"The 2004 Olympics will leave Greeks with wonderful memories, a greatly improved infrastructure - and a mountain of public debt.
The Games ended yesterday morning (Singapore time) in a blaze of light and sound at the closing ceremony. But today's hangover may include economic difficulties and increased unemployment.
So far, Greece has spent as much as US$9.6 billion (S$16.5 billion) on the Games, said Stefanos Anagnostou, a journalist and an adviser to the country's Ministry of Economy and Finance.
But the full cost will not be known until October, after the Paralympics are over.
Outside observers say the cost could rise to US$12 billion."
Read more at Games' over, now for the debts
"AUSSIE water polo player Craig Miller was dragged from the closing ceremony of the Athens Games after pulling his pants down while celebrating centre stage with fellow athletes.
Miller, 32, was grabbed by security staff and rushed from the stadium. "He pulled down his trousers," a Greek official said after bundling Miller away.
The veteran water polo player looked stunned and a little shaken as he was taken away for questioning, his belt hanging loose and his trousers askew.
It was the only sour note during a ceremony in which an exuberant Australian team celebrated the close of their most successful overseas Olympic Games."
Read more at Athlete caught with pants down [31aug04]
"Years of dedication and efforts have paid off for China as it has made surprises and reaped successes in the Athens Olympic Games, a leading official of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) said.
"The United States Committee is extremely impressed with the performances of the Chinese athletes at these Olympic Games in Athens," Steven M. Roush, acting chief of Sport Performance of theUSOC, told Xinhua on Saturday.
China has ranked in an unprecedented second place on the medal table with 32 golds, 17 silvers and 14 bronzes at the fortnight Athens Games.
"The medal total, especially the gold count, for these Olympics shows an increase from Sydney 2000 and a trend that would indicate a strong showing for 2008 in Beijing.""
Read more at Official Website of the Chinese Olympic Committee
"A former Catholic priest has been given a one-year suspended sentence in Greece after pushing the leader of the men's marathon into the crowd during the Athens Olympics.
Vanderlei De Lima, from Brazil, was at the head of the race Sunday, just three miles from the finish, when he was attacked by Cornelius Horan, who was wearing a kilt and beret.
After a scuffle, De Lima managed to get away, but he was clearly upset and finished third.
Horan, 57, originally from Kerry, Ireland, had a note pinned to his back, reading: "The Grand Prix Priest. Israel Fulfillment of Prophecy Says The Bible.""
Read more at Athens marathon attacker sentenced
"The Brazilian Olympic Committee will lodge an appeal against the result of Sunday's Athens marathon, after it was disrupted by a spectator.
Late in the race, a man in a kilt ran into the road, bundling Brazil's leader Vanderlei de Lima into the crowd.
De Lima restarted the race but then faded into third place as Italy's Stefano Baldini won the gold medal.
Brazil are now appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, saying De Lima was not given enough protection."
Read more at Marathon result disputed
"Olympic gold medallist Darren Campbell has revealed he may quit athletics.
The 30-year-old sprinter said winning the 4x100m relay was the pinnacle of his career, and admitted he could struggle for motivation in the future.
"I just want to go home now, and relax and really assess what I want to do, whether I'm going to continue or just knock it on the head," he said.
"To have Olympic gold is everything I ever dreamt since I was a small child. It was all I wanted from the sport.""
Read more at Campbell hints at exit
"The greatest race of the Olympics produced the most unlikely winner.
In the organizational marathon preceding the Games, Athens spent seven long years chasing time, an implacable and shadowy opponent glimpsed, more often than not, disappearing over the horizon.
But, with the countdown ticking fast as the Games approached, Athens came from nowhere to reach the finish line first, earning itself the right to celebrate the staging of an improbably successful Olympics.
Olympic chiefs at their Swiss base in Lausanne had fretted. The world's media had doubted.
But, as if by magic, it really was all right on the night."
Read more at And the Unexpected Olympics Winner Is...Athens
"The athletes have packed up. Olympic banners are coming down.
The challenge is just beginning.
It's a realization that's just starting to hit the Olympic hosts: The venues and facilities they struggled so hard to build could create even greater problems after the games.
The chief fear -- especially after Athens' budget-busting Olympics -- is expensive idleness. World-class sports centers ring up serious maintenance bills. Finding relevant and revenue-producing roles for the arenas is the long-term quest of any former Olympic city.
In Athens, however, there's an added complication. Olympic planners dedicated so much effort to overcome delays, there was no time to think about the future. There's now more than $3 billion in new or refurbished venues begging for attention.
"There are ideas. Some plans are being studied. But there is no definite solution," said Christos Hadjiemmanuel, head of Olympic Properties, a state company created as a temporary caretaker for the venues and other sites.
