: Sotherton Looking Over Kluft's Shoulder
Athletics: Carolina Kluft looks a dead cert for heptathlon gold with Britain's Kelly Sotherton lying in silver.

Hoy Pedals Through the Pressure to Glorious Gold
Cycling: Chris Hoy rose above the heat to break Jason Queally's Olympic record and emulate his Olympic gold.

Olympics: Golden Bekele Strikes a Blow for Youth
Athletics: Haile Gebrselassie left the Olympic stage with dignity, passing his baton of excellence to Kenenisa Bekele in the 10,000m.

Hoy Wins Gold By a Whisker
Olympics: Cyclist Chris Hoy today secured Britain's second gold medal of the Games by winning the men's 1km time trial in a new Olympic record.

Fresh Doping Scandal Rocks Games
An unnamed Greek Olympic athlete has failed a drugs test, a spokesman for the host country's team said today.

Sotherton Soars Into Second Place
Kelly Sotherton produced the high jump performance of her life to stake a claim for an Olympic medal in the heptathlon this morning.

Olympics: As It Happens
Live: Don't miss any of Friday's action at the Olympics - follow our coverage with Sean Ingle.

Olympics: In Athens, all the action takes place poolside
Unlike most Olympic Games, thw swimming pool in Athens has been the site of the most exciting moments of these games so far. How did this happen? Read to find out why.

Olympics: Russian block too much for USA men
Russia used its considerable advantage in size to thwart multiple American attacks and the result was a 3-1 victory at Peace and Friendship Stadium in the final match of the day in Athens, Greece.

Olympics: Three USA teams advance to elimination round
Three of the four Beach Volleyball teams from the United States advanced from pool play and will begin single-elimination bracket play in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games this weekend at the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre.

Olympics Offer New Goal for Football's Also-rans
Other disciplines seek young hopefuls to restock talent pool

Olympics: Now Greeks Must Come to Their Own Party
Paul Kelso: A sense of anti-climax has dampened any Athenian Olympic spirit as the Greeks crowds continue to stay at home.

Olympics: For Some, Medals Come Second to God
The Olympic Religious Services Centre is vital for those athletes wanting to escape the prying eye of the world's media.

Olympics: Track Curtain Rises on a Scene From Greek Tragedy
Athletics: With Greece's sprinters not at the races, the field is open for someone to emerge as the face of the Games, writes Duncan MacKay.

Olympics: Bronze Medal Little Consolation for Israel's Zeevi
Judo: After a political no show from Iranian Arash Miresmaeili, Israel's Ariel Zeevi fought someone - and lost. But then won bronze anyway.

Olympics: Medal Hope Malcolm is Back After Secret Hospital Stay
Athletics: Christian Malcolm's serious kidney condition somewhat undermined Team GB's assertion there were no injury worries.

Olympics: Goddard Captures Bronze Medal, But Just for Half an Hour
Swimming: Britain's James Goddard was in and out of bronze in the 200m backstroke. Trouble is, no one knows why.

Olympics: Silver Still a British Best As Badminton Duo Fall at Last
Badminton: Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson couldn't quite handle a red hot Chinese duo but won silver in an edgy final.

Olympics: And Here's to You, Mrs Robertson
Sailing: Stephen Bierley watched a nervous Shirley Robertson and her crew of two romp to Britain's first gold with a day to spare.

Five Olympic Weightlifters Fail Drug Tests
Five weightlifters were today named as having failed drug tests in the latest scandal to rock an already troubled Olympic Games in Athens.

Olympics: USA's McPeak & Youngs protect seeding with third pool play win
Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs of the United States protected their seed on Tuesday evening at the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre in Athens, Greece, by rallying for a win over Nicole Schnyder and Simone Kuhn of Switzerland. Read on for the story.

Olympics: USA's Blanton & Nygaard end Olympics disappointed
With experience from an Olympic Beach Volleyball gold medallist and the blocking ability of a two-time Indoor Olympian, one would figure that the United States had a strong entry for the Athens 2004 Games. However, for the USA's Dain Blanton and Jeff Nygaard, it just didn't work out on the sand in Athens. Read on for the story.

Alison Williamson Takes Bronze to Hit Her Olympic Target After 12 Years
Archery: Alison Williamson ended her 12-year quest for an Olympic medal at the fourth attempt when she won bronze.

Greek Sprinters Beat Expulsion By Walking Out on Games
Thanou and Kederis end Olympic careers under a cloud.

Pinsent on Course for Gold
Rowing Matthew Pinsent's bid for a fourth consecutive Olympic gold remains on course after the coxless four won their semi-final.

Robertson and Emms Go for Gold
Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms will tomorrow venture into territory never previously explored by British badminton players, an Olympic final. The No4 seeds came through their semi-final against Jonas Rasmussen and Rikke Olsen in stunning fashion, winning 15-6, 15-12. Now they will attempt...

Greek Duo Quit Olympics
The two Greek sprinters who missed drug tests prior to the start of the Athens Olympics today withdrew from the games. Reigning 200m Olympic champion Kostas Kederis and 100m silver medallist Ekaterini Thanou who, it is alleged, missed four drugs tests announced this morning that they were...

Olympics: USA men stun Holland, earn first Olympic win since 1996
Tuesday was banner day for the USA men's national volleyball team as it snapped a nine-match losing streak in Olympic competition with a decisive 3-0 win over the Netherlands at Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens, Greece.

Olympics: Reflections on the Olympics
Every four years it happens. Fans of sports like ping pong, gymnastics and fencing get happy. It's time once again for the Olympic games.

Olympics: Tamarillo Injury Leaves Riders With Hopes in Tatters
Equestrian: William Fox-Pitt's horse Tamarillo suffers a broken bone that virtually scuppers Britain's medal chances.

Olympics: Not a Crisis - But It Will Be If Radcliffe Fails
Marathon: One gets the feeling that if Paula Radcliffe fails to win gold in the women's marathon, then others may be hard to come by.

Olympics: America's Olympic Hopes Proved Unrealistic
Sport: The US Olympic team arrived in Athens with their usual high hopes, but those have subsequently proved to be wide of the mark.

Olympics: China Heads Early Medals Table
Sport: China, who are hosting the next Olympic party, are making the early running in the race to head the medals table come the end of the Games.

Olympics: Greeks Leave Hospital to Face Music
Sport: Both Kostas Kederis and Ekaterini Thanou have left their hospital beds and may now finally be subjected to an IOC drugs test.

Olympics: Parry Pulls Out the Stops and Buffets His Way to Bronze
Sport: Stephen Parry's bronze was Britain's first Olympic medal in the butterfly since Andy Jameson also took bronze in Seoul 16 years ago.

Olympics: The Bad Dreams' Team
The USA Basketball team was absolutely embarrassed by Puerto Rico at Sunday's opening round in Athens. It's not a question of skill -- it's a question of attitude, desire and athletes with jaded perceptions.

Olympics: USA women hold off Germany, net first Athens win
For the second match in a row, Germany had upset on its mind in women's Olympic volleyball action. But a determined American squad led by Tayyiba Haneef, Keba Phipps and Logan Tom left the Germans upset in the end, winning their first match of the Olympics in four games.

Olympics: Second Olympic medal opportunity almost gone for Blanton
Four years after stunning the Beach Volleyball world with a gold medal finish at the Sydney Games, Dain Blanton will probably not have another chance to return to the Olympic podium as he and Jeff Nygaard are almost eliminated from medal contention after losing to John Child and Mark Heese of Canada in Athens, Greece, Monday afternoon.

Olympics: USA's McPeak & Youngs net second Olympic Beach Volleyball win
Two Beach Volleyball match wins are in the "book" for Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs as the Americans scored an up-down-up win over Guylaine Dumont and Annie Martin of Canada in a women's Pool D meeting on Monday in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Kederis Proclaims Innocence
Athletics: Olympic champion Kostas Kederis today left hospital ahead of his date with IOC inquisitors vowing: "After the crucifixion comes the resurrection."

The not-quite-Dream Team
Team USA lost to Puerto Rico in the Olympics not because of a lack of talent or a lack of practice time. The Americans lost because they tried to play an NBA-style game in international competition. And with the talent gap narrowing, it's a recipe for disaster.

Interview: Stuart Jeffries Meets Former Olympian, Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson, gold medal winner at the last two Olympics, is sitting this one out as a BBC pundit. He tells Stuart Jeffries why he's not tempted to race again, why athletics needs to get serious about its drug crisis - and what he thinks about London's bid for the games.

Sprinters on Way Out As Ioc Loses Patience
Athletics: Kostas Kederis and Ekaterina Thanou are to be expelled from the Olympics and the subjects of a Greek governmental inquiry.

Olympic Sailing: Ainslie Takes the Lead
Sailing: Britain's Ben Ainslie continues to make up for Saturday's disqualification with another victory.

Olympic Sailor Charged With Killing Briton
A member of Denmark's sailing team has been charged with manslaughter and speeding following the death of a British man in Athens.

Briton Killed in Olympic City
A British man has died in Athens after being hit by a car thought to have been driven by an Olympic sailor.

Olympics: USA men suffer tough loss to Italy to open Olympic Games
Matej Cernic scored a team-high 19 points as Italy won a hotly contested match against the United States, 3-1, in the Olympic men's volleyball opener for both teams Sunday night at Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens, Greece.

Olympics: Holdren & Metzger net first USA men's beach volleyball win
In the longest match of the Beach Volleyball competition of Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Dax Holdren and Stein Metzger were able to comeback from a "disappointing" first set loss to win the next two sets over Australia's Andrew Schacht and Joshua Slack. Read on for the story.

If It's All Greek or Double Dutch, Bazza's the Man
There is nothing like an Olympic opening ceremony to expose the depths of your ignorance.

Athens Ticket Sales Slow Unless Local Heroes Involved
The slogan of the Athens games is "Welcome home". Unfortunately for organisers, home is where the majority of Athenians appear to have stayed during the opening weekend of the Olympics. Attendances at many venues have been hugely disappointing for the first two days of competition, and...

To Greece the Glory After a Stunning Start to Games
Greeks were last night basking in worldwide praise for the spectacular opening ceremony which marked the Olympic Games's return to their historic home, but lamenting the poor crowds which cast a shadow over the event's first day.

Iran Under Scrutiny for Political Pull-out
Olympic gold medal favourite, Iran's Arash Miresmaeili, has definitely forfeited his first round clash with Israel's Ehud Vaks - in what a Tehranian official called a political boycott - and judo officials are today considering what sanctions to impose on Iran. Dual world champion...

The Man Who Pulled a Fast One on the Games
Even Hollywood might have found the story hard to make up. On the eve of the Olympics, Greece's most famous athlete fails to show for a drugs test, goes missing and is then injured in a mysterious 'accident'. So what really went on? Duncan Mackay reports from Athens.

Olympics: Japan Prepares to Gang Up on Radcliffe
As if the heat won't be enough for Paula Radcliffe, she also has to face a trio of Japanese athletes teaming up against her.

Olympics: 'prize Bull' Sprinters Trampling All Over Ideals
Sweden threatened to pull out of the Games before Greek sprinters Konstantinos Kederis and Ekaterini Thanou were suspended.

Olympics: Turk Snatches Gold From China
The Chinese may be ready to launch a challenge to America's position at the top of the medals table, but they lost out in the women's weightlifting last night.

Olympics: Fallon Thrown at the Last
Craig Fallon was inconsolable after coming within four seconds of going through to the quarter-finals of the 60kg division in the judo.

Greeks Expel Drugs Scandal Pair
Two Greek sporting legends were last night suspended from the Athens Olympics amid suspicion they faked a motorcycle accident to cover up a missed drugs test. Sprinters Kostas Kederis and Ekaterini Thanou were removed temporarily by the Greek Olympic Committee amid growing anger their...

Olympics: China defeats USA women to begin 2004 Olympics
The first day of women's Olympic volleyball competition in Athens, Greece, was capped off by a heavyweight match-up between world powers China and the United States Saturday night at Peace and Friendship Stadium. Read on for the results.

Olympics: McPeak & Youngs post first USA Beach Volleyball win in Athens
USA beach volleyball athletes Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs claimed the first American win on the beach in Athens, when they defeated Norway on the opening day of the Olympics. Read on for the story.

Olympics: USA's Blanton & Nygaard drop first USA beach volleyball match in Athens
It wasn't Dain Blanton's and Jeff Nygaard's night as the United States' top-ranked men's team on the Olympic qualifying list dropped their first match in the Athens 2004 Games by losing to Julien Prosser and Mark Williams of Australia in a contest that ended early Sunday morning.

Greek Pair Suspended
Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou have been suspended by the Hellenic Olympic Committee tonight pending the IOC hearing on Monday into their missed drugs test.

Olympics: Profile of Ioc President
August 14: New IOC president Jacques Rogge couldn't be more different from his Machiavellian, facism-tinged predecessor.

The Waiting is Over, But for the Hosts the Olympic Spirit is Already Broken
Can a mere two competitors, out of about 10,500 assembled in Athens, really have brought about so dramatic a change of mood?

Olympics: Release the professional athletes (and some amateurs, too)
Are the Olympics interesting television anymore? Are they relevant anymore? eSports Dave Singleton offers his opinion.

