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A sure thing
Latest: Wednesday September 20, 2000 07:40 PM
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By Mitch Gelman and Adam Levine, CNNSI.com
SYDNEY, Australia -- That giant gasp of disbelief you heard at 4:13 a.m. EDT Monday was a nation in shock when its latest hero proved he is not invincible.
While some Australians suffered a loss of pride when 17-year-old Ian Thorpe finished second in the 200-meter freestyle, others suffered a loss of money.
In the days leading up to the race, a flurry of money backing Thorpe was flowing into betting parlors. In Australia, where sports gambling is legal, odds on Thorpe had dropped from 1.20-to-one to as low as 1-50 by race time.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Australians have been primarily wagering online. The paper noted that one sports book was expecting to see at least $14-million bet on the Olympics, more than it took in for the World Cup in 1998.
The most popular sports for wagering have been soccer, team handball and basketball. But bets have been placed on individual sports, as well, including female triathletes and, of course, the seemingly invincible Thorpe.
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United States swimmer Tom Malchow, who set an Olympic record in the 200-meter butterfly prelims, returns to the pool. Can he add a medal to the record by delivering in the final?
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China, Romania and Russia are favored in the women's gymnastics team finals. A struggling U.S. team -- the defending Olympic champions -- would be happy with any medal.
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Dissention among members of the U.S. track and field team over who will be running the 4x100 relay continues. Will this soap opera staring a superstar sprinter and his agent end up in joy or sorrow?
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Sixteen-year-old Megan Quann, who came from behind to become the first U.S. woman to win the 100-meter breaststroke in 28 years.
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After seeing swimmers win in heavily marketed "shark skin" full body suits in the pool, gold medals went to swimmers wearing human skin on Monday night.
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Yan Xia, the Chinese weightlifter who dropped down in weight to enhance her medal chances, set three world records on her way to a gold in the 53kg class.
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The beach volleyball players who complained about the depth of the sand at the center court, reportedly deeper than the sand on the practice courts. Next we'll expect the marathoners to complain that there are hills on the course.
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In a reminder of the way the original Dream Team covered the Reebok logo on their uniforms with flags in 1992, Ian Thorpe draped an Australian flag over the Nike logo on his team's uniform, apparently at the request of his sponsor, adidas.
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Temporary tattoos. Sure, there are colored wigs and painted faces, but temporary tats -- mostly of country flags -- are the decoration of choice for die-hard fans.
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Scalpers, who have been finding it difficult to unload tickets for Olympic events. Why the soft market? "Australians just don't like to be ripped off," explained one local.
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In a span of 48 hours, the response at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center to 
Griping from some fans and residents upset that dignitaries, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates, have been allowed to travel to events in boats despite the fact that water taxis were ruled too much of a security risk for the general public.
The Flying Dutchman, Pieter van den Hoogenband edged Ian Thorpe by .48 of a second in the 200-meter freestyle.
The Netherlands baseball team, which defeated the United States in exhibition play last week, gets a chance to win a game that counts.