Time is truly money in the post-Olympic landscape."
Read more at Idle Olympic venues could give Athens big problems
"The 2004 Olympic Games officially came to an end in Athens with a spectacular closing ceremony on Sunday.
Greek music and dance kicked off an evening of celebration before the flame was extinguished and the flag lowered.
A firework display welcomed the athletes into the Olympic Stadium, with double gold-medallist Kelly Holmes carrying Great Britain's flag.
The torch has now been passed to China as Beijing prepares to host the Games in 2008."
Read more at Greece bids Games farewell
"Canada's athletes trailed back from Athens into the teeth of a national inquest over their performance at the Olympics which garnered just 12 medals.
The modest haul, two fewer than the Canadian team managed in Sydney in 2000, and good for only 21st on the medal table, set off a media inquest that blared from radio and television and consumed acres of newsprint.
"Unless we make major changes in how we support and train our athletes, we will likely be suffering through the same national angst after the 2008 Games," the Toronto Star warned in an editorial.
For many, the team's performance was summed up by world champion 100m hurdler Perdita Felicien, who entered the Olympic final as heavy favourite -- then crashed into ignominy by falling at the first hurdle.
The Canadian Olympic Committee made an immediate request Sunday for more money to support athletes, calling for a 7,000 dollar (5300 US) increase in government money for senior athletes to a minimum of 20,000 dollars a year."
Read more at Canada's athletes face inquest over Olympics flop
"Hundreds of thousands of Olympic athletes and visitors began what Greek media termed the “Great Escape” from Athens on Monday in an exodus expected to tax airport staff to the limit.
Officials estimate up to 200,000 people will leave for overseas destinations over the next 48 hours while thousands of Athenians who delayed summer holidays until the end of the Games will head for Aegean islands and family reunions across Greece.
“Until August 31 we expect a huge wave of departures,” said Athens airport spokeswoman Marina Papageorgiou.
“The day after (Sunday’s) closing ceremony is the toughest one,” she said."
Read more at 'Great escape' begins from Athens airport
"Greece staged an exuberant closing ceremony on Sunday to bring the curtain down on the Athens Games, which took the Olympics back to their roots and provided drama right down to the last gold medal.
A spectator ran onto the course of men's marathon, the final event of the Games run along the route of the first modern Olympics, and bundled Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima into the crowd as he led the race with about 15 minutes to go.
De Lima was able to rejoin the race after about five seconds but he looked shaken and was passed soon afterwards by Stefano Baldini of Italy, who had already been gaining on him. Baldini won the race ahead of American Meb Keflezighi.
The intruder was Cornelius Horan, an Irish former priest who interrupted the British Formula One Grand Prix last year. He was dressed in a kilt and beret and police said he was drunk.
De Lima said the incident may have cost him the gold medal and Brazilian officials said they would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a review of the results."
Read more at Games Close with Drama Down to Last Medal
"With Vanderlei de Lima of Brazil unexpectedly leading the race - the final event of these Games - by close to 30 seconds near the 22-mile mark, a man emerged from the crowd and pushed Lima from the middle of the road to the side of the course into a group of spectators, stopping him completely.
Spectators and security guards intervened, but it took the bewildered Lima several seconds to shake free. As he emerged from the crowd with about four miles remaining, his expression was even more pained than a marathoner's customary grimace down the stretch. And as security guards took his attacker, 57-year-old Cornelius Horan of Ireland, into custody, Lima spread his slender arms as if to ask, "Why?"
Seven minutes after the attack, with about 2.3 miles remaining in the race, Lima was caught from behind by the eventual winner, Stefano Baldini of Italy, and then by the eventual silver medalist, Meb Keflezighi of the United States." Read more at A Spectator Disrupts the Marathon With a Shove
Also read about it at:
- Marathoner finishes Third after attack
- Former priest halts marathon leader in his tracks
"A nervous world learned the Greek word for thank you and repeated it endlessly at an astonishingly successful Athens Olympics that quelled fears, surprised skeptics and greatly honored the birthplace of the games.
Efharisto, Athens, for architectural masterpieces of stadiums and arenas that showcased record performances. The fountain sprays, reflecting pools and soaring arches. The undulating, giant white Wall of Nations that caught the whispering wind, bringing music to our ears and smiles to our faces.
Efharisto for the thousands of security forces who stood guard day and night, keeping terrorism away. An undercurrent of danger, a sense of tranquility. We saw guns everywhere, walked in peace.
Fireworks and spectacular lighting kicked off the closing ceremony Sunday night, a two-hour extravaganza of folk dancing and music in the Olympic tradition that summed up the glee and relief the games brought to Greece. Afterward, thousands of athletes marched into Olympic stadium, waving their arms and flags, snapping photos of each other, hugging, and basking in the cheers of 70,000 fans."
