Sport-by-sport capsules

Handball

Where: Faliro Sports Pavillion at Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex (preliminaries) and Hellinko Indoor Arena (finals).

When: Aug. 14-24; women’s final, Aug. 29; men’s final, Aug. 29.

Top U.S. performers: Neither the U.S. men nor the U.S. women qualified.

Men’s outlook: Croatia won the 2004 world championships, but Germany, led by Daniel Stephan and Stefan Kretzschmar, is the gold-medal favorite. France and Spain also figure to have a say in the medal standings, but don’t overlook Russia, which has won three of the last four Olympics.

Women’s outlook: France, Hungary and South Korea went 1-2-3 at the 2003 world championships with French goalie Valerie Nicolas earning most valuable player. In a game that demands consistency, a premier goalie can spell the difference.

Little-known fact: This is a seven-on-seven sport that requires passing and throwing, the ability to jump and withstand physical contact and is played on a field much like an indoor soccer pitch.

You’ll remember: Germany’s Kretzschmar is a cross between Dennis Rodman and David Beckham. He has seven body piercings, double-digit tattoos and his relationship with German swimmer Franziska van Almsick has them tabbed as “the Golden Couple” in the German media.

-- Gary Blockus, Allentown Morning Call

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Judo

Where: Ano Liossia Olympic Hall.

When: Aug. 14-20; finals -- every day.

Top U.S. performers: Alex Ottiano (66kg); Jimmy Pedro (73 kg); Brian Olson (90 kg); Ronda Rousey (63 kg); Celita Schutz (70 kg).

U.S. chances: The U.S. has never won a gold medal since men’s judo became a recognized Olympic sport in 1964 and women’s judo was added, first as a demonstration sport, in 1988. Americans have won 10 medals -- four silver and six bronze. The last medal, a bronze, came in 1996 from four-time Olympian Pedro (71 kg). Pedro (now at 73 kg) will be a medal favorite, as well as two-time Olympian Ottiano (66 kg) and first-timer Rousey (63 kg).

MEN’S OUTLOOK

60 kg: Japan’s Tadahiro Nomura has owned the men’s lightest weight class, winning Olympic gold medals in both the 1996 and 2000 Summer Games. Nothing should stop him from winning again in Athens.

66 kg: Larbi Benboudaoud of France returns as the reigning silver medalist but Cuba’s Yordanis Arencibia and Ottiano could challenge Benboudaoud for the gold.

73 kg: Italy’s Giuseppe Maddaloni, the gold medalist in Sydney, is not competing this year, opening the door for challenges from Won-Hee Lee of Korea and Pedro.

81 kg: Estonia’s Aleksei Budolin, bronze medalist four years ago, returns as the gold-medal favorite in the absence of Olympic champion Makoto Takimoto of Japan.

90 kg: Four years ago, Mark Huizinga of the Netherlands won his country’s first judo gold medal since Willem Ruska completed a rare double at the ’72 Games in Munich. The bronze medalist in ’96 in Atlanta, Huizinga should repeat as the Olympic champion in Athens.

100 kg: Japan’s Kosei Inoue dominated from his first match to his last to win the gold medal in Sydney. He is expected to successfully defend, with his stiffest challenge coming from returning silver medalist Nicolas Gill of Canada.

100+ kg: France’s David Douillet, a three-time Olympic medalist and two-time champion, has retired, giving Russia’s Tamerlan Tmenov, bronze medalist in Sydney, his best chance for a trip to the top of the podium.

WOMEN’S OUTLOOK

48 kg: Don’t be fooled by the change of name. Japan’s Ryoko (Tamura) Tani is married now, but she is the same athlete: a two-time Olympic silver medalist and 2000 Olympic champion.

52 kg: With no medalists returning, the field is wide open. Korea’s Eun Hee Lee is probably the best of the bunch.

57 kg: Four years ago in Sydney, Isabel Fernandez of Spain beat her old adversary, Driulis Gonzalez of Cuba, to win Olympic gold. Now the two compete in different classes and Fernandez could win gold again.

63 kg: Competing now at a heavier weight, Gonzalez -- the 1996 Olympic champion and 2000 silver medalist at 57 kg -- should still have a safe trip to the final.

70 kg: Former world and 2000 Olympic champion Sibelis Veranes of Cuba doesn’t return, leaving the field open for favorites Anaisis Hernandez of Cuba and Masae Ueno from Japan.

