Coach Flees Iraq, Citing Security

The German coach of Iraq’s Olympic soccer team has left the country because of security concerns stemming from attacks on foreigners in recent days.

Bernd Stange flew to Germany Thursday, after Iraq played an exhibition game in Kuwait. He said Friday that he had been urged to leave Iraq by the German Foreign Ministry and the German Embassy.

The Foreign Ministry on Monday warned Germans to leave after two security officials were ambushed. They are presumed to be dead.

Stange said he “didn’t feel danger” in Iraq, but previously he has complained about what he said was a lack of support for his team from coalition authorities. He noted that several foreign leaders have recently offered help, though, and that he planned to return to Iraq “as soon as possible.”

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Greek security officials met with NATO’s commander in southern Europe, seeking the alliance’s help with aerial surveillance, sea patrols and protection against a chemical, biological or nuclear attack during the Athens Games.

No statement was made after Greek armed forces chief Gen. Giorgos Antonakopoulos and Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis met privately with United States Adm. Gregory Johnson, commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command based in Naples, Italy. However, NATO is expected to announce at some point that it will help during the Games, Aug. 13-29.

Associated Press reported that Greek government officials have said NATO would provide support outside the country’s borders by using AWACS aircraft, warships from its Mediterranean fleet and use of the alliance’s multinational chemical and biological battalion. A Greek defense official said that deployment of battalion officers near Athens also was discussed.

Antonakopoulos is scheduled to travel today to meet with American defense officials. The U.S. is leading an international effort to provide Athens with potential threat information.

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The International Olympic Committee is negotiating the purchase of insurance that will cover some of its losses if the Athens Games are canceled, according to a story in Around the Rings, a newsletter devoted to business surrounding the Olympics.

The story said the policy would be for as much as $200 million, would cost more than $8 million, and apply to “any events outside the control of the organizing committee or the IOC that would lead to full or partial cancellation of the Games.”

An IOC spokesperson was quoted saying the coverage was met as “a safety net ... and not an indicator of wariness about Athens.”

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Police in Thessaloniki, Greece, which will play host to the Olympic soccer competition, arrested a man who allegedly placed a makeshift bomb under a private security van. Police did not identify the suspect, who they said was caught with small cooking gas canisters.

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The U.S. duet of Alison Bartosik and Anna Kozlova finished fourth at the 2004 Olympic synchronized swimming qualifying tournament in Athens. They posted a free routine score of 96.167 and a total composite 95.668 to earn a berth to the Games.

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The International Skating Union proposed Friday that all officials involved in figure skating tournaments have their performances scrutinized by computer analysis and video replay.

The proposal is part of the ISU’s final recommendation for a new judging system stemming from the scandal in Olympics pairs skating at the Salt Lake City Olympics. It will be voted on by the ISU Congress at its June 7-11 meetings in the Netherlands.

Tennis

Venus Williams advanced to her first semifinal of the year, beating Vera Zvonareva, 6-3, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the Family Circle Cup at Charleston, S.C. Williams will play Jelena Kostanic, a 7-6 (4), 6-2 winner over Petra Mandula.

In a night match, Patty Schnyder beat Lindsay Davenport, 6-3, 6-2. Schnyder needed only 52 minutes to defeat Davenport, who was coming off a victory at Ameilia Island last week.

Conchita Martinez advanced with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Nadia Petrova.

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Andrei Pavel defeated James Blake, 6-4, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court championships in Houston. Pavel’s semifinal opponent will be Tommy Haas, having his best tournament since sitting out all of last season while recovering from shoulder surgery. He defeated Dmitry Tursunov, 6-2, 6-0. Andy Roddick overcame the drop-shot tactics of Jurgen Melzer for a 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory in a night match.

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Marat Safin beat Tommy Robredo, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 7-6 (5), to reach the semifinals of the Estoril Open at Oeiras, Portugal. Safin will play unseeded Irakli Labadze, who advanced when Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal withdrew because of a left foot injury.

Motor Racing

Jeff Gordon won his third consecutive pole at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, the oldest and shortest track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit. On Sunday at the Advance Auto Parts 500, he’ll try for his third consecutive victory and sixth overall on the flat and narrow .526-mile oval. Gordon had a fast lap of 93.502 mph in his Chevrolet.

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Dan Wheldon, driving a Dallara-Honda, won the pole for today’s Indy Racing League Japan 300 with a lap of 205.762 mph.

Miscellany

Emeka Okafor is headed to the NBA, leaving Connecticut with everything he wanted when he started there three years ago: a degree and an NCAA championship. The 6-foot-10 All-American announced he’ll forgo his final year of eligibility and make himself available for June’s NBA draft.

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Hasim Rahman (37-5-1) stopped Mario Crawley (22-12) at 2:25 of the second round in a heavyweight bout at Dover, Del.

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The United States reached the final of hockey’s under-18 world championships, beating the Czech Republic, 3-2, at Minsk, Belarus. The Americans will play for the title Sunday against Russia, which beat Canada, 5-2.