Team USA dazzles in exhibition

Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Michael Redd each scored 20 points as Team USA routed Canada 120-65 at the Thomas & Mack Center in their first exhibition contest in preparation for the Olympics.

Chris Paul dished out eight assists for the Americans, who will play two tune-up contests in Macao and two more in Shanghai before their Olympic opener in Beijing against host China on August 10.

Team USA had been scrimmaging against a select team of NBA stars brought in to push the star-studded club in practice. LeBron James injured his right ankle in a scrimmage Tuesday when he landed on the foot of reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant.

As a result, James did not play in this one but wasn't needed by the Americans, who outscored the Canadians, 34-18, in the third quarter en route to taking a 95-56 advantage entering the final period. Team USA also owned a 48-14 advantage in the paint.

It is an important summer for the United States, which hasn't tasted Olympic gold since 2000 in Sydney. Team USA was embarrassed en route to winning bronze medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2006 World Championships.

Since those debacles, Team USA has been restructured - starting at the top. USA Basketball hired veteran NBA executive Jerry Colangelo as the architect of the squad and appointed Duke's Mike Krzyzewski as coach. Players since have been forced to commit to Team USA for three years to foster the same continuity found in many international squads.

That familiarity showed Friday night, highlighted by a pair of fast breaks to extend the already sizable lead at the outset of the fourth quarter.

Jason Kidd lobbed a looping lead pass to Anthony, who then shoveled another feed to set up a monster dunk by Chris Bosh. On the next possession for the Americans, Wade - who is recovering from knee and shoulder surgeries - finished with a spectacular windmill jam.

The flourish completed a dominant performance by the United States, which shot 66 percent (44-of-67) from the field, including 11-of-22 from the arc. Jermaine Anderson scored 18 points for Canada, which shot just 33 percent (20-of-60) from the floor.

Olympic ticket sales descend into melee in China

The Washington Post, The Associated Press

BEIJING – The scene outside Beijing's main Olympic ticket office descended into chaos on Friday as nearly 40,000 people hoping to see the Games overwhelmed officials, forcing police to block access to the site.

The interruption triggered fights in the crowd, clashes between police and reporters, and unhappiness among families who lost their hard-won places in line.

At the main ticket office not far from the national stadium known as the Bird's Nest, tempers flared as sticky bodies pressed against one another in the surging crowd before sales began at 9 a.m. Police yanked more than half a dozen unruly fans from the crowd, kicking one who fell as he was led away and dragging another by his hair.

"It was very dangerous. I was afraid," said Wang Zhenqiang, who waited 28 hours with Ji Liqiang, a fellow businessman, to buy tickets to the diving competition.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary troops tried to control the crowd, with lines of officers throwing their weight into hastily erected metal barricades to hold back the throng. There was no line; fans were allowed to pass through the police barricade in groups of 25 to 50, streaming toward the two-dozen-plus sales windows.

"People got hurt around me. They fell and injured their knees and elbows. A barricade was bent out of shape by the crowd," Mr. Wang said.

In the scramble, Mr. Wang and his friend ended up with tickets to synchronized swimming, instead of the diving competition – where China is a gold-medal favorite.

The heavy police presence at the ticket office was a sign of what's to come during the Games – nicknamed by some here the Security Olympics. Police prevented people who had left their places in line to buy water or eat breakfast from returning. Officers also turned away reporters who wanted to conduct interviews with those waiting to buy their tickets.

According to Hong Kong Cable TV, one of its reporters was pushed to the ground by police and assaulted after refusing to leave. Hong Kong's Oriental News said Beijing police demanded that two Hong Kong journalists delete video footage of police standing by while a fight broke out between ticket buyers nearby.

About 30,000 tickets were initially available at the central ticket office Friday, according to the official New China News Agency. Officials decided at the last minute to add an unknown number of track-and-field tickets that were to be sold Saturday and Sunday.

Across Beijing, 250,000 tickets for Beijing events were sold at various venues. Distribution went smoothly at many of them. But the most popular tickets, for events at the National Stadium and the National Aquatics Center, were available only at the central ticket office.

Thousands also waited in western Beijing for 20,000 tickets for basketball. Another 570,000 tickets went on sale for preliminary round soccer matches in the cities of Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao. There were no reports of major problems at the other sites.

The Washington Post,

The Associated Press

Paul Hamm not ruling Beijing Olympics out.

Never, ever count Paul Hamm out. Not when he appears to be out of the running for an Olympic medal, not when he's taken 2 1/2 years off.

Not even when he's got a broken hand.

The Olympic gold medalist said Saturday he believes there is a "definite opportunity" for him to be on the U.S. gymnastics team at the Beijing Games, despite breaking the fourth metacarpal in his right hand.

"There's no guarantees, no matter what," Hamm said, his right hand and wrist encased in a blue cast. "The only thing I can do at this point is make an attempt, try and see what happens. I don't really even know exactly what the game plan is going to be until I talk to the doctors.

"It's going to be a push," he added. "But if anybody can do it, I can pull it off."