78 kg: Celine Lebrun of France, silver medalist four years ago, is a clear favorite to medal again.

78+ kg: Cuba’s Daima Beltran, 2000 silver medalist, will have to be at her best to beat Maki Tsukada of Japan and China’s Fuming Sun.

Little-known fact: Former U.S. Olympian Ben Nighthorse Campbell (‘64) is a three-term U.S. senator from Colorado, and two-time Olympian Hillary Wolf (‘96, ‘00) acted in the films “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2.” .

You’ll remember: Tani, if she medals again, will have stood on the podium every year women have been competing for Olympic medals.

-- Tommy Hine,

Hartford Courant

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Modern Pentathlon

Where: Olympic Modern Pentathlon Centre, Goudi Olympic Complex.

When: Aug. 26-27.

Top U.S. performers: Chad Senior, Mary Beth Larsen-Iagorashvili.

U.S. chances: Though the United States is one of only three countries with four competitors, the U.S. is not favored for a medal. In 2000, all four U.S. competitors placed in the top 10, but Americans have not fared well in recent international competition. At the world championships, Senior finished 13th and Larsen-Iagorashvili placed 29th.

Men’s outlook: Andrejus Zadneprovskis of Lithuania won the world championship in 2000 and entered the Sydney Games as a favorite, though he finished a disappointing seventh. He again won a world championship this year and is again the favorite, though he’ll be chased by Lee Choon Huan of South Korea and Gabor Balogh of Hungary.

Women’s outlook: Szuszanna Voros of Hungary has won two consecutive world championships and is the favorite in Athens. Britain’s Georgina Harland and Kate Allenby should also be on the leaderboard.

Little-known fact: Voros has a strong following in Hungary. She has appeared in a bikini in a popular men’s magazine. Her attention lately has moved to border collie Juice, a show dog. Another fact: The five pentathlon events are swimming, shooting, riding, fencing and running.

You’ll remember: Larsen-Iagorashvili’s husband, Vaho Iagorashvili, is competing in his third Olympics for a third country. Now 40, Iagorashvili competed for the Soviet Union in 1988 and his native Republic of Georgia in 1996. He has already retired three times from the sport, but just last year won gold at the Pan American Games.

-- Rick Maese,

Orlando Sentinel

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Rowing

Where: Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre.

When: Aug. 14-22; finals -- Aug. 19, 21-22.

Top U.S. performers: Bryan Volpenhein, Jason Read, Mike Wherley, Lianne Nelson.

U.S. chances: The men hope to challenge in the eights and fours, the women in the eights. The U.S. qualified in 12 of the 14 events, missing in men’s single sculls and women’s double sculls. The Americans won three medals in 2000.

MEN’S OUTLOOK

Single sculls: Marcel Hacker, “the Invincible German,” will battle reigning champ Olaf Tufte of Norway.

Double sculls: Iztok Cop of Slovenia has moved back into the double, where he won gold in Sydney. Luka Spik is his partner.

Lightweight double sculls: Elia Luini and Leonardo Pettinari of Italy edged boats from France and Hungary in a photo finish at the World Cup.

Quadruple sculls: The Aussies rule this class. Poland, the Czech Republic and Russia will chase them.

Pair: Australia’s James Tomkins and Drew Ginn will be tested by Croatian brothers Nikasa and Sinisa Skelin.

Four: Britain is the defending Olympic champion. Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell were moved from the pair to the four.

Lightweight four: Another gold medal shot for Italy. Canada and Australia also should get medals.

Eight: Canada, the defending world champion, is the favorite. The U.S. was the favorite in Sydney but finished fifth. The Americans’ last medal was a bronze in 1988.

WOMEN’S OUTLOOK

Single sculls: Yekaterina Karsten of Belarus and Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria appeared to cross the finish line together in Sydney, but Karsten was awarded the gold medal after judges reviewed the photos. Neykova wants revenge.

Double sculls: Germany, believing New Zealand is too tough, is loading up for the quad.

Lightweight double sculls: Winning the World Cup has made Canadians Fiona Milne and Mara Jones the team to beat.

Quadruple sculls: Three-time Olympic champion Kathrin Boron moves from the double to the quad to give the Germans the edge.

Pair: Britain’s Cath Bishop and Katherine Grainger are the world champions. They won silver in Poznan, gold in Munich and bronze in Lucerne.

Eight: The U.S., which has won its last two World Cup events, takes on favored Romania.

Little-known fact: Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, was a rower.