Read more at Triumphant Olympics end with pride and relief
The winner of the Gold Medal: Stefano Baldini from Italy
The winner of the Silver Medal: Mebrahtom Keflezighi from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Vanderlei de Lima from Brazil
"MATHEW Helm reckons it's a dive he has practised thousands of times.
And the two-and-a-half back somersaults with one and a half twists in a pike position turned out to be his ticket to a silver medal.
Helm pulled off one of the best dives of his life to clinch second in the men's 10m platform, capping off Australia's greatest Olympics in diving -- one gold, one silver and four bronze."
Read more at Helm's perfect 10
The winner of the Gold Medal: Alina Kabaeva from Russia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Irina Tchachina from Russia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Anna Bessonova from Ukraine
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from Croatia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Germany
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Russia
The winner of the Gold Medal: Zhong Chen from China
The winner of the Silver Medal: Myriam Baverel from France
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Adriana Carmona from Venezuela
The winner of the Gold Medal: Dae Sung Moon from Korea, South
The winner of the Silver Medal: Alexandros Nikolaidis from Greece
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Pascal Gentil from France
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from Hungary
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Serbia and Montenegro (Yugoslavia)
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Russia
"Olympic men's hammer champion Adrian Annus has been stripped of his gold medal after failing to take a drugs test, the International Olympic Committee said Sunday.
The Hungarian failed to meet an IOC deadline Friday to submit a urine sample or lose the gold.
The IOC's disciplinary commission opened its hearing on the final day of the Games, exactly one week after Annus won the gold.
Annus, who returned to Hungary and announced his retirement from sport after winning his medal, provided a negative dope test after the competition."
Read more at Hammer Gold Medallist Annus Loses Medal
"Colombian cyclist Maria Luisa Calle Williams has been stripped of her bronze medal after testing positive for a banned stimulant, the International Olympic Committee said on Sunday. Calle Williams tested positive for the substance heptaminol, the IOC said.
She was third in the women's points race in the velodrome on Wednesday, giving Colombia its first medal of any colour in the short history of women's Olympic track cycling."
Read more at Colombian cyclist stripped of medal
"Retiring soccer star Mia Hamm was elected by her fellow U.S. athletes to carry the nation's flag in Sunday's closing Olympic ceremony.
Hamm won her second Olympic gold medal this week when the U.S. team beat Brazil in Thursday's final. She also was part of the 1996 gold medal team, as well as the 2000 team that took silver."
Read more at Hamm closes career as U.S. flag bearer
"Australia has won an unexpected silver medal in the men's 4x400 metre relay at the Athens Olympics.
The Australian team of John Steffensen, Mark Ormrod, Patrick Dwyer and Clinton Hill finished second behind the United States (2:55.91) in a time of 3:00.60.
Nigeria ran home in 3:00.90 to claim the bronze medal.
It was the first time since the 1956 Olympics that Australia had medalled in the event.
Steffensen, who celebrates his birthday on Monday, could hardly believe the team's achievement.
"Who would have thought us boys getting second, I'm speechless, you don't know how hard we have had to work," he told Channel Seven.
"All us boys have done some real hard yards and right now its hard to believe."
Read more at Aussies win surprise relay silver
"Triple gold medallist in swimming, Petria Thomas, will carry the Australian flag at this morning's closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics.
In her third and final Olympic campaign, Thomas won the 100 metres butterfly and was a member of the women's 4X100m freestyle and medley relay teams, which both won gold in world record breaking fashion.
She also won silver in the 200m butterfly to add to four previous medals she had won in Atlanta and Sydney.
Thomas's success in Athens was especially significant due to the fact she has undergone three shoulder reconstructions during her 10-year international career."
Read more at Thomas to carry flag at closing ceremony
"Double Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holmes has been given the honour of carrying the flag for Great Britain at Sunday's closing ceremony in Athens.
Holmes, who added 1500m gold to her 800m triumph on Saturday night, has revealed she has no plans to bow out of athletics just yet.
"I don't plan to retire. I'm in the best shape of my life.
"The most important thing is to enjoy it," she told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme."
Read more at Holmes given Olympic honour
This is a summary article of all of the doping cases at the Athens Olympics....
"Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis was the first athlete in Athens stripped of a medal because of a doping offense. Sampanis lost his bronze from the 62-kilogram class.
-- Russian shot putter Irina Korzhanenko tested positive for steroids after she won the gold and was stripped of her medal.
-- Hungary's Robert Fazekas lost his gold medal in discus for allegedly tampering with a doping test.
