Summer 2004 | The Olympian

LETTER FROM JOHN NABER

U.S . Olympians President

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United States Olympic Committee Headquarters Colorado Sprin s, Colorado June 23

About a month ago, something h a ppened that I like to refer to as "a teaching moment" ; an opportunity to learn about what makes the Olympic Games so special.

Perhaps you recall how the U.S. record holder in the Decathlon , Dan O'Brien , "no-height-ed" (missed clearing the pole vault on three co nsecutive attempts) at the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, losing his place on the Ba rce lon a Olympic team. A similar heartbreak occurred four y ears later, when the Americ an swimmer, Kristine Quance , was disqualified for a minor stro k e infraction while coasting to victory in a preliminary heat. In both cases, the mies were strictly (if reluctantly) enforced, and the Ol ymp ic favorite was denied a chance to win gold in their favori te event, over the loud protestations of partisan fans and fam i ly members.

A few months ago at the Australian Olympic Team Trials , the defe ndin g Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400-meter freestyle , Ian Thorpe (known around the world as the "Thorpedo") accidentally lost his balance before the start of his heat , and fell into the water. Like Quance eight years earlier, Thorpe was disqualified against the wishes of a large number of interested parties, and deni e d the chance to swim for his place on the Australian Olympic team in his best event.

I've often said that character is reveale d when the price of doing the right thing is more than we are willing to pa y. Thorpe's coaches atte mpted a protest , but the rnle was clear, and Ian submitted to the Rules Committee's deci s ion, and watched as Grant Hackett and Craig Stevens qualified to

swim in his gold medal event in Athens. Fortunately, Thorpe was able to qualify onto the team in his other events. What happened next makes a powerful case why the rules should not be amended to accommodate any individual ath lete , regardless of how spec ial or loved they might be.

As was the case in the cases of Dan O'Brien and Kristine Quance, partisan journalists and commentators across the country demanded that Thorpe be returned to the 400-freestyle field Editoria ls were printed accusing the swimming officials of a lack of judgment, if not patriotism. Even the country's Prime Minister, John Howard, expressed a desire to find an honorable way to redress the "horrible luck." To Thorpe's credit, he acknowledged his fault and did not complicate the issue with false allegations or press announcements rallying support to his cause.

And then, just like in the Academy Award winning movie "Chariots of Fire," Thorpe's teammate , Craig Stevens , came to the rescue. The Austra li an s discovered that once the Olympic team was determined , changes in the entry list cou ld be made from among the swimmers already se lected. Immediately pressure was brought to bear on Craig Stevens (the seco nd qualifier in the 400-meters) to give up his spot in favor of Thorpe Ian asked that the public stop pressuring Stevens , to allow the young man to make up his own mind After a few weeks , Stevens announced on live television that he intended to voluntarily step aside in the 400-meters in order to concentrate on his other event (the 1500 freestyle), and, of course , to allow Ian Thorpe the chance to defend his Olympic title

Thorpe had not insisted that he was entitled to special consideration, but he received it anyway, due to the nature of his character and reputation, from the individual most affected by the sacrifice. It was Thorpe's contribution to the sport, and the regard his teammates held for him, that resulted in a win-win solution, an honorable end to the impasse, and a genuine gesture of sportsmanship and friendship , all wrapped into one.

What matters in Olympic sport is not who won , but how the game was played. Strict adherence to the rules allowed the unsel fish nature of Stevens' sacrifice to be a much more powerful decision, unforced as it was. While honorable people may (and have) disagreed, I'll wager that it is selfish interests often clouding their ethica l judgment.

To test this theory, a llo w me to ask: How will you feel when (and if) Thorpe defeats American Michael Phelps in the Olympic final of the 400-Meter Freestyle, preventing Phelps from tying Mark Spitz's record seven gold medals? While such an outcome is not remotely certain, the mere possibility might encourage any one of us to waver in our reso lute adherence to the higher ground of "fair play" If sportsmanship means trying to beat your opponent on his (or her) best day, then I say let the race decide who is best, if held according to the rules.

We need you; we need your thoughts, your ideas , your philosophy and in particular your commentaiy. Is there one individual with an interest in Olympic affairs who does not have an opinion as to those affairs? We want to become aware of them. Currently, within the Olympic movement there is no place of publication for you to express yourself relative to such issues as Olympic eligibility, the size and commercialization of the Olympic Games, grassroots programs, television contracts and their effect on the Games, IOC or USOC administration, or the issue most in the news right now about athlete use of banned, performance-enhancing drugs . (Do you believe in a "one-strike and your out" policy?), among other issues and policies.

A new website has been established titled "Olympic Forum" to accept your liberal , moderate or conservative points of view as to these issues. We encourage commentary, debate and constructive criticism as we provide this opportunity and place for you to express your thoughts. No one is more qualified to do so than you. You've been there. For more information: The website: olympicforum.info e-mail: herbw@olympicforum.info Telephone: (719) 630-3175 Fax: (719) 632-1035

Weinberg

Olympi c Forum opin io n debate

By: Herb Weinb e rg

Even today, past 70, he is a tall, slender black man of quiet demeanor who still reflects a sense of intelligence and dignity. However, such quietude can also mask a sense of indignity.

Otis didn't opt for college directly after high school. Instead he served four years in the relatively new United States Air Force in the early 50s before attending Los Angeles City College for a couple of years where one season he starred on a basketball team that lost only one of 34 games.

He was fast ; so fast his basketball coach timed him in the 100-yard dash on an ancient track from a standing start. His time of ten seconds flat was so extraordinary the coach assumed the watch was busted. It wasn't. And despite that outstanding basketball season at LACC Oti s looked for competition on a higher level, which brought him to the University of Oregon baske tball team in Eugene in 1958 By then he was 26 years old and wasn't a starter but he got his playing time.

Circumstance found his dormitory room overlooking Hayward Field, the base of one of the nation's outstanding university track teams One spring day he observed several middle-distance runners hauling a few wind sprints and he mused "I can beat those guys." Therefore , he approached track coach Bill Bowerman (later one of the founders of Nike sporting equipment) and said he'd like to try out for the team. Bowerman asked "What's your event?" Otis innocently replied "Waddya need?" Bowerman took the remark head on and said "I could use a high jumper."

Next they went on to the 100-yard dash. Bowem1an sensed that as Otis crossed the finish line he seemed to be just getting started.

Therefore , they settled

on the 220yard dash. In those days sprints were still measured in divisions of a mile in y ards. In track meets Otis won at that eighth -of- amile race. However, Bowennan noticed that Otis was still

Therefore , as of the next year, 1959 , he was a quarter-mil er who in his first race at that distance missed the school record by only a tenth of a second.

He became almost unbeatable , nationally-ranked with that style of striding in mid-race while others were sprinting . I'd see him stride behind the leaders by as much as 30 or 40 yards , then in the midst of the second and last turn he'd light up the afterburners and while his opponents struggled to maintain their speed Otis accelerated past them all , down the stre tch on the way to the finish line.