You’ll remember: The U.S. men and women eights.

-- Jim Sarni,

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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Sailing

Where: Agios Kosmas Sailing Centre.

When: Aug. 14-28.

Top U.S. performers: Paul Cayard, Mark Mendelblatt, Meg Gaillard.

U.S. chances: Cayard and Phil Trinter could medal in the Star. Mendelblatt was second in the Laser worlds. Paul Foerster and Kevin Burnham have a chance in the men’s 470. Tim Wadlow and Pete Spaulding could challenge in the 49er. Gaillard could win a medal in the Europe.

OUTLOOK

Windsurfer (men and women) -- Mistral one design: The Mistral board has been used as Olympic equipment since Atlanta in 1996, with the windsurfing event itself first introduced for men in 1984 and women in 1992. Julien Bontemps of France and Alessandra Sensini of Italy are the favorites.

Single-handed Dinghy (women) -- Europe: The smallest boats taking part in the Olympics. Siren Sundby of Norway is the world champ.

Single-handed Dinghy (men) -- Finn: Of the 21 competitors, 14 have competed at previous Olympic sailing competitions. Karlo Kuret of Croatia is the only one competing in his third consecutive Olympics. Ben Ainslie of Britain is the favorite.

Single-handed Dinghy (open) -- Laser: With 44 entries, the Laser fleet is diverse, competitive and the largest in Athens. Robert Scheidt of Brazil is the seven-time world champion.

Double-handed Dinghy (men and women) -- 470: A class that favors the lighter sailors, many have progressed into the 470 from the recognized international youth classes. Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page of Australia and Sofia Bekatorou and Emilia Tsoulfa of Greece are the teams to watch.

Double-handed Dinghy (open) -- 49er: These two-person boats made their debut at the 2000 Games in Sydney. The 49er is a physical boat that rewards expert fitness, dexterity and a lack of fear. Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez of Spain are the world champs.

Multihull (open) -- Tornado: The Tornado is the fastest boat competing in the Olympics. 2004 world champions Santiago Lange and Carlos Espinola of Argentina have between them sailed in the last four Olympic Games. This is the first time the pair has teamed up.

Keelboat (men) -- Star: The Star fleet contains the greatest depth of talent and ability of all the Olympic classes. The teams are highly funded, highly trained and highly experienced. Freddy Loof and Anders Ekstrom of Sweden are the world champs.

Keelboat (women) -- Yngling: The newest Olympic event and equipment, the Yngling features three-person teams from 12 nations. Dorte Jensen of Denmark and her crew are the favorites.

Little-known fact: Sailing was called yachting until a name change in 2000.

You’ll remember: Cayard, the former America’s Cup skipper, seeks to complete his sailing resume with a gold medal.

-- Jim Sarni,

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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Shooting

Where: Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Center.

When: Aug. 14-22; finals -- every day.

Top U.S. athletes: Matt Emmons, Todd Graves, Kim Rhode.

U.S. chances: Emmons, a three-time NCAA rifle champion, will compete in three events, a first in U.S. shooting. Graves, a 41-year-old Army sergeant, will compete in his fourth Olympics. Rhode, who has a gold and a bronze, needs one more color for the cycle.

OUTLOOK

Men’s 10-meter air rifle: Army Sgt. Jason Parker missed the 2000 bronze medal by seven-tenths of a point, and he vows he won’t go home empty-handed again. Josef Gonci of Slovakia, ranked No. 1, and Min Ho Cheon of Korea, probably will be in the hunt.

Women’s 10-meter air rifle: The U.S. won the gold in 2000, but without a shooter ranked in the top 10 will be hard-pressed to make the podium with Olympic first-timers Emily Caruso and Army Spec. Hattie Johnson. Lioubov Galkina of Russia and Katerina Kurkova of the Czech Republic are the class of the field.

Men’s 10-meter air pistol: Franck Dumoulin of France won the gold medal four years ago and is ranked No. 1 in the world. The U.S. squad doesn’t have a man in the top 10 of world rankings.

Women’s 10-meter air pistol: Could Mongolia win its first gold medal? Gundegmaa Otryad, 26, ranked No. 1, could make it happen.

Men’s 10-meter running target: Time has run out for the running target event, which will be cut from the Olympics after 2004. American Adam Saathoff, in his third consecutive Olympics, is ranked fifth in the world, but his point total is half that of the man in first place -- Miroslav Janus of the Czech Republic, who is expected to dominate.