Hamm broke the bone in his right hand Thursday night when he jammed his ring finger in the closing seconds of his parallel bars routine at the U.S. championships. He could have surgery as early as Tuesday, and recovery time is at least four weeks.

He'll have to petition for a spot on the Beijing squad because he'll miss next month's Olympic trials in Philadelphia. Provided he is healthy, USA Gymnastics is almost sure to grant the petition.

Hamm, after all, is the only American man to win a world title (2003) or Olympic gold (2004). Despite his 2 1/2-year layoff after the Athens Olympics — an unheard of break in elite gymnastics — he's been better than ever this year, firmly establishing himself as a favorite to defend his gold medal.

He routed the competition in his first three meets of the year, and was practically perfect through his first five events Thursday night. Even with the fall, Hamm finished the night almost four points ahead of Joseph Hagerty. He had the highest score of the night on pommel horse and high bar, and tied twin brother Morgan for best score on floor exercise.

"I felt I was in the best shape of my life at this past competition," Hamm said. "The meet was going really, really well. I had three skills left to finish in my parallel bars routine, and that's where the injury comes. It's kind of sad and ironic at the same time."

Hamm was flipping to do work on one rail when he caught one of his fingers. Coach Miles Avery likened it to stubbing a toe — only with Hamm's entire body weight coming down on top of it. Hamm said he heard a "small popping sound," but initially hoped he'd only dislocated the finger and could be back in time for the Olympic trials, which start June 19.

The more he talked with doctors, though, he realized it was something worse.

"They were saying it's unlikely for that bone to dislocate and most likely what you've done is fractured it," Hamm said. "I was like, 'Oh, great.'"

X-rays Friday confirmed it was a break, and there is some displacement of the bone. Although one option would be to simply leave him in a cast, surgery should allow him to start physical therapy and rehab earlier.

"It's a big disappointment just because, currently, my body is in the physical shape it needs to be minus a broken bone in my hand," he said. "At this point, I know I'm probably going to lose a little bit of muscle, at least in this arm, because of the atrophy. It's hard to stay in that shape I have been the past few weeks, so I'm going to have to drop back down and then rebuild going into Beijing, which is tough.

"I'll try to get back as soon as I possibly can," he added. "What I'll be doing in the meantime is trying to do as many exercises as possible to keep my body in top physical form. Whether that's leg strength, sit-ups — I could potentially do some crosses and things on rings, who knows.

"I'll do what I can and use this time just to do that. But it's going to be a push."

Hamm, though, is as fierce a competitor as they come. When a fall on vault dropped him to 12th place with only two events to go at the Athens Olympics, he should have been out of the running for any medal, let alone the gold. But he responded with the two best routines of his life to win.

He's also meticulous about everything he does. Ask him about his chances to repeat as the gold medalist, and he'll give you a comparison with two-time world champion Yang Wei that's broken down to tenths of a point. Once he meets with doctors and gets a recovery plan, he is sure to attack it with the same intensity.

And if he ever needs motivation, all he has to do is look at Morgan, who is coming back from the second serious injury of his career.

Morgan Hamm tore a muscle in his chest in October, but he showed Thursday night he can still contribute to the U.S. team. Morgan Hamm placed in the top 10 in all four events he did and posted the highest score on vault, in addition to tying his brother for the top spot on floor. The U.S. championships finals are Saturday night.

"It's encouraging to see that, I was happy with his performance the other day," Paul Hamm said. "If anybody shows that a comeback is possible, he shows that. I'm sure he can inspire me to make my comeback, also."

Kaka: I Wanted To Play At Olympics

Milan superstar Kaka has revealed his disappointment at not being permitted by his club to represent Brazil at this summer's Olympics.

All teams participating at the Olympic games in Beijing are allowed to select three players over the age of 23, and Brazil had wanted to call-up Kaka.

However last week Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani issued a statement in which he made it perfectly clear that the European and World Footballer of the Year would not be allowed to be selected.

This decision appears to have upset Kaka a little, even if he has accepted Milan’s wishes.

"I did everything I possibly could so that I could play at the Olympics,” stressed the 26-year-old.

“I made myself available. However, AC Milan have decided otherwise, and I have accepted it.”

Kaka also spoke about his knee operation, and he hopes to return to action much sooner than the three months that some sources have been predicting.

"This is the first time that I have had to have surgery, but unfortunately it could not be avoided,” he explained.

“We have tried, together with staff of Milan to do our best, but evidently it has not been enough. I hope to return soon, and I want to be on the pitch for the two World Cup 2010 qualifiers against Argentina and Paraguay [next month]."

Roberto Rossi

Australia's majors seek to profit from Beijing Olympics

AUSTRALIA'S major companies -- including BHP Billiton, Qantas, ANZ, National Australia Bank, Bluescope Steel, Macquarie Group, Telstra, the Seven Network and minerals company Astron -- are combining to leverage the business opportunities from this year's Beijing Olympics.

The companies are sponsoring a hospitality suite, organised by Austrade, in Beijing during the Games. The suite will be used to promote business contacts between Australia and China.

Macquarie Group chairman David Clarke, who is chairing the roundtable advisory group for Business Club Australia Beijing 2008, said yesterday that 13 major Australian companies had combined to sponsor the Business Club.