Drug Scandal Engulfs Greek Olympic Heroes
The Greek athlete expected to light the Olympic flame today was at the centre of a doping scandal last night.

Coe Applies Balm to Panorama Sting
August 12: Sebastian Coe has tried to draw a line under the controversy surrounding a Panorama exposé of Olympic corruption.

Britain's Pride of the Paddock
August 12: Pippa Funnell and her horse Primmore's Pride are spearheading Britain's Olympic equestrian challenge.

Baxter Warns Brits of Drugs Dangers
August 12: Alain Baxter is starring in his own video nasty to help Britain's Olympic team avoid any inadvertent doping scandals.

The Art of Serene Diving-bombing
It may not be an Olympic discipline yet. But while athletes from around the world gather in Athens, another group of contestants will converge today in the small Bavarian town of Bayreuth for what they see as an equally important competition. Some 21 contestants from countries as diverse...

Not the Track, Not the Pool - the Hilton Will Be the Heart of the Olympics
The art of lobbying is being perfected this week in the modernist marble interior of the Hilton hotel in Athens.

Ceiling Falls on 'cultural Olympics'
A small part of the ceiling of The Blue Triangle - the emblematic building that houses Barcelona's "cultural olympics" whose roof is covered with a 40cm layer of water - fell in last week.

Olympics: Paphos is No Holiday Camp for Britain's Athletes
While the majority of those in the resort of Paphos are enjoying their summer breaks, Mark Lewis-Francis most certainly is not.

Olympics: Kenya Boxer First Victim of Athens Tests
The Olympics has not even started and already the first positive drugs test of the games has been reported.

Olympic Games: Four Finally Pulling It All Together
Having opted last February to put Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell into the coxless four, optimism is now high among GB's rowers.

Olympics: Lewis Back in Medal Hunt
Despite a recent injury scare, Denise Lewis believes she is in better physical shape than when she won her Olympic heptathlon title.

Athens Dust Clouds Radcliffe's Hopes
Paula Radcliffe's hopes of a gold in the Olympic marathon this month could be derailed by the construction delays that have blighted the build-up to the games' return to Athens. The 30-year-old is Britain's brightest gold medal prospect, but there are fears she may be disadvantaged by the...

Finns' Olympic Glory Belies Population
Scandinavians stand the best chance of securing Olympic glory but if you happen to be from America, Turkey or Portugal then brace yourself for disappointment. With two days before the start of the Athens Olympic games, athletes have been told that the size of their country's population...

Beggars Disappear in Athens 'clean-up' Before Games
Last-ditch efforts to "clean up" Athens before the Olympic games begin on Friday have included removing thousands of immigrants, beggars, drug addicts and homeless people from the capital's streets. Human rights activists said yesterday that they feared vulnerable people, including asylum...

Sportswear Workers Flex 'olympic' Muscle
Hundreds of factory workers from eight Asian countries yesterday gathered in Bangkok for a one-day "Workers' Olympics" to raise awareness about labour conditions in sportswear factories across the region. The event, held at a sports stadium in a Bangkok slum, was part of the year-long...

IOC 'four Years Late' Catching Cheats
A leading British scientist has accused Olympic chiefs of sitting on a test for HGH for four years.

Olympic 'bribe' Official Banned
A key Olympic official who discussed taking a bribe to help London stage the Games in 2012 has been suspended by the IOC.

US Team Armed With Gas Masks
Security precautions in Athens for the 531 United States Olympic competitors will include emergency masks in the event of tear gas, pepper spray or pollutants.

Athens Shows Doubters It Will Hit Games Deadline
With Olympic venues completed, a huge security operation under way and even the traffic calmed, ticket sales remain the final obstacle.

Olympics: Dream or Nightmare?
Team USA got a wake-up call from the Italian National Team on Tuesday. With the Olympics less than three weeks away the question is, will this unit bring back memories of the Dream Team or will it become a basketball fan's worst nightmare?

Oxford Pays Its Debt to Ancients in Pindaric Song
It's not quite the Parthenon marbles, but Oxford University is sending back to Greece a small cultural treasure with roots almost as ancient, in honour of the Olympic games. At the closing Olympic ceremony in Athens on August 29, a British former Olympic fencer, Dame Mary Glen-Haig, will...

Drug Ban to Cost Edwards Olympics
August 6: Torri Edwards, who inherited the world 100m title from Kelli White, has failed a drug test and will miss the Olympics.

General: A ticket to Athens -- Man mistakenly books flight to Georgia
An aspiring swimmer, Stu Johnson, 23, of San Pedro Wisconsin, was excited to be going to Athens for the upcoming Summer Olympics. However, when he bought his plane ticket, Johnson got quite a surprise.

Athens focus for USA Olympic beach volleyball teams
With the pre-Olympic schedule behind them on the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour, the two men's and two women's Beach Volleyball teams from the United States that have qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games now shift their focus to Athens.

Greeks Fear Olympic Rip-offs
The Greek authorities are offering tourists price lists in a bid to stop unscrupulous local traders ripping them off.

Drugs in Sport: Us Warns of Designer Drug Threat
The United States Anti-Doping Agency believes competitors at next month's Olympics will be using designer drugs as yet unknown to testers.

Britain Yearns for Echo of Coe
While El Gerrouj eyes Olympic gold, memory of great British rivalry exposes lack of depth for Athens, writes John Rawling.

Athens Stifles the Critics As It Sprints Towards Olympic Goal
Despite the forecasts and - until last week - depressingly low ticket sales, Athens could be about to pull off one of the best Games.

Olympic Success Sneaks Up on America
July 31: Overshadowed by the Balco affair, a new generation of US stars are threatening to clean up in Athens.

Their Olympics, their Athens preparations
For 23rd-seeded Carrie Busch and Nancy Mason of the United States, the women's A1 Grand Slam is their Olympics. Read on for the story.

London 2012: Olympics Still Open to Bribes, Says Bbc
July 30: An undercover Panorama investigation has reportedly exposed an IOC member as being willing to accept a bribe to assist London 2012.

Tickets Slump Hits Olympics
Greeks put brave face on missing 3m sales.

FIVB announces women's, men's Beach Olympic teams
On July 23, the FIVB announced the official Olympic ranking for the 24 men's teams and the 24 women's teams selected to participate in the beach volleyball tournaments of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, next month, which included the USA men's and women's team. Read on for the details.

Olympics: Sweden's Kluft Will Savour the Moment
July 28: Eeyore helps prevent overwhelming heptathlon favourite Carolina Kluft from taking it all too seriously.

Countdown to Athens: Uk Scientists Develop Key New Drugs Test
Scientists from Southampton University have come up with a test for the drug HGH in time for next month's Olympics in Athens.

Fonoimoana and Wong take AVP Hermosa Beach men's title
In a hard fought match-up before a packed stadium crowd at Hermosa Beach, 2000 Olympic gold medalist Eric Fonoimoana and Kevin Wong defeated Olympic Gold Medallist Karch Kiraly and Olympian Mike Lambert at the AVP Hermosa Beach Open.

Maya Jaggi: E-mail
As Athenians sweated to finish the Olympic stadiums, an Orthodox priest on the island of Paros, some three hours away by Flying Dolphin, was intoning over a modest dwelling that may yet crown Greece's cultural Olympiad.

Bectu Strike Threatens Olympic Broadcast
Sports fans are facing a TV blackout of the return of Match of the Day and the Olympics next month, after broadcasting union Bectu revealed plans for strike action over the sale of the BBC's technology arm. By Jason Deans.

Best of Brit-ish
Two weeks ago Malachi Davis was the 26th fastest 400m runner in the US. Now he is a British Olympic hopeful, with a storm raging around him over the cynical recruitment of foreign athletes. He tells Stephen Moss why he swapped California for Loughborough.

Athletics: Thomas Hits Out As Davis Gets 400m Go-ahead
Iwan Thomas was left seething with the selection ahead of him of Malachi Davis for the British Olympic team.

MPs Urged to Back Olympic Bid
Tony Blair and his ministers will this week act to stop suggestions that London's bid to stage the 2012 Olympics lacks wholehearted government support. The culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, and the sports minister, Richard Caborn, are to write to MPs and peers urging them to get behind the...

Johnson to Kiss His Gold Goodbye
July 19: Jerome Young's positive drugs test from the last Olympics will cost Michael Johnson his 4x400m relay gold medal.

Olympic Games: Badders is About to Get Mean
Badminton needs to get rid of its stuffy image. Gail Emms is the woman to freshen things up, says Will Buckley.

Olympic Games: Phelps Sets Gold Standard
American teenager has work cut out if he is to match record of legendary Mark Spitz, says Duncan Mackay.

Olympic Games: Campbell Calls for Cash Rethink for Athletes
Darren Campbell has renewed his call for Lottery funding to be distributed differently as many of its beneficiaries failed to qualify for the Olympic team.

Greece's Bandit Ban Pulls Plug on Games
Conceived in the spirit of egality, conducted on a whim and enforced with rare zeal, an innocuous attempt to stem Greeks' greatest love - gambling - has become a major headache for embarrassed Athenian officials ahead of next month's Olympics. The clampdown on electronic amusements, which...

Macey Strives for Just Enough
July 17: Dean Macey needs to score at least 7,700 points at Hexham to secure a place at the Olympics with Team GB.

Athens 2004: Backley Backing Small-scale Team to Make It Big in Athens
Steve Backley believes the team of athletes announced to represent Britain at the Olympics can return with medals.

Athletics: Tweddle Helps Raise the Bar
Having already won medals at world and European level, Beth Tweddle now wants to become the first British gymnast to do so at the Olympics.

Athletics: Lewis Injury a Major Blow to British Hopes
A recurrence of an injury to her left foot may prevent Denise Lewis from defending her Olympic heptathlon title.

Millions Hit By Greek Blackout
All of Athens and much of Greece was struck by a power failure yesterday, throwing the country and the government into chaos a month before the Olympic Games. Officials scrambled to restore the network as the blackout, described as the worst in 10 years, left millions sweltering in...

Campbell to Sweat on Double Chance
Dislodged ribs will force Darren Campbell to trust in the selectors for a shot at the 100 and 200 meters at the Olympic Games.

Olympics Organisers Target Rival Logos
Spectators attending the Athens Olympics could be forcibly removed from stadiums if they wear clothing bearing "obvious logos of competitive companies to sponsors," according to rules released by games organisers. The restriction will extend to hats, T-shirts, bags and other "commercial...

USA Volleyball announces men's and women's Olympic team nominations
USA Volleyball nominates the following athletes to the U.S. Men's and Women's Olympic Team pending certification by the United States Olympic Committee.

Suspicion Clouds Balco Games
July 9:The focus at the US Olympic trials will be on the stars involved in the row surrounding the Balco laboratory.

Greek Hotel Workers Throw Down Gauntlet
Greek workers yesterday threatened to throw more than 800 hotels across Athens into chaos at next month's Olympics, vowing to stage surprise stoppages throughout the games if their long-standing demands are not met. The threat of strike action could affect tens of thousands of visitors to...

Olympics: Five-star Harland Has Heart of Iron
July 7: Britain's gold medallist Stephanie Cook backs her protege Georgina Harland to win the modern pentathlon in Athens.

Athletics: Olympics Almost Over for El Guerrouj
July 7: Hicham El Guerrouj could give up his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal because of a mystery breathing problem.

London's Transport on Track, Says Coe
July 6: You read it here first, transport will be one of London's major strengths in the bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

Greece Launches Security Sweep
With six weeks to go, the first 10,000 of a 70,000-strong force to guard the Olympics began work yesterday.

Ruling on Young May Take Medal Away From Johnson
June 30: Untouchable on the track, Michael Johnson may lose an Olympic gold medal thanks to team-mate Jerome Young's failed drugs test.

Montgomery Fights Drugs Charge
June 29: Tim Montgomery is set to fight against an Olympic ban, despite allegedly admitting to taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Athletes Urged to Vote for London
June 26: A bit of mutual back-scratching could see athletes vying for spots on the IOC help out London's Olympic bid.

Montgomery Faces Life Ban for 'magic Potion'
June 25: 100m Olympic champion and world record holder Tim Montgomery faces a life ban after allegedly admitting he has used sterioids.

Two-thirds of Olympic Seats Unsold
Greece has launched an international effort to reassure potential visitors to the Olympic Games after officials conceded yesterday that two-thirds of the tickets have yet to be sold. The low turnout is partly being blamed on members of the "Olympic family" - sponsors, broadcasters and...

2012 Olympic Bid: London Bid Signs Sydney Guru
June 23: Jim Sloman, the man widely credited with making the Sydney Olympics one of the greatest ever, has been appointed to help London's bid.

Cricket: Twenty20 Has Vision of Olympics
Twenty20 cricket will soon be an Olympic sport, if the England and Wales Cricket Board has anything to do with it.

Hotel Workers Threaten to Strike During Olympics
Even if all of Greece's problem-plagued preparations are resolved ahead of the Games' opening ceremony on August 13, the threat of disruption from industrial action looms large.

Greece Facing Decade of Debt As Olympics Bill Soars
It could take Greece over a decade to pay back a €36bn deficit created in part by the ballooning costs of hosting the Olympic games in August, a top government official said.