-- Hungarian weightlifter Ferenc Gyurkovics was stripped of his silver medal and kicked out of the Olympics for using the steroid oxandrolone.
-- Ukrainian rower Olena Olefirenko tested positive for a banned stimulant, costing her four-woman crew the bronze medal in lightweight sculls.
-- Hungary's Adrian Annus was stripped of his gold medal in hammer throw Sunday for failing to take a follow-up drug test demanded by the IOC.
-- Weightlifter Zoltan Kovacs of Hungary, who finished last in the 105-kilogram class, was banished from the games for failing to provide a urine sample.
-- Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou pulled out of the games while the IOC was investigating their missed doping tests."
Read more at Doping cases at the Athens Games
"Arab countries will walk away from the Olympics with a higher number of gold medals than ever before and squads are now looking to build on this success in future tournaments.
Morocco was the Arab country highest on the medals table at the end of the Olympics, winning two gold medals and a silver in running events.
Egyptian athletes did well in wrestling and boxing events, winning one gold and three bronze medals, the first medals for the country since the 1984 Olympics."
Read more at Arabs strike gold at Olympics
"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.
Carl Lewis, who won nine Olympic gold medals in athletics in a record-breaking career, condemned Bush for using the presence of Iraqi and Afghan teams in Athens in a television advertisement to boost his chances of re-election.
Criticizing Bush for linking his foreign policy with the two countries being allowed to compete here, Lewis said: 'I felt that was disingenuous. It is funny that we boycotted the 1980 Games [in Moscow] in support of Afghanistan, and now we're bombing Afghanistan,' he told the Athens News yesterday.
'Of course, we've invaded Iraq and are in there and are using it for political gain. It bewilders me, and I understand why the Iraqi players are offended.
'To support the players or the community is fine, but for political gain I disagree.'"
Read more at Olympic Gold Hero Accuses Bush
"History should be kind to the 2004 Summer Olympics and this lusty, energetic city.
Olympic officials awarded Greece the Games for sentimental reasons in 1997, a risky recognition of the Greeks having invented the event in 776 B.C. and then staging their 1896 A.D. rebirth.
Nothing better, one could assume, than a homecoming to reacquaint the human race with the 100-meter dash and a simpler, more virtuous time.
But the Games were a massive, expensive - more than $8 billion and rising - undertaking for a small nation with limited financial resources and a placid persona. Greece soon seemed ill-equipped to organize, manage and actually present such an event.
The talk at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia, was that the Olympics might have to go back there in 2004. The joke leading up to the 2004 Games here was that Beijing, China, host of the 2008 Summer Olympics, was more prepared than Greece was for its imminent Games."
Read more at Olympics' return to roots compelling
"The biggest sporting extravaganza, the Olympics 2004, will come to an end today.
For the 10,500 athletes from a record 202 countries, tonight's closing ceremony will be the perfect opportunity to let their hair down at last.
All those disastrous pre-games headlines about construction chaos and security concerns will finally be forgotten as Greece gets set to bid farewell in style.
The stadium is being turned into a giant wheatfield. About 250,000 balloons will cascade down from a night sky exploding with fireworks."
Read more at NDTV.com - Athens awaits grand finale
"Finals in boxing, wrestling and taekwondo herald the symbolic finale to the Athens Olympics, the men's marathon, tracing the legendary route ran by Pheidippides in 490 BC to announce the Athenian victory at the battle of Marathon.
Favourite for the 301st and last medal of the games was Kenya's world record holder Paul Tergat, the silver-medallist over 10,000 metres at Atlanta and Sydney.
"This is going to be my final Olympics. If I could win the gold medal, everything would be complete and I could go on to other things with a free mind." said Tergat."
Read more at Marathon men bring down curtain on Athens Olympics
"Cuban master Mario Kindelan has stopped the amazing run of British teenager Amir Khan by outpointing him in the lightweight final of the Olympic boxing tournament.
Khan, 17, was trying to become the youngest boxer to win an Olympic boxing gold medal in over 50 years on Sunday but Kindelan had other ideas.
Nearly twice Khan's age at 33, the defending champion relied on his greater experience to counter-punch methodically and win a 30-22 decision.
Khan, who fought bravely but seemed a bit nervous, leaves Athens with the silver medal but a bright future ahead."
Read more at Cuban Kindelan stops Khan's run to gold
"Andre Ward won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division Sunday, beating Magomed Aripgadjiev of Belarus to claim a bit of redemption for an American team that took a beating at the Olympics.
Fighting in the last bout of the games, Ward found his mark with quick inside punches in the third round to win the first boxing gold for the United States since David Reid in 1996."
