COUNTDOWN TO OLYMPICS

* Days until opening ceremony: 20.

* Olympic update: The International Olympic Committee abruptly withdrew an offer for Afghan representatives to attend the Sydney Games, accusing the ruling Taliban militia of exploiting the invitation for political gain.

* March to the medals: The U.S. Olympic Committee plans to weigh conflicting decisions from an arbitrator and a federal court and decide next week whether Matt Lindland or Keith Sieracki will be America’s 167 1/2-pound Greco-Roman wrestler in Sydney.

* Carrying the torch: Having survived its second sabotage attempt in as many days, the torch traveled from Port Macquarie to Forster. A teenager tried to grab it from a torchbearer Friday, one day after another teen tried to douse it with a fire extinguisher.

* Olympic footnote: An eight-mile “river of lightning” linking the Olympic Stadium and the Sydney Harbor Bridge will feature fireworks marking the end of the 2000 Games during the closing ceremony--the first time a closing ceremony has extended beyond the stadium.