Men’s 50-meter rifle prone position: Very little separates the second- and third-ranked men -- Guy Starik of Israel and Artem Khadjibekov of Russia. Artur Aivazian of Ukraine is No. 1 with a bullet, having recently risen from 23rd place.

Men’s 50-meter rifle three positions: This could be the U.S. squad’s strongest event, with Emmons and Army Maj. Michael Anti in the top 10 in the world. Rajmond Debevec of Slovenia is the man to beat.

Women’s 50-meter rifle three positions: Lioubov Galkina of Russia is far and away the best shot this year, but countrywoman and 2000 silver medalist Tatiana Goldobina has been steadily moving up the rankings. America’s Sarah Blakeslee, 19, and Morgan Hicks, 22, lack major international experience.

Men’s 50-meter pistol: With five of the six top shooters, Russia or China could easily dominate this event. Only Martin Tenk, the 2000 bronze medalist from the Czech Republic, seems able to stop them.

Women’s 25-meter pistol: The gold and bronze medalists from 2000 -- Bulgaria’s Maria Grodeva and Lolita Evglevskaya -- are back and highly ranked. The U.S. has three-time Olympians Libby Callahan and Rebecca Snyder on the line, but they aren’t likely to be on the podium.

Men’s 25-meter rapid fire pistol: If this event were a duel, Germany’s Ralf Schumann would need no second. Countryman Marco Spangenberg and 2000 bronze medalist Iulian Raicea of Romania could provide some spark.

Men’s trap: Lance Bade won a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympic Games and a gold at the 2003 Pan American Games. This year, he has raised his ranking from 28th to seventh, but it probably won’t be enough to overcome Australia’s Michael Diamond, the 2000 gold medalist, or Italian shotgunners Giovanni Pelliello and Massimiliano Mola.

Women’s trap: China’s E Gao won the bronze medal in Sydney and is ranked No. 1 internationally. The crowd’s favorite is likely to be Alabaman Collyn Loper, 17, a natural right-hander who was born blind in her right eye and had to train her body to shoot left.

Men’s double trap: Daniele Di Spigno of Italy and Ahmed Almaktoum of the United Arab Emirates are the tops in the field. Houston’s Walton Eller is ranked fourth in the world and wants to make up for his dismal 12th-place finish in 2000.

Women’s double trap: This event was added for the 1996 Olympics and will be cut after the 2004 Games. Rhode, who won the first gold medal and added bronze in 2000, wants to go out with a bang and just might pull it off.

Men’s skeet: Could the man from Greece, Georgios Salavantakis, give his country a gold medal over Italy’s Ennio Falco, No. 1 in the world? Home cooking and a partisan crowd could be the difference.

Women’s skeet: China’s Ning Wei, 22, hasn’t had any trouble staying on top of the international rankings this year. But a trio of old gunslingers await her in Athens: Finland’s Maarit Lepomaki, 47; France’s Veronique Girardet-Allard, 38; and defending Olympic champion Zemfira Meftakhetdinova, 41, of Azerbaijan.

Little-known fact: At 64 years and 258 days, Oscar Swahn is the oldest athlete to win a gold medal. He was a member of the winning Running Deer shooting team at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He returned to the Olympics in 1920 and won a silver medal at age 72.

You’ll remember: Loper, who is likely to be shooting at the 2008 Summer Games.

-- Candus Thomson,

Baltimore Sun

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Soccer

Where: Athens, Heraklio, Patra, Thessaloniki, Volos.

When: Aug. 11-28; finals -- women, Aug. 26; men, Aug. 28.

Top U.S. performers: Abby Wambach, Briana Scurry.

U.S. chances: Having won the gold medal in Atlanta and the silver in Sydney, the American women would prefer not to complete the set with a bronze in Athens. World champion Germany, as well as China and Sweden, are their main challengers for the gold this time. A U.S. medal is virtually a certainty. The U.S. men did not qualify.

OUTLOOK

Men: Argentina comes in as the firm favorite, with Coach Marcelo Bielsa bringing most of the team that tied Brazil in the Copa America final in Peru on July 25 before losing on penalty kicks. Italy, which won the under-21 European championship in June, will give nothing away under Coach Claudio Gentile, a World Cup winner in 1982. Portugal, inspired by its runner-up finish at the European Championship, also is in the running and features four players from its Euro 2004 team.

Women: The U.S. should breeze through the first round against Greece, Brazil and Australia, and also encounter few problems in the quarterfinals. After that, things get tougher for Coach April Heinrichs’ team.