Read more at Andre Ward Redeems U.S. Boxing With Gold
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from Brazil
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Italy
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Russia
The winner of the Gold Medal: Khasjimourat Gatsalov from Russia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Magomed Ibragimov from Uzbekistan
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Alireza Heidari from Iran
The winner of the Gold Medal: Buvaysa Saytiev from Russia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Gennadiy Laliyev from Kazakhstan
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Ivan Fundora from Cuba
"China achieved its best performance at an Olympics on Saturday with four more gold medals, a day after Liu Xiang and Xing Huina created athletics history.
China advanced to 31 gold medals, three behind medal standings leader the United States to continue their record-breaking exploits in Athens.
Luo Wei won the women's taekwondo under-67kg beating Elisavet Mystakidou of Greece for only China's second Olympic taekwondo gold medal since the Korean-born combat sport made its debut at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Canoeists Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun had a thrilling men's flatwater canoe C2 500 meters final in which six boats finished within 0.58 seconds of each other.
The gold medals kept on coming in the evening with China's women downing Russia in the volleyball and Hu Jia coming from behind to give his nation a record sixth Olympic diving gold in the men's ten-meter platform gold.
China had a total of 62 medals, eclipsing its record total medal tally of 59 from Sydney."
Read more at China breaks record Olympic medal haul
"South Korea appealed to sport's supreme legal body Sunday in an attempt to secure the Olympic gymnastics all-round gold medal for Yang Tae-young, who was robbed of the title 11 days ago by a scoring error.
Paul Hamm, who became the first American man to win the Olympic all-round title, should not have been awarded the gold, the governing body of gymnastics (FIG) ruled last Saturday.
Despite admitting the error, the FIG refused to redistribute the medals and the Koreans have now applied to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn the federation's decision.
CAS spokesman Matthieu Reeb said although its decisions are usually made public in 24 hours, it may take longer to evaluate an outcome in the Korean's case due to the technicalities involved."
Read more at S.Koreans Lodge Appeal Over Hamm's Gold Medal
"Denmark won its third straight Olympic gold medal in women's team handball Sunday, beating South Korea 4-2 on penalty throws to break a tie after two overtimes.
Henriette Mikkelsen scored the decisive goal in a dramatic shootout to seal Denmark's undefeated run through the tournament.
The two nations have split the title in the last five Olympics, with Denmark winning titles in 1996 and 2000, and South Korea in 1988 and 1992."
Read more at Danish women win another handball gold
The winner of the Gold Medal: Yandro Miguel Quintana from Cuba
The winner of the Silver Medal: Masuod Jokar from Iran
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Kenji Inoue from Japan
The winner of the Gold Medal: Mario Cesar Kindelan Mesa from Cuba
The winner of the Silver Medal: Amir Khan from United Kingdom (Great Britain)
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Serik Yeleuov from Kazakhstan
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Murat Khrachev from Russia
The winner of the Gold Medal: Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz from Cuba
The winner of the Silver Medal: Worapoj Petchkoom from Thailand
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Aghasi Mammadov from Azerbaijan
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Bahodirjon Sooltonov from Uzbekistan
"With the next Summer Games set for Beijing, China will have a chance to defend its women's gold medal without leaving home.
Ping Zhang led a determined rally past Russia with 25 points in the Olympic final in Athens yesterday, winning 28-30, 25-27, 25-20, 25-23, 15-12. After dropping the first two sets, China came back to tie — staying a step ahead of the Russians in the final set. Yuehong Zhang ended it with a spike from the left side.
China's players began hugging and crying with joy on their side of the court, while a stunned Russian team sat on its bench in tears. This was China's first medal since a silver at Atlanta in 1996 and first gold since 1984.
"I don't remember the Chinese team's first victory — I was too young," said setter Kun Feng, China's captain. "I didn't think about it at all. I was only fighting for the glory of victory.""
Read more at China women rally to volleyball gold
"Egypt's Mohamed Aly will not contest Sunday's Olympic super heavyweight boxing final in Athens after failing a pre-fight medical.
The decision means that his Russian opponent, Alexander Povetkin, is awarded the gold medal without throwing a punch.
Aly, who upset Cuban favourite Michel Lopez Nunez 18-16 in his semi-final, has a shoulder injury.
Povetkin succeeds Britain's Audley Harrison as super heavyweight champion.
The 24-year-old won the world title last year and has received several offers to turn professional.
On Friday, Egypt heavyweight Mohamed Elsayed was also disqualified before his semi-final bout for failing a medical test."
Read more at Egypt suffer boxing blow
"SHORTLY AFTER THE U.S. Olympic men's basketball team defeated Lithuania, 104-96, in Saturday night's bronze-medal game, coach Larry Brown called for changes in the process of selecting American players for international competition.
Shortly after that, Stu Jackson, chairman of the USA Basketball senior national team, added a few thoughts of his own.