But he said many more would be using the facilities with almost 40 different corporate events already scheduled to be held at the venue during the Games.

More than 50 small-to-medium enterprises are also expected to be involved in a series of seminars linked to the Games that will cover specialist areas such as mining, financial services, sports business and companies in the clean energy and environmental businesses.

Mr Clarke said the model of using sporting events such as the Sydney Olympics or the Rugby World Cup to promote business links between countries had been successful in the past.

"A lot of businesses use it to get together on a one-on-one basis," he said.

But he said the Beijing event would be the most ambitious attempt of its kind outside of Australia to leverage business links to a sporting event.

Mr Clarke said major Australian corporates such as BHP Billiton and Macquarie had already planned their own individual events during the Games but would also be working together with the Business Club Australia centre in Beijing to create an Australian business centre.

"What we are trying to do here is to co-ordinate the interests of quite a lot of major companies so that one and one make three," he said.

"We want to present, as much as we can, a united front (for Australian business) which is probably more important in China than it is in many other countries."

Austrade estimates that its Business Club programs, which have been tied to the Sydney Olympics, the 2003 Rugby World Cup, the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the 2007 Rugby World Cup in Paris last year, "helped facilitate" some $1.7 billion in trade and investment opportunities for Australian companies.

Australia's business leaders are waiting on an announcement about whether the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, will attend the Olympics.

Mr Clarke said he did not think that controversy over China's policy in Tibet, which sparked protests against China's Olympic torch relay around the world, would cloud enthusiasm for the Beijing Olympics.

"Sometimes the politics in the Olympics is important," he said.

"Probably, in China, it will be a bit more political but I think it will be a pretty good experience generally.

"I don't think it will be disrupted in the way that, say, the Moscow Games was."

Mr Clarke said Macquarie which has a substantial presence in Hong Kong and China, in a range of areas from property to financial services, would use using the Beijing Olympics to entertain Chinese clients.

But he said other companies would be using the Business Club Australia centre to entertain clients brought from Australia for the Games.

Austrade chief executive Peter O'Byrne said yesterday that corporate sponsorship for the Beijing Business Club had been very strong.

"Australians are very interested," he said.

"The Business Club has some very senior businesspeople involved in its organisation and we are planning it to meet the overall needs of the community," he said. "There is a real dynamic between the companies involved."

BHP -- the only Australian company to sponsor the Beijing Olympics -- has an extensive corporate hospitality program planned for the Games.

The company is providing the metal for all the Beijing Olympic medals.

Several Australian companies, such as architectural firm PTW, which has designed the Olympic swimming centre, will also use the Games to promote their China business credentials.

Corporate executives who attended yesterday's meeting in Sydney to discuss the Beijing Business Club Roundtable included Qantas executive general manager, John Borghetti; Bluescope Steel general manager George Glover; Telstra executive Randy Lynch; Tourism Australia chief Geoff Buckley; ANZ's president for China Andrew McGregor and National Australia Bank's Asian business development manager Michael Shagrin.

Bladerunner Sets Sights on 2012 Olympics

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius, Monday May 19, 2008. Pistorius says he's thrilled to have the chance to qualify for Beijing, but believes the London Olympics may be a more realistic goal. (AP Photo/Bongiwe Gumede)

In this Friday, July 13, 2007 file photo South Africa's Oscar Pistorius crosses the finish line in the Men's 400-meter during the Golden Gala athletics meeting in Rome's Olympic stadium. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

In this Thursday June 21, 2007 file photo South African amputee champion runner, Oscar Pistorius, sprints during a training session in Pretoria, South Africa. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File)

(newser) – Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius finally got the go-ahead to compete in the Olympics, but it took so long the 21-year-old Paralympic world record holder who runs on carbon fiber blades says he may not be able to make the cut for Beijing, and the London Olympics now appear more realistic. Pistorius says months of travel, tests, and "marathon conference calls" interfered with the training he'll need.

Pistorius’ fastest time in the 400-meter is 46.56, which is nearly a second higher than the 45.55 needed to qualify for the Olympics. "Realistically speaking, I have a better chance of qualifying" in 2012 because "I haven't had the chance to train," said the South African. Even if Pistorius doesn't qualify, he could be tapped for his country's 1,600 meter relay squad. Arbitrators last week overturned an ICC ruling that his racing blades give him an unfair advantage.

Dalai Lama Would Find it "Very Hard" to Attend Beijing Olympics

Dalai Lama Would Find it "Very Hard" to Attend Beijing Olympics

Despite reports to the contrary, the Dalai Lama, says that his attendance of the Olympic Games in Beijing is not likely. “If the situation in Tibet remains as it is now, and there is no improvement, then it is very hard to go there,” he told broadcaster ZDF in an interview conducted in Germany, where he is on a five-day tour. Besides, the Dalai Lama hasn’t even received an official invitation to the Games which, in my opinion, is a bit of an insult especially in wake of the current situation.

According to this report, China is blaming the Dalai Lama for the Tibetan unrest that has occurred since mid-March which has prompted anti-China protests all around the world and has disrupted much of the Olympic torch relay.