MONTE CARLO : An Olympic Decision

The hopes of five cities to host the first Olympic Games of the second millennium will be on the line Thursday in Monte Carlo as the International Olympic Committee convenes to choose the site for the 2000 Games.

In addition to front-runners Sydney, Australia, and Beijing, other cities in contention are Berlin, Manchester, England, and Istanbul, Turkey.

Chinese leaders want the Games badly to improve China’s image after the 1989 Tian An Men Square crackdown. However, human rights groups and a large bloc of the U.S. Congress oppose the Beijing candidacy. In the end, the vote of the 90-member IOC will be a contest between those who believe the Olympic Games will help curb rights abuses in China and those who believe the ancient Middle Kingdom needs to be taught a lesson.