Turning the venues around in Turin
Though it's not as frenetic as the Greek syrtaki performed by the Athens organizers in the weeks before last year's Olympics, the Turin people are doing a brisk tarantella with the Winter Games less than four months away.
The athletes' village and speedskating oval still aren't finished, the luge run is being modified, and the hockey arenas still have to be tested. Since everything should be completed in time, the more urgent issues are ticket sales (roughly 40 percent are still unsold) and a deficit that could top $60 million if proposed government cuts go through.
Among the things that could be reduced are personnel, advertising, free public transport, cleaning, and maintenance. Already scrubbed was the 100-day countdown audio-visual show scheduled for Nov. 4 at the Palavela, where the figure skating will be held during the Games.
Second chance?
Softball may stay on the Olympic program for 2012 after all. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge told international federation president Don Porter and half a dozen Olympians recently that if a third of the 115 members submit a motion at the next session in Turin in February, there could be another vote. If half of them approve, the sport is back in. As it was, if US member Jim Easton, whose company makes softball equipment, hadn't abstained, softball would have survived by one vote in last summer's ballot, when baseball also got the chop by a reported 54-50 score. Though the baseball federation is lobbying the Lords, too, the sport has little chance of reinstatement unless major leaguers are made available and the sport cleans up its drug problems . . . Even though Los Angeles has already tossed its hat in the 2016 ring, the US Olympic Committee is waving the caution flag to would-be bidders. ''We're asking them, 'Don't spend money, don't hire consultants, don't get logos, don't run around,' " says chairman Peter Ueberroth, who headed LA's 1984 bid. After New York's weak showing in the 2012 race this summer, which wasn't helped by the city/state squabble over the stadium and lukewarm support from Washington, the USOC is in no mood for a repeat. ''If we go in ragtag, we're not going to win," maintains Ueberroth, who said last week that the committee was ''looking less favorably" on a 2016 bid. ''Everyone has to be on board or we're not going."
Back to college
If Duke's Mike Krzyzewski ends up as US men's basketball coach (the announcement comes a week from Saturday), he'll be the first college coach to be named since Georgetown's John Thompson directed the 1988 team to bronze in Seoul. Since the NBAers took over in 1992, the coaches have all been pros: Chuck Daly in 1992, Lenny Wilkens in 1996, Rudy Tomjanovich in 2000, and Larry Brown last summer. Krzyzewski, who would coach both next year's world team and the 2008 Olympic squad, was an assistant on the 1992 team, when Duke's Christian Laettner was the token undergraduate . . . For the first time in nearly three decades, the US Olympic track and field trials will return to Eugene for 2008. The Oregon college town, which hosted the 1972, 1976, and 1980 events, outbid Sacramento (site of the last two), Los Angeles/Carson, and Columbus . . . Deena Kastor's victory in the recent Chicago Marathon was the first by an American woman in a major international 26-miler since Kristy Johnson won there in 1994. It's likely Kastor will hold that distinction for at least another year, since a foreigner is all but certain to win next month's New York City marathon (which hasn't had a domestic winner since 1977), world champion Paula Radcliffe probably will run London again, and no woman has won Boston since Lisa Larsen Weidenbach in 1985 . . . Beijing Marathon organizers invoked their own version of softball's slaughter rule last weekend, crowning Kenya's Benson Cherono champion even though he mistakenly cut the course by 800 meters near the finish by following a broadcast van directly into the Olympic sports center. Since Cherono finished more than five minutes ahead of countryman James Moiben, officials let the shortcut slide . . . As domestic distance running continues to improve, the Boston Athletic Association will host the second USA distance summit this weekend, focusing on the growing role of high-performance clubs like Team Running USA, Hansons-Brooks, and Team USA Minnesota in turning out medalists. Greg Meyer, the last US male to win the Boston Marathon in 1983, will be keynote speaker.
Wrestling with success
Huge upset by US wrestler Iris Smith, who beat Japanese five-time champion Kyoko Hamaguchi at the recent world wrestling championships in Budapest. Smith's victory was the only gold for the US men's and women's teams, which won six bronzes and finished second to Russia in the overall standings . . . Jason Gatson is the only Olympian on the US men's team for next month's world gymnastics championships in Melbourne. Joining him are Todd Thornton, Yewki Tomita, Sean Golden, Justin Spring, and Kevin Tan. The women's squad, which may have six new faces and is almost certain to include Winchester's Alicia Sacramone, will be picked next month . . . One medal -- a gold in women's team sabre -- for the US at the recent world fencing championships in Germany, where surprise Olympic champion Mariel Zagunis finished ninth in the individual event. The French, who won four golds and 10 medals overall, topped the table . . . Just one medal -- a bronze by Kristin Armstrong in the women's time trial -- by the US cyclists at the world road championships in Madrid. Olympic silver medalist Bobby Julich, the best bet going in, ended up 11th in the men's time trial, which Australia's Michael Rogers won for the third straight time. ''I just didn't have any gas left in the tank after a long season," Julich said. Natick's Guido Trenti, in 23d, had the best finish in the men's road race . . . With Athens runner-up Rebecca Giddens out for the year with a shoulder injury, the young US whitewater paddling team didn't have much of a chance at the world championships in Australia. Best effort was a 16th by Brett Heyl in men's kayak.
A deep pool
Now that the NHL is under way, the USA Hockey people are scouting nearly six dozen players in their pool. Though resumes and past service on US teams is important, current form will count the most. ''The players pick this team, not us," says general manager Don Waddell. Deadline for naming 20 skaters and three goalies is Dec. 22, although the roster doesn't have to be finalized until the night before the opening game. The women's team of 18 skaters and two goalies will be named by the end of the year . . . US speedskater Shani Davis, who is trying to make history by competing in both disciplines at the same Games, didn't make the World Cup short-track team. Davis, who still can make the Olympic squad by placing in the top five at the December nationals, is the world all-around long-track champion and already has qualified for the long-track team based on last season's results . . . Coming out of retirement is short-tracker Amy Peterson, who is trying to make her sixth Olympic team at 33. One woman she'll have to beat is Natick's Caroline Hallisey, who is bidding for her third trip and skated on the relay that set a US record at the Cup opener in China . . . The 2008 world figure skating championships will be going back to Goteborg, Sweden, for the first time since 1976, when Dorothy Hamill won her only crown there. Next year's post-Olympic event will be held in Calgary, with the 2007 championships going to Tokyo. If the rough continental rotation holds, the worlds would come back to the US -- possibly Boston -- in 2009, the year before the Winter Games in Vancouver. The 2008 US nationals will be held in St. Paul, which hasn't played host since 1939.
Material from Olympic committees, international and domestic sports federations, interviews, and wire services was used in this report. 