Now Otis had never run track or field in his life but he was willing to try. And although it became apparent he had enough spring in his legs to become a decent high jumper, Bowerman realized he'd need extensive training as to technique. Instead , they went on to the long jump which indicated just how fast Otis was but also indicated it would be too long a matter of technical training. accelerating as he crossed the finish line having an innate sense of staying with the other runners while striding , not going all -out , until the last 100 yards when he'd tum it on and wipe out the competition with plenty of energy remaining. All of which seemed to say "quarter mile:" 440 yards , one lap around the track, which requires a combination of speed, endurance and stamina. The requirements that runners consider a short minute of living hell.

Once , however, he waited almost too long as he finished only

Otis Davis retired twice He believed he had to.

Ot is Davis ce lebrates his victory with his Olympic rivals

third in the 400-meter trials while qualifying for the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

In Rome he won the gold medal, setting a world record in one of the most exciting finishes in Olympic history, holding off Carl Kaufmann of West Germany by an eyelash. He also anchored the USA's 4-by-400 relay team that won another American gold, setting another world record.

Earl Young ran the second leg of that relay team after finishing 6th behind Otis in the individual 400-meters.

So much for glory and two gold medals. Otis was now 28 years old, with a sore left leg because he never really learned to properly warm up.

He was near graduation, and in those days there was no significant cash available for track athletes, old or young, as there is today. It was time to get on with his life; so he retired to a job as a physical education teacher and successful basketball coach at Springfield High School just across the McKenzie River near the university. His two-season career on the track was over.

That is, until Sports Illustrated ran a 1961 cover story on Earl Young as the new generation's up and coming track star. And within the accompanying story Young made an egocentric remark to the effect it was a good thing Otis Davis had retired in that ifhe hadn't Young would have whipped his keyster anyway.

Seems Otis became restless that spring . After his teaching day he was seen working out, alone, from late afternoon into the darkness on Hayward Field. He was getting back into shape day after day.

I asked him "Hey Otis - why?" He said nothing He didn't answer my question.

He ran in a few insignificant local meets before signing up for the biggest meet of them all: the 1961 AAU National Championships of which he was the 1960 440-yard reigning national champion which gave him automatic entry into the event, not having to qualify in major preliminary meets.

He showed up at the track on Randalls Island in New York City and ran awkwardly during the two 440-yard elimination heats although he qualified for the final.

Then it all came together again in that final race - striding the first 300 yards before turning it on and wiping out the competition in those last 140 yards off the far tum. At 29 years of age he'd defended his national title while Young finished fourth. He was still the best.

I asked him if he'd come back for glory or was it a desire to run the whippersnapper, that brash SOB, into the ground? With his customary dignity he replied "I got a little upset. Here I'd won two Olympic gold medals, setting two world records, and Young says something like that. I would never have come back except for that remark."

Thusly, he retired, again and permanently.

Otis Davis edges out Carl Kmifmann in the 400 meterfinal.

By: Jeff Bukantz (fencing , 2004)

My father, Danny Bukantz , was legendary in the sport of fencing, as he had competed in four Olympic Games (1948, 52, 56, & 60), and refereed in the next five, except for the Moscow boycott (64, 68, 72 , 76 & 84). Famed Olympic historian Bud Greenspan once commented to me about my father's "storied Olympic career " In addition , Dan won four U.S . National Individual Foil Championships and nine U.S . National Foil Team Championships , representing the New York Fencers Club.

From about the age of fifteen, when I attended the Munich Games while my dad officiated, I set out on a dream to follow in my dad's sizable footsteps He never pushed me, and I probably jumped in headfirst because of that. Ideally, the dream would culminate with the ultimate goal, a berth on an Olympic Team.

The long journey was one filled with blood, sweat, sacrifice , and plenty of tears . And, the dream didn't come true, as there was not to be an Olympic Team for Danny Bukantz's kid.

Danny Bukantz Although I was plodder as a competitor, and not a classic athletic specimen , the drive to make my dad proud helped compensate for some of the shortcomings While Danny was dominant in his era, and known for his uncanny defensive technique and mental prowess, I was best known for my John Mc Enroe-like outbursts at the referees As I've often joked, there was clearly generation skipping in the Bukantz talent pool.

Nevertheless, I trained, competed , traveled around the country

and the world , and became a legitimate contender. While my dad was the cream of the crop, as he was always ranked 1st or 2nd , I was closer to the cream of the crap, generally gaining the 5th or 6th ranking . Eventually, I qualified for the 1981 World University Games Team , the 1983 & 1987 World Championship Teams , and the 1981, 1985, 1989 & 1993 World Maccabiah Games Teams.

The closest I got to the Olympic team was 3rd alternate , both in 1984 & 1988 . In 1987 , I made the Pan American Games Team, where I earned a bronze medal in Team Foil. But, I was still an Olympic bridesmaid, and that always left a gut-wrenching void in my career.

OK , so I didn't follow in Dad's footsteps as an Olympian. But, along the way to that disappointment, I was able to mirror many of his outstanding achievements as a competitor, referee , and administrator in the sport.

In 1996, I refereed in the finals of the Atlanta Olympic Games. Best of all, my folks and wife were there to see my greatest moment as a ref. Dan had refereed the finals , as well. I did win eight U.S. National Foil Team Championships for the New York Fencers Club The father-son combination of seventeen titles must be a record.

My dad won the World Maccabiah Games Individual Foil Gold Medal at the 3rd Games in 1950. I did the same at the 13th Games in 1989.

My dad served on the United States Fencing Association (USFA) High Performance (Olympic Selection) Committee up until 1972 I've served consecutively since 1988

My dad was a charter member of the USFA's Fencing Officials Commission back in 1972. I've been a member since 1993, and the Chair since 2001 .

So, at the end of the day, I didn't do too badly in my quest to duplicate dad's feats. But I never made that vaunted Olympic Team! I know my dad is proud of how hard I tried, and what I did accomplish. However, he was proudest when , at the Cherry Blossom Open in Fairfax, Virginia in 1982, another fencer approached him and said, "You're Jeff Bukantz's father."

I was no longer Danny Bukantz's kid, and that brought the biggest smile to his face

In addition to never making an Olympic Team, I never won an individual National Championship , whereas my dad won four. Those were the two areas where Danny's kid fell short.

However, the greatest day of my competitive career came at the 1986 Nationals, which were coincidentally held on Father's Day

The Nationa ls were being held at Manhattan College, and I had my best result, finishing fourth When the finals were concluded, the finalists would be presented with their medals. While I was disappointed and somewhat distraught not to win , as I lost a heartbreaker to eight -time Nationa l Champion Michael Marx 10-8 in the penultimate bout , my emotions were about to change.

As fate would have it , my father was given the honor of presenting the medals So , incredibly, the medal for my best result in a National Championship was put around my neck, on Father's Day, by the man who I revered and who se legacy I was chasing. I'm choked up as I write this, the same as I was choked up at that life moment.

