Olympics-Athletics-Kipketer bids to set the record straight

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Wilson Kipketer's bid for a first Olympic title is expected to keep the Sydney Games athletics programme on the boil on Wednesday.

After a series of high-profile yet predictable sprint finals, Tuesday's events produced some classic action, including the closest-ever Olympic finish in the men's 10,000 metres....

Olympics-Weightlifting-Rezazadeh breaks total lift world record

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Hossein Rezazadeh of Iran set a men's weightlifting over 105 kg category total lift world record of 472.5 kg at the Olympics on Tuesday.

He beat the previous record of 467.5 kg set by Ronny Weller of Germany earlier in the competition....

Olympics-Trampoline-From circus trapeze to new Olympic sport

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - It was once known as the ``magic carpet,'' and its inventor got the idea from the flying trapeze at a circus.

Now, exactly 64 years after George Nissen's bouncing contraption was created, the trampoline has made its debut at the Olympics in Sydney....

Olympics-Weightlifting-Iranian wins superheavyweights

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Hossein Rezazadeh of Iran broke two world records to take the gold medal in the men's superheavyweight division of the Olympic weightlifting competition on Tuesday.

Rezazadeh broke his own world snatch record of 206 kg with a stunning lift of 212.5 kg and then made 260 kg in the clean and jerk section for an overall world record of 472.5 kg....

Olympics-Gymnastics-Raducan appeals to get gold back

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Romanian gymnast Andreea Raducan appealed on Tuesday against the loss of her all-round Olympic gold medal after she tested positive for a banned drug contained in a remedy she took to cure a cold.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said three arbitrators would meet in Sydney on Wednesday to hear the case....

Olympics-Drugs steal headlines from sport

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The embarrassing stigma of drugs again dragged the spotlight away from sport at the Olympics on Tuesday with a high profile U.S. athlete and a petite Romanian gymnast at the centre of a new furore.

With the athletes taking a rest day there was little to distract from the doping controversy except a convincing victory by Cuban boxing great Felix Savon and the warm afterglow of Aborigine runner Cathy Freeman's 400 metres triumph on Monday....

Olympics-Diving-Xiong keeps title as Sautin challenge collapses

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - China's Xiong Ni pulled off the narrowest and most dramatic of victories on Tuesday to retain his Olympic three-metre springboard diving title as world champion Dmitry Sautin saw the gold slip from his grasp in the last minutes.

Sautin, the reigning Olympic highboard champion, had looked invincible as they went into the final round. The 26-year-old Russian led by more than 10 points and appeared set to add an Olympic crown to the world and European titles he already holds....

Olympics-Boxing-Asloum wins first French boxing gold in 12 years

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Brahim Asloum said after offering France their first Olympic boxing medal in 12 years that soccer great Zinedine Zidane had been his inspiration.

The French light-flyweight, like Zidane the son of north African immigrants, outpointed South Korean Kim Ki-suk on Tuesday to reach the semifinals and make sure of at least bronze....

NBCOlympics.com Offers Customized Version of eSynch's Media Player for 2000 Olympic Games Using

ChoiceCaster, the First All-in-One Broadband Media Player, is Available for 

Download

TUSTIN, Calif., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- eSynch Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: ESYN) today announced that NBCOlympics.com is using a customized version of ChoiceCaster(TM), eSynch's streaming multimedia player for broadband Internet users to access video.  Produced by a joint venture between NBC and Quokka Sports (Nasdaq: QKKA), NBCOlympics.com is the home of NBC's online coverage of the 2000 Olympics and part of NBC's overall strategy to deliver the Complete Olympic experience via NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, and NBCOlympics.com.

Utilizing eSynch's all-in-one media player, NBCOlympics.com offers daily coverage of the prior day's coverage, consisting of up to 20 minutes of streaming video, including up to 10 minutes of highlights of Olympic competition, interviews and features.  Streaming video of competition highlights on NBCOlympics.com is available to broadband users in the residential United States that are connected to the Axient Communications Network.  All other video features are available to all internet subscribers.

"This is a very exciting time for us," says Tom Hemingway, chief executive officer of eSynch.  "What ChoiceCaster(TM) is providing for NBCOlympics.com fits perfectly into eSynch's mission of delivering the most compelling environment to interact with streaming media."

