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Notebook U.S. swimmer Hall plans Aussie holiday
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -- Although U.S. swimmer Gary Hall Jr. has been critical of Australia and its athletes, he plans to vacation in the country after the Goodwill Games. Hall upset Australians before last year's Olympics by predicting that the Americans would smash the Aussies "like guitars." "It was never meant as an insult or anything to the Aussies," Hall said. "It was more like throwing down the challenge. "I don't regret saying it because it kick-started the competition, got everybody going. I think I'm entitled to a little patriotism. "I dished it out, and if you dish it out, you've got to be prepared to take it." Hall plans to remain in Brisbane for a few days after the games, then go to Melbourne, before returning home to Miami and preparing for his wedding in December. Love is in the airOne of the worst-kept secrets at the Goodwill Games is the close relationship between Australian swimmers Michael Klim and Giann Rooney.The two tried to hide their feelings for each other, but they lowered their guard one night at the pool. Earlier, Rooney had said that having a romance with another member of the team would be "tricky," but added she was 'happy with all aspects of my life ... I'm floating on air." Klim won two relay gold medals at the World Championships in July at Fukuoka, Japan, and Rooney won the 200-meter freestyle gold medal. Boldon the convincerSprinter Ato Boldon of Trinidad & Tobago, winner of four Olympic medals, is trying to boost track and field participation in his country.Boldon's efforts are paying off. Trinidad and Tobago won the bronze medal in the 400-meter relay at last month's World Championships in Edmonton. "There are a lot of nonbelievers there," Boldon, who trains in Los Angeles, said of his country. "I took a team that never had won a medal, a team with a 16-year-old, an 18-year-old, a 21-year-old and myself." Darrel Brown, who's 16, ran the anchor leg, while the more experienced Boldon ran the second leg. Boldon convinced Brown to be the anchor in a meeting with him and his parents on their porch in May. "I don't want to retire without trying to bring glory to the next generation," the 27-year-old Boldon said. "When I was growing up, there was no place to train in Trinidad. Now, there is a stadium in every corner of the country." Advantage U.S.There are some new international rules that will be used in the basketball tournament.The changes include a 24-second shot clock, same as in the NBA, instead of 30 seconds as in the past. A team will have only 8 seconds to get the ball across halfcourt, instead of 10. Succinct WilliamsBernard Williams, the 100-meter bronze medalist at the World Championships, was asked how well he would do at the Goodwill Games. His answer was to the point. "I expect to run exceptionally well, I expect to run exceptionally fast," he said. "That's right."
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