After their semifinal match Tuesday in Crete, the U.S. and German women’s soccer teams were on the same flight back to Athens. Sort of. While the Germans boarded and disembarked like regular passengers, going through the main terminals in both places, the U.S. women were whisked in and out of the back of the plane to avoid the terminals. That special treatment was part of the extra security measures taken for U.S. athletes in Greece.
Philip Hersh.
Greece protests
Greece has lodged a protest over the controversial end to light-heavyweight Elias Pavlidis’ Olympic bout against Egypt’s Ahmed Ismail, saying Ismail delivered several illegal hits that caused Pavlidis to become too injured to continue. The decision to stop the fight sparked a melee at Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hall, with Greek fans throwing water bottles at the ring and forcing Ismail to run for cover. The protest claims “the Egyptian athlete … did not compete fairly, as can be seen clearly in the videotape.”
Friends again
The Australian rowers are pals again. The women’s eights crew presented a united front after Sally Robbins said some teammates had refused to talk to her after she pulled up with about 400 meters to go in the 2,000-meter final. Team captain Julia Wilson praised Robbins for “serious bravery” in speaking out, adding that the team’s “reactions were very strong after what happened, and we were very emotional.”
2 teens vanish
Police searched for two missing teenagers from Gambia who were last seen at the main Olympic complex. The two are part of an Olympics-sponsored camp that helps youths learn about other cultures. Accompanied to a track-and-field venue by a chaperone, they had been given $240 each, then asked to go get a drink and never returned, police said.
A true original
Henry Hsu is truly old school. When basketball became an Olympic sport in 1936, Hsu was there, playing guard for China in Berlin. Hsu came to Athens as an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee, and he’s still a hoops junkie. “Our sport has become very spectacular,” said Hsu, 94.