Brown and Jackson are bright men with interesting ideas. Unfortunately for the future of American basketball as practiced on the international stage, at some point Tim Duncan's voice is going to be heard. And here is what Duncan had to say after Saturday's game:
"I'm about 95 percent certain my FIBA career is over," Duncan said. "FIBA sucks.""
Read more at ContraCostaTimes.com | 08/29/2004 | NBA culture clashes with FIBA
"Olympic supremo Jacques Rogge Sunday offered gold medals all round to Athens for organizing a superb Olympics after years of doom and gloom leading up to the opening.
"I am an extremely happy President of the IOC," he told reporters on the day the Games wrap up. They really did a fantastic job. I am very, very happy about the Games."
From security to ticket sales, he was glowing in praise of the organizers, who faced a barrage of criticism in the run-up to the Games over construction chaos, security concerns and budget overruns."
Read more at Golds All Round for Athens from IOC Chief
"What you remember about an Olympics probably says a lot about who you are. Is it Paul Hamm and the ugly gymnastics controversy that continues to fester like an unwashed wound? Or is it the golden performances of Michael Phelps, the American sprinters, and the American women’s soccer and softball teams?
Do you think of the failure of the outfit formerly known as the Dream Team as an embarrassment and a blot on the glorious history of U.S. basketball, or as the dawn of a new era of intense international competition that will ensure that future Olympics are packed with excitement and emotion?
Is the record for Olympic drug busts a stain on sports or a positive sign that the I.O.C. and strict anti-doping testing are finally catching up on the cheaters and cleaning up the competition?"
Read more at MSNBC - Is Olympics glass half-empty or half-full?
"The United States men didn't leave Olympic basketball's drastically altered landscape empty-handed on Saturday.
A bronze medal was hardly what the Americans wanted or expected out of these Summer Games. But it was the best they could manage, and the 104-96 win over Lithuania at the Olympic Indoor Hall did provide a measure of satisfaction after an uneven and disappointing tournament.
The result was warmly applauded by the many Americans in an audience of 14,500."
Read more at Sports
The winner of the Gold Medal: Yan Bhartelemy Varela from Cuba
The winner of the Silver Medal: Atagun Yalcinkaya from Turkey
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Shiming Zou from China
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Sergey Kazakov from Russia
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from Denmark
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Korea, South
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Ukraine
"China embraced its first volleyball Olympic title in 20 years after beating Russia 3-2 on Saturday to finish the women's tournament at the Athens Olympic Game.
After trailing two sets, China came from behind to trounce Russia 28-30, 25-27, 25-20, 25-23 and 15-12 to claim the title.
The Chinese took an early lead but Ekaterina Gamova's three consecutive points helped Russia catch up to 18-18. After tied at 24-24, both teams beat off four set-points and it was Gamova again spiked home the final point of the set for Russia.
Russia replay the scenario again at the second set when they made a 6-2 run after fell behind with 15-17, Gamova scored three points in a row to make it 22-20."
Read more at Xinhuanet - English
"Britain took a shock gold in the men's Olympic 4x100 meters relay Saturday, pipping favorites the United States by one hundredth of a second.
Mark Lewis-Francis held off 2000 Olympic 100 meters champion Maurice Greene in a blistering last leg to clinch the gold in 38.07 seconds. It was Britain's first gold in the event for 92 years.
"We have gone and proved everyone wrong, all the people who were talking negative about us," said Lewis-Francis. "This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life.
"I knew I had it won as soon as I got the baton."
The U.S. quartet had to be content with silver in 38.08 seconds with Nigeria taking bronze in 38.23."
Read more at British Stun U.S. in Sprint Relay
"The United States retained both Olympic 4x400 meters relay titles Saturday with individual champion Jeremy Wariner running the third leg for the men's team.
The Americans were already well in front when Wariner received the baton and he in turn gave Darold Williamson a clear lead.
Williamson completed victory for the United States in two minutes 55.91 seconds with Australia second almost five seconds back and Nigeria third.
None of the American team were in the squad who competed in Sydney four years and who are now certain to lose their gold medals.
The world governing body has annulled the results and recommended that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) take back the medals because one of the American team, world 400 meters champion Jerome Young, should have been serving a doping ban."
Read more at Sports News Article | Reuters.com
"Russia's Yuriy Borzakovskiy landed a shock Olympic 800m victory from South Africa's Mbulaeni Mulaudzi.
Borzakovskiy, 23, burst from a long way back to clock one minute 44.45 seconds to pip the fast-finishing Commonwealth champion on the line.
Mulaudzi edged out Denmark's world record holder Wilson Kipketer, who ran 1:44.65 in third.
