OLYMPIC NOTES
Published
March 2, 2000
FIFA officials said yesterday that they would "consider
whether to postpone key European matches in September to
allow players to take part in the Olympics." In exchange,
IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch said that he would
"consider moving up the 2004 Athens Games to late July, from
Aug. 13 to 29, to avoid conflicts with the soccer schedule"
(AP, 3/2)....USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand writes that
"temporary expansion" of Sydney's Aquatic Centre will "swell
the venue's capacity from 4,400 to at least 17,500 for the
Games." SOCOG has said that it will "provide video screens
to help fans" follow action in the facility (USA TODAY,
3/2)....In Australia, John Lehmann writes that Olympic
broadcaster the Seven Network "has won a huge advantage"
over rival Australian networks with a restriction that will
limit non-rights holders to use "only one camera each at
Sydney's Olympic Park." The networks will also "be banned
from screening live broadcasts from Olympic Park during the
Games under guidelines to be announced by the Olympic Co-
ordination Authority" (AUSTRALIAN NEWS NETWORK, 3/2).