These feel-good stories still provoke goose bumps , but the fact remains that I still didn't make the Olympic Team

While I matched many of my dad's athletic, officiating, and administrative results, and regardless of how I tried to ration a lize otherwise, it always killed me that I didn't make the Olympic Team.

I know my career was not a failure. In fact, my coach , Semyon Pinkhasov, insists that I was the biggest overachiever he had ever coached. I know my dad was proud of me for what I did. OK , so the Olympics weren't meant to be, and I'd had to live with that forever.

However, on December 26th , 2003 , the thirty-two year journey finally reached the destination, and it would be Athens. On a conference call of the USFA's High Performance Committee ,

after I was temporarily kicked off because my name would be discussed during the next agenda item, I was named as the Team Captain for the 2004 United States Olympic Fencing Team.

Hey, Dad ... your kid fina lly did it!

In Athens this summer, I will finally complete a journey of Olympic proportions that began in 1972.

I grew up in Forest Hills, the son of a dentist father, Daniel, and a Holocaust survivor mother, Alice. As my father was a prominent fencer, many of his friends were fencers. I remember fencers coming to parties at our home, fencers attending my Bar Mitzvah, and fencers attending my wedding to wife Carol. I came into the sport as Danny Bukantz's kid , but I was bent on making a name for myself.

Planning to Attend the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece?

We are compiling a list of Olympians planning on attending the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Please let us know your arrival and departure dates, as we ll as where you will be staying if you are planning on joining the Olympic festivities in Athens. We would love to invite you to any scheduled U.S. Olympic Team functions during the Games.

Please contact Cindy Stinger at 800-717-7555 or e-mail cindy.stinger@usoc.org

By Elliott Denman (athletics, 1956)

John Carlos calls himself "a humble little guy out of Harlem, New York."

Tommie Smith was born in Clarksville, Texas, raised in Lemoore, California.

Big city or small town, it didn't matter once they joined forces in San Jose, California, there to start the process of rewriting both the track and field record book and the socio-political scenario of their day.

As teamma;tes at San Jose State University, coached by the great Bud Winter, they pooled their talents so dazzlingly that San Jose became known as "Speed City."

At one time or another in the late 1960s, Winter's roster of Spartans boasted 10 runners who'd run the 100-yard dash in 9.3 seconds or better.

Smith was good enough, fast enough, talented enough to blaze to record performances in everything from the 100-yard to the 400-meter dash, with relay performances thrown in, setting world marks 11 separate times.

For very good reason, he was recognized as "the greatest long sprinter in the history of track and field." And even when Michael Johnson arrived on the scene, there were some holdouts who'd continue to vote the honor to Smith.

Carlos was an incredible sprinter, too, taking races and honors at titles at distances from 60 yards on up.

They took their partnership to the 1968 Mexico City Games, there to carve their niches in the annals of Olympic track and field. A 1-3 finish in the 200-meter dash final at Estadio Olimpico, Smith first in the world-record time of 19.83 seconds, Carlos third in 20.10, with Peter Norman of Australia squeezed between them in 20.06, was just part of it.

When they mounted the victory platform for the awards ceremony, the firestorm - one that would endure for long years thereafter - began.

Smith and Carlos were barefoot. Smith wore a black scarf and Carlos a string of beads. At the playing of the National Anthem, they bowed their heads and raised one black-gloved

fist skyward in the black power salute They wore buttons supporting the Olympic Project for Human Rights, and Norman wore one, too .

"White America would not understand," Carlos said. He was almost surely right.

The following day, Iro.ternational Olympic Committee officials told the USOC that if Smith and Carlos were not expelled from the balance of the Games (including the relays), the balance of the U.S. team would be expelled, too.

Smith and Carlos went home to face years of taunts and dangers. They succeeded in calling the world's attention to the cause of civil rights, but at immense personal cost. They and their families were shunned in many quarters and met huge difficulty finding meaningful employment.

At a 1969 indoor meet at New York's Madison Square Garden , Carlos was applauded by some, but booed by others.,

"Sure, the booing upsets me," he said. "This is my hometown but I guess I have to expect it wherever I go now.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos in a defining 111ome11t.

"But I'm glad I did what I did in Mexico City. If things had been right in this country, I wouldn't have had to do it. But I've learned that that's too much to expect."

Education of the many who may have chosen to disregard injustices in American society was at the heart of the SmithCarlos protests.

And 36 years after the turbulence of Mexico City, Smith and Carlos continue to focus on education.

Smith is the athletic director and coaches track and field and cross country at California's Santa Monica College. He's served on the Academic Senate and the College Curriculum Committee. Carlos is also based in California, where he's a counselor and in-school suspension supervisor at Palm Springs High School. Both lecture widely.

Education and philosophy run stride-for-stride in the messages they deliver now. "Everyone wants to be at the top of that platfom1," says Smith. "But it cannot be everything in a person's life. Not everyone can get there .

"It's the competition to get there that should be above all else. You've always got negative attitudes, no matter what, they will never get you ahead."

Over the years, espec ially the tough years , Smith always found a way to embrace the "cup is half-filled" philosophy. To him, it was never, ever half-empty.

After three years spent with the Cincinnati Bengals , where he was sparsely used "I was always the guy with the nice clean uniform," he kids Smith stayed in Ohio to become assistant athletic director and assistant basketball coach at Oberlin College.

Basketball had been Smith's original sport and earned him his scholarship to San Jose State, until winter convinced him his real future was in track and field

Smith's own best coaching experiences , though , came once he headed back west , to Santa Monica College. The school's teams have won an array of conference titles over the years

Yet , so much of all what Smith had accomplished as an educator, armed with a bachelor's degree in physical education and a masters in sociology, relates back to 1968 and Mexico City

He'd followed the "human instinct to battle to be first" and used that achievement to deliver a message , one he felt with all his soul needed sending , but soon began paying the price

"For quite a while after I came back, I had no food and no real job, those were tough times, he said.

"But the cause was just. My stand was honest."

There was no doubting his determination to succeed in track.

The fom1er basketballer's first world record came in 1965, when he ran the straightaway 220-yard dash in 20 seconds fl a t, equaling the mark set previously by Dave Sime and Frank Budd.

In 1966 Smith lowered that record to an amazing 19 .5. It was the first time a human had ever broken the mythical 20-second "barrier" for the furlong distance.

Later in 1966 , he hit 20 seconds flat for the 220 around a full tum, the way the event is now run in all national and international competitions.

The 440 yards , or 400 meters, may actually have been Smith's best of all distances , but only occasionally did he run it in major meets. When he did, he was faster than lightning. In the 4x400 relay at the July 1966 USA-Commonwealth dual meet , he ran his lap in 43.8 (as the first man under 44) as the USA finished in 2:59.6 , the first team ever to break three minutes.

In one memorable 1967 meet, Smith ran a world-record 44.8 for 440 yards one day, and came back to win the 100-meter dash in 10 .1 the next.

