Olympic Village

ATLANTA -- David Khakhaleichvili of the Republic of Georgia was favored to win the heavyweight judo competition here the same way he won gold in Barcelona, Spain, four years ago. But there was no medal for him these Games. There was never even a chance to compete."This is the worst thing that has ever happened in my life, and I don't know if I want to live anymore," Khakhaleichvili said through an interpreter at the end of his day of failure.He should have known it was going to be a bad day when he awoke with a throbbing toothache.

WASHINGTON - -Everywhere Mike Green looked during the Washington Capitals' recent three-day visit to Vancouver, the high-scoring defenseman was reminded of the question that has consumed him since summer: Will he, or won't he, make Team Canada's final cut? The four Olympic rings and the words "Vancouver 2010" adorned everything from billboards to taxicabs. Every other story on sports television, it seemed, focused on the approaching Games. Each morning after practice, a gaggle of reporters gathered around Green's locker room stall at GM Place to capture his thoughts on the matter.

You want to bet against him, bet against him. The new football stadium at Camden Yards is testament to John Moag's fighting spirit. And this time, he is not alone.Moag is merely one of the heavy hitters trying to secure the 2012 Olympics for Baltimore and Washington. Chances are it will never happen. But the last time people bet against Moag, he stole the Cleveland Browns."Objectively, in a lot of respects, I'm more confident about this," said Moag, one of the Baltimore board members appointed by Mayor Schmoke to join the consolidated organizing committee preparing the Olympic bid."

Guest writer Olga Connolly, then known as Olga Fikotova, won a gold medal in the discus for Czechoslovakia in the 1956 Summer Olympics and, more famously, was involved in an Olympic Village romance with U.S. hammer thrower Harold Connolly. That resulted in a marriage that lasted until 1973. She became a U.S. citizen and lives in California. In the 1956 Summer Olympics, I represented Czechoslovakia. In four subsequent Olympics, I represented the United States. In this special year, when the ancient Games of Peace return to Athens, I offer my Independence Day story.

BARCELONA, Spain -- There is an Olympic stadium perched on a hilltop and a boxing arena that fronts a bar. A marina juts out like a grand boulevard in the Mediterranean, but the sea is so polluted, sailors guzzle bottles of Pepto-Bismol to ward off a bacteria battle in the belly.The athletes' village is crammed with video games, bowling lanes and TV sets locked on MTV. But the apartment rooms have no air conditioning, and the village bars serve nothing stronger than soda.The Summer Olympics have come to the city of the three-hour lunch, the seven-hour workday and the midnight dinner.

BARCELONA, Spain -- In a little village far from here -- far from everywhere, actually -- the huts are made from mud and the roads from dirt, and the outside world is a place rarely visited.Though they have no electricity in the village, there is, inevitably, at least one TV set. No place is that removed. And last night, if all went well, and it had to go well if there's any justice, the TV was hooked up to a car battery, allowing flickering images of far-off royalty and opera singers and Magic Johnson's smile to illuminate the night sky.In the village, as in the rest of the world, they would have seen surreal visions of Hercules and sea monsters and other Disney-like wonders great and fantastic.

SYDNEY, Australia - James Carter listened for boos and jeering whistles when he was introduced to the crowd before the final of the men's 400-meter hurdles at Olympic Park last night. "I was hoping I wouldn't hear anything," he said. He didn't. The packed house of 110,000 at Olympic Stadium barely responded to his name. It meant he had survived the biggest mistake of his life - barely. "I just don't want people to have that as their image of me," said Carter, a Baltimore native who went to Mervo.

NAGANO, Japan -- His Olympic credential reads, "Albert Grimaldi, Athlete, Monaco." It hangs from his neck, along with his room key from the Olympic Village.You can almost see those wacky snowboarders bowing and shouting, "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"Prince Albert rules.This is his fourth Olympics, matching the total of "King" Carl Lewis. Once again, he's competing in bobsled, staying in the athletes' village, acting like a regular guy.The prince might not party with Alberto Tomba, but he considers him a friend.

BARCELONA, Spain -- In a competition perceived by many as meaningless, Jennifer Capriati yesterday recorded one of the most meaningful victories of her career.Capriati, 16, defeated Steffi Graf in the women's Olympic tennis final, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. It wasn't the same as winning a Grand Slam event, but for a player trying to crack the sport's elite, it was close.On the red clay of Vall d'Hebron, Capriati displayed newfound resolve, overcame her last remaining nemesis and won an Olympic gold medal.

Basketball Carmelo Anthony Age: 28 From: Baltimore Schedule: Group A: vs. France, July 29; vs. Tunisia, July 31; vs. Nigeria, Aug. 2; vs. Lithuania, Aug. 4; vs. Argentina, Aug. 6 Olympic experience: This is Anthony's third Olympics appearance. He was a bench player on the U.S. team that won bronze in 2004, and played a key role on the gold-medal winning squad in 2008. What to expect: Anthony should earn significant minutes in London. He'll likely score in bunches, and could play a critical role in the U.S.'s pursuit of a second-straight Olympic gold medal.