About ChoiceCaster 

ChoiceCaster from eSynch is the exclusive media player to view broadband streaming video of competition highlights on nbcolympics.com, delivering full-screen, full-speed, high-resolution video with clear stereo sound and crisp graphics for residential broadband users connected to the Axient Network.

ChoiceCaster is the first all-in-one broadband media player. It seamlessly plays all existing media formats, from Microsoft Media to Real Networks to QuickTime, from entertainment to news to shopping.  It features a fully advanced media search engine that enables users to look through over 2 million quality streaming and downloadable audio and video files, making ChoiceCaster the only media player able to search and play streaming media content of all types and formats within the same graphical interface. ChoiceCaster also imports playlists from selected media players; intelligent interactive windows management; and a programmable media guide that resizes automatically to channel partners programming needs.

Users may download ChoiceCaster from www.nbcolympics.com and www.choicecaster.com, as well as other leading download sites worldwide beginning September 11.
 

Olympics-Weightlifting-Iran gold breaks Russian spell

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Iranian weightlifter Hossein Rezazadeh broke two world records to take gold in the men's Olympic superheavyweight division on Tuesday and bring Russia's four-decade domination of the event to an end.

Rezazadeh shattered his own world snatch record of 206 kg with a stunning lift of 212.5 kg and then made a personal best of 260 kg in the clean and jerk section for an overall world record of 472.5 kg....

Olympics-Boxing-Uzbek heavyweight Chagaev goes out

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Ruslan Chagaev, the Uzbek heavyweight who won the 1997 amateur boxing world title and was then stripped of it for fighting previously as a professional, went out of the Olympics without a medal on Tuesday.

Chagaev lost 18-13 to Georgian Vladimir Tchantouria, who qualified for the semifinals and is assured of at least a bronze....

Olympics-Volleyball-Cuban women storm into final

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Cuba stormed into the semifinals of the Olympic women's volleyball tournament on Tuesday, taking a step closer to a third successive gold medal with a straight sets win over Croatia.

Stung by a rare 3-2 loss to Russia in preliminary round play, the Cubans quickly reasserted their authority, sweeping their next three matches without dropping a set....

Olympics-Soccer-Spanish coach praises Jose Mari after semi win

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Spanish coach Inaki Saez Ruiz singled out AC Milan striker Jose Mari for a brilliant display which saw him score once and create two more goals as Spain defeated the United States 3-1 to reach the Olympic soccer final on Tuesday....

Olympics-Boxing-Savon leads Cuban medal rush

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Cuba's Felix Savon won the battle of heavyweight champions at the Olympics on Tuesday and stayed on course for a third successive title.

The six times world champion beat 1999 world champion Michael Bennett, who became the second of two U.S. boxers to be outclassed in the quarter-finals....

Olympics-Boxing-Cuba dominant as U.S. fighters crash

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Cuba's Felix Savon downed his big American rival in the battle of the heavyweight champions at the Olympics on Tuesday and stayed on course for a third successive title.

The two amateur boxing super-powers clashed in the most eagerly-anticipated fight of the tournament between the 1999 world champion and Savon who has won that crown six times....

Olympics-Softball-U.S. ``voodoo games'' help win gold

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - United States staged a dramatic comeback in the Olympics softball final on Tuesday, to edge unfancied Japan 2-1 and win their second straight gold medal after turned to ``voodoo games'' to change their luck.

The win was a remarkable turnaround for the United States, who, despite coming into the tournament as comfortable favourites, had qualified fourth for the playoff round with a 4-3 record....

Olympics-Handball-Sweden win as Egypt cry foul

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - World and European champions Sweden are through to the semifinals of the Olympic handball tournament after beating Egypt 27-23 on Tuesday amid anger from the Egyptians at the refereeing.

Egypt, fourth in their pool and up against undefeated Sweden, finished the game two players short and with their bench officials involved in angry exchanges with tournament officials....

Olympics-Athletics-Sydney race was my toughest -- Gebrselassie

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie said on Tuesday his gold medal winning 10,000 metres race at the Sydney Games had been the toughest of his career because of injuries that have plagued him for a year.

Gebrselassie, 27, the greatest long-distance runner of all time, landed his second 10,000 metres Olympic gold by nine-tenths of a second from Kenyan Paul Tergat after a battle royal down the home straight....

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