"African hopes of hosting the continent's first Olympic
Games suffered a blow" when the IOC on Thursday "expressed
concern about the crime problem" in Cape Town, South Africa,
which is bidding for the 2004 Summer Games, according to
Patrick Harverson of the FINANCIAL TIMES. In a report on
the 11 bidding cities, the IOC "acknowledged that Cape Town
had developed a detailed strategy to improve security but
said it remained concerned about the serious crime in the
city." Harverson reports that among the contenders,
"favourable evaluations" were given to Rome, Athens,
Stockholm and Buenos Aires. The other six bidding cities
are Istanbul, Lille, St. Petersburg, Seville, San Juan and
Rio de Janeiro (FINANCIAL TIMES, 2/21).
FREE BIRDS: IOC Chair Juan Antonio Samaranch on
keeping the Olympics on free TV: "Everybody has the right to
see the Olympics without paying. It is the most important
event in sports" (Mike Bruton, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 2/21).
SOLID GOLD: The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team will
go on a six game "Victory Tour" presented by Nike this
spring, celebrating the team's gold medal in the '96 Olympic
Games (U.S. Soccer).