USA's Holdren/Metzger finish fourth at FIVB Puerto Rico
Despite losing a pair of matches on Sunday June 13), Dax Holdren and Stein Metzger finished fourth at the FIVB event in Puerto Rico and moved within one event of earning their Olympic qualification as the provisional No. 2 from the United States for the 2004 Athens Games.

Montgomery Under Threat From Iaaf
June 14: Tim Montgomery faces the prospect of being banned from the Olympics even if the US itself takes no action.

Greeks on Track As Athens Stadium Opens
June 11: Amid a cacophony of noise from jackhammers, power tools, vehicles and builders, the unfinished Olympic Stadium has opened.

Athletics: Montgomery Could Face Athens Ban Over Balco Links
June 9: Tim Montgomery has been informed of a potential doping violation which could result in a ban from the Athens Olympics.

Coe Puts His Own Team in Place
June 7: Lord Coe has announced significant changes to the body promoting London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

USA women's pre-Olympic journey begins next week in Switzerland
The USA women's national volleyball team begins its pre-Olympic journey to the Summer Games in Athens, Greece, next week in Montreux, Switzerland, to compete in the Montreux Volley Masters. Read on for the story.

USA'S Rogers & Scott advance unbeaten in Portugal
Todd Rogers and Sean Scott won two matches on Friday (June 4) over teams from Germany to improve their chances of adding to their Olympic-qualifying point total, as the United States tandem advanced unbeaten to Saturday's opening winner's bracket rounds in the men's US$180,000 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour in Espinho, Portugal.

Greece Admits Defeat Over Armed Guards at Olympics
We can't stop foreign guards carrying arms, says official.

"Olympic Fever" keeps NBA players sick in bed
Last year, the best players in the NBA were clamoring for a spot on the 2004 Olympic team. Yet as the day draws near, more and more players are bowing out. So why is "Olympic Fever" leaving many NBA All-Stars sick in bed? Read on to find out.

A Great Summer of Sport?
From Henmania to the Olympics, sport makes it all too easy for us to forget about real life, says Stephen Moss.

Hoy's Winning Ride Earns Britain an Olympic Bonus
May 28: Chris Hoy will start the kilometre time trial at the Olympic Games as favourite after winning at the world track championships in Melbourne.

Greek Minister Questions Worth of Olympic Games
A senior Greek government official yesterday questioned whether it was right for Athens to be hosting the 2004 Olympics, given the amount of work involved.

Athens 2004: The Golden Hopefuls: Rulon Gardner
Duncan MacKay profiles American wrestler Rulon Gardner who will defend his Olympic title after surviving a car accident and near-fatal hypothermia.

Cricket: Will Buckley Column
Will Buckley: Why not let the French host the Olympics? Who on earth wants to be remembered for their organisational prowess?

2012: Agony and Ecstasy
The making of the capital, or a case of fool's gold? David Welch and Matthew Norman ponder the merits of London's olympic bid.

Athletics: Transsexual Fears After New Olympic Ruling
May 22: Renee Richards, once Richard Raskind, has criticised a decision to allow transsexuals to compete in the Olympics.

The Guardian Profile: Sebastian Coe
The Guardian profile: Many are putting their money on the legendary gold medallist to kick dust and win the 2012 Olympics for Britain. Will his talents on the track measure up to the marathon of global politics and local opposition that lies ahead?

Fastest Woman on Earth Ready to Stop Team in Its Tracks
Doping scandal threatens to engulf some of America's brightest Olympic hopefuls as disgraced sprinter prepares to blow whistle.

Olympic beach volleyball countdown continues
The Olympic beach volleyball qualification process continues this week, with the men playing in China and the women playing in Greece. Read on for the story.

Olympic Bid: Coe Takes Up the Running in Fresh Attempt to Defy the Odds
Duncan Mackay on the urgent promotion of Britain's double gold medallist.

Cassani Moves Sideways in 2012 Reshuffle
Lord Sebastian Coe has been appointed chairman and president of the London 2012 Olympic bid team after Barbara Cassani stepped aside.

Capital Gains: London on Olympic Shortlist
May 19: London has made it onto the shortlist of five but now the bid team must convince Londoners of its worth.

London's Olympic Bid Still on Track
London was today named as one of five cities still in contention to host the 2012 Olympic Games. At a press conference in Lausanne, Switzerland today, it was announced that London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris would be considered. That meant no place for Havana, Istanbul,...

Athens 2004: Ban-shy Football Faces the Boot
May 18: Football may be kicked out of the Olympic Games because of Fifa's reluctance to sign up fully to a worldwide code on drugs.

2012 Olympics: Bubbly Bought As London Awaits Rubber Stamp
May 18: London is so confident of surviving to the next round of the bidding for the 2012 Olympics that it has already arranged a programme of celebration.

Rory Mccarthy on Iraq's Olympic Squad
A sprinter, a swimmer, a weightlifter, a hurdler, a boxer, a tae kwon do fighter and the under-23 football team. Iraq's Olympic squad will not be the biggest in Athens, or the best resourced - but could it help unify a nation ravaged by war and occupation? Rory McCarthy reports.

London Gains an Edge in Olympic Chase
London will take a major step towards staging the 2012 Olympics this week when it is named on a short-list of cities chasing the honour. Sources in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) say that the capital will survive when some of the nine cities involved in the bidding battle are...

Olympics: Australia's Travel Warning is 'insult to Greece'
May 13: Greek organisers and a senior member of the IOC have criticised the Australian government for overplaying the security risks.

IOC Happy That Athens Will Be Ready
May 12: The International Olympic Committee has found that Athens will be ready for the Olympics but there is no room for error now.

Athens 2004: Athens Gets a Move on at Last
May 11: The first of the giant twin arches that will define the Olympic stadium finally began to move yesterday.

Olympics Face Moment of Truth
Games organisers aim to start putting the top on the stadium today to show they can be ready on time. Denis Campbell reports.

No One Hurt, But Three Small Athens Bombs Dent Confidence in Olympic Security Plans
Blasts blamed on anarchists draw attention to fears and delays dogging games.

The Greeks Have the Words for It - Chaos or Catastrophe
Richard Williams: This time the predictions of Olympic doom with three months to go appear ominously accurate.

Attack on London Bid May Rebound on Rio
May 5: Rio's mayor may have ruined the city's 2012 Olympic bid by talking up fears of a terrorist attack against London.

Athens is a Pr Disaster
May 3: As the Olympics prepare to return home, the games are in danger as never before, says John Rawling.

Athens to Fine Litterbugs in Olympic Clean-up
Litterbugs face on-the-spot fines under a Singaporean-style clean-up campaign launched in Athens ahead of the summer Olympics. Tourists who drop so much as a cigarette butt or are caught disgorging chewing gum will have to pay £14 penalties. A two-time offender will be asked to hand...

Fighting in Peace After a War
April 30: Eight Iraqi boxers and their coaches have arrived on a training trip to London as they prepare for their attempt to qualify for the Olympics.

Horses in His Blood, Gold in His Sights
April 29: While Badminton may be a competitive warm-up, William Fox-Pitt has the Olympics in Athens firmly in his sights.

Athletics: London 2012 Bid Hit By Transport Hold-up
April 28: London's 2012 Olympic bid has been delayed because organisers have still to submit the key transport proposals.

Olympics: Stephen Bierley on the Implications of Athens '04 for London '12
If Athens highlights the need for a functioning transport system, London's Olympic bid could be scuppered says Stephen Bierley.

Olympics Bid: Telegraph Apologises to Cassani
April 23: The Daily Telegraph has apologised to Barbara Cassani for alleging that she said Tony Blair "wasn't very bright".

Clock Ticks As Athens Sprints for the Line
With less than four months to go, can Greece turn an embarrassment into an Olympic triumph?

Operation Puts Radcliffe Back on Athens Road
April 17: Britain's gold medal hope Paula Radcliffe has undergone a hernia operation to keep her Olympic dream alive.

Athletics: Olympic Aim for Chepchumba
April 14: Joyce Chepchumba is hoping to turn back the clock and win a third London Marathon title to help rekindle her Olympic dreams.

Swimming: Foster Asks for Another Chance
April 14: Mark Foster, the shock casualty of Britain's Olympic trials, will press for a second chance to qualify in the European Championships.

Swimming: Darren Mew Paddles to Athens
April 12: Darren Mew yesterday pronounced himself capable of extending Britain's proud breaststroke tradition in the Athens Olympics.

Clare Balding on the Battle Between Kluft and Lewis
April 11: The battle between Karolina Kluft and Denise Lewis in the heptathalon will be one of the most intruiging at the Olympics.

Swimming: Marshall on Top of the World
April 10: Melanie Marshall pronounced herself an Olympic contender last night as she recorded the fastest 200 metres freestyle swim in the world this year at the National Championships at Ponds Forge.

Swimming: Records Flow for New Talent and Old Hand
April 9: 20-year-old Todd Cooper destroyed James Hickman's national record at Ponds Forge last night, announcing himself as a potential Olympic contender.process.

Airlift for Stray Dogs in Olympic Race Against Time
Activists have launched a mass evacuation campaign, transporting the strays by plane, train, truck and bus to new homes around Europe.

Swimming Gives Dry Run for Olympics Bid
April 2: Britain is bidding for a major swimming championship in the hope that success will help London's campaign to host the 2012 Olympics.

Cricket: Zimbabwe Boycott Could Cost £50m
April 2: Failure to tour Zimbabwe this autumn could cost English cricket £50m and derail London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

Greek Unions Pose New Threat to Olympics
Greece's preparations for the Olympic games were threatened yesterday with yet more turmoil after the country's biggest labour union said it would press ahead with strike action, starting with a nationwide walkout today. The spectre of labour unrest disrupting already delayed Olympic...

Olympics: Will Buckley Hears Lofty Ideas for Ending Conflict
March 28: Will Buckley: The International Olympic Truce Centre is hoping the summer games will be a case of 'on your marks, get set, cease-fire'.

Olympic Flame Begins Its Journey
The Olympic flame spluttered into life yesterday in a ceremony in the olive groves of ancient Olympia amid unprecedented levels of security. A Greek actor dressed as a high priestess invoked Apollo, the god of light, to ignite the torch over a concave mirror. Almost immediately,...

Leader of Olympics Bid Weakened By Blair Row and Pr Industry Doubts
Barbara Cassani's position as the head of London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games was in doubt last night after she found herself involved in a dispute with the campaign's most enthusiastic supporter, the Daily Telegraph.

Greeks Panic Over Building Delays for Olympic Venues
Greece's preparations for the August Olympics have been plunged into further crisis by news that the event's main stadium will not be finished until three weeks before the start of the games. In an overview of Olympics projects since assuming power last week, the conservative government...

Athletics: Olympic Door is Shut on Whitlock
March 17: The British Olympic Association has turned down Janine Whitlock's appeal against her lifetime Olympic ban.

Athletics: Japan Drop Defending Marathon Champ From Olympics
March 16: Paula Radcliffe's hopes of winning the Olympic marathon in Athens have been boosted after Japan's selectors left out the defending champion.

Greece Seeks Nato Aid to Guard Olympics
Spurred by the attacks in Spain, Greece yesterday formally asked for Nato help in providing security for this summer's Athens Olympics.

New Era for Greek Politics
Heralding a new era in Greek politics, a determinedly youthful conservative government assumed office in Athens yesterday, five months ahead of the Olympic games. The 47-member cabinet was sworn in, in a ceremony that saw the New Democracy party replace the socialist movement, Pasok, for...

Greece to Ask Nato to Protect Olympics
Athens to call in alliance despite spending £430m on security. Greece is poised to ask Nato for help in safeguarding the Olympics, an unprecedented step that would see the alliance providing surveillance planes and logistical support for the games.

Olympic Initiative By Karamanlis
Greece's prime minister-elect, Costas Karamanlis, began forming a new government yesterday amid reports that he would appoint a special Olympics minister to oversee chaotic preparations for this summer's Athens games. After unseating Europe's longest-ruling socialist party, Pasok, in...

Karamanlis Triumphant As Greece Swings to Right
Greece's conservative prime minister-elect, Costas Karamanlis, celebrated a resounding general election victory last night by promising to invest in culture and education, and stage "some of the best and safest Olympics ever". With nearly 98% of the votes in yesterday's poll counted, his...

Olympic Dream Turns to Nightmare for Athens
Critics blame exhibitionism and lack of organisation. Just 163 days before the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Athens at least half of the city's projects for the games are still unfinished, according to Greek MPs and media. The majority of the unfinished sites are reportedly not even halfway to completion.

Delays Leave Athens' Olympics Plans in Chaos
Critics blame exhibitionism and lack of organisation.

Athletics: Kiplagat Backs Radcliffe in Athens After Ending Her Winning Streak
March 2: Paula Radcliffe is still on course for Olympic marathon gold says the woman who ended her long unbeaten record here in Puerto Rico.

Athletics: Radcliffe Set on Caribbean Launching Pad
February 28: The Olympic marathon will begin to come sharply into focus for Paula Radcliffe in Puerto Rico tomorrow.

