Staying back for love

Athletes usually don8217;t drop out of the Olympics for any reason other than injury. Surreyya Ayhan, Turkey8217;s 1,500m runner and Europ...

Athletes usually don8217;t drop out of the Olympics for any reason other than injury. Surreyya Ayhan, Turkey8217;s 1,500m runner and European champion, is missing from Athens, citing a mysterious 8216;leg injury8217;. Few buy the story. The real reason, the grapevine goes, is an extra-marital scandal Ayhan is enmeshed in. She8217;s reportedly having an affair with her coach, who8217;s left his wife and children to move in with Ayhan. Ayhan8217;s absence has been particularly noticed because she was one of 32 candidates for four sportsperson slots on the IOC8217;s Athlete8217;s Commission. The voting for the eight-year term will take place during the Olympics, with every single resident of the Games Village 8212; just under 11,000 8212; indicating their choice on a ballot paper. Candidates have to be participants at the current Games.

Indian link Down Under

Indian links emerge out of the woodwork. Mohini Bhardwaj, American gymnast, has a Russian mother and an Indian father. Kylie Wheeler, the Australian heptathlete who finished 18th in her event, has an Indian mother.

Hockey BOOM goes bust

The Olympics, like the rest of modern sport, are part of the entertainment industry. Nowhere is this connection more obvious that immediately before or after events, when music appropriate to the occasion is heard. During the exhilarating build-up to the 100m 8212; watched by a packed stadium, 80,000 strong, the crowd on its feet, swaying, clapping, cheering, clicking away with the camera 8212; the eight fastest men on the planet were introduced to the setting by the theme music from Zorba the Greek. When Carolina Kluft of Sweden won the women8217;s heptathlon, the organisers thoughtfully layed ABBA8217;s Dancing Queen. At India8217;s hockey match against New Zealand, a robust number from Boom was heard on the public address system. Alas, it came just after India had lost.