At 6-fo ot-3 and 180 pounds , Smith was called a "supremely elegant" runner; impeccable style and perfect foot placement in races run around the tum were his trademarks.

When Carlos first reached San Jose - after starting his college

career at East Texas State - it was with a reputation for extreme behavior.

"There was a time to play hard (as a trackman) and there was a time to party hard , too," he said . "When I competed, I put a lot of energy into it. I brought a lot of energy into every stadium I ever competed in. "That's one of the problems track and field has to deal with today. "There's not enough energy in the sport."

Carlos, a tad bigger than Smith at 6-4 and 198 pounds, was one of the few men with speed to match his teammate's, especially at the 200-meter distance.

Their races against each other may have topped anything they ever ran against challengers from other nations

At the 1967 National AAU Championships, Smith won in 20.4 seconds with Carlos third in 20.8. It took another Olympic gold medalist and world record-breaker, Jim Hines, to slip between them The 1968 National AAUs saw Smith outduel Carlos again, but barely, 20.3 to 20.4 seconds.

A real epic was the 1968 USA Olympic Trial 200 final at Echo Summit, California

Carlos was at his absolute best , getting off to a sensational start and blazing to a 19.7 - second triumph. Smith rallied but could never regain the lost early ground , settling for second in 19. 9 seconds.

However, Carlos's 19 .7 clocking (19.92 electronically) was never officially ratified as a world record. He was wearing "brush spikes," which were not approved by the sport's governing bodies - and still aren't.

It's a point that still rankles Carlos. He's always felt there were outside factors that kept him off the world record-holder's list.

Then, it was time to head for Mexico City, an Olympic scene already beset by turmoil.

Ten days before Opening Ceremonies , 250 some unarmed protesters died after government troops fired on a crowd.

Virtually every expert analyst bad predicted that Smith and Carlos - especially after each had won a semifinal in 20.1 seconds would run either 1-2 or 2-1 in the final. Carlos held a slight lead through 140 meters , but not even a slightly pulled adductor muscle was going to slow Smith now. He blasted into the lead and raised his arms in triumph l Ometers from the finish line, certain he was not about to be caught.

Carlos had turned his head to check bi s position ; the move was enough to let Norman race into second Like Smith , Carlos had his own short stint in pro football with the Philadelphia Eagles, then the CFL's Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts.

These days Carlos has found happiness on the job in Palm Springs "Who else can talk to today's kids better than I? ," he asks. "I've been through everything. I've lived through strife and struggle. In the last 36 years, I've had a lot of bridges to cross , but I'm still here and I've still got some messages to send."

Smith was voted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1978, Carlos in 2003 The Hall of Fame is located at the New Balance Armory Track and Field Center, 168 Street at Fort Washington Avenue , Manhattan , New York. "A lot of great people came out of that building," Carlos said after a visit last year.

The Armory has an educational facility. Carlos's biography Why? , written with CD Jackson Jr. , is on sale at the Armory book stand. Hopefully, Smith's biography will soon be there to study as well. In the works is a Tommie Smith biographical film , destined for either TV or the big screen .

Thirty-six years after the Mexico City Olympics in an era when so few younger athletes have studied their sports history, this is a story that should belong atop every "recommended" list.

co ntinued from p age 3

On a different topic, a few years ago , I was honored to serve on a fundraising campaign to raise six million dollars for a swimming facility in my hometown . The work was long and hard and often filled with obstacles and occasional resentment. Someone once asked the President of our Board why he volunteered so much time and donated money to a charity (or cause) that rarely showed its appreciation in any tangible way. He said simply, "Because I like to make a difference "

I wish to encourage each of you to make a difference to take an active interest in your Alumni leadership, and in the coming

months you will be asked to participate in the bi-annual election to select our A lumni's leadership In the coming election, you might choose to run for office or campaign on behalf of some other Olympian.

In any case , please read the candidate statements when the ballot arrives in September, and remember that your vote co unts , /\ and it makes a difference to me!

Opportunities Increase for Youth to Reach the Dream

CON\N\UNITY OLYN\PIC

DEVELOP~ENTPROG~~~

The USOC's Community Olympic Development Program (CODP) ha s been successfully training young athletes , in partnership with National Governing Bodies, since its creation seven years ago Starting as a pilot program, with non-traditional sports, in the cities of San Antonio, Minneapolis/ St. Paul, Atlanta and Salt Lake City, the program has helped train eight winter Olympians and three Pan American medalists

The foundation for CODPs success lies in high-quality coaching , training and competition opportunities Each location strives to make these programs available to all youth including those who may not otherwise have a chance to train in an Olympic sport.

Collaboration between the USOC, National Governing Bodies,

and community organizations help ensure a smooth pipeline of athlete development exits. Community organizations hosting the CODP draw talented and motivated grassroots athletes from community programs and schools to progress into more highlev e l programs. As these athletes progress through the CODP, NGB 's provide expertise and other services to encourage athlete development. Athletes , then , feed into the NGB national teams The USOC provides oversight, access to USOC services, and marketing and fundraising assistance.

Over 230,000 youth have been introduced to Olympic sports and 15 ,000 train in ongoing programs through the CODP and their partner organizations To maintain the quality of training , 450 coaches have been trained so the CODP can maintain a good athlete-coach ratio while adding athletes to the program.

Because of the COD P's success over the four initial years , from 1997-2000 , the program is expanding to new cities Most recent CODP additions are Palm Beach County, FL ; Moorestown, NJ; Springfield , MO ; and Flagstaff, AZ with two additional new CODs slated for this ye ar.

Olympians continually provide the USOC feedback, for instance through Olympian surveys, on what it takes for them to be successful. The research has assisted the USOC and NGBs ev a luate critical success factors for youth development programs. The CO DPs help address some of those factors, highlighted in "The Path to Excellence" by offering high quality programs with successful coaches at an affordable rate.

In addition to training future Olympians, CODPs create tangible ways communities can feel a part of the Olympic Movement all while helping their youth succeed

The Athlete Development Division plans CODP updates in The Olympian newsletter. If you are interested in CODP, please call the USOC Athlete Development Division at 719-866-4607 or email Tammie Forster at Tarnrnie forster @usoc.org.

Olympic organizers place much emphasis upon Olymp ic architecture as their signature.

There was the seemingly flying plastic covering of the facilities of the Munich Games in 1972 that provided shade over walkways for specta_tors and then soared to pro f ide rnofs for several of the competitive venues. The misconcei ved mam stadium for Montreal in 1976 still looks like a sitting oemen t frog . In 1994 the speed skating stadium in Hamar, Nor ay (part of the Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games) recalled Nmwegi: an h i story in that the building was deliberately shaped like the upside-down hull of a Viking ship . Two years earlier, at the winter Olympics in Albertville , France, an ice hockey stadi l1fll was created within a hollowed-out mount a irn.