Cycling: British Cycling Announces Persil Olympic Sponsorship Worth £300,000
February 25: The washing powder Persil will sponsor several Olympic cyclists in Athens through a deal with British Cycling said to be worth more than £300,000.

Olympic Games: London Bid Organisers Set to Surpass Sponsorship Budget
February 18: London 2012 organisers are set to surpass their sponsorship budget, such is the enthusiasm for the games to return to Britain for the first time since 1948.

Athletics: Armed Guards for British Athletes
February 17: British athletes will be accompanied by armed troops at this year's Athens Olympics.

US Stars Fear They Are Easy Targets of Olympics Terror
Greece spends $750m on security as experts warn of 300 types of attack.

Athletics: Greeks Drawn Into Doping Scandal
February 15: Fewer than six months before Athens stages the Olympics, some of Greece's top athletes have been implicated in the US doping scandal.

Athletics: Hurdler Sillah-freckleton Looks for Great Leap Forward in Leipzig
February 14: Mohammed Sillah-Freckleton will take part in the European Indoor Cup today but his sights are firmly set on the Athens Olympics.

Much depreciated?
Mark Cuban has clearly stated that he objects to his players participating in the Olympics. However, his concerns actually have less to do with the Olympics and more to do with business.

Athletics: Denise Lewis Back With Old Coach
February 7: After motherhood and controversy, Denise Lewis is back with the coach who helped her to Olympic gold.

Rats Limber Up for Olympics After Cat Cull
I've always hated rats. And there it was, the sound of rustling in the rubbish. At first we thought it was cats, but then we glimpsed their spindly tails.

USA men begin training for 2004 Olympic Games
Following a well deserved break, the USA men's national volleyball team begins preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games -- sort of -- when it resumes training on Monday, Feb. 9. Read on for the details.

Athletics: Young Case Puts Us Gold Medals at Risk
February 3: Jerome Young's failed drug test could result in his 4x4000 metres relay team-mates losing their Olympic gold.

Athletics: Yamile Aldama Will Compete for Sudan in the Olympics
January 27: Britain's loss is Sudan's gain as triple jumper Yamile Aldama will race for them in the Athens Olympics.

Athletics: Elementary for Holmes
In the countdown to the Olympics, the Norwich Union international at the Kelvin Hall gave some of Britain's athletes the chance to give a glimpse of their early-season form.

Olympic Bid:stand By for the Olympic Lottery Game
The IOC has told the government that it would not be breaching its rules if an Olympic lottery is introduced by this summer.

The Games Have Already Started
Jonathan Glancey: Don't let the Olympic bid serve as an excuse for another gimcrack redevelopment scheme.

Athletics: Crystal Palace to Receive £5.5m in Lottery Funding
January 22: Sport England has agreed to give Crystal Palace £5.5m in lottery funding over the next two years to improve London's Olympic bid.

Athletics: Generosity and Pace Put Mutola Out on Her Own
Maria Mutola is right on track to become the first woman to defend the Olympic 800m title, writes Duncan Mackay

London's Olympic Bid: If the Games Were Today, You'd Never Make It
Vivek Chaudhary put London's transport system, seen as a bit of a problem by its less placid users, to the Olympic test.

London Hires Global Team of Olympics Informants - But Don't Call Them Spies
Network will gather inside information on powerbrokers who will decide fate of capital's bid for 2012 games.

Britain Begins Its Olympic Challenge
London formally launched its bid to stage the 2012 Olympic games yesterday and was immediately installed as second favourite as the race to host the event intensified, with six other cities also launching their campaigns. Paris, which is the bookmakers' favourite, launched its bid...

Britain's Olympic Challenge
London formally launched its bid to stage the 2012 Olympic games yesterday and was immediately installed as second favourite as the race to host the event intensified, with six other cities also launching their campaigns. Paris, which is the bookmakers' favourite, launched its bid...

Olympic City Bids: Runners and Riders
Jessica Hodgson assesses the contenders for the 2012 Games, with odds courtesy of William Hill. By Jessica Hodgson.

Athletics: Rival Olympic Lotteries on Cards
January 16: The British Olympic Association is considering plans to launch a lottery game to help raise funds for athletes taking part in this summer's Olympics.

Olympic Games: Duncan Mackay on London's Selling Points for Its Olympic Bid
Duncan Mackay looks at how London may pitch the unique selling points of its 2012 bid.

Olympic Bid 2012: Rio Relegates London to an Olympic Bronze
January 13: London is currently ranked third among the nine cities bidding to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

USA men qualify for 2004 Olympic Games!
The USA men's national volleyball team qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games after defeating Cuba, 3-2, in the championship match of the NORCECA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Saturday night in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

USA men reach NORCECA Olympic qualifier Gold Medal match
The USA men's national volleyball team moved one step closer to the 2004 Olympic Games by sweeping Canada in the semifinals of the NORCECA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Friday night in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Rowing: Pinsent in Pair Conundrum
January 11: Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell have no better than a 50-50 chance of combining in the pair at this year's Olympics.

Olympic Heroes Aid London Bid
A team of Britain's sporting greats have been drafted in to ensure that London's 2012 Olympic bid is the best for athletes.

Olympic Bid: Olympic Lottery Demand Taxes Government
January 10: The government has introduced its Olympic Lottery Bill but is still resisting demands to abolish tax on the game.

Olympic Games: Top Korean Un Yong Kim Caught in Bribery Row
January 10: Un Yong Kim, a senior official at the IOC, has been forced to resign from the South Korean parliament after being linked with bribery and embezzlement.

USA men clinch No. 1 seed for NORCECA Olympic qualifier semifinals
The USA men's national volleyball team clinched the No. 1 seed for the NORCECA Olympic Qualifying Tournament semifinals after sweeping Canada Wednesday night in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

USA men improve to 2-0 at NORCECA Olympic qualifier
Brook Billings scored a team-high 17 points to lead four players in double figures as the USA men's national volleyball team defeated Cuba, 3-1, in a battle of unbeaten teams at the NORCECA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Tuesday night in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

USA men sweep Mexico to open NORCECA Olympic qualifier
Riley Salmon scored a match-high 11 points and Clay Stanley added 10 as the USA men's national volleyball team swept Mexico to begin play in the NORCECA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Monday night in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Athletics: Tergat Has Sights Set on London Marathon and Olympics
January 3: Paul Tergat's run in Newcastle is just the pre-cursor to the London Marathon and the Olympics.

Athletics: Six to Watch in Athens 2004
January 2: Duncan Mackay identifies six athletes who should star in the Athens Olympics this year.

USA men gearing up for NORCECA Olympic qualifier
The USA men's national volleyball team will start the new year with its second chance to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, at the NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualifier in Caguas, Puerto Rico in January. Read on for the details.

Olympics: Cassani Needs Help to Overcome Olympic-sized Prejudice
December 16: The word on the Lausanne street is that London is lagging behind Paris in the race for the 2012 Games.

Athletics: Pound Warns Mps on Lifetime Games Bans
December 12:The British Olympic Association might not be able to prevent Carl Myerscough from competing at the Athens Games.

Athletics: Christie Says No to Johnson Rematch
December 12: Linford Christie has rejected an invitation to run against Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis in a re-run of the 1988 Olympic 100 metres final.

Olympics: British to Focus Investment on Elite Sports
If London wins the right to stage the 2012 Olympic Games, the authorities will direct funding towards elite sports.

Athletics: Hunter Claims Iaaf Offered Cover-up Deal Before 2000 Olympics
December 10: Former world shot put champion C J Hunter has claimed the IAAF tried to make him cover up a positive drugs test before the 2000 Olympics.

Richard Williams on How the Rugby Parade Enhanced London's Olympic Bid
December 10: The fact that the rugby parade in central London was so successful can only enhance the city's Olympic bid, says Richard Williams.

Athletics: Brown's Failure Leaves Radcliffe on Top of Marathon Pile
December 8: Paula Radcliffe will finish the year as Britain's fastest marathon runner after Jon Brown's failure to achieve the Olympic qualifying time for the distance.

Going for Gold
In Athens, Great Britain's piddling Olympic medal hauls of the last twenty-odd years could improve, says Will Buckley.

Athletics: Chambers Drug Case Likely to Be Marathon
December 4: Dwain Chambers' drug case may drag on until next summer and overshadow Britain's build-up to the Athens Olympic games.

Brazil sweeps USA men to claim Olympic berth
Anderson Rodrigues scored 15 points to lead top-ranked Brazil to a 3-0 win over Team USA at Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, Saturday afternoon (Friday night in the USA).

Athens Ozone Fear for Athletes
November 26: Athletes in the Olympic Games next year have been warned of the effect that ozone may have on their performances in the polluted city of Athens.

Sydney Falls Quiet at Last As Hosts Come to Terms With Defeat
As the white England shirts melted away from the streets of Sydney yesterday, the airport's departure lounges were already filling up. Thousands of fans, bleary-eyed after a night of drunken euphoria, made it the busiest day at Sydney airport since the end of the 2000 Olympics...

Showpiece Final Key to Olympic Entry
November 20: Rugby's world governing body is using the World Cup final at the Telstra Stadium to make a final push for the sport to be included in the Olympic Games.

US Dope Delay Puts New York at Risk
November 19: New York may be forced to withdraw its 2012 Olympic bid because America haven't paid their annual contribution to the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Autumn's End
I live on Washington's Olympic Peninsula up in the Tahuya Forest Lands, beautiful in any season and any weather. But, we experienced record breaking drought this year. Finally, the rains came and the winds blew, trees toppled, and our only road in or out was washed away. BEAUTIFUL to behold!

USA women rout Cuba, qualify for 2004 Olympic Games!
The USA womens national volleyball team booked a reservation to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, thanks to a dominating World Cup win over Cuba and a little help from Brazil. Read on for the details.

Olympic Trials to Move North
November 16: Major athletics are set to return to Manchester next summer when the city hosts the Olympic trials.

British Olympic Hope 'was Iraq Suicide Bomber'
A 22-year-old martial arts expert from Sheffield who was hoping to fight with the British Olympic tae kwon do team is suspected of being one of the suicide bombers behind the recent spate of attacks in Iraq. The Yemeni paper Al Ayyam has reported that the parents of a British-based Muslim...

USA women lose to Brazil, still can qualify for 2004 Olympics
Brazil and China are Athens-bound heading into the final day of competition at the Women's World Cup of volleyball. But the door is still wide open for the United States to claim the final reservation to next year's 2004 Olympic Games.

East Enders Wary of Games Show
November 13: There was no warm east end welcome for the Olympic roadshow. Vivek Chaudhary on local opposition to the plans for 2012.

Vivek Chaudhary: Going for Gold
Vivek Chaudhary: Supporters of London's attempt to stage the 2012 Olympic games say the benefits to the city could be huge. But then so could the costs.

London Majors on Compact Vision
November 12: An Olympic Games in London in 2012 would be staged in 1,500 acres of parkland stretching from Hackney Marshes down to the Thames.

Athens Prepares for the Olympics
Helena Smith: Thanks to a $5.1bn (£3bn) makeover, timed to coincide with next summer's Olympics, Athens is not only undergoing a facelift but is improving its quality of life.

Chambers Suspended After Second Positive Test
Dwain Chambers faces a minimum two-year ban which would rule him out of next summer's Olympics in Athens after confirmation today that he has tested positive for the banned substance THG. Chambers failed an out-of-competition drugs test for the new designer drug - a specially formed...

Cassani Finalises London Bid Team
October 29: After a three-month search, London's Olympic bid made the final three additions to its senior management team.

Harrison Blames Controversial Coach for Positive Test
The Olympic and world gold medallist Calvin Harrison has admitted he is the latest top athlete to test positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Calvin Harrison Tests Positive
26 October: Drugs crisis deepens as Olympic and world gold-medallist Calvin Harrison tests positive for modafinil.

Athens Vows to Wipe Out the Cheats
October 25: Olympic officials have promised the biggest drug-testing programme in the history of the games in a blitz on athletes using the new designer anabolic steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG).

Any Chance Athens Will Be Ready for Games?
Greeks promise sceptical Olympic inspectors on a tour of the city that there is nothing to worry about.

UK's Top Sprinter in Positive Drug Test
Dwain Chambers, the fastest man in Europe and one of Britain's main hopes for an Olympic gold medal next year, has tested positive for a new banned designer anabolic steroid and could face a life ban from the sport.

Late News From Athens
Olympic bosses have infuriated British television by imposing a news blackout on the Athens Olympics, writes Jon Henderson.

'Get Tough on Drugs or Quit'
Duncan MacKay on the United States Olympic Committee's unprecedented attack on its own athletics governing body.

New Drug Scandal Shakes Sport
Olympic champions among athletes accused of cheating.

Creative opening not matched in play
The creative flair of the Rugby World Cup opening ceremony did not flow through to the performance of the host Wallabies at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney last night.

Wimbledon doubt for London bid
A new doubt has been cast over the suitability of Wimbledon as a potential venue for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

American Relay Men Face Drug Inquiry
October 1: The United States 4x400 metres mens relay team could lose their 2000 Sydney Olympic gold medals.

Keino's Games Threat to Qatar Kenyan
September 30: Saif Saeed Shaheen may miss the Olympics after controversially switching nationalities from Kenya to Qatar.

