Olympic Notes: Sydney Olympic Rings Sold On Ebay For $17,000

The five massive rings from the Sydney Harbour Bridge that "were the focal point of celebrations during the 2000 Olympics have been sold" for A$21,000 ($17,000). The steel rings, measuring 70 by 40 meters (230 by 130 feet) when assembled and weighing 50,000kg (110,000 pounds), "had been in a storage shed south of Sydney." When businessman Bernard Maas recently bought the shed, "he discovered the rings inside" (AP, 5/14). ... PyeongChang Olympics organizers marked the 1,000-day countdown to the 2018 Games at a ceremony in Seoul, unveiling a new slogan -- "Passion. Connected." -- which they hope will help boost interest in winter sports in Asia. POCOG Chair Cho Yang-ho said that "the slogan represented a desire to bring winter sports into the limelight on the global stage." After a slow start, preparations for the 2018 Games "are now in full flow, and an IOC coordination committee visit in March reported they were satisfied the venues would be ready" (REUTERS, 5/16).