Little-known fact: Shannon Boxx is the starting defensive midfielder for the U.S. Her sister, Gillian, won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. softball team at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

You’ll remember: Retiring U.S. veterans Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm, for the likely tears in their eyes after the final game of their 17-year international careers. Also, German striker Birgit Prinz, who has scored 73 goals in 118 games for her country, and Swedish playmaker Hanna Ljungberg, playing in her third Olympics.

-- Grahame L. Jones,

The Times

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Softball

Where: Olympic Softball Stadium, Helliniko Olympic Complex.

When: Aug. 14-23; final, Aug. 23.

Top U.S. performers: Pitcher-third baseman Lisa Fernandez, pitcher Jennie Finch, shortstop Natasha Watley.

U.S. chances: The U.S. is seeking its third consecutive gold medal. Since softball became an Olympic sport in 1996, the U.S. has dominated. The competition has improved, but this team remains the favorite.

Outlook: The U.S. lost three games in 2000 but rebounded to win five in a row and win the gold medal. Japan, China and Australia beat the U.S. at the 2000 Games and should be the top threats again. Two of the four losses by the U.S. in Olympic competition have come to Australia, which presents the biggest challenge.

Little-known fact: Mike Candrea will coach the U.S. while mourning his wife, Sue, who died July 18. Sue, 49, suffered a brain aneurysm while the team was on a pre-Olympic tour in Stevens Point, Wis.

You’ll remember: Finch is primed to become the sport’s most popular player. She is the team’s No. 2 starter, behind Fernandez, who is one of the most accomplished players in softball history. Finch was selected one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” earlier this year. She also gained attention in February by striking out baseball players Albert Pujols, Mike Piazza and Brian and Marcus Giles during a celebrity softball game.

-- Jerry Brewer, Orlando Sentinel

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Swimming

Where: Olympic Aquatic Center, Olympic Sports Complex.

When: August 14-21; finals -- every day.

Top U.S. performers: Michael Phelps might be the most versatile swimmer ever, and Ian Crocker, Brendan Hansen and Aaron Peirsol join Phelps as world-record holders. Amanda Beard and Natalie Coughlin are the only world record-holders on the women’s squad, which includes four-time Olympian Jenny Thompson and 15-year-old Katie Hoff.

U.S. chances: The Americans took gold in 14 of the 32 events in 2000. Now the men are drawing comparisons to the landmark 1976 team, with talk about winning 12 of their 16 events (13 individual and three relays). The women don’t possess that star power, as only Beard and Coughlin are clear favorites.

MEN’S OUTLOOK

50 freestyle: Gary Hall Jr. disdains Russia’s Alexander Popov (gold in 1992 and ‘96), but wants to emulate him with his own repeat.

100 freestyle: Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands is the world-record holder and reigning Olympic champion, but the ageless Popov beat him at the 2003 worlds. American Jason Lezak is another factor.

200 freestyle: The “Race of the Century” as 2000 winner Van den Hoogenband must deal with world-record holder Ian Thorpe of Australia and Phelps, the American-record holder in an underdog role.

400 freestyle: Thorpe owns history’s eight fastest times, but he false-started at the Australian trials and is defending only because Craig Stevens bowed out.

1,500 freestyle: Australian Grant Hackett hasn’t lost the metric mile since 1996. Larsen Jensen, 18, lowered the American record at the U.S. trials to 14:56.71 -- 22 seconds off Hackett’s world record.

100 backstroke: Lenny Krayzelburg set a world record in 1999 and won gold in 2000. He overcame multiple shoulder surgeries to gain an American berth, but Australian Matt Welsh is Peirsol’s biggest obstacle here.

200 backstroke: Peirsol hasn’t lost since taking silver in 2000. He lowered his world record to 1:54.74 at the U.S. trials and should romp, especially since Phelps dropped this event.

100 breaststroke: Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima lowered the world record at the 2003 worlds, but Hansen bettered that by nearly half a second at the U.S. trials.

200 breaststroke: In order, Russia’s Dmitry Komornikov, Kitajima and Hansen have lowered the world record since June 2003.

100 butterfly: On July 25, 2003, Andriy Serdinov of the Ukraine posted a world record of 51.76. It lasted five minutes, as Crocker and Phelps have since split history’s six fastest times.

200 butterfly: Phelps has the four fastest times in the event that made him the youngest man ever to set a world record. Reigning champion Tom Malchow is nursing a torn shoulder muscle.