This architectural instinct will also be apP,arent at the upcoming Olympic Summer Games in Athens. Where else would an emphasis on architecture be more appropriate than in Greece whose ancient architecture serves as the model for so many of the world's concert halls, courthouses, museums and porticos with their fluted Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns supporting the triangular facades above them. By this means the world still embraces ancient Greece.

And architectural antiquity, in its way, will be part of these upcoming Olympic Games in that the 2004 Olympic archery competitions will be held in Athens' Panathinaiko Stadium whose roots date back 2300 years, creating the irony of the

world's oldest sport having its Olympic competitions taking place within what is probably the world's oldest ompetitive site It is an extraordinary edifice, a Greek natio al monument, constructed entirely of gleaming white marble.

The Stadium dates back to the time of the ancie Olympic Games. However, it never held an ancient O1ymg ics , all of which took place in Olympia in western Greece. )rnstead, this was the place of the Panathenean Games , honor1 · g Athena , the goddess of wisdom within the city that bears her name These Athens co11tests were held annually as compare to the Olympic Games , which were held only every fo rth year. However, upon their revival ·:n 1896 , the Stadiu became the site of the first "Modern" Olympic Games Stories of archers abound in mythology, history nd literature and the Stadium itself is placed close to mytholo b for upon a high hilltop , about a kilometer to the northwest df the edifice we see above us in clear and contemplative view the Acropolis, f\ whioh co ntains the Parthenon, the massive Doric columned temple dedicated to the virgi n goddess , Athena. l anathinaiko Fests almost within its shadow.

fo 1894 vhe n ew IOC set to work organizing the first modern Olympics and hG>w appropriate it was in 1896 fo , the new Olympics to come hG>me to Greece , though in their modem form it was more efficient to come to the popula ion center of metropoli t an A thens, instead of the rural township of Olympia almost 200 kil ometers to the west. They'd come home to Greece, if not to Olympia, serving as inspiration for the reconst ruction of Panathinaiko Stadium as the centerp iece of the Games.

The Stadium is a natural bowl consisting of two parallel rectangular hillsides facing each other, east and west, once divided by a ravine now converted into the Stadium's floor. '['he original and crude Stadium, consisting primarily of those hillocks serving as grassy seating for spectators, was built in 329 B.C. , so ordered by Licourgas, Athens' governor There were only several wooden structures to accommodate royalty and religious leaders . It was renovated three quarters of a century later (250 B .C .) and reconstructed again almost four centuries after that (139 A.D.), this time in tiered white marble covering the hill~ides including a semi-circle of construction that was added at r\ its southern end to connect the hillsides , creating its elongated horseshoe appearance. There is no internal structure in that it is only a natural basin, the marble resting on those hillsides . More than seventeen centuries later it was reconstructed once again (1893-95), this time inspired by the coming of those

modem Games. It had been used in some capacity until the fifteenth century after which it lay in disrepair and was dismantled Therefore, to be accurate , we realize the first modern Games took place on the "site" and not within the original Panathinaiko Stadium because time and other needs had destroyed the original marble construction. Timoleon Philemon, an Olympic official in 1896 , described the condition of the Stadium as they found it, "The Stadium was completely deserted , a shapeless field , a place of stones, thistles and rubbish gathered together on all sides, hardly having the skeleton shape, but a shapeless bulk." When those original modem Olympic organizers came to the site they found only bits and pieces of the original edifice as over the centuries most of the marble blocks had been removed to create other structures or to be burned into lime. Therefore , the Stadium had to be reconstructed, symbolically including the few marble pieces that remained. And so it was resurrected - again in white marble - into its present grandeur to be the appropriate site of the new Olympic Games.

In summary, over the centuries the Stadium has gone through several incarnations, evolving from grassy hill ocks of 2,300 years ago to the white-marbled edifice it is today. The blocks that form these massive tiers are for the most part three-meters in length with a width and height of one meter, each weighing more than four tons. Other blocks are smaller according to their function. The Stadium's nickname is "Killimarmaro" meaning "beautiful marble ," and justifiably so within the bright

Panat hia ikon S tadium Mediterranean sunshine. At night under artificial light the stadium seems to glow assuming a ghostly white presence.

On March 25 , 1896 , in the presence of King Konstantin , the "First Olympic Games of the Modem Era" commenced with about 250 athletes representing 14 nations vying for medals in 9 sports. Track and field events plus gymnastics and wrestling were contested within the Stadium while shooting , fencing, cycling and lawn tennis held their competitions at other locations. Th e most anticipated event was the marathon race won by Spiridon Louis, a Greek , (who stopped to have a glass of wine along the way) , making Louis a national hero and Greek legend.

This summer the Panathinaiko Stadium will not serve as the main stadium, the symbol of an Olympic Games, as it did more than a century ago . This time the primary competitive venue will be the newly constructed Olympic Stadium within the nearby suburb ofMaroussi whose seats will not be of white marble.

Go to Panathinaiko to see the Olympic archery competitions. You will have discovered two forms of antiquity, their ages measured in millennia .

U . S. OLYMPIAN CHAPTERS

Did you know that the U. S Oly mp ians have regional chapte rs throughout the country ? Look/o r updates on chapter happenings infature issues of Th e Oly mpian! I/ you would like to find o ut what is happ ening in yo ur area, contact:

C olorado Ol y mpians

President: Elaine Cheris (fencin g, 1984, ' 88, ' 96) (720) 530-6475

Florida Olympi a ns

Presiden t: Jim Millns (fig ure skating, 1976) (813) 979-5608

Ge orgia Ol y mpi a ns

Pres ident: Rock y Lane (boxing, 1956) (770) 963-5903

Ha w aii Ol ympi a ns

President: Chris Woo (swimmin g , 1976) (808) 597-8197

Indiana Olympians

President: Ollan Cassell (athl et ics, 1964) (317) 466-0444

Midwe st Ol y mpi a ns

President: Will ye White (athl eti cs , 1956, '60 , '64 , '6 8, '72 ) (773) 651-8267

Nation a l Capi ta l Are a Ol ympi a ns

President: Arlene Lima s (taekwondo, 1992,'96) (540) 720-1988

New En g land A re a Olympian s

Pre s id e nt: Tina Noy es (fi g ure skating, 1964, '6 8 ) (781) 862-5575

N orth e rn Cali fo rnia Ol y mpian s President: Anne Warner Cribbs (swimming, 1960) (650) 856-3200

Oregon Olympi a ns President: Clem Eischen (athl etics, 1948) (503) 492-2232

Southern C alifornia Olympian s President: Cath y Marino Bradford (cano e/ka y ak, 1988, '92 ) (714) 847-5596

Southw est Oly mpian s President : Earl Young (athleti cs, 1960) (214) 219 -1439

T ri-Sta tes Olympian s President: Otis Davis (a thleti cs, 1960) (201) 392-8448

Utah Olympian s P resid e nt: Henry Marsh (athleti c s, 1976, '80, '84 , '8 8) (801) 560-8698

Wa s hin g to n Sta te Ol y mpian s President: Caroline Holmes (gy mnastics, 1968) (206) 246-2934

N o ch apte r in y o ur area? Interes ted in startin g a ch ap te r? Co ntact th e U.S. Ol y mpi a ns As soc iation office for de ta il s at (800) 717-7555.