Cassani: Bid Must Avoid Past Errors
September 30: Olympic bid chairman Barbara Cassani has said past mistakes must be avoided if London is to win the 2012 Games bid.

Air Miles Man to Give London Bid Lift-off
September 26: Keith Mills, the brains behind some of Britain's most successful loyalty programmes, is to be unveiled as the chief executive of London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

UK Sport Chief Moves to Heal Cassani Rift
September 23: Sue Campbell is to hold urgent talks with Barbara Cassani to discuss how they can work together for the Olympic bid.

USA women sweep Canada, qualify for World Cup
Logan Tom scored a match-high 17 points to lead the United States to a 3-0 win over Canada in the NORCECA Zone Championship semifinals at the Pabellon de Voleibol at Olympic Park in the Dominican Republic. The win puts them in the finals and qualifieds them for the 2003 World Cup.

Coe is Under Starter's Orders to Do His Schmoozing for London
Richard Williams: Sebastian Coe is to join the team piloting London's bid for the Olympics, but there are doubts surrounding his role in the operation.

Key Role for Coe on 2012 Board
September 14: Sebastian Coe is to give London's bid to stage the 2012 Olympics a huge boost by becoming the campaign's vice-chairman.

Coe Left Out of London Bid Board
The name of Sebastian Coe was notable by its absence when the directors of London's bid for the 2012 Olympics were announced yesterday.

USA Teams set for FIVB Olympic Qualifier
The quest for Olympic Gold next summer in Athens continues this month when the top six men's and women's pro beach volleyball teams from the USA take on the world at the FIVB World Tour Grand Slam Olympic Qualifier set for September 18-21, 2003 in Carson, California.

Olympic Star Held Over Casino Scam
22-year-old Russian rhythmic gymnast Vera Shimanskaya has been accused of marking cards at casinos across Spain.

Doble/Kiraly win AVP Huntington Beach Open
Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Karch Kiraly and partner Brent Doble captured the AVP Nissan Series Huntington Beach Open title with a two-game sweep over ninth-seeded Todd Rogers and Sean Scott. Read on for the full story.

Dwain's Fast New World
A week before the world championships, a year ahead of the Olympics, British hopes of winning the premier gold medal in athletics are as good as they have been since Linford Christie was in his pomp. Better, says a man who knows. 'Dwain Chambers is the man to beat in Paris,' says his...

Ten Faces to Follow for the Olympics in Athens
August 12:With a year to go, Duncan Mackay looks at potential 2004 medal prospects.

EastEnders on Track to Join the Olympic Race
London bid team hopes soap opera storyline can increase public support for 2012 Games.

Britain Get Olympic Early Warning
August 4: Britain's sprint team took bronze at the world campionships as the build up to next year's Athens Olympics began.

Sydney Firm Joins London Bid
August 2: The company that designed the Olympic Stadium in Sydney has been chosen as part of a consortium that assist London's proposed 2012 Olympics bid.

Blackpool Tower Leans on the Law
July 31: Carl Myerscough will launch a legal challenge against the British Olympic Association after it rejected his appeal against a ban on competing in Athens next year.

Blazers, Yes, But Hooray for the Open
Of the genuine marquee events in sport, The Open is right up there, alongside the World Cup, the Olympics, Wimbledon and the Ryder Cup, says Kevin Mitchell.

Athens Prays for Zorba to Rescue Its 'shambolic' Olympic Games
As Greece's chaotic Olympic preparations come under fire, the scale of the problem is beginning to hit home.

Dick's Remarks May Harm 2012 Bid
July 6: Denise Lewis's not-at-all-amusingly-named coach Frank Dick has verbally attacked Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee. Again.

Olympic City Aims to License Its Brothels
Church and feminists furious at Athens mayor's plan for influx of tourists in 2004.

Rogge to Attend Summit at No10
June 26: Tony Blair will meet the president of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge at 10 Downing Street on July 7 to discuss London's bid to stage the 2012 games.

Husband Leaves Aldama in Limbo
June 26: The chances of Cuban-born world's No1 triple jumper Yamile Aldama competing for Britain in the Athens Olympics next year appears remoter than ever because of her husband.

Child Protest Rattles Cassani
June 19: Barbara Cassani's first public appearance as the leader of London's 2012 Olympic bid descended into an embarrassing shambles after a press call was hijacked by a group of eight-year-olds.

'Long Odds' Against London
June 17: London's chances of winning the race to host the 2012 Olympic Games are "quite long odds", claims the diplomat who was to lead the bid but turned the role down.

Freeman on Brink of Retirement
June 17: The Olympic 400 metres champion Cathy Freeman is on the verge of retiring because she is disillusioned by how badly she is running.

US woman to lead Olympic bid
London's bid to secure the 2012 Olympics is to be led by an American. Barbara Cassani, the businesswoman who built the low cost airline Go, is to be named this week as chairwoman of the bidding committee.

London Bid Hits Leader Trouble
June 12: Confusion surrounded who would lead London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games after the interview panel spoke to a man who claimed not to be interested in the role.

Robinson the Frontrunner to Lead Olympic Bid
June 10: The chairman of the Arts Council Gerry Robinson, is the new favourite to lead London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

Al-Qaida Threat to Olympics
An alleged al-Qaida training camp in the Australian bush was at the heart of security fears during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the event's intelligence chief said yesterday. The camp, discovered by police after local residents heard automatic gunfire from the 138-hectare site shortly before...

London Bid Better With No Cherie on Top
May 31: The British Olympic Association has privately warned the government that, far from boosting London's 2012 Olympic chances if it appointed Cherie Blair as head of the bid, it could cost the city vital votes.

Britain Runs Low on Athletes
May 29: British athletics could face embarrassment if London hosts the 2012 Olympic Games. The number of athletes competing at club level has fallen to an all-time low.

Duncan Mackay: Wanted: Diplomat With Charisma
Duncan Mackay: There is no doubt the right person for the chairman of London's 2012 Olympic bid can be the difference between defeat and victory.

New Drug Test Set to Clean Up Athens
May 28: A new test to detect the latest generation of blood-boosting drugs should be in place before the Athens Olympics.

Olympic Committee Aims to Bar Wild Cards
Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards, Eric the Eel, and Philip Boit, the Kenyan skier unfamiliar with snow, could be a thing of the past if the International Olympic Committee has its way.

Running Late - Crucial London Rail Link That May Miss the Olympics
£10bn project that could clinch games is mired in bureaucracy. The man in charge of building Crossrail, the ambitious £10bn east-west railway viewed as a potential clincher for London's Olympic bid, has given up hope of running trains in time for the 2012 games.

1p Lottery Ticket to Help Fund Olympics
A daily lottery draw with tickets costing as little as 1p will be among five new games introduced by Camelot to help fund the 2012 London Olympics, the company said yesterday.

High-flyer is Sought to Lead Olympics Bid
The high-flyer chosen to lead Britain's bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games will earn about £200,000 a year, despite only working part-time on the campaign to bring the world's biggest sports event to London. The campaign's backers have agreed to pay the chairman of the bid a salary...

David Aaronovitch: Yes, Let's All Show Off!
A bid to host the 2012 Olympics in London is a great opportunity. We must grasp it with enthusiasm. The most poisonous put-down that a parent can administer to a child is, in my opinion, to tell him or her not to 'show off'.

Martin Bright: Paris Will Be First to the Line
Martin Bright: Anyone who has been to Paris recently would have to think twice about suggesting London as a serious Olympic venue.

Duncan Mackay: Ethnic Diversity Puts Ny in the Running
Duncan Mackay on how a trip to the 1994 World Cup semi-final between Italy and Bulgaria gave rise to New York being proposed as a site for the Olympic Games.

Denis Campbell: New Britain Can Prevail
Denis Campbell: London is bidding, London is serious, London is in it to win the Olympics bid - and it's possible London will win.

Drug Pledge From Lewis's New Coach
May 17: Denise Lewis's coach Dr Ekkart Arbeit has publicly condemned the use of performance-enhancing substances hoping it will end the furore surrounding his position with Britain's Olympic champion.

Government Backing is a Triumph of Flawed Thinking
Richard Williams: In a time and place when gestures seem to count for more than deeds, the Olympic bid is a grand one.

Capital Faces Fierce Competition
London's bid for the 2012 Olympics already has an advantage over two recent British attempts to land the five-ringed circus: it is a major city with international status. It may be an unpopular sentiment outside the capital, but the 1980s bids by Manchester and Birmingham were crippled by...

Blair Lights London's Olympic Torch
Livingstone says 2012 would give city its biggest lift since Victoria reigned.

No Coffee and Sweeteners - London Must Jump Through Hoops for Games
May 16: The Olympic bid announcement begins 26 months' hard work, writes Duncan Mackay.

Rogge Gives Vote of Confidence to Capital's Olympic Dream
May 16: Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, has told London it should be confident of success in its bid to host the games in 2012.

From Austerity to Prosperity
Simon Jeffery says it's the rewards - as well as the costs - which have increased since London last staged the Olympics.

Will This Rundown Dog Track Become Britain's New Olympic Stadium?
Delay in launch of London's 2012 bid sends wrong signal, says IOC.

Government Backs London Olympic Bid
· Hosting event would cost £2.4bn
· Leipzig, Madrid, New York, Paris also in running
· Tourism chiefs welcome bid

Will a Rundown Dog Track Become Britain's New Olympic Stadium?
Delay in launch of London's 2012 bid sends wrong signal, says IOC.

UK Olympic Bid Decision Due Today
Tony Blair is expected to announce the government's backing for a London bid for the 2012 Olympic Games today, committing a future cabinet to a potential £4bn bill for the privilege of hosting the most prestigious event in world sport. Today's cabinet meeting is expected to give its...

Oz Officials Fear Athens Attack
May 10: Fearing a terrorist attack, Australia's Olympic officials have banned athletes from visiting local bars during next year's Athens games.

Caborn Corners French Minister
May 10: Richard Caborn confronted his French counterpart after being fed up with the uncertainty surrounding the status of an Olympic 2012 bid from Paris.

London Bid Set to Be Led By Blair's Favourite Diplomat
May 8: Sir Christopher Meyer, a former British ambassador to the United States, is expected to be named as the chairman of London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

British Contenders Make a Home Away From Home
Standing on the balcony of the five-star Coral Beach Hotel, with its stunning view of the Mediterranean and temperatures nudging the mid-90s, performance directors and coaching staff from 13 British Olympic sports sipped complimentary champagne. Before the holiday feeling could envelop...

Harrison Gets Rid of Manager
May 2: Audley Harrison was the target of bitter criticism last night after the Olympic champion sacked his manager Colin McMillan and one of his American trainers, Kenny Croom.

Lewis: I Was Let Off
Nine-time Olympic gold medal winner Carl Lewis today indicated that he had tested positive for three banned substances, but had been let off by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). Lewis, who also said a herbal supplement that triggered his positive tests at the 1988 Olympic...

Olympic Decision Already Made
April 19: The cabinet has not even discussed the matter yet, but government officials are so confident of receiving the go-ahead for London to bid for the 2012 Olympic Games that they are already planning the announcement.

The Dirtiest Race in History Olympic 100m Final, 1988
April 18: Carl Lewis was allowed to compete in the 1988 Olympics despite testing positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs because it would have been a disaster otherwise for the American team, according to his former team-mate Roger Kingdom.

Backley Plans Final Fling at Athens
April 17: Steve Backley, one of Britain's most successful athletes, is set to retire after the Olympics in Athens next year.

Radcliffe Faces Marathon Hell
April 5: Paula Radcliffe may have to run in some of the most brutal conditions imaginable if she is to win the Olympic marathon in Athens next year.

Olympic bidders miss an IOC trick
Britain has wasted a golden opportunity to promote the proposed London bid for the 2012 Olympics by failing to invite the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, or any of its senior members, to the world indoor athletics championships this weekend.

USA Women's Training Team stuns Olympic Champion Cuba
Playing with its back to the wall for the second straight night, the USA women's national volleyball training team again refused to quit and pulled off the biggest upset of the year.

'We Will Turn Out in Droves to Watch a Quality Event'
John Rawling says this weekend's indoor athletics in Birmingham should help the case for London's Olympic bid.

Athletics World Mourns the Man Behind the London Marathon
Chris Brasher, an inspirational member of the golden British trio involved in breaking the four-minute mile barrier in 1954, died yesterday aged 74. He was an Olympic gold medallist, as well as being the unbounded enthusiast who launched the London Marathon in 1981 and turned it into one...

Marathon Founder Brasher Dies Aged 74
Chris Brasher, the man who co-founded the London Marathon and acted as a pacemaker when Sir Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile in 1954, has died at the age of 74. Brasher, a fine athlete in his prime, won Olympic steeplechase gold in 1956 and spent his life dedicated to sport: he...

Radcliffe Sets Sights on Athens Double
February 25: Paula Radcliffe is tempted to run both the 10,000 metres and the marathon at the Athens Olympics next year.

Olympic Bid Decision Put Off 'for Months'
February 25: For indefinitely delaying the decision on whether London will bid to host the 2012 Olympics, blame Saddam Hussain. Tony Blair does.