200 individual medley: With history’s eight fastest times, Phelps is a lock. His world record is 1:55.94, and only two others have ventured under 1:59, the last being Italian Massi Rosolino when he won gold in 2000.

400 individual medley: Laszlo Cseh, an 18-year-old Hungarian, pushed world record-holder Phelps at the 2003 worlds, but broke a foot July 21.

400 freestyle relay: Australia handed the U.S. its first Olympic loss in 2000. The Aussies and Russians won at the last two world championships, but those U.S. teams didn’t have Hall and Phelps.

400 medley relay: With Crocker, Peirsol and Hansen training with his Longhorn Aquatics club, American men’s Coach Eddie Reese has produced world-record holders in three of the four strokes.

800 freestyle relay: Australia is unbeaten since the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships, but the Americans are talking trash.

WOMEN’S OUTLOOK

50 freestyle: The sprints feature 30-year-old Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands and Australian teen Libby Lenton. Both have gone 24.70 this year, but De Bruijn went 24.13 at the 2000 Olympics.

100 freestyle: Coughlin tackles defending champion De Bruijn; Lenton, who lowered the world record to 53.66 last March; and Jodie Henry, who was close behind at the Australian trials.

200 freestyle: Germany’s Franziska van Almsick has eight Olympic medals, but no golds. She took silver in 1992 and 1996, didn’t make the final in 2000, then rebounded with a world record two years ago.

400 freestyle: American Kaitlin Sandeno chases German Hannah Stockbauer, who starred at the 2003 world championships, and Romania’s Camelia Potec, who has the fastest time in the world this year.

800 freestyle: This looks like a dual meet between the U.S. and Japan, as Diana Munz and Kalyn Keller face Ai Shibata and Sachiko Yamada, who could become Japan’s first gold medalist since 1992.

100 backstroke: A sure thing, Coughlin is the only woman ever under 1 minute.

200 backstroke: Japan’s Reiko Nakamura leads the 2004 world list, but Britain’s Katy Sexton dominated at the 2003 world championships.

100 breaststroke: Australian Leisl Jones took silver in 2000, a few weeks after her 15th birthday, then took ownership of the world record last year.

200 breaststroke: The women produced one world record at the U.S. trials, the 2:22.44 that Beard posted here. Jones is her biggest challenger.

100 butterfly: A veteran lineup includes De Bruijn, Australia’s Petria Thomas, Slovakia’s Martina Moravcova and Thompson, at 31 the reigning world champion.

200 butterfly: Poland’s Otylia Jedrzejczak got the world record in 2002 and a world championship last year. Thomas leads the 2004 list with history’s fifth-fastest time.

200 individual medley: Yana Klochkova of Ukraine, a big-meet performer who won gold in 2000, looms large. The Americans counter with Beard and Hoff, who swept the IMs at the U.S. trials.

400 individual medley: Klochkova, 22, was a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist before she turned 21. Hoff is No. 2 on the U.S. all-time list and coming fast.

400 freestyle relay: The Americans last lost at the Olympics in 1956, but the Australians and Germans have upset potential.

400 medley relay: Coughlin’s illness helped China win at the 2003 worlds.

800 freestyle relay: Coughlin didn’t swim the 200 freestyle at the U.S. trials, but the Americans may need her to take the gold.

Little-known fact: Mark Spitz is the only man to win more than two individual events in a single Olympics. Phelps is a heavy favorite in three.

You’ll remember: Who else? Olympic swimming extends over eight nights, and Phelps may not have a day off. The returns on his quest to match Spitz’s seven gold medals from 1972 will be determined early, as the 200 freestyle (vs. Thorpe) and 800 freestyle relay (vs. the Australians) come early, on swimming’s third and fourth days, respectively.

-- Paul McMullen,

Baltimore Sun

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Synchronized Swimming

Where: Olympic Aquatic Center

When: Duet final, Aug. 25; team final, Aug. 27.

Top U.S. performers: Anna Kozlova and Alison Bartosik in duet; Tammy Crow, Erin Dobratz, Becky Jasontek, Sara Lowe, Lauren McFall, Stephanie Nesbitt, Kendra Zanotto, Bartosik, Kozlova in team.

U.S. chances: The U.S. consistently has finished among the top three teams with this lineup; Kozlova and Bartosik are contenders to finish among the top five duets but not necessarily the top three.