B irds eye Fiew of

Somebody's Going To Be Famous! Are You Ready?

What's in a name? Depends on who owns it.

Take Trot Nixon, right fielder for my beloved Boston Red Sox, as an example . You probably know who he is. He's famous. So when a cybersquatter registered the <trotnixon .com > domain name and used it to provide access to pornography, Trot Nixon was able to get the domain name back - because he was famous. It also didn't hurt that pornography was involved. Courts like to find legitimate reasons to neutralize pornography.

Kevin Garnett is another good example He's the All-Star forward for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves. Garnett appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine before playing his first NBA game. He was also the first high school player selected in the NBA draft in over 20 years. These facts, plus the fact that he's been an NBA All-Star several times, make Garnett famous.

Being famous is important to protecting your name. If you're famous, you have common law trademark rights in your name Those rights give you a remedy when someone tries to capitalize on your fame by using your name.

In Garnett's case, Trap Block Technologies registered < kevingarnett.com>, supposedly for a fan website. It never actually used the domain name for a fan site though. This was considered bad faith, and Garnett was able to get the domain back because Trap Block was trying to capitalize on Garnett's fame.

Now consider Veronica Kay. Heard of her? Probably not. She's known to a much smaller group of people - surfers In her case, Official Site Builders registered <veronicakay.com>, but never actively used it. This sounds similar to the Garnett case, but one thing is different. Since Veronica Kay is only known to a small group of people, she's not considered famous.

She doesn't have common law trademark rights in her name yet. Consequently, the request to transfer <veronicakay.com> to Veronica Kay was refused.

So what's the point? You're elite amateur athletes. You're fierce competitors for the United States of America and our greatest chance for Olympic medals, especially the GOLD ones. But since you're amateurs , chances are, you're not famous. Not yet anyway. That's on the horizon.

So be ready when it happens. Protect your name. Register it as a domain name now . Don't wait. Visit www.networksolutions.com and take care of this right away It can cost as little /'\ as $20 per year. Ask your Mom, your Dad, your best friend , your gi rlfriend, your boyfriend - anyone who cares about youto do it, but get it done.

Your name is one of your greatest assets. Make sure you protect it. Make sure you own it. That way, when you're on television with a medal around your neck and the National Anthem playing in the background , you will be the one capitalizing on your newfound fame

Ronna Cross is a Boston lawyer who advises corporations on their international trademark strategies. Her husband, Kendall Cross , is a 1996 Olymp ic Gold Medallist in freestyle wrestling If you have questions about other ways to protect your name, you can reach her at 617.271.1090.

Search On For Missing Olympians

Once an Olympian, Always an Olympian Never Former; Never Past

With just days before the st art of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the U.S Olympians Association is looking for "lost Olympians." The U.S. Olympians Association is asking for America' s help to encourage Olympians to contact Cynthia E. Stinger , Manager, U.S. Olympians Association national office

Since 1896 - approximately 13,000 Olympians have represented the United St ates at 41 Olympic Games. Currently, the office of the U.S. Olympians Association has current mailing addresses for appro x imately 6000 U S. Olympians but only 1500 email addresses

John Naber , 1976 Olympic swimmer and President of the U.S. Olympians said, "Our Olympic status will never change - once an Olympian , always an Olympian but sometimes our names and addresses do change We have programs and activities designed to benefit and utilize America's Olympian resources , and we are anxious to include all Olympians in our alumni activities ."

According to Cynthia E. Stinger, three-time Olympic Team Handball member, "We want to assure all Olympians that we will maintain the confidentiality of their contact information . This information will only be used by the immediate U.S Olympic family."

The mission of the U .S. Olympians As sociation is to foster the Olympic Spirit in each community in America , motivate and encourage youth , develop camaraderie and honor those who have shared the unique experience of representing his or her nation at the Olympic Games

Current U.S. Olympians programs include:

1 Olympians for Olympians Relief fund (OORF): Financial relief for Olympians who , due to circumstances beyond their control , find themselves in dire need.

2. Welcome Home Dinners: The chapters of Olympian Alumni salute the Olympians in their hometowns once they return from the O lympic Games

3. VISA Olympic Reunion Center: Opportunities for Olympians who attend the Games to reunite with other Olympians from past Olympic Games.

4 Olympians Bereavement Program : Ensuring that Olympians are always recognized for their Olympic participation and contribution .

Super Star Class Inducted

In a ceremony of exceptional pomp, circumstance , high drama and elegance , the United States Olympic Committee inducted into its very own Hall of Fame, the "Class of2004 " A ten-person committee of experts had nothing but difficulty in selecting from a brilliant tapestry of super-star Olympians , a smaller group, four men and six women: Matt Biondi , Swimming , Bonnie Blair, Speedskating , Janet Evans , Swimming , Dan Jansen , Speedskating , Florence Griffith Joyner, Track and Field, 1996 Women's Soccer Team , Bud Greenspan , Filmmaker, Jackie Joyner Kersee , Track and Field , Randy Snow, Paralympian (Basketball , Tennis and Track and Field)

The not-to-be forgotten ceremony took place in Chicago's most beautiful theater, the Cadillac Palace , before a full house of a thousand friends , former USOC Hall of Famers , USOC admini strative personnel , television and print media And, why not , America's youth needs role models and , as a profession a l Olympic Games historian these past 45 years, I'm sure that these 2004 inductees represent athletic excellence, persons of the highest integrity and reflections /manifestations of the very best of who we are as a nation. Such has been the mandate of the USOC for the past hundred years , and rem a ins so today.

John A . Lucas , Pro f. Emeritus Olympic Studies, the Penns y lvania State University, Department of Kinesiology, and the Official Lecturer of the International Olympic Committee for North America

Top row : Bonnie Bia it; /Jottolll ,vw leji to right: 1996 Wolllen 's Soccer Tea Ill Matt Biondi Florence Griffith Joyner and Bud Greenspan

LET THE DREAMS BEGIN '·

12 MONTHS FIVE CITIES. ONE DREAM.

On May 18, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the five Candidate Cities for the 2012 Olympic Games: New York, London, Madrid, Mo scow, and Pari s

With th e help of the United States Olympic Committ ee and mor e than 1,600 Olympians and Paralympians from across the world, New York has created a plan that will offer athletes an i ncredible experi en ce in 2012, while leaving a dramatic legacy for th e world of sports

We are eternally grateful to these members of our Circle of Olymp ia ns and Paralympian s for their i nsight and dedicat i on to ex cellence Hailing from 29 countries around the world and all 50 United States, they have ceaselessly s upported New York's Bid, k eeping Olympians informed, spreading the spirit of Olympism, and creating a forum to recognize and showcase their extraordinary talent s

UNITED BY HOPE, DRIVEN BY PASSION.

