Sports

What to wear all a matter of money at Olympics

This file photo shows United States' Michael Phelps reacting after winning the gold medal in the men's 100-meter butterfly final during the swimming competitions in the National Aquatics Center at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado: Olympians should have figured out one thing by now: What they can or cannot wear at the London Games has very little to do with their fashion, marketing sense or patriotism, and a whole lot to do with rules, regulations and, of course, money. The overseers of the Olympics are protective of their brand and rings – …

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Need a room for the Olympics? Sleep in a cab

Need a room for the Olympics? Sleep in a cab

LONDON: A London taxi driver has come up with a novel way of solving the Olympic hotel dilemma: Visitors can sleep in his cab for 50 pounds ($78). Cabbie David Weekes had feared that busy traffic throughout the Olympics and special road lanes only for Olympic VIPs would mean fewer taxi fares. So he’s converted his traditional black London taxi …

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London’s Olympic security under renewed scrutiny

London's Olympic security under renewed scrutiny

LONDON: Britain’s stretched border service is letting terror suspects slip into the country, a newspaper reported Sunday, quoting two unnamed Border Agency officials as saying several suspects had been waved through controls at London’s Heathrow Airport since the beginning of the month. The Observer newspaper’s report – which Britain’s Home Office declined to comment on – is the latest in …

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Beckham: Olympian should light flame, not me

British soccer player and London 2012 Olympic Games ambassador David Beckham reacts after lighting the Olympic torch with a cauldron after arriving at RNAS Culdrose base near Helston in Cornwall, south west England in this May 18, 2012, file photo. (REUTERS/Toby Melville/Files)

LOS ANGELES: David Beckham doesn’t believe he’s the right person to light the flame in the opening ceremony of his hometown London Olympics. Beckham says, “Lighting the torch in the stadium is something that should be done by an Olympian, an Olympian that has done incredible things for our country and has won gold medals.” He helped London’s successful bid …

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Saudi’s Olympic opening to women ‘small step’

In this Saturday, July 25, 2012 file photo, members of Saudi Arabia's team walks in Olympic Stadium in Barcelona during the opening ceremonies of the XXV Olympics. (AP file photo/Cliff Schiappa)

CAIRO: Across the world, word that Saudi Arabia would send female athletes to the Olympics for the first time immediately rocketed to the top of websites and broadcasts. In Saudi Arabia’s official media? Not even a hint. The state-sponsored silent treatment was indicative of the deep sensitivities inside the kingdom about the measured steps the country makes from its ultraconservative …

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Syrian Olympic head says he’s not invited to games

General Mowaffak Joumaa's application was refused due to his links to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, which has launched a bloody crackdown on protests. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL

DAMASCUS: A Syrian official says the country’s Olympic chief will not attend the London Games because the organizing committee did not invite him. Syrian Olympic Committee president Gen. Mowaffak Joumaa had previously insisted he would travel to London despite indications he would be denied entry by Britain because of his links to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime. But on Tuesday, …

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From broken neck to breaking records for Vogel

Vogel expects the British cyclists to be very strong at the Olympics.

BERLIN: Without a cycling helmet, she would probably have been killed. Three years after surviving a horrific accident, German cyclist Kristina Vogel will arrive at the Olympics as the world team sprint champion and record holder. Her Melbourne world championship triumph was the 21-year-oldโ€™s first taste of glory on the world stage and she will be battling alongside Britainโ€™s Victoria …

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Rogge: No guarantee Saudis to send women to London

Rogge: No guarantee Saudis to send women to London

LONDON: IOC President Jacques Rogge says he can’t guarantee “100 percent” that female athletes from Saudi Arabia will compete at the London Olympics, although he remains optimistic the Gulf kingdom will send women to the games for the first time. Rogge tells The Associated Press in an interview that the International Olympic Committee is discussing the “operational details” with Saudi …

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