Countdown to Olympics

* Days until opening ceremony: Eight.

* Olympic update: The International Olympic Committee opened three days of executive board meetings in Sydney. A full session of the IOC will take place next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

* March to the medals: Defending tennis gold medalist Andre Agassi pulled out of the Olympics because of concern for his mother and sister, who are fighting breast cancer.

* Carrying the torch: A day after a 12-year-old torch relay runner burned her thumb when a flame burst from the torch, the route took the torch onto a ski lift for a ride to the top of Mount Crackenback.

* Olympic footnote: Asia is home to more than 60% of the world’s population, but it won only 10% of the gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.