Atlanta Olympics End Up Avoiding Budget Deficit

The Atlanta Olympics met their goal of avoiding red ink and might even show a small surplus once the books close next year.

Billy Payne, president of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, said Tuesday in Indianapolis that the Summer Games--the first financed entirely from sponsorships and other private funds--at least broke even on its $1.7-billion budget.

Other ACOG officials have said they expected a balanced ledger or a surplus, but always added qualifications. Payne, however, left no room for doubt.

“As we are saying here today, we have broken even on a cash basis,” Payne told the U.S. Olympic Congress, the annual convention of the Olympic community in America.

Payne makes his final report to the International Olympic Committee next month and said he expected the ACOG books to close for good in March or April.

Payne said ACOG had done it alone, with no bailouts by corporate sponsors or forgiveness of outstanding accounts by creditors.

Tennis

Magnus Gustafsson defeated Andre Agassi, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, in the second round of the Paris Open, continuing Agassi’s up-and-down ride in the French tournament.

In another second-round match, Michael Chang survived a third-set tiebreaker, defeating Mark Philippoussis, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7).

Agassi lost in his first match in the 1992 Paris tournament and was the winner in 1994. He was ranked No. 1 for last year’s Paris Open but withdrew because of an injury.

He again lost his first match Tuesday after a first-round bye.

Chang will play Frenchman Arnaud Boetsch, who beat Jim Courier, 6-4, 7-5.

Conchita Martinez of Spain defeated Sandra Dopfer of Austria, 6-3, 6-3, in the Ladies Kremlin Cup tournament at Moscow. Russian Tatiana Panova defeated Amanda Coetzer of South Africa, 6-4, 6-4, and Katarina Studenikova of Slovakia defeated Leila Meskhi of Georgia, 6-1, 6-1.

Soccer

Two of the three Italian teams remaining in the UEFA Cup in Rome were eliminated, with Karlsruhe knocking out AS Roma and Tenerife beating Lazio of Rome.

Abel Balbo scored twice during a five-minute span in the first half, but Marc Keller scored with six minutes to go for Karlruhe. Despite the 2-1 loss, the German team advanced to the third round on 4-2 aggregate.

Tenerife overcame a 1-0 loss in the first leg by beating Lazio, 5-2, on two goals by Juan Castano and one each by Pablo Paz, Meho Kodro and Slavisa Jokanovic.

Italian second-division club Genoa is about to sign Roy Lassiter, Major League Soccer’s leading scorer, according to a spokeswoman for the team.

Lassiter, who scored 30 goals for the Tampa Bay Mutiny, also is on the U.S. national team.

Names in the News

Tiger Woods’ father, Earl, was discharged from a hospital in Tulsa, Okla., after spending four days undergoing tests and observation for chest pains.

Neither the family nor the hospital said what was wrong with Woods.

But sources close to the family said Woods was suffering from a bronchial problem. Hospital sources said Woods had a buildup of fluid in his left lung.

Former Olympic boxing gold medalist Henry Tillman pleaded not guilty to charges he murdered one man and critically wounded another in a January shooting.

Tillman, 36, was held without bail and ordered back to court in Santa Monica for a Nov. 6 hearing.

Diego Maradona testified in a case involving his manager, Guillermo Coppola, who was indicted last week on drug trafficking charges in Buenos Aires.

After giving evidence, which was not made public, a stern-faced Maradona raced past reporters and cameramen outside the city courthouse and did not comment.

Maradona, a self-confessed cocaine addict, has said the arrest of his manager was the result of “shady political and economic interests” and says he will give further details unless his manager is freed.

Colin Montgomerie of Scotland finished No. 1 on the European PGA Tour money list for the fourth consecutive season and fellow Ryder Cup player Ian Woosnam took the No. 2 spot.