Highlights of action Saturday in Athens

Saturday, Aug. 28

STARS

--Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco became the first man in 80 years to sweep the middle-distance races at the Olympics, holding up two fingers in triumph after winning the 5,000 meters. He won the 1,500 earlier.

--Yelena Slesarenko of Russia set an Olympic record in the high jump, winning the gold medal by clearing 6 feet, 9 inches.

--Dawn Staley scored 14 points, Lisa Leslie had 13 and Shannon Johnson added 12, leading the United States to a 74-63 victory for the women's basketball gold medal.

--U.S. wrestler Cael Sanderson beat South Korea's Moon Eui-jae 3-1 in the 185-pound freestyle finals, adding Olympic gold to a career that includes four NCAA titles.

--DeeDee Trotter, Monique Henderson, Sanya Richards and Monique Hennagan gave the United States the gold medal in the women's 1,600-meter relay in a season-best 3:19.01.

--Otis Harris, Derrick Brew, Jeremy Wariner and Darold Williamson barely missed an Olympic record to win the men's 1,600-meter relay.

--American Steven Lopez beat Bahri Tanrikulu of Turkey to win a gold medal in taekwondo.

--Hu Jia overtook teammate Tian Liang on his next-to-last dive to win the 10-meter platform title, giving China a record sixth Olympic diving gold medal.

--Kelly Holmes of Britain surged from behind to take the 1,500 meters gold, clinching a rare middle distance Olympic double after winning the 800 earlier in the week.

STANDARD BEARER

Retiring soccer star Mia Hamm was elected by U.S. athletes to carry the flag in Sunday's closing ceremony. Hamm won her second Olympic gold medal this week when the U.S. team beat Brazil. She also was part of the 1996 gold-medal team and the 2000 team that won silver.

AMERICAN BRONZE

The United States won the bronze medal in men's basketball, beating Lithuania 104-96. The Americans got 22 points from Shawn Marion, 15 from Allen Iverson and 14 apiece from Lamar Odom and Stephon Marbury.

HOLD THAT GAME!

The United States and Lithuania both arrived for the bronze-medal game wearing white uniforms, delaying the start for 48 minutes. An official from USA Basketball went back to the luxury liner in Piraeus Harbor, where the team is staying, to get red uniforms.

POWELL SCRATCHED

Secretary of State Colin Powell canceled his trip to Greece at the last minute partly because of concern his presence -- expected to be met with anti-war protests -- might have disrupted the closing ceremony at the Olympics, State Department officials said.

DAILY DOPE

-- John Capel, last year's 200-meter world champion, was replaced on the U.S. 400-meter relay team because he tested positive for marijuana. He was set to run in the semifinals but U.S. coach George Williams pulled him from the lineup when he learned of the test result. The Americans won silver in the finals.

--Hungarian weightlifter Ferenc Gyurkovics was stripped of his silver medal and kicked out of the Olympics for using steroids.

--Puerto Rican wrestler Mabel Fonseca was expelled after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol. She finished fifth in the 121-pound (55-kg) category.

--The IOC announcement extended to 22 the record number of athletes busted for doping in Athens. The previous record was 12 at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Five medals have been revoked: two golds, two bronzes and one silver.

COMING UP

Light heavyweight Andre Ward can win the only U.S. gold in boxing. ... The 26.2-mile marathon starts in the village of Marathon, winding through the streets of Athens to Panathinaikon Stadium, site of the 1896 Olympics. ... Medals are awarded in rhythmic gymnastics, taekwondo, women's team handball, men's volleyball, men's water polo and men's freestyle wrestling. ... The games end with the closing ceremony at the Olympic stadium.

WEATHER

The high temperature at the main Olympic complex reached 86 degrees under sunny skies. The forecast for Sunday was for more sunshine and 84 degrees.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"We held our poise like the veterans always do. This is just the greatest. I wouldn't trade it for the world."

-- U.S. basketball gold medalist Diana Taurasi.