Now th e la st leg of the race is underway. On July 6, 2005, the IOC will make it s final selecti on Just one country will be cho s en . And the United State s is going for gold.

Join the Circle of Olympians and Paralympians, the United Stat es Olympic Committee, and NYC2012 to help bring the world's greatest Games to New York in 2012. Together we will create a legacy for amateur sports in America and around the globe

HOW YOU CAN HELP

If you are not already a member of the Circle of Olympians and Para lympians, please show your support by joining New York's Olympic effort. This i nvolves no obligation of t i me commitment on your part.

As a Circle member, you can:

Get invo lved in some of th e major public media events that NYC2012 will be hosting over the next yea r t o vi s ibly show your support for New York

Encourage other Olymp i ans - especially international Olympians whom you know well - to join NYC 2012' s Circle of Olympians and Paralympians Contact us when you are in New York and visit our offi ce s t o see our plans fir st-hand.

Spread the word about New York' s Olympic dream in your cit y or town and to everyone you talk to! As Olympians, you are truly the best ambas sadors

Please contact NYC2012 Sports Manager Erica N Nelson at ene l son@nyc2012 .c om for more details on how you can get involved and help bring the Olympic Games back to the Unit ed States.

NBC 1s HISTORIC 24-HOUR-A-DAY COVERAGE OF THE 2004 ATHENS OLYMPICS EXPANDED TO 1,210 HOURS OVER 7 PLATFORMS, ADDING NBC HDTV AFFILIATES & USA NETWORK

1,210 Total Hours Most Olympic U.S. Television Coverage Ever, More Coverage Than Last 5 Summer Olympics Combined

NBC's unprecedented 24-hour, around-the-clock coverage of the 2004 Olympic Games from Athens will total 1,210 hours and expanded from five to seven platforms with the addition today of high definition coverage on NBC's HDTV affiliates and coverage on USA Network. The announcement was made by Dick Ebersol , Chairman , NBC Universal Sports & Olympics.

"We are all eager to showcase the Summer Olympics in unprecedented fashion and to take on the daunting challenge of producing as much total programming from Athens as the last five Summer Olympics combined," said Ebersol.

Following is a breakdown of the Athens Olympic coverage on the NBC networks:

r Over the 17 days of the Athens Games (Aug. 13-29) , NBC's coverage will average more than 70 hours per daythat's more coverage than was produced in total for each Olympics until the 1976 Montreal Games delivered 76.5 hours.

The six NBC networks : NBC , MSNBC , CNBC , USA , Bravo and Telemundo, plus an NBC High Definition plat form , will offer the most in -depth Olympic coverage in history. The 1,210 hours NBC will broadcast from Athens is more than the combined total of 1,133 hours broadc a st from the last five previous Summer Olympics ... Sydney, Atlanta, Barcelona , Seoul and Los Angeles

The 1,210 total hours of coverage from Athens nearly triples the 441.5 total hours of coverage from Sydney on NBC , CNBC and MSNBC in 2000; and is more than seven times the 171.5 broadcast hours from Atlanta on NBC in 1996.

For the first time by a U.S. broadcaster at a Summer Olympics, NBC will provide high definition coverage. NBC's HDTV affiliates will offer separate , in-depth co v erage in high definition from several venues in Athens . The high definition coverage on NBC digital affiliates totals 399 hours and accounts for the vast majority of the increased coverage The USA Network coverage will be 49 total hours

Telemundo's Spanish-language broadcast will provide the first exclusively non-English language Olympic broadcast in U.S. television history. The 169.5 hours in Spanish on Telemundo is nearly equal to the 171.5 total hours of coverage on NBC from Atlanta just eight years ago.

The networks of NBC will provide some coverage of every one of the 28 Summer Olympic sports.

The NBC networks will offer more live coverage from Athens than any Olympics in history, domestic or foreign, despite the seven-hour time difference from the eastern time zone to Athens.

Following is a breakdown of coverage by network and a standard weekday schedule:

NBC

The NBC network schedule is divided into three dayparts: afternoon , primetime and late night - for a total of 226 hours of coverage over 17 days beginning with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, Aug. 13 , at 8 p.m. NBC's primetime coverage will include gymnastics , swimming , diving, track and field.

The first week of the Olympics features gymnastics and swimming, two sports in which the USA is especially strong this year. The USA's women's gymnastics team is the reigning world champion and favorite for a team gold medal and the USA men's gymnastics team is led by Paul Hamm , the reigning all-around world champion. In swimming, the USA is as strong as ever. Michael Phelps, the 19-year-old phenom, is looking for a record gold medal haul and Natalie Coughlin is the world record holder in the 100m backstroke and a multi-medal threat.

HDTV

For the first time by a U.S. broadcaster at a Summer Olympics, NBC will provide high definition coverage. NBC's separate, unique HDTV coverage on NBC's digital affiliates, presented by Sony Electronics Inc., will provide HDTV coverage on delay of six sports from the only main Olympic venues provided in high definition by the Olympic host broadcaster. Those sports include swimming, diving, gymnastics, track and field, medal rounds of basketball and the men's soccer gold medal final. The HDTV coverage will total 399 hours and is a completely different production from the standard definition broadcast on the network NBC has 124 HDTV affiliates with the potential to cover 86 percent of the country.

"The addition of a special high definition Olympic platfonn, specifically for our affiliate partners, is something they have long sought," said Randy Falco , President, NBC Universal Television Networks Group. "We are delighted to be able to provide it to them exclusively "

MSNBC

MSNBC, available in 82 million households, will carry a total of 133.5 hours over 18 days. MSNBC will be the main provider of live , weekday, long-form coverage of a full range of Olympic sports, including softball , soccer, beach volleyball, wrestling, canoeing, basketball, rowing, and weightlifting. On weekends, MSNBC will cover boxing, while CNBC carries live coverage of a wide range of Olympic sports On each of the two days prior to the Opening Ceremony, Wednesday, Aug. 11 and Thursday, Aug. 12, MSNBC also will provide coverage of the opening soccer matches.

The addition of Olympic coverage to MSNBC has had a profound impact during the past two Games. During the 2000 Sydney Games, the first Olympics carried on NBC's Cable Networks, MSNBC posted triple-digit increases over its normal delivery in comparable time periods (a .7 average cable rating from a .2) .

CNBC

CNBC, available in 86 million households, will carry 111 hours of Olympic programming over 16 days, beginning Saturday, Aug . 14 , 2004. On weekdays following "Closing Bell," CNBC will feature long-form coverage of Olympic boxing from 5-8 p m. ET. On weekends , CNBC will have ex panded , live , long-form co v erage of a wide variety of Olympic sports including beach volleyball, soccer and taekwondo while MSNBC covers boxing

The addition of Olympic coverage to CNBC has made a significant impact as well. During the 2000 Sydney Games, CNBC posted double -digit gains (a .5 average cable rating from a .3).

