China's CCTV football commentator TAO WEI was "found dead in a hotel room" Monday. The 42-year-old was discovered at the Nishi Haitai Hotel in Jinan, Shandong province. Police said that the death "was not suspicious" (CHINA DAILY, 8/28). ... HELEN MIRREN was the choice to play QUEEN ELIZABETH II in the Opening Ceremony of the London Games "if the real Queen had not wanted to take part." Mirren was eyed to play the royal as she joined DANIEL CRAIG's James Bond "en route to the Olympic Stadium via parachute" (DIGITALSPY.co.uk, 8/27). ... Test captain CAMERON SMITH is supporting the Australian Rugby League Commission's attempts to "poach GILLON MCLACHLAN away from the Australian Football League to take on the top job." McLachlan, the right-hand man to AFL CEO ANDREW DEMETRIOU, is in the running with interim National Rugby League CEO SHANE MATTISKE to "take over the position vacated by DAVID GALLOP in June" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/29). ... South Korea’s OH JIN-HYEK and his “bow-toting sweetheart,” KI BO-BAE scooped the men’s and women’s individual archery titles and were handed a combined bonus of 450M won ($405,000) from Hyundai Motor Group for their "golden exploits" at the London Games. Oh’s share was 200M won ($180,000). Oh also brought home a Bronze medal from the team event. Ki, who received 250M won ($225,000), teamed with LEE SUNG-JIN and CHOI HYEON-JU to win another Gold in the team event (REUTERS, 8/28).