What Zola did next
You may remember the barefoot 18-year-old from South Africa who cadged a fast-track passport in order to run for Britain at the 1984 Olympics. You may also recall that it all went disastrously wrong. So why is Zola Budd returning to run in the country which so spectacularly vilified her 19 years ago?

What Zola Budd Did Next
A barefoot 18-year-old from South Africa cadged a fast-track passport in order to run for Britain at the 1984 Olympics, but it all went disastrously wrong. So why is Zola Budd returning to run in the country which so spectacularly vilified her 19 years ago?

Walkers Given Final Warning
February 21: Race walking has clung on to its status as an Olympic sport but is to be reviewed again before 2008.

Rogge takes his scalpel to bloated Olympics
Athletics: The IOC's recommendation to drop race walking and parts of other laughable events from the Olympic roster is to be reviewed by Jacques Rogge.

Olympics face pressure over media rights
Feared European Union competition watchdog Mario Monti is turning his fire on the International Olympic Committee, warning it may be breaking European competition laws in the way it sells media rights to the event.

The politics game
Sport has once again escaped the back pages. Ministers are set to back a bid for the 2012 Olympics, while England's cricket board continues to dither over its World Cup game in Zimbabwe. The link between sport and politics, despite protests to the contrary by the former's more blimpish elements, is as strong as ever.

Big four back campaign to save 30,000 clubs
The country's four main spectator sports yesterday called on the government to divert some of the money it might spend on a possible 2012 London Olympic bid to thousands of sports clubs by giving them rate relief to stop them going bankrupt.

Sports Lobby Government for Olympic Cash
February 7: The government has been asked to divert some of the money it might spend on its 2012 London Olympic bid to thousands of sports clubs.

Hewitt Backs Business Levy for London Olympics
Patricia Hewitt has thrown her weight behind the London bid for the 2012 Olympics, so long as the cost to business is ring fenced.

Pass that torch
This week the cabinet postponed a decision on another British bid for the Olympics while they focused on the more pressing problem of Saddam Hussein. The thinking is that bombing Iraq will make Baghdad's chances of hosting the 2012 Olympics even slimmer, and suddenly London might be in with an outside chance.

Cautious Green Light for London Bid
January 31: The cabinet has showed unanimous support for for London to hosting the Olympics, but with the proviso that Ken Livingstone will underwrite them.

Cabinet Favours London Bid for Olympics
The prospect of a bid to stage the 2012 Olympics in London passed a major hurdle yesterday when the cabinet endorsed the plan subject to assurances.

Catherine Bennett: Why London Should Go for Gold
Catherine Bennett: To convince fainthearts, here are 20 reasons why the Olympic bid must go ahead.

Olympic decision delayed
A decision about a London bid for the 2012 Olympic Games could be delayed for a week because of the looming possibility of war in Iraq. The cabinet is due to discuss this Thursday whether to back a bid but that meeting could now be devoted exclusively to the impending action against Saddam Hussein.

'A Shabby, Deteriorating Monument to British Sport'
Britain's immediate Olympic future is threatened by neglect of Crystal Palace.

Denis Campbell: Nation Wants Games
January 26: Everyone wants to know why the Government have been so reluctant to let Britain even bid for the Olympics: their reasons for saying no are disappearing.

Athletes rally to back bid
Sir Steven Redgrave claimed yesterday that a bid from London to host the 2012 Olympic Games is now more likely than at any other time since the campaign was launched last November.

Lottery May Raise £1.5bn for Olympics
Camelot, the lottery operator, will tell the government next week whether it will be able to raise up to £1.5bn through a special game to underwrite the cost of staging the Olympics in London in 2012. The culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, who has reached an agreement with Ken...

Minister and mayor agree Olympic funding deal
Olympic Games: A London bid to host the 2012 Olympics moved a step closer today after the culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, and the mayor of London, Ken ... no, we've lost you again, haven't we?

Stop playing games
Tony Blair's advisers insist they have not yet formed a view about whether London should bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. Head and heart, they say, are in constant conflict. The prime minister, for his part, has no known views on the issue either.

MPs Back Olympic Bid - But Not at Any Cost
The government should back a bid from London to host the Olympics in 2012 but not at any cost, an influential group of MPs declared yesterday. The report from the all-party culture committee is another boost for the supporters of a London Olympics to persuade Tony Blair to support a bid....

Special Lottery May Fund London Bid
January 23: Tessa Jowell has opened discussions with Camelot to investigate a special lottery which would help fund a London bid for the Olympic Games.

Greek Elite 'paid to Stay Off November 17 List'
Some of Greece's richest men are believed to have paid large sums to be kept off the hit-list of the terrorist group November 17. They are said to include the family of Gianna Angelopoulos, organiser of the 2004 Athens Olympics, and Yiannis Latsis, the shipowner friend of Prince Charles...

Seven-year Tax Looms for Games
Millions of Londoners will have to pay an 'Olympics tax' for seven years under plans approved by Mayor Ken Livingstone in a last-ditch attempt to rescue the capital's bid to host the 2012 Games.

Andrew Rawnsley: We Don't Need This Five-ring Circus
The Cabinet won't support a bid for the Olympics because it would be bad for London, bad for Britain and bad for sport.

Interview Craig Reedie
As a government decision looms, the chairman of the British Olympic Association is learning hard lessons about Westminster's dirty world. But Jim White found a man still going for gold.

Run a Mile From the Olympics
It doesn't matter which city hosts this festival of exploitation. Is it possible that 80% of the British population want the 2012 Olympic Games to be held in London? My scepticism about that particular finding is as much the result of my faith in the common sense of this happy breed as the consequence of my contempt for much of what goes on in the modern Olympiad.

Rogge gives boost to London over Olympic bid
The long black cloud over London's proposed bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games that was cast by England's embarrassing campaign to host the 2006 football World Cup may finally have been lifted.

Cheesed off Rogge ready for cheek by Jowell
For supporters of London's bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012 this has been a depressing week. Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, has poured more cold water on the proposal than is normally thrown over a bunch of drunks under a window in the middle of the night.

Wheels come off the Olympic bandwagon
After Gordon Brown said the government would back an Olympic bid only if London's taxpayers funded it, the chances of the capital hosting the 2012 games look remote this morning.

London Taxpayers Will Be Told to Pay for Olympics
Gordon Brown will deliver a proposal that would make the capital's council tax payers foot the bill for more than half the estimated cost of the £4.5bn project.

Westminster Dampens Olympic Flame
January 15: Gordon Brown said the government would back an Olympic bid only if London's taxpayers funded it: the chances look remote.

Brown and Jowell Dampen Olympic Hopes
Two heavyweight cabinet ministers today joined forces to cast doubt on government approval of a London bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012. The chancellor, Gordon Brown, today warned that the health service and education must take priority over a bid to bring the games to the capital...

Redgrave to Talk Up London Bid
January 13: Britain's greatest olympian Sir Steve Redgrave, is to help persuade the government to endorse a bid for London to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

We must go for gold with London's Olympic bid
Those who argue that London couldn't possibly win the chance to host the 2012 Olympic Games because our city suffers from too much traffic, crime, overcrowding and pollution are missing the point.

UK Track Record Hits Olympic Hopes
Britain's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games suffered a new blow last night when a Government-commissioned study warned that London would be defeated in the battle with rival cities such as Paris and New York. The disclosure, which will deepen ministerial scepticism ahead of the crucial...

A cunning plan for the Ashington Olympics
In the future everything will be an Olympic sport for 15 minutes. These days even bridge is campaigning for Olympic status (a friend of mine feels this is ridiculous, saying that nothing can be a sport if you can smoke and drink while doing it - a statement that proves he has never watched parks football or played in a works cricket team).

American Drug Positive to Stay Secret
January 11: A bureaucratic error has meant that the American gold medallist who allegedly drug-tested positive at the 2000 Olympics will not be named.

Sport Celebrities Back Fight for 2012 Olympics
Sporting greats such as Paula Radcliffe and Sir Steve Redgrave are joining the campaign to persuade the Government to back a British bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012. Sprinter Dwain Chambers and rower Matthew Pinsent will also be used to influence public and political opinion ahead...

Olympics Bid Nothing Without Government Backing
December 24: David Moorcroft, chief executive of UK Athletics, is aware that a bid for the Olympics has to pass one vital body first - the government.

Caborn Denies Decision Made Over Olympics
December 23: The government insisted yesterday that no decision had been made on a London bid for the 2012 Olympics.

Greeks in a Race to Beat the Clock As Olympics Prepare to Come Home
The city is being transformed - but will it be ready in time? asks Helena Smith in her Athens diary.

Britain's Olympics Bid to Be Scrapped
PM branded a 'political coward' over 2012 Games.

First the Olympics, Then We'll Think World Cup
December 19: The government is about to unveil its 20-year strategy for sport in Britain, which includes aims to secure the Olympic Games and football's World Cup.

Good of the Games
In the week before the 2000 Olympics, Sydney was at a standstill. Life was a logjam around Homebush Bay and the view was not so much of Harbour Bridges and Opera Houses as of bunting outside the second-hand car dealers on the Parramatta Road.

Lottery £1bn Could Fund Capital's 2012 Olympics
Up to £1 billion of Lottery money will be used to build new sports facilities for London to be able to host the 2012 Olympic Games, under plans being considered by the Government. The proposal is gaining support in Whitehall because it would allow Ministers to bring the world's...

London on fast track if Olympic bid is agreed
The government is to bring in special legislation to fast-track planning applications and start purchasing land in east London immediately if the city is to bid for the 2012 Olympics.

London Waits to See If Caborn and Co Will Play Ball
Vivek Chaudhary on the task facing Sports minister Richard Caborn as he attempts to formulate a proposition on whether or not London should stage the 2012 Olympic games.

Barcelona and Sydney: the hosts who got the most
Both Spain and Australia are still enjoying the fruits of staging the Olympics, which brought huge economic and cultural benefits to the host cities of Barcelona and Sydney.

Why London needs the Games
Before the end of next January, a foot-dragging government has to decide whether to throw its weight behind London's bid for the Olympic Games of 2012. The British Olympic Association has provided the intellectual ammunition, but says it will not even begin to prepare a bid without the full support of the Government and all major political parties.

Olympics: Citius, Altius, Fortius
The translation of the Olympic motto is Faster, Higher, Stronger. The International Olympic Committee should keep that in mind!

Perec out of hiding in try for world title
France's three-times Olympic champion Marie-José Pérec is said to be contemplating a comeback in time for the world championships in Paris next August.

Princess Anne Sets Brown an Olympic Challenge
December 2: In an unprecedented break with royal protocol, the Princess Royal has publicly backed London's potential bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

Uncovering the Stories Behind the News
November 30: The author of a government report on sport has resigned, and the sports minister continues his mission to examine the effects of the Olympic Games.

IOC Representatives Back Rogge
November 30: The president of the International Olympic Committee has been backed in his decision not to restore visits to bidding cities.

London Urged to Bid for 2012
November 29: London would welcome the opportunity to host the Olympics in 2012 and it already has IOC member and running legend Kip Keino on its side.

Edwards gears up for fifth Olympics
Athletics: Jonathan Edwards has quashed his plans for retirement and set his sights on competing in his fifth Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. Just how grey will his barnet be then?

Princess Gives Her Daughter a Leg-up
November 26: Talented horsewoman Zara Phillips may still become the second royal to represent Britain at the Olympics after mummy's efforts to make sure horse stays on the Games menu.

Davies on rostrum again - as president
Athletics: Lynn Davies, the 1964 Olympic long jump champion, took another giant leap yesterday to become president of UK Athletics. Do you see what we've done there?

Korean Tribute to the Hero of Berlin
November 22: Sohn Kee-chung, the marathon runner whose remarkable victory in the 1936 Berlin Olympics was over-shadowed by the feats of Jesse Owens has died at 90.

Going left for real, finally...
After a stirring Olympics, skaters are ready to get down to business in what will be an interesting season. Who can maintain momentum, and what is being done to the sport as a whole. Read on to find out.

The good, the bad and The Posh
Peterborough fight for their very identity, God lends Howard Wilkinson a much-needed and the powers that be in British sport prepare for an Olympic triumph. Our regular online look at the lighter side of the sporting week.

Olympics: Forget Kobe, these guys will return USA basketball to glory
Sure, USA Basketball didn't even make it to the final round at this summer's World Basketball Championships. But fixing the problem won't be too hard. The Athletic Supporter chimes in with his Olympians and invites all to sit back and wait for the Gold Medals to start piling up.

New York, where traffic dodging should be a medal event
The news here is that New York City has been chosen as the site of the 2012 Olympics. If you missed this, then it is fair to add there is a small hurdle to overcome. New York has been chosen by the US Olympic Committee as its nominated city for 2012.

Giuliani Wins Games Bid for Big Apple
November 4: New York beat San Francisco for the right to be the United States nomination to host the 2012 Olympics.

Caborn: London Olympics Could Cost £4bn
November 2: The government appears sceptical over London plans to bid for hosting of 2012 games.

No late run for man of the people Linford Christie
When I read this week that Linford Christie had declined an invitation to stand for the presidency of UK Athletics, I thought back two years to Katharine Merry celebrating her Olympic silver medal in Sydney and replying to a question about the influence of her coach. "If I try to talk about what Linford's done for me," she said, "I'll start crying."