Algeria's Djabir Said Guerni led at halfway in 51.84 before Kenya's Wilfred Bungei took over to set up the finish."
Read more at Borzakovskiy wins 800m
"Two more Olympic athletes have been expelled from the 2004 Games because of doping. The International Olympic Committee says Puerto Rican wrestler Mabel Fonseca and Hungarian weightlifter Ferenc Gyurkovics both tested positive for banned steroids.
Gyurkovics will be stripped of his silver medal in the 105 kilogram class because of the failed drug test. Fonseca finished fifth in the women's 55 kilogram category. In addition to being expelled from the 2004 Games, both athletes face a possible two-year ban each from their international federations."
Read more at 2 More Olympic Athletes Expelled from Games on Doping Charges
"Thousands of Argentine fans, still hung over from their basketball team's upset of Team USA, showed up 12 hours later for an unusually early men's Olympic soccer final. Their bleary eyes witnessed history. Argentina, off the foot of rising star Carlos Tevez, beat Paraguay 1-0 for its first gold medal in any sport in 52 years.
The last time the Argentine anthem, "Oid Mortales," was heard at the Olympics was in Helsinki in 1952, when Argentina won a double sculls rowing gold. As the light blue and white flag made its way up the flag pole Saturday, Argentine players and fans belted out the anthem proudly. After an early exit in the 2002 World Cup and settling for second at the Copa America last month, Argentine soccer fans were ready to rejoice."
Read more at Goal and gold: Argentina reigns in men's soccer
"Yelena Slesarenko of Russia set an Olympic record in the women's high jump Saturday night, winning the gold medal with a jump of 6 feet, 9 inches.
The previous Olympic record was 6 feet, 8 3/4 inches, set in Atlanta by Stefka Kostadinova of Bulgaria.
Hestrie Cloete of South Africa won silver with a jump of 6 feet, 7 1/2 inches. Viktoriya Styopina of Ukraine won the bronze with a jump at the same height, but finished below Cloete because she had one more miss.
Amy Acuff of the United States was fourth, clearing 6 feet, 6 1/4 inches."
Read more at AP Wire | 08/28/2004 | Russia's Slesarenko Wins High Jump
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from China
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Russia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Cuba
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from United States
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Australia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Nigeria
The winner of the Gold Medal: Andreas Thorkildsen from Norway
The winner of the Silver Medal: Vadims Vasilevskis from Latvia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Sergey Makarov from Russia
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from United States
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Russia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Jamaica
The winner of the Gold Medal: Odlanier Solis from Cuba
The winner of the Silver Medal: Viktor Zuyev from Belarus
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Mohamed Elsayed from Egypt
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Naser Al Shami from Syria
The winner of the Gold Medal: Jia Hu from China
The winner of the Silver Medal: Mathew Helm from Australia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Liang Tian from China
The winner of the Gold Medal: Yelena Slesarenko from Russia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Hestrie Cloete from South Africa
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Viktoriya Styopina from Ukraine
"Kelly Holmes surged from behind to take the 1,500 meters gold and clinch a rare middle-distance Olympic double on Saturday. The Briton already won the 800 earlier this week.
In the finishing straight, Holmes kicked for home and easily beat Tatyana Tomashova of Russia and Maria Cioncan of Romania.
Holmes hung back for most of the race and had a lot of work left to do with 300 meters to go. She finished in 3 minutes 57.90 seconds, holding a .22 second edge over Tomashova. Maria Cioncan of Romania crossed in 3:58.39."
Read more at Britain's Holmes Wins Women's 1,500
"Hicham El Guerrouj completed an historic Olympic 1,500-5,000 metres double this evening after a battle royal with Kenenisa Bekele.
The Moroccan emulated the achievement of Finn Paavo Nurmi in 1924 as he cruised to victory in the 5,000 in one of the most mouth-watering head-to-heads of the Athens Games.
He timed 13 minutes 14.39 seconds. Silver went to Ethiopia's Bekele, a metre back, with 19-year-old world champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya taking bronze.
Ireland's Alistair Cragg finished in 12th position in a time of 13:43.06."
Read more at El Guerrouj fends off Bekele for historic win
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from United Kingdom (Great Britain)
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Nigeria
"They missed shots, threw the ball away and got beat on defense. In the end, though, Shannon Johnson and Tina Thompson helped the Americans pull out another gold-medal victory.
Johnson and Thompson gave the United States a huge lift with their second-half scoring, and the Americans beat Australia 74-63 today for their third straight Olympic basketball title.
The U.S. players finally got their game together after falling behind by four points in the second half. They turned up the defense, crashed the boards harder and, most important, found their shooting touch -- something the U.S. men's team failed to do."
