Mailbag V: Mascots, Drugs And A Few Shrugs

Mailbag IV: E-Mail Choice, Roasting Joyce
Mailbag III: Olympic Rings, History Things
Mailbag II: Time Zones, Volleyball Rules
Mailbag I: You Ask, We Answer

Well people, it's that time again -- time to check out the old Olympic Mailbag to see what's going through your fertile little brains as you watch the 2000 Olympic Games from Sydney.

First off, let me say that many of you are asking questions about television coverage. Lots of questions about taekwondo, in fact. I had no idea it was that popular, and evidently, neither did the brass at NBC.

If you want to see the television schedules for NBC, CNBC and MSNBC, you need to visit this page on NBC's Olympics site. And if you're upset that certain events aren't receiving proper coverage, here's a link to NBC's Olympics site. Scroll to the bottom and click "Help/Feedback" and follow the instructions to pass your feedback along to them. Trust me, there's nothing we can do about it.

And now, let's get to the questions . . .

Paul from Sacramento says, "I watched presentation of the gold medals being awarded to the two Americans that tied for the gold in the men's swimming 50m freestyle. It appeared that only the two golds and a silver medal were being presented to the swimmers. Was there a bronze award presented at the awards ceremony for the men's 50m freestyle?"

Actually Paul, there were two golds and a bronze awarded. Anthony Ervin and Gary Hall tied for first, so they each got a gold. Pieter van den Hoogenband finished third (two other swimmers beat him), so he was awarded the bronze. There was no silver awarded because nobody finished second.

Tammy from Anderson asks, "Why does the women's volleyball team from Brazil have Brazil spelled with an 's' on their team outfits?"

Well Tammy, "Brasil" is the way they spell it down there. Just because Americans call it "Brazil" doesn't make it the country's name. They are probably asking each other, "Why do the athletes from los Estados Unidos have a 'U.S.' on their uniforms?" Because down there, we're the "E.U."

Marco from Houston says, "There 3 mascots in the Olympics and I would like to know who they are. Thank you so much!!!"

This is why they say, "It takes all kinds." Because I, personally, couldn't care less about Olympic mascots, but folks like Marco are enthralled by them. Here you go, Marco. It's a link to the mascots page on the official site of the Sydney games. Follow that link and you can read about Millie, Syd and Olly until you're giddy with mascot fever.

Carol from Deland asks, "Which athletes compete with a disability?"

Hmm . . . "disability" is such a loaded word. I guess when you're talking about "traditional" disabilities, however, there's one person who springs to mind. U.S. distance runner Marla Runyan, who is legally blind. Here's a link to her bio page on NBC's Olympics site. Are there others out there competing with a "disability"? If you know of a story to share, please let me know.

Skip from Murphys, Calif., wants to know, "Does the Olympics have boat sailing races, other than sail boarding, and if so where can I find the results?"

Yes, there is a sailing competition in the Summer Olympics. Here's a link to the sailing page on the official site of the Sydney Games. You'll find results there.

Irene from Sacramento wants to know, "Who inspired Ken Muhindi to pursue his dream...was it his brother or Miguel Martinez or his cousin?"

I'll be honest with you Irene, I didn't see that particular piece on the Kenyan mountain biker, but according to his bio page on the official site of the Sydney games, his cousin James Muhindu is his most admired person. James qualified for the Atlanta Games, but disappeared before the Olympics and has been missing ever since. What a tragic story -- but obviously inspirational to his cousin.

Robert Lee of Williamston asks, "How many nations are in the 2000 Olympics?"

199. I counted.

Elizabeth from Apopka has a killer question: "How many miles was in this years torch relay from Greece to Oceania to Austrailia?"

Wow. Well, I checked out the torch relay page on the official site for the Sydney Games, and it doesn't really say. I confirmed that it was the longest torch relay ever, that it was the first to go underwater and into space (although that wasn't part of the official relay) and that once in Australia it traveled 27,000 kilometers (16,767 miles). But I couldn't find the total for the journey from Greece. If you find it, let me know and I'll post the answer.

Alexandra of Melrose asks, "Who is the fastest man in the world?"

That title traditionally goes to the winner of the 100m, and the current champion is Maurice Greene of the U.S. He holds the current world record with a 9.79, which he posted last summer in a meet in Athens, Greece, and he won the 100m in Sydney on Saturday with a time of 9.87.

Cassie of Linwood wants to know, "What would the main controversy of the Olympics be?"

Of course, that's a matter of opinion Cassie. But in my mind it continues to be the drug angle. C.J. Hunter casting a shadow (no pun intended) on Marion Jones' drive for five gold medals. Andreea Raducan losing her gold medal because her doctor gave her a pill for a stuffy nose. Every swimmer who posts a personal best getting thrown under the white hot light of public speculation. Nobody trusts anybody these days, because everybody knows some drugs can be masked, tests can be false-positive, and the pressure to win has driven many competitors down the slippery slope of performance-enhancing substances.

It?s a mess, and it's not going away any time soon. And that, in my mind, is the main controversy of the Olympics.

Tim of Walpole asks, "What are the rules to Greco-Roman wrestling?"

It's a whole different sport from freestyle wresting isn't it? Or that WWF crap, for that matter. Here's a link to an awesome rules page on the official site of the Sydney games. Basically, the biggest difference between freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling is in the legs -- Greco-Roman wrestlers can't use them against their opponents or attack them to score points.

Dave of Citrus Heights asks, "Have there been any indications, by visiting athletes, of the rate of exchange that favors the U.S. dollar? Price a loaf of bread and a quart of milk in the Aussie and U.S. dollars."

Dave, an Australian dollar is currently worth about 55 cents American. At Dewson's Grocery chain in Sydney, a loaf of bread is currently priced at $1.79 Australian (about $0.98 U.S.); A two-liter bottle of milk (just over a half gallon) is $2.25 Australian (about $1.23).

Vicki of OrangeVale writes, "G'day, I'm currently watching the USA (Venus Williams) tennis match. It appears Venus is NOT wearing a USA uniform. Can you verify and explain this? Although it takes individuals to make up the USA team, I think a uniform identifies the team spirit. My opinion would apply to all event athletes."

The USTA, which is in charge of selecting the U.S. Olympic tennis team, and Reebok, who is Williams' clothing sponsor, apparently struck a deal to allow the U.S. Open champion to wear non-officially sanctioned tennis clothes.

A similar controversy almost kept Australian star Jelena Dokic out of the Olympics: Dokic is paid handsomely to wear Fila clothing, but the Australian Olympic Team required its athletes to wear official uniforms, which were supplied by Nike.

Gwyn of Houston says, "I don't want to 'stump' you all. I'm just a little confused with all the drug testing for the athletes. I support it but wonder why: If C.J. Hunter, world shot champion, was not going to participate in the Olympic games, why was he tested?"

Actually Gwyn, Mr. Hunter was not tested at the Olympics. He tested positive at a meet in Oslo, Norway, back in July. He pulled out of the Olympics with a knee injury, although there has since been speculation that he withdrew to avoid a positive test in Sydney. Interesting, to say the least.