Zambia Slams Door Shut on Gm Relief Food
W hen I read this week that Linford Christie had declined an invitation to stand for the presidency of UK Athletics, I thought back two years to Katharine Merry celebrating her Olympic silver medal in Sydney and replying to a question about the influence of her coach. "If I try to talk about what...

2012 Olympic Bid Set for Scrapheap
Britain's bid to host the Olympic Games is set to be abandoned because Ministers fear it could turn into a financial and political fiasco like the Millennium Dome. Senior Government figures believe hosting the Games in London in 2012 would lead to transport chaos, endless cost overruns...

Sanderson in frame for Sport England chair
The former Olympic javelin champion Tessa Sanderson has emerged as the favourite to take over as chairwoman of Sport England as officials from the organisation have demanded a meeting with the government to voice their anger at what they claim is an attempt to dismantle it.

Redgrave tops poll of British sporting legends
Sir Steve Redgrave received further confirmation of his status as a national treasure yesterday when the five-time Olympic gold medalist came top of a poll of British sporting legends.

History on Baxter's side
History will weigh heavily in favour of skier Alain Baxter when he appeals against the British Olympic Association by-law which prevents him from competing in future Games.

Baxter Loses Medal Appeal
If you happen to be an Olympic skier, be careful when sniffing your Vicks inhaler. Alain Baxter, Britain's first Alpine skiing Olympic medallist, has lost an appeal to have his bronze medal from this year's Salt Lake Games reinstated, it was announced today. The Scot was stripped of his...

Separate Olympic teams urged for home countries
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland should compete independently at the Olympic Games, rather than joining forces as Great Britain, according to a government report examining how sport can be better run and funded to ensure greater success.

Britain lose their way to Olympics
Equestrianism: Britain's showjumpers have all but ruled themselves out of the 2004 Olympics by finishing 16th in the World Equestrian Games.

Gameboys Banished From Land of Olympics to Curb Gamblers' Passion
If you are going to Greece, leave your child's Gameboy or other portable console behind, or you may be jailed, because all electronic games - even the most innocuous - have been banned in an attempt to stem the Greek passion for gambling.

New York 2012? Welcome to the Gridlock Games
There is precious little room left for sentiment in sport these days, although just under a year ago, when the mayor of Rome suggested that all the bidding cities for the 2012 Olympics should withdraw in favour of New York, there was an understandable surge of empathy. It has not lasted long.

Big Ben back on his own
World and Olympic champion Ben Ainslie talks to Eddie Butler about his plans after an America's Cup venture turned sour. Over the last half-mile of the Thursday race in Cowes Week, the helmsman of the Swan 70 had to pick his way through 500-odd sails packed into the Solent. It was a bit of a jam.

Job Only Half Done As Chambers Enjoys Mixed Fortunes
August 17:Dwain Chambers beat Maurice Greene for the third consecutive 100 metres race, but he still had to settle for third place in the so-called one-night Olympics.

Munich Remembers Olympic Massacre
Israeli athletes who competed at the European Championships in Munich joined relatives of the 11 Israelis killed when the city hosted the 1972 Olympic Games for a ceremony of remembrance yesterday.

Today's highlights in Munich
Russia's Svetlana Feofanova, pictured below, has thus far vied for the crown of world's finest pole vaulter with the American Olympic and world champion Stacy Dragila. But now, in the shape of the German prodigy Annika Becker, she has a new pretender to cope with.

Did the Mafia Trade in Gold?
The skaters who shared gold at this year's Olympics are threatening to sue after a wealthy Russian was accused of fixing the result - and a farce degenerated into scandal.

Mafia Drama Puts Olympics in Another Big Fix
August 3: The IOC raised concerns about the possible involvement of organised crime in international sport with an investigation into alleged fixing at the Salt Lake Games.

Day 9
Last Sunday the Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy of Scotland, pictured, upset the English pair of Jason Queally and Jamie Staff in the 1km time-trial.

Hackett ever in the wake of the Thorpedo
Grant Hackett. The name says strong jaw, Hollywood, sunshine, the sea. It says mate, hero, winner. And he is - a multiple winner. He is the current Olympic, world, world short-course, PanPacific, Commonwealth and Australian champion at 1,500m. And the world record holder at 14.34.56. He is also the second fastest Australian of all time in the 200m, 400m, and 800m freestyle.

Bombay Duck answers faith with flight
For one so anguished by the zero, it is ironic that life has come a full circle for Ajit Agarkar. Three seasons ago he went to Australia and returned wearing a sheepish Olympic wreath of five successive Test ducks.

American's McPeak/Young strike beach gold in Greece
Second-seeded Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs extended the United States' streak of six-straight gold medal finishes this season by defeating Sydney 2000 Olympic Gold Medallists Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst to win the inaugural Greek Open on Sunday, July 28, 2002, in Rhodes, Greece.

USA Jr. Olympic Beach Volleyball Championships this weekend
Nearly 40 doubles teams will travel to Clearwater Beach, Florida, this weekend, July 27-28, 2002, for the USA Junior Olympic Beach Volleyball Championships at Pier 60, making it only the second time the tournament has been held outside of California in its nine year history. Read on for a preview.

Harrison Taken All the Way Again
July 11: Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison had to battle his way through a storm to overcome London minder Dominic Negus at Wembley Conference Centre.

Greece scraps Olympic venues
Olympic Games: The Greek government has announced plans to reduce the number of venues for the 2004 Olympics.

Runyan Overcomes the Odds
Marla Runyan will forever be known as the woman who overcame the handicap of being legally blind to compete in the Olympics, but perhaps we should start to accept her for what she also is: one of the finest distance runners in the world. Since the turn of the year she has won the United...

U.S. men sweep defending Olympic Champion Yugoslavia
Gabe Gardner scored 18 points as the U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team upset top-ranked Yugoslavia, 28-26, 25-21, 25-19, Thursday night in six-nation tournament action.

Baxter Let Off With Minimum Ban
June 4: Britain's Alain Baxter, the slalom skier who was stripped of his Olympic bronze medal after failing a drugs test, was banned for three months by the International Ski Federation in Slovenia yesterday.

Banned Baxter to Meet the Queen
May 24: Alain Baxter, the Scottish skier stripped of an Olympic bronze medal and banned after a positive dope test, is to meet the Queen as part of her golden jubillee celebrations.

Harrison Toils to Make His Weight Count
May 22: Mark Krence, a 25-year-old part-time butcher exposed Audley Harrison's glaring limitations when he took the Olympic champion the distance at the ExCel Arena.

Coaching profile -- Jacques Martin, Ottawa Senators
He's coaching a team that seems to get eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs every year. This year was different. Martin would like to add a Stanley Cup to the gold medal that he won as an assistant for the Canadian Olympic Team.

Taking the myth out of the Olympics' gruesome twosome
Since England started the ball rolling with World Cup Willy in 1966, mascots have become an increasingly irritating part of any major competition.

Doh! Greeks Model Olympic Mascots on Wrong Homer
They have been likened to a pair of post-disaster mutants, an unmentionable part of the male anatomy, condoms, and perhaps worst of all, the Simpsons. As murky as their preparations for the 2004 Olympics may be, the Greeks are making one thing very clear: they loath Phèvos and...

Baxter to take medal appeal to the top
Alain Baxter is set to appeal against the International Olympic Committee's decision to strip him of his bronze medal.

Athens Better Except for Traffic and Beds
April 6: Almost two years to the day since Athens was warned it faced the humiliating prospect of losing the 2004 Olympics unless it speeded up its preparations, the organisers were lavishly praised yesterday for the progress they had made.

Love shrine displaces Olympic horse track
A rare temple to Aphrodite is only one of the ancient Greek finds jeopardising the 2004 Olympics.

Athens feeling pinch
The Greek government is under fresh pressure to have its Athens venues ready months before the 2004 Olympics in order to double-check specifications and to hold test events.

Alain Baxter: 'i'm Not Giving Up'
Alain Baxter, stripped of his slalom bronze following a positive drug test, says he's 'bouncing back' as he heads towards Austria and the British Olympic ski team's training centre at Lofer, near Salzburg.

Baxter stripped of his bronze
He couldn't believe he had won it. Now ski hero mourns loss of miracle medal. I'm not a drugs cheat, insists Baxter, after losing Olympic bronze.

He Couldn't Believe He Had Won It. Now Ski Hero Mourns Loss of Miracle Medal
I'm not a drugs cheat, insists Baxter, after losing Olympic bronze.

Cypriots Lend a Hand to Greek Games
Greece is bolstering its disorganised preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games with a huge volunteer force, says Helena Smith.

Editorial: Shea slides from Olympic ice into hot water
Jim Shea has been criticized for a recent speech to the current student body of his high school alma mater, regarding underage drinking. Shea should be praised for his honesty, not reviled.

Names From the Past to Haunt Baxter
Two Olympic champions stripped of medals can tell Alain Baxter a gloomy tale, says Duncan Mackay.

Harrison to Fight Pub Landlord
March 6: Olympic champion Audley Harrison's next professional "fight" will be against Greg Wedlake, a 32-year-old Minehead pub landlord who has fought once in the last five years.

Taste of Success Turns Sour for Our First Olympic Ski Medallist
Having failed a drugs test, Britain's first Olympic skiing medallist Alain Baxter will tell the IOC that he inadvertently took a proscribed drug in a nasal inhaler.

McGregor Back on Track for Hour Mark
March 4: The 2000 world champion and Olympic medallist Yvonne McGregor yesterday confirmed that she is returning to competition less than six months after tearfully announcing her retirement at the world track championships.

Jackson Picks Up a Fresh Wind for His Final Fling
March 1: Colin Jackson, who had said the Sydney Olympic Games would be his last major event, will be back in a British vest when he runs in the European indoor championships.

Post-Olympic fall out
It is back to reality for the NHL. The Olympic experience should have a positive effect on players and coaches who participated, but for one Canadian player and coach it might be a different story.

Olympics: Do NHL fans in the USA care who wins Gold
Sure, Canadien fans are going crazy over the Olympic Gold Medal. Personally, watching all the NHL players was fun to watch, but not even close to the excitement in 1980.

Olympics: Are you sure it's over?
As it stands right now, my favorite part of the Olympic Games turned out to be the closing ceremonies. Maybe it's a reflection on the fact that I'm getting older and hate listening to people whine and complain.

Olympics: Au Canada!
Au is the chemical symbol for gold. The assist on the Canadian Hockey Gold goes to Number 99.

Baxter Helps Britain Scale New Peak on the Slopes
February 25: In skiing terms Alain Baxter's Olympic bronze medal in the slalom was as great a shock as the United States victory over England in the 1950 World Cup.

Olympics: There's gold in them there hills
Hugh Quigley takes a close look at the Olympic hockey Gold Medal game. It is the dream match-up of North America's hockey dream teams -- the USA vs. Canada.

Living the Olympic Dream
It can come true... without star names, big-money sponsorship or TV frenzy, five Scottish curlers have won gold in Salt Lake City. Five ordinary Scottish women have become unlikely Olympic heroines and have captivated the nation.

Olympic Scandals' Precedents
February 24: The Russian fury over Olympic officiating reflects intense pride dating back to Soviet-era scandals when medal counts were a measure of national prowess.

Olympics: Deuces are wild for Russia vs. U.S. rematch
The number "2" seems to have a special place in the Olympic hockey rematch between the United States and Russia.

Olympics: Canadian jingoism reaches new level
The passion with which Canadians talk about ice hockey is truly astounding.

FBI Investigates Threat to Skater
February 22: The United States Olympic Committee called in the FBI after threatening emails regarding skating gold medallist Apolo Anton Ohno were recieved.

Olympic Hockey: USA, Welcome to our house
They would like to see another "Miracle on Ice," but first they've got to get rid of the "guests" coming from the other olympic hockey teams from around the world. Meet the home team -- USA.

Olympic Hockey: Russia, Silver won't do this time.
Talk about pressure. Russia wants to win so badly that the coach of the hockey team is hand picked by no one less than your country's ruler. Meet team Russia.

Olympic Hockey: Sweden, High hopes
They are the team that may surprise everyone, just like they shocked Team Canada in the opening qualifying round of the Olympic tournament.

Olympic Hockey: Czech Republic, defending Olympic Champions
They won the gold medal four years ago in Nagano. There's no reason to believe they won't repeat again in Salt Lake.

Olympic Hockey: Finland, Sneaking up on the world
They're the team in the blue and white that always seems to be in the hunt for medals at the Olympics. They have this habit of sneaking up on the favorites and knocking them out of medal contention. Just ask Canada.

Olympic Hockey: Final round team previews
As the Olympics head into the final, the ice hockey competition heats up. Here's a look at the teams left in the tournament.

Olympics: Jim McKay, Mr. Olympics
To a generation of Americans, Jim McKay is the Olympics. It is good to have him back.

Olympics: Gold rush
Entering the last day in the round robin in the men's Olympic ice hockey tournament, several teams sent a statement that they wanted the Gold Medal.

Olympics: NBC Tries For Their Own "That 80s Show"
I'm not wearing a straight wool tie so it must not be 1980. Tell that to NBC who wants to sell you a rerun no matter the cost.