Duet: The 2000 gold-medal winners, Russia’s Olga Brousnikina and Maria Kisseleva, have moved to team competition and have been replaced by an even stronger duet of world champions Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova. They could be challenged for gold by Japan’s Miho Takeda and Miya Tachibana.

Team: Russia and Japan, in that order, are the class of the field.

Little-known fact: Synchronized swimming received mainstream media exposure at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, where showman Billy Rose paired Olympic swimmers Eleanor Holm and Johnny Weissmuller, a future Tarzan, in an exhibition called Aquacade.

You’ll remember: The parents of Brett Slinger and Cody Tatro hope that it will be their children, who were killed in a one-car automobile accident last year. The car was driven by Crow, who pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of vehicular manslaughter and will serve a 90-day prison sentence after the Olympics.

-- Randy Harvey, Baltimore Sun

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Tennis

Where: Olympic Tennis Complex, Olympic Sports Complex.

When: Aug. 15-22; finals -- women’s singles and men’s doubles, Aug. 21; men’s singles and women’s doubles: Aug. 22.

Top U.S. performers: The men’s team will include Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, Vince Spadea, Taylor Dent and the Bryan twins, Bob and Mike. The women’s team will include Jennifer Capriati, Chanda Rubin, Martina Navratilova, Lisa Raymond and the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena.

U.S. chances: Roddick is among the top singles players in the world and should be in the medal chase all the way, as should the Bryan twins in doubles. Venus Williams won the gold medal in singles in Sydney and teamed with Serena to take the doubles gold.

MEN’S OUTLOOK

Singles: Expect Roger Federer, Wimbledon winner the last two years and the current No. 1 player in the world, to have another shootout along the way with Roddick. Federer lost the bronze-medal match in Sydney to Arnaud Di Pasquale of France and still called his Olympic experience “one of the best in his life.”

Doubles: The Bryan twins should surely get a medal.

WOMEN’S OUTLOOK

Singles: The Williams sisters will benefit from the absence of Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova, who did not make the Russian team because, at the June 14 selection cutoff date, she was ranked only No. 6 in her country. French Open champion Anastasia Myskina, Russia’s No. 1, will be there, as will France’s Amelie Mauresmo.

Doubles: If healthy, the Williams sisters will have a chance to defend their title, but they have no ranking going in because they haven’t played doubles in so long. According to the rankings, the top U.S. team is Navratilova and her partner, Raymond. Navratilova, 47, is ranked No. 6 in the world in doubles and No. 1 in the U.S. Raymond is No. 11 and No. 3.

Little-known fact: The last pair of American brothers to play in the Olympic tennis tournament at the same time for the U.S. were Joseph and Arthur Wear, who played doubles with different people in 1904. The Wears were great-great-uncles of President George W. Bush.

You’ll remember: Navratilova, upon winning a medal, could end her long and glorious career right on the spot. This is her first Olympics, and a major part of her comeback was to make the Olympic team. In 1988, she had a spot on the U.S. team and turned it down, saying that tennis doesn’t belong in the Olympics, that the Olympics aren’t a good fit for professional players.

-- Bill Dwyre,

The Times

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Taekwondo

Where: Faliro Sports Pavilion, Faliro Coastal Zone.

When: Aug. 26-29; finals -- women’s flyweight, Aug. 26; men’s flyweight, Aug. 26; women’s featherweight, Aug. 27; men’s featherweight, Aug. 27; women’s welterweight, Aug. 28; men’s welterweight, Aug. 28; women’s heavyweight, Aug. 29; men’s heavyweight, Aug. 29.

Top U.S. performers: 2000 gold medalist Steven Lopez and Nia Abdallah, the only U.S. qualifiers.

U.S. chances: Lopez, who won the gold in Sydney as a featherweight, is now a welterweight and the reigning world champion; he’s the favorite in a tough weight class. Abdallah is a relative unknown with only two international competitions before Athens.

MEN’S OUTLOOK

Flyweight: Greece’s Michail Mouroutsos was 20 when he won the gold medal in Sydney and became a national hero; he was knocked out in the quarterfinals of last year’s world championships but is still a strong threat. Chu Mu Yen of Chinese Taipei and Spain’s Juan Antonio Ramos are the favorites.

Featherweight: One of the best battles of the Games should feature athletes from the sport’s two strongest teams, Lee Won-Jae of traditional powerhouse South Korea and 2000 bronze medalist Hadi Saeibonehkohal from up-and-coming Iran.

