TODAY IN AUSTRALIA

In 18-hour time difference means that events ending by late afternoon in Sydney will appear inthe same day’s paper in L.A.

When it is 1 p.m. Wednesday in Los Angeles, it is 7 a.m. Thursday in Sydney, Australia.

DELAY OF GAMES

Sydney is 18 hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Time, meaning it will be midday in Australia when The Times goes to press daily. The Times, with a staff of 16 in Sydney, will be uniquely positioned to report on many events on a same-day basis--and often ahead of those events appearing on television. NBC, which owns U.S. broadcast rights, has decided to show all events on tape delay over its network and cable affiliates. Live coverage on the Canadian Broadcast Co. (CBC) is available only on the old, large C-band satellite-dish systems.

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Event Sydney Time L.A. Time PDT Time on TV Cycling 10 a.m. Wed. 4 p.m. Tues. 7 p.m.-midnight Wed. NBC Men’s tennis 11 a.m. Wed. 5 p.m. Tues. 5-9 p.m. Wed. CNBC Canoeing 8:30 a.m. Wed. 2:30 p.m. Tues. 10 a.m.-noon Wed. NBC Track and field 6 p.m. Wed. midnight Wed. 7 p.m.-midnight Wed. NBC

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ON TV

NBC

* 10 a.m.-noon: Track and field, women’s 1,500, men’s decathlon, men’s 200, women’s 200; canoeing, men’s and women’s 500. 7 p.m.-midnight: Track and field, men’s decathlon, women’s 100 hurdles semifinals and final, women’s 200 semifinals, men’s 200 semifinals, men’s 1,500 semifinals, women’s long jump qualifying, men’s 800 final, men’s pole vault final, women’s 400 hurdles; men’s cycling, road race; wrestling, Greco-Roman final; women’s diving, springboard qualifying and semifinals. 12:41 a.m.-2:11 a.m.: Women’s basketball quarterfinal; men’s volleyball quarterfinal

MSNBC

* 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Women’s tennis, gold medal; baseball, gold medal; men’s water polo, U.S.-Greece; equestrian, team dressage final; wrestling, Greco-Roman gold medal finals

CNBC

* 5-9 p.m.: Boxing quarterfinals; men’s tennis, doubles gold medal match; wrestling, Greco-Roman gold medal finals; sailing