U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT), a member of the Senate
Appropriations Committee, dismissed reports that federal
funding for the Olympic Games could be cut: "I don't see the
Olympic money as being in any significant danger. John
(McCain) has always complained about the Olympics and the
Congress has always listened politely and then gone ahead
with the funding." U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT): "I have
not seen any wavering in the Senate of support for Salt Lake
City" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 9/28)....Henry Kissinger, a "key
player" in the IOC's reform process, said he would like to
see Beijing host the 2008 Summer Games (L.A. TIMES, 9/28).
Athens 2004 Organizing Committee President Gianna
Angelopoulos was interviewed by NBC's Katie Couric on the
"Today" show. Angelopoulos, on Athens' preparedness for the
Games: "For three months now, we [have worked] very hard.
... What really counts is that we have this unique promise
from the IOC, the Coordination Commission, that we put
things back on track. In three months, we've done a great
job. But we know that we have .... hard work. ... We'll do
it. We'll make it" ("Today," NBC, 9/28).
MORE FROM SYDNEY: In DC, Sally Jenkins writes, "The
Olympics are crawling with women. They're everywhere, babes
in the pole vault, chicks in the triathlon. ... What we are
seeing ... is an absolutely seismic cultural shift. The
range of acceptable female conduct is now changing every
four years, with each Olympics" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/28).
...U.S. women's basketball C Lisa Leslie said the form-
fitting body suit worn by other Olympic teams "does what it
is supposed to do, get the attention of the people, the male
fans more than anyone else." But Leslie "does not expect
the WNBA to adopt body suits." Leslie: "That would be the
wrong direction for us" (USA TODAY, 9/28)....Women's 400m
Gold-medal winner Australian sprinter Cathy Freeman "was
spotted" at the Watches of Switzerland store in downtown
Sydney, where her husband, Nike exec Sandy Bodecker, bought
her a Cartier watch. While the store "would not say which
watch she chose," the styles she looked at cost $19,000-
64,000, "depending on the number of diamonds" (ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 9/28)....In Toronto, Jim Byers cites a Sydney
Daily Telegraph "tour of the posh sponsor parties." The IOC
party rated "five wine glasses," the John Hancock party
rated "three and a half glasses," Time Magazine five and
Coca-Cola three (TORONTO STAR, 9/28)....The FINANCIAL TIMES'
Virginia Marsh wrote on Sydney's preparation under the sub-
headline, "Australia's organisation of the millennium games
is already being held up as a model for the future"
(FINANCIAL TIMES, 9/27)....With the U.S. baseball team
winning the Gold medal, USA TODAY's Hal Bodley writes, "It
makes a strong case against sending major leaguers to Athens
in 2004" (USA TODAY, 9/28)....FSN's Kevin Frazier, on U.S.
coach Tommy Lasorda: "I guarantee he'll have a commercial
out of [winning the gold medal]" ("NSR," FSN, 9/27).
