Olympics notebook

By Compiled from Times wires

Americans like their Olympics -- and they like them live

Nearly 90 percent of U.S. adults consider themselves fans of the Olympics, more than any sport, according to a poll.

The Harris Interactive poll, released Friday, showed the NFL was second, with 82 percent of adults considering themselves fans. College football was next with 68, followed by baseball with 62.

Other findings of the Internet survey of more than 12,700 Americans 18 and older:

64 percent would rather watch Olympic events live than on tape.

55 percent of women are interested in seeing athlete profiles during television coverage; 45 percent of men are.

Diving and gymnastics tied as the most popular Olympic sports among women; basketball was the top choice among men.

18 percent watch only events in which U.S. athletes are expected to do well.

34 percent get most of what they need from the Olympics from highlights or regular news.

81 percent have positive feelings about the Olympics.

73 percent believe Olympic athletes provide role models for children.

SLOW IS GOOD: He did not win gold, but Eric "The Eel" Moussambani, the slowest male swimmer in the Games, may be worth his weight in it.

Moussambani's goggles fetched a record number of bids hours after being offered on an online charity auction. After nearly 50 registered bids, his goggles were worth $455. And bids were still rising.

The now-famous swimmer from Equatorial Guinea became the Games' most unlikely star after gallantly battling his way through a 100-meter freestyle preliminary.

He hardly needed the goggles, having kept his head out of the water most of the way.

He has since been swamped by interview requests and reportedly is being chased by big-name sponsors.

DRUG DEALINGS: Accusations that American officials failed to disclose details of more than a dozen positive drug cases are "absurd," the head of USA Track & Field said.

Arne Ljungqvist, chief anti-doping official of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, accused the U.S. association of withholding information on 12 to 15 positive samples in the past two years.

Under the rules of track's world governing body, national federations are required to notify the federation of positive tests and report sanctions taken.

Ljungqvist said the U.S. federation contends that confidentiality rules in the United States prohibit it from disclosing details of the drug cases.

But Craig Masback, executive director of the U.S. federation, said Ljungvist was misguided.

"It's absolutely absurd," he said. "We have reported, reported regularly and reported comprehensively every detail of our drug testing program."

NOT IN THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT: An arrest warrant has been issued for an athlete, police said.

"Investigators ... took out a warrant for the arrest of a 23-year-old international Olympic athlete in relation to an alleged sexual assault committed upon a 17-year-old female," the New South Wales state police said in a statement.

The athlete's name and country were not released.

The Australian Associated Press reported that the wanted man is a Ugandan believed to have fled Sydney.

SLOWEST WINS: This must have been the first time Maurice Greene was a winner by being the slowest.

Greene, the world record holder, had a strange wager with friends Ato Boldon and Jon Drummond in the first round of the 100 meters.

The friendly bet was over "who could win their heat in the slowest time," Boldon said.

Boldon failed miserably. He had the fastest time of anyone, 10.04 seconds. Drummond was the fourth-fastest at 10.15. Of the three, Greene was the slowest at 10.31, though he won his heat easily.

In the evening competition, the next session, they had another friendly bet, over who would be the fastest in his heat. Greene won again.

POLICE LOOKING FOR ATHLETE: The International Olympic Committee is helping police track down an Ugandan athlete accused of assaulting a 17-year-old girl.

"What we are trying to do is to assist the national Olympic committee of Uganda to try and find him so that he surrenders to the authorities," Francois Carrard, IOC director general, said.

Police said they issued a warrant for the athlete's arrest. They said the assault occurred in early Wednesday in a Sydney suburb adjoining the main Olympic site. They declined to give further details or the athlete's identity.

The Australian Associated Press reported that the wanted man is a Ugandan believed to have fled Sydney.

A NEW MOURNING: U.S. player Alonzo Mourning made it back to Miami just in time for the birth of his daughter.

The Heat center arrived from Australia about 20 minutes before his wife, Tracy, gave birth to Myka Sydney at 5:17 p.m. Friday at South Miami Hospital. Myka weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces.

In a previously planned procedure, Tracy Mourning was induced to give birth Friday. She and the baby were in good condition, a hospital statement said.

Mourning left Sydney on Friday morning in Australia and made the 17-hour flight to Los Angeles. He was flown to Miami on the Heat team jet. That leg was six hours. Mourning is due back in Sydney for the start of quarterfinals Thursday.