Athletes go for first gold medals in Games

ATHENS, Aug 14 (Reuters) -- With Greece basking in the glory of an acclaimed opening ceremony, athletes battled for the first medals of the Athens Olympics in the early morning sunshine on Saturday.

After years of being lambasted for construction chaos and security concerns, Athens finally came good with the launch of the Summer Games winning praise around the globe.

Greece, the smallest country to stage a Summer Games since Finland in the Fifties, was hailed from Germany to Australia for providing a dream start.

Germany's Bild newspaper said the ceremony, which brought Ancient Greece alive with all the magic of 21st century hi-tech wizardry, was "More beautiful than ever before. Oh Olympia! That was gripping and absolutely beautiful."

For seven million Greeks around the world, it was time to launch diaspora celebrations to equal the festivities that greeted Greece's shock victory in the Euro 2004 soccer tournament last month.

"Athens alive" and "Day of Glory" were just two of the headlines from Australia, host in 2000 to one of the most successful Games in Olympic history.

Greeks, a fiercely proud nation of 10 million determined to take centre stage by hosting the world's greatest sports show, breathed a collective sigh of relief after the Games threatened to have a nightmare start.

Costas Kenteris, who won gold in the 200 metres at Sydney four years ago, and Katerina Thanou, who took silver in the 100, may face expulsion from the Games and a two-year ban after missing mandatory drug tests on Thursday.

ERASES NIGHTMARE

"This was a dream which erases the nightmare of Kenteris and Thanou," Eleftherotypia said, covering its front page with a picture of a young performer from the ceremony whose pregnant belly glowed before lasers creating a DNA helix above her.

"A dream which erases the nightmare of Kenteris and Thanou," said the Eleftherotypia daily. "They were magical, dreamlike moments."

Greece's Olympic Committee is staging an emergency meeting on Saturday to review the cases that shocked the nation and reduced Greeks to tears.

In Britain, the press hailed Athens for coming good after the Kenteris and Thanou nightmare.

"The Olympic Games may never have opened so beautifully as they did last night," The Independent said.

"Worries forgotten as Athens clears final Olympics hurdle in style, " read The Daily Telegraph headline.

The first gold of the Games could be awarded in the women's 10-metre air rifle with China's Gao Jing favourite to give Asia's sporting superpower a dream start to Athens 2004.

American Michael Phelps and Australian Ian Thorpe, two of the biggest names in swimming, take to the Olympic pool and both could pick up early golds.

Thorpe has not been beaten in the 400 metres freestyle and holds the Olympic and world titles.

But he almost missed the race when disqualified for a false start at the Australian trials. He was reinstated when his team mate Craig Stevens pulled out.

Phelps is streets ahead of his nearest rivals in the 400 metres individual medly and his world record is more than four seconds quicker than second-ranked Italian Alession Boggiatto.

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