BODY DECORATION FOR WIMPS

The tattoo craze has hit the athletes’ village. Tattoo artist Liz Mendel is mobbed whenever she shows up there and spends four hours decorating the athletes’ bodies.

In this case, however, there is no painful needle involved and the tattoos are temporary, not being real tattoos at all.

Mendel starts with a transfer--she has about 300 designs--then colors in the artwork with alcohol-based tempera.

“I can’t draw but I can paint,” said Mendel, who normally works as a massage therapist.

Her works of art last for about five days, depending on skin chemistry, sweat and humidity.