Read more at Women's Dream Team doesn't disappoint
The winner of the Gold Medal: Hicham El Guerrouj from Morocco
The winner of the Silver Medal: Kenenisa Bekele from Ethiopia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya
The winner of the Gold Medal: Manus Boonjumnong from Thailand
The winner of the Silver Medal: Yudel Johnson Cedeno from Cuba
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Boris Georgiev from Bulgaria
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Ionut Gheorghe from Romania
The winner of the Gold Medal: Artur Taymazov from Uzbekistan
The winner of the Silver Medal: Alireza Rezaei from Iran
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Aydin Polatci from Turkey
The winner of the Gold Medal: Yuriy Borzakovskiy from Russia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Mbulaeni Mulaudzi from South Africa
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Wilson Kipketer from Denmark
The winner of the Gold Medal: Kelly Holmes from United Kingdom (Great Britain)
The winner of the Silver Medal: Tatyana Tomashova from Russia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Maria Cioncan from Romania
The winner of the Gold Medal: Cael Sanderson from United States
The winner of the Silver Medal: Eui Jae Moon from Korea, South
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Sazhid Sa
The winner of the Gold Medal: Steven Lopez from United States
The winner of the Silver Medal: Bahri Tanrikulu from Turkey
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Yossef Karami from Iran
The winner of the Gold Medal: Wei Luo from China
The winner of the Silver Medal: Elisavet Mystakidou from Greece
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Kyung Sun Hwang from Korea, South
The winner of the Gold Medal: Yuriolkis Gamboa from Cuba
The winner of the Silver Medal: Jerome Thomas from France
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Fuad Aslanov from Azerbaijan
The winner of the Gold Medal: Elbrus Tedeyev from Ukraine
The winner of the Silver Medal: Kelly Jamill from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Makhach Murtazaliev from Russia
The winner of the Gold Medal: Mavlet Batirov from Russia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Stephen Abas from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Chikara Tanabe from Japan
It was nine years ago that a young volunteer working at a World Cup mountain bike race at Mont Ste-Anne, Que., became swept up in the emotion of the riders.
"I was looking at the girls and the feelings they seemed to have at the finish line," Marie-Helene Premont remembered with a smile. "All the effort they gave. That's what I wanted to do." Premont created her own excitement and enthusiasm Friday when she rode to a silver medal in the women's mountain bike race at the Olympics Games.
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from Russia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Italy
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Bulgaria
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from Brazil
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Canada
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from France
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from Austria
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Argentina
Canadians Ross Macdonald and Mike Wolfs won a silver medal in the Olympic sailing Star class regatta on Saturday.
Brazil's Torben Grael and Marcelo Ferreira clinched the gold Thursday, essentially leaving the Canadians and French team of Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau to fight it out for the other medals in the final race Saturday.
Macdonald, Wolfs sail to silver medal
Canadian kayaker Adam van Koeverden won Olympic gold in the K-1 500 metres Saturday, adding to the bronze he won Friday in the K-1 1,000, while veteran Caroline Brunet collected a bronze in her fifth trip to the Games.
Van Koeverden beat two-time world champion Nathan Baggaley of Australia, who had to settle for the silver. Britain's Ian Wynne got the bronze.
"Austria's Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher defended their Olympic Tornado title in Athens on Saturday.
The pair won the 11th and final race to easily beat Americans John Lovell and Charlie Ogeltree into silver.
Argentines Santiago Lange and Carlos Espinola finished in bronze, while Britons Mark Bulkeley and Leigh McMillan were 13th overall.
In the Star class, Brazil, Canada and France took the medals with Britain's Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell sixth."
Read more at Austrians win Tornado gold
"India completed another dismal Olympic showing at the Athens Games, the team from the world's second most populous nation returning home with one medal and shamed by two doping expulsions.
Representatives of the country of over 1.1 billion people hardly caused a ripple in Athens and their solitary medal came when army major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore bagged a silver in men's trap shooting.
India had won just three individual bronze medals before going to Athens, one each at the Atlanta and Sydney with the third coming in 1952.
They promised more in 2004 but were unable to shake off their tag as a one-medal nation."
Read more at Another bleak show for one-medal India
"Argentina won its first Olympic gold medal in soccer Saturday, beating Paraguay 1-0 on Carlos Tevez's eighth goal of the tournament.
Despite the loss, Paraguay captured its first medal in any sport. Italy won the bronze Friday, beating Iraq 1-0.
The victory gave Argentina its third Olympic soccer medal. It finished second to Nigeria in 1996 and to Uruguay in 1928.
In a game the Argentines controlled from the beginning, Mauro Rosales helped set up the winning goal in the 18th minute with a cross from the right side. Tevez ran between Paraguay