BRAVO

Bravo, available in 76 million households and delivering one of the most upscale audiences in cable television, will carry a total of 122 hours of Olympic coverage over 14 days , also beginning Saturday, Aug. 14 , 2004. Bravo will feature a wide range of sports including tennis , equestrian , sailing , track cycling, archery, badminton, judo , synchronized swimming , handball and table tennis

USA

USA Network , available in 88 million homes and billed as the cable home of the U.S. Olympic Team since it began airing regular U.S . Olympic Trials coverage in May, will continue with that theme during the Games with live coverage of many of the USA women's and men's basketball games . USA's 49 hours of Olympic coverage from Athens covers 14 days beginning at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 15 with live start-to-finish coverage of the women's cycling road race through the streets of Athens - an event that has traditionally aired on NBC in primetime. In addition , USA will provide live , all day, Grand Sl am-style coverage of all the tennis gold medal finals (men's and women's s ingles and doubl e s) on the middle weekend of the Games, Aug. 21 -22.

"Athens will be the first Games in which U.S. television includes some coverage of every Olympic sport, " Ebersol said "In Sydney, we introduced Olympic coverage on MSNBC and CNBC and received extremely positive feedback from viewers of many Olympic sports that were previously largely unavailable to audiences in long-form Now, with the addition of USA to MSNBC , CNBC and Bravo , we have the platfonns , along with the NBC network and Telemundo , to do much more of this."

TELEMUNDO

Telemundo will provide 169 .5 hours of Olympic coverage over 18 days This marks the first time in U.S. television history that the Olympic Games have exclusive coverage in any language other than English . Telemundo will feature soccer, boxing and semifinal and gold medal final of baseball. Telemundo , in addition to MSNBC , will provide coverage of opening soccer matches on Wednesday, Aug. 11, and Thursday, Aug . 12, 2004 .

"Telemundo allows us to distribute the Olympics to a wider and more diverse audience than ever before," Ebersol said. "The Hispanic audience is both the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority in the U.S., but the vast majority of the audience has never before had the opportunity to watch the Olympics in their own language."

Telemundo reaches 91 percent of U.S. Hispanic viewers in 118 markets through its 15 owned-and-operated stations, 32 broadcast affiliates and nearly 450 cable affiliates.

STANDARD MONDAY-FRIDAY SCHEDULE

By Network:

NBC: 12:30-4 p m.

8 p.m.-Midnight

Chronological:

MSNBC: 2 a.m.-7 a.m.

Bravo: 5 a.m .-Noon 12:35-2 a.m.

2-5 a.m. (Prime Replay)

MSNBC: 2 a .m .-7 a .m.

USA: 7-10 a m.

MSNBC: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

NBC: 12:30-4 p m. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

CNBC: 5-8 p.m

USA: 7-10 a m.

Bravo: 5 a.rn.-Noon

Telemundo: 1-8 p.m.

Bravo: 5-8 p.m.

CNBC : 5-8 p.m

NBC: 8 p.m.-Midnight 5-8 p.m.

Bravo: Midnight-1 a .m . Midnight-I a.m.

Telemundo: 1-8 p.m.

HDTV: 24 Hours- a-day

NBC: 12:35-2 a.m.

NBC : 2-5 a m (Prime Replay)

HDTV: 24 Hour s-a-day

A detailed programming and event schedule will be made available in the coming weeks.

NBCOlyrnpics .co m will provide up-to -the -minute television schedule information , breaking news , instantaneous results and video highlights.

As the official on -air viewer's guide to NB C's 24 -hour coverage of the Athens Games, TV Guide Channel and TV Guide's interactive program guide will provide viewers with around-the-clock tune-in information for all of NBC's Olympic coverage, including information on specific events airing in the upcoming hour and days; an on-screen at-aglance guide to which events are airing where and when, and original TV Guide Channel specials that will introduce viewers to Olympic athletes and feature different aspects of the competition the y will see during NBC's coverage of the Games.

NBC, America's Olympic Network , holds the exclusive U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games through 2012, which include Athens in 2004, Torino, Italy in 2006, Beijing in 2008, Vancouver 2010 and the Summer Garnes of 2012.

Becomes The Official Site to Buy U.S. Olympic Team Clothing and Merchandise

Sports and Olympic enthusiasts now have a central place to buy U.S. Olympic Team apparel and merchandise at usolympicshop.com, the online retail store of the U.S. Olympic Team.

Created under USOC license by Footlocker.com, usolympicshop.com will provide consumers with access to fashionable and athletic 2004 U.S. Olympic Team apparel from adidas and Roots , as well as more than 200 items from U.S. Olympic Team licensees. Visitors who shop online will have a variety of merchandise items to choose from, including the 2004 Roots Parade hat recently modeled by U.S. Olympic Team hopefuls on the Today Show.

"usolympicshop.com offers consumers one of the most sophisticated and shopper-friendly web sites ever provided by the United States Olympic Committee," explains Jim Grice, chief marketing officer for the United States Olympic Committee.

The launch of usolympicshop .com is the result of a new licensee agreement with Footlocker.com, the world's leading Internet and direct marketing

retailer with a consumer base of more than 20 million sports fans. Additionally, the creation of usolympicshop .com includes an agreement with Footlocker.com to oversee all U.S. Olympic Team catalog design , distribution and sales.

The initial product array features items to be worn by America's athletes during this year's Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, August 13-29. Roots, adidas and Aminco are among the featured licensees.

About Footlocker.com

Footlocker.com is a subsidiary of Foot Locker, Inc., a specialty retailer that operates almost 4,000 athletic retail stores in 16 countries in North America, Europe and Australia . Through its Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customers channel

Footlocker.com/Eastbay, the company is the leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel.

UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

USOC PRESIDENT

Peter Ueberroth

Bob Ctvrtlik

Erroll Davis

Anita DeFrantz

Jim Easton

Jair Lynch

Mary McCagg

Jim McCarthy

Mike Plant

Dr. Harold Shapiro

Stephanie Streeter

CHIEF OF SPORT PERFORMANCE

Jim Scherr

U.S. OLYMPIANS OFFICERS

PRESIDENT

John Naber (swimming , 1976)

EDITORIAL STAFF

SENIOR EDITOR

Cynthia E. Stinger (team handball , 1984, '88, '92)

51045 U.S. OLYMPIANS ASSOCIATION

UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

1 OLYMPIC PLAZA

VICE PRESIDENTS

Jeff Blatnick (wrestling , 1980 , '84)

Cathy Ferguson (swimming, 1964)

Willie Banks (athletics, 1980,'84,'88)

Anne Warner Cribbs (swimming, 1960)

Connie Paraskevin-Young (speedskating , 1980, '84/cycling, 1988, '92, '96)

Theresa Andrews (swimming, 1984)

HONORARY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dorothy Franey Langkop (speedskating, 1932)

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Bill Toomey (athletics, 1968)

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO 80909-5760

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Denise O'Shea - O'Shea Design

NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 5064