LAUSANNE, Switzerland - Exactly a year before the opening ceremony, Iraq and Afghanistan were among the record 201 countries invited to compete in the Athens Olympics.
IOC president Jacques Rogge and organizing chief Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki marked the one-year countdown by sending out official invitations, with the first going to Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics and host of the first modern games in 1896.
The 201 recognized committees included Afghanistan, whose Olympic committee was suspended by the IOC under the Taliban regime but was reinstated last month, and recently recognized East Timor and Kiribati.
MALONE LEAVES TEAM: Utah Jazz star Karl Malone left the Olympic team after the death of his mother. A USA Basketball spokesman said Shirley Jackson Malone, who had not been ill, evidently died of a heart attack.
PRO BASKETBALL: Expert: Trial will take time
Kobe Bryant's sexual assault trial could begin as early as next spring, but a legal expert says it may not start before the end of the NBA season and playoffs. A felony case in Colorado can move from arraignment to trial in four months, although most take longer. "If I was a betting man, and I am, I would wager that this trial would not begin before late June 2004," Denver defense attorney Craig Silverman said. Bryant, 24, is scheduled to return to Eagle County Court for an Oct. 9 preliminary hearing, the day after the Lakers' second preseason game.
BLAZERS: Former Portland player Jerome Kersey has been hired as director of player programs, a position created to develop young players and provide support on and off the court.
KNICKS: Second-round pick Maciej Lampe signed after reaching a buyout agreement with Real Madrid of Spain.
WNBA: Former player Latasha Byears, who helped Los Angeles to two league championships, is under investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting a former teammate, Los Angeles television station KCOP reported. Byears and three men who have no connection to the Sparks allegedly raped the victim at a party after a June 5 game against Sacramento.
PAN AM GAMES: Swimmers shine for U.S.
American swimmers kept filling the medals podium in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The women's 400-meter freestyle relay team of Amanda Weir, Christina Swindle, Colleen Lanne and Courtney Shealy set a games record of 3 minutes, 41.93 seconds, a nearly five-second edge over runner-up Canada. Elizabeth Hill set a games record of 4:10.18 in the 400-meter freestyle, and Diana MacManus won the 100 backstroke. Jennie Finch struck out 15 and allowed three hits as the Americans advanced to tonight's gold-medal game. The volleyball team lost to Cuba in five sets in the men's semifinals, and the women's field hockey team lost 3-1 to Argentina.
TENNIS: Roddick, Blake advance
Andy Roddick had 10 aces to advance to the round of 16 by defeating Ivan Ljubicic 6-1, 6-4 at the Cincinnati Masters in Mason, Ohio. Roddick will play Tampa's James Blake, who defeated Sjeng Schalken 6-1, 6-4. Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero lost.
U.S. OPEN: Carly Gullickson was among eight women given wild-card entries. Gullickson, 16, became the youngest player to represent the United States at the Pan Am Games and made the quarterfinals.
HORSES: Sulamani named favorite
Sulamani is set for his American debut Saturday in the Arlington Million in Arlington Heights, Ill. Sulamani, winner of the 2002 French Derby, was made the 8-5 favorite for the 11/4-mile turf race. The 4-year-old will be ridden by David Flores and leave from the No. 1 post. Storming Home was the second choice at 7-2, and Perfect Drift and The Tin Man were co-third choices at 4-1.
ET CETERA
SOCCER: Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad and MetroStars defender Edgar Bartholomeu were treated for heat exhaustion as the teams played to a scoreless tie in East Rutherford, N.J. Temperatures reached 118 degrees on the field at Giants Stadium.
In other MLS games, Landon Donovan had two goals and an assist as visiting San Jose defeated Dallas 3-0. In Washington, Eliseo Quintanilla scored the first goal against Colorado in more than four games in D.C. United's 1-0 victory. In Columbus, Damani Ralph scored in the 90th minute to give Chicago a tie at 2 with the Crew.
BOXING: Mike Tyson's recent bankruptcy filing has delayed the ex-heavyweight champion's civil lawsuit against promoter Don King. Both sides agreed to put off the scheduled Sept. 22 civil trial until April, attorneys said.
TRACK AND FIELD: German 400-meter runner Florence Ekpo-Umoh was banned for two years after a panel of experts ruled she was guilty of using the anabolic steroid Stanozol. The ban expires March 10, 2005, ruling her out of the Athens Olympics.