Kearns, Day 8: Kirk Gibson, meet Chris Witty
The sequel to Jack Buck's famous 1988 World Series Game 1 home run call, "I don't believe what I just saw," played out Sunday at a rocking Utah Olympic Oval.

Olympics: Sons of "Miracle Workers"
Much has been written recently about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. There legacy can been seen on the ice in Salt Lake City and across North America in the current crop of American stars.

Olympics: No more "Skate Gate"
There are some facets of my being that are indisputably un-Canadian. Most of all I'm sick and tired of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.

Kearns, Day 6: Night of The Cat
In much the same manner her predecessor, Bonnie Blair, did in three Olympic Games, Catriona Lemay Doan disposed of the women's 500m field with supreme ease.

Olympics: In or out? (and other Olympic thoughts from week one)
The humiliation of Slovakia in the preliminary round and the incident with Arturs Irbe has left the National Hockey League with a bit of a black eye. This leaves me wondering why the NHL is actually in the Olympics in the first place.

McKenna Treads Board and Freezes
February 11: After the first two days of competition, the British Olympic Association must be wondering if the £1m it has spent was worth it.

Olympic Hockey: Teams to Watch, Part 1
They used to be part of Czechoslovakia. In 1993,they split and formed their own country, Slovakia. They might just have the best Olympic hockey team that you've never heard of.

Kearns, Day 1: A Gloriously Silver P(arra)latter
A spectacular opening ceremony on Friday night, followed by a mammoth shocker at the Utah Olympic Oval caps off a stupendous Saturday for the hosts.

Old Glory Fans Olympic Flames
Flag-waving at the Games has made even some Americans uneasy, writes Duncan Campbell in Salt Lake City.

How Curling May Miss Out to Lunching
Duncan Campbell casts his eyes over the minority sports competing for Olympic recognition.

Olympic Preview (Part 2 of 2)
Our week-long preview of both short track and speedskating concludes with the women, and a free-spirited German aims for an Olympic triple crown...and don't bet against it.

Olympic Preview (Part 1 of 2) -- The Joy of Six
After a drubbing by the Dutch, Canadians and Germans in 1998, the home team finally has a chance for payback. A triple threat of men seek to do just that.

Short track Olympic preview (Part 2 of 2)
China and Korea's women's teams figure to renew their Nagano battles here; but a central European could crash their party.

Short track Olympic preview (Part 1 of 2)
Today, the men, and for those who think Apolo Ohno will run the table this month, a reality check awaits you. And that doesn't even take into account the SI jinx, er...cover he posed for.

Poor Pay Price of Olympic Glory
As Utah's billionaires make a killing on the Winter Games, less privileged citizens are being sidelined

Former Olympic Gymnast on Shoplifting Charges
The girl who stormed gymnastics is accused of trying to steal tea and cheese, report Jason Burke and Edward Helmore in New York.

Glenn Myernick named U.S. MNT Assistanat Coach
Former Rapids coach joins Bruce Arena, Dave Sarachan and Milutin Soskic on MNT Staff. "Mooch" earned 10 caps with U.S. MNT and four starts with U.S. Olympic team.

Olympics: Another miracle on ice?
The Olympics are fast approaching and Vishal Patel gives you a look at the tournament format and what to expect from the top countries around the world.

Oh-no -- Arbitration-ville dead ahead
Fallout from the U.S. short track Olympic trials expands, and the home team does somewhat OK at final World Cup meet before the Olympic Big Show. All this and more, just read on.

Olympics: Within their borders lies terror
On Sunday, January 6, CBS's acclaimed "60 Minutes" program detailed the failure of Greek authorities to circumvent a terrorist group that has killed 22 persons in more than 100 attacks, including a British defense attache on November 17, 1999, in Athens, Greece -- site of the 2004 Summer Olympics.

How to buy the Olympics
When Tom Welch greets me in the foyer of Salt Lake City's Marriott hotel, he is dressed in black from head to toe. His face is podgy and there are worry lines gouged into his thick cheeks but his handshake has a firmness of intent. He sits with his back to the wall, periodically nodding to the...

Olympic saviour abandons IOC
Dick Pound, the Canadian lawyer who spent the last 16 years turning the Olympics into a commercial success, has turned down an offer from the president of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge to remain as the organisation's chief marketer and negotiator of television rights...

Maryland peals off Orange Bowl bid
This isn't going to be the best story in sports this year. Those stories are usually reserved for Olympics or the second nine at Augusta. This is a story about a football program content with failure and a fat man who took that complacency and turned it into a team playing in a Bowl Championship Series game. Pretty cool, huh?

Sports + Aerobics = Exciting, New Workout that Could Become an Olympic Sport
Looking for something that can jolt your fitness routine to the next level - say onto the world stage or maybe even the Olympics?

Canada's 50 Mission Cap
While "The Hip" song was about a Maple Leaf and the last time they won the Cup, this take is focused on the Canadian National team that took to the ice Tuesday looking for their first Olympic Gold Medal in 50 years.

Track and Field: Why no one watches
While track and field takes center stage every four years when the Olympics roll around, those other three years, hardly anyone seems to watch. Here's why.

Olympics: Getting down to business
This is editorial looking at the upcoming Olympic bid selection process in Moscow. The focus of the article is the fact that only economics will decide which city gets the games. Specifically it examines the impact a TV broadcaster could have.

Wallabies or Lions -- who will it be
The biggest rugby game of the year will be played this weekend in Olympic City Sydney and the result could go either way.

WPSL: Fernandez leads gold team to win over All-Stars
Behind the pitching of two-time Olympic gold medallist Lisa Fernandez, the Women's Pro Softball League Gold Team avenged Saturday's pair of losses and drummed the WPSL All-Stars, 14-1.

USA's Fontana and Youngs net gold in Italy
The USA's Barbra Fontana and Elaine youngs defeated the 2000 Olympic Gold Medalists, Natalie Cook and Kerrie Pottharst to capture the gold medal at the FIVB Cagliari tournament. Meanwhile, Brazil woon the men's tourney in Spain. Read on for the story.

NHL: Americans name Olympic Top Ten
Nobody had a worse time at the 1998 Winter Games than the U.S. hockey team. Well, maybe their hotel staff did. To erase those memories in Salt Lake City, U.S. hockey went back to the source with its first selections for 2002.

RUGBY: KAAA and Athletes – On a Collision Course?
Much has been said about the unfair selection criteria employed by the Kenya Amateur Athletics Association for choosing athletes to represent the country at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. However, the athletes governing body is not the devil it is painted to be.

Olympics: What, no room for checkers?
What in the world were those people in the IOC thinking when they denied Olympic status to ballroom dancing, e-sports.com columnist Matthew Traub wonders.

GENERAL: The Dangling Pinata
Filled inside the pinata are many sweet topics on Keyshawn Johnson, Jim Thome, and even the tomfoolery of the U.S. Olympic winners in Sydney

Olympics: The Spirit of the Games
In every Olympics there are those moments that transcend sports. Those moments that are something special. Here's a look at a few of those special moments that defined the "Spirit of the Games" during the Sydney Olympics.

OLYMPICS: A Heroes Return
The hosts of the XXVIII Olympiad return home to a heroes welcome.

They won’t call Rulon “Fatso” anymore!
After he pulled off the greatest upset in Olympic wrestling history, they won’t be calling Rulon Gardner “Fatso” anymore!

Special Olympic Report: Secret Russian Sports Weapon Disclosed
Olympians May Benefit From Technology Derived From The Cold War Era

OLYMPICS: Rule On Rulon Rules, Ruins 'Relin
The Miracle on the Mat Defines the Sydney Olympics.

OLYMPICS: USA Hockey 2002: The Candidates
When the 1998 Olympic men's hockey debacle ended, many USA hockey fans wondered if we would get back to top form internationally. By 2002, we should know.

OLYMPICS: Boxer Stripped of Medal for Being 'High on Life'
The IOC adds to its list of performance-enhancing substances to ensure fair competition.

OLYMPICS: NBC Looking For Ratings Answers
NBC is searching for the reason why their television ratings are the lowest since they began coverage in 1988. Ryan McCarthy says the reason is as plain as the nose on Dick Ebersol's face.

OLYMPICS: Michele Smith, Unsung Hero of the USA Softball Team
Michele Smith, one of the greatest all time softball pitchers ever to take the mound doesn't get the credit she deserves.

Olympics: USA Wins Gold in Men's Beach Volleyball
The USA's Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana surprised everyone by upsetting the favored Brazilian's to take home the Olympic Gold Medal in Beach Volleyball.

OLYMPICS: Kiwi Olympians to Dream Teamers: “Haka this!”
Violence was bound to break out at the XXVII Olympiad. Saturday the New Zealanders shouted of fighting the Dream Team to the death! What the Haka?

OLYMPICS: Gymnast Loses Appeal; Will be Stripped of Medal
Andreea Raducan, the young Romanian gymnast stripped of her gold medal after taking cold medicine, loses her court appeal.

OLYMPICS: IOC Needs True Leadership
The International Olympic Committee will vote for a new president after the Sydney games. Who might be the best candidate to replace Juan Antonio Samaranch? You might be surprised.

OLYMPICS: IOC Needs to Redo Drug Policy, Redeem Raducan
Did you ever hear the one about the Olympic athlete who got stripped of her gold medal because of testing positive for a substance found in cold medicine? You have now.

Natural Performance Enhancers Help Push Olympic Athletes
U.S. Olympic Swimmer And 2000 Gold Medallist Lenny Krayzelburg Credits Biomechanics, Along With Hard Work And Dedication, For Record Breaking Wins

OLYMPICS: Finalists Decided
A summary of the Men's Football Olympic Tournament semi-finals

Olympic Mental Training Program Helps Golfers
Seeing Olympians utilize mental training to bring home the Gold, golfers have found a way to get a mental edge

OLYMPICS: Soccer Ties Are Snoozers,Swimming Ties Are Crackers
Ties in Olympic soccer put American fans to sleep. But, just add water to an Olympic tie and Yanks just go crackers!

TENNIS: Men's Tennis Insider - Week of Sept. 25 (Olympics, Palermo)
Former editor for International Tennis magazine and the ATP Tour, Rick Vach previews this week's happenings and last week's highlights on the men's tennis tour.

OLYMPICS: Faster, Higher, Stronger
Every four years, over two hundred countries form around the globe unite for two weeks in one country to compete against each other. This year, Sydney, Australia gets the honors as the host of the country were hearts and world records will be broken, while races and medals will be won.

GREATEST U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMERS OF ALL TIME TO COMPETE
New Technology Pits Different Generation Swimmers Spitz, Biondi, Crabbe, Weissmuller, and Schollander in Race to Determine Best Ever

New Website Tells Olympic Athletes When Best To Kick Back
YAS CORPORATION, the web's leading specialist theme-astrology website company announced the launch of their 10th unique 'free' astrology website

OLYMPICS: Cheaters Never Win, Unless They're Allowed To
The Olympics are supposed to "celebrate humanity". Is this a real notion, or the propaganda of hypocrites?

OLYMPICS: Svet Just Can't Seem To Get Away From Geno
USA vs Russia, Svet vs. Geno

OLYMPICS: Olympic Football Hotting Up
An analysis of the Olympic Football Tournament.

Men's Tennis Insider - Week of Sept. 18 (Olympics)
Former editor for International Tennis magazine and the ATP Tour, Rick Vach previews this week's happenings and last week's highlights on the men's tennis tour.

OLYMPIC: Olympic Tennis in Sydney
The Americans have a strong women’s contingent going for the gold in Sydney, earning the top three seeds, while the men’s squad is just looking to make a respectable showing.

Real Cities Delivers Olympic Excitement Straight From Sydney
Web viewers can expect breaking news from Real Cities' news team in Sydney

Olympics: USA Women's Beach Volleyball Team Profiles
The Olympics are getting underway, and the beach volleyball competition begins on Saturday. Here are the women who will represent the United States and how they made it to Sydney.

'Champions In Training' prepare for Sydney
Two teenagers with hopes of one day competing in the Olympics will experience the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games first-hand through their involvement with the Community Olympic Development Program

SpotOn: The Unofficial Tour Guide Of The 2000 Sydney Olympic
Honoring the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia, SpotOn, Inc, will guide Olympic enthusiasts through customized WebTours

OLYMPICS: David And The Twelve Goliaths
It's not impossible, all that these teams need is a good sling.

The Olympics: A Golden Opportunity... For Us
The Olympics may not be what they used to, but they're sure a great forum for the world's best to strut their stuff. Here's why...

OLYMPICS: One thing said, another unsaid when it comes to Olympics
Read on to find out a few things you won't see about the upcoming Olympics Games

OLYMPIC: Does Anyone Care Anymore?
Ryan McCarthy talks about the coming Olympics and ponders the idea of whether anyone is paying much attention this year.

Olympics: Carla Overbeck -- For the Love of the Game
Carla Overbeck is one of the best woman soccer players in the world. Recently diagnosed with Graves disease, she and her teammates will now try to defend their Olympic title. Here is her story.

OLYMPICS: Collegians Get a Taste of Professional Basketball
The top women's college basketball players in the nation recently had a chance to play against the best professional players in the country.