Welterweight: Lopez won gold in 2000 as a featherweight and is favored in this weight class. Iran’s Youssef Karami, France’s Christophe Negrel and defending champion Angel Matos Fuentes of Cuba will make it difficult.

Heavyweight: Pascal Gentil of France won the bronze in Sydney, then won three consecutive World Cup titles (2000-02) and is due for his Olympic breakthrough. South Korea’s Moon Dae Sung looms as Gentil’s top challenger.

WOMEN’S OUTLOOK

Flyweight: Chen Chih Hsin of Taiwan could break her country’s 0-for-Sydney draught, but will have to beat out Indonesia’s Wangsa Putri Juana and Cuba’s Yanelis Labrada Diaz.

Featherweight: South Korea’s Jang Ji-Won and Mexico’s Iridia Salazar bring impressive credentials, but Greece’s Areti Athanasopoulou will have the hometown crowd behind her. Athanasopoulou won the gold medal at the 2003 world championships.

Welterweight: China’s Wei Luo is the reigning world champion and will be tough to beat in Athens. South Korea’s Kim Yeon Ji will be her principal competition.

Heavyweight: China’s Chen Zhong is a favorite but will be tested by Croatia’s Natasa Vezmar and Britain’s Sarah Stevenson.

Little-known fact: Lopez won his featherweight gold medal on an incorrect referee’s decision; the referee was suspended for one year but Lopez was allowed to keep his medal.

You’ll remember: The powerful South Koreans. Their four athletes won three gold medals and one silver (the controversial loss to Lopez) in Sydney. Each of their four athletes in Athens should medal.

-- Michael Dobie,

Newsday

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Triathlon

Where: Vouliagmeni Olympic Centre.

When: Women, Aug. 25; men, Aug. 26.

Top U.S. performers: Hunter Kemper of Longwood, Fla., is currently ranked No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 5 in the world. Barb Lindquist of Jackson Hole, Wyo., has been the top-ranked female triathlete since May 2003.

U.S. chances: In only the second Summer Games that features the triathlon, the United States could win both gold and silver. The U.S. features the top two-ranked female triathletes in the world -- Lindquist and Sheila Taormina of Clermont, Fla.

OUTLOOK

Men: This could be a two-man race between Dmitry Gaag of Kazakhstan and Bevan Docherty of New Zealand. Though Docherty, who is strong on the bike and has improved his running time, is ranked No. 1 in the world, Gaag leads in the 2004 World Cup standings.

Women: Four years ago, Brigitte McMahon of Switzerland took gold, but she has struggled to crack the top 10 in races the last two years. Lindquist and Taormina are both natural swimmers who’ve improved upon their running times in recent races.

Little-known fact: Taormina will try to become the first female athlete to win a gold medal in two different sports at two different Summer Games. She was a swimmer with the U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team that won gold at the 1996 Games.

You’ll remember: Gaag is notorious for arriving the night before a competition begins. Often this has meant lost equipment and he has won some events using borrowed bicycles.

-- Rick Maese,

Orlando Sentinel

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Table Tennis

Where: Galatsi Olympic Hall.

When: Aug. 14-23; finals -- women’s doubles, Aug. 20; men’s doubles, Aug. 21; women’s singles, Aug. 22; men’s singles, Aug. 23.

Top U.S. performers: Ilija Lupulesku for men; Gao Jun, Jasna Reed for women.

U.S. chances: Lupulesku is experienced, having won silver in doubles for Yugoslavia in 1988. Reed won a bronze for Yugoslavia in 1988 and Jun won silver for China in 1992.

OUTLOOK

Men’s singles: Austrian world champion Werner Schlager will try to prevent a sweep by the Chinese.

Men’s doubles: Kong Linghui and Wang Hao of China should dominate.

Women’s singles: China’s Wang Nan, Zhang Yining and Niu Jianfeng are the best in the world.

Women’s doubles: Zhang and Wang team up as gold-medal favorites.

Little-known fact: No American has advanced beyond the second round in singles. There are six rounds.

You’ll remember: Some consider Sweden’s Jan-Ove Waldner, 38, the sport’s greatest player. He won Olympic gold in singles in 1992 and silver in 2000. An ankle injury has slowed him since.

-- Marlen Garcia,

Chicago Tribune

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Volleyball

Where: Peace and Friendship Stadium, Faliro Coast Zone.

When: Aug. 14-29; finals--women, Aug. 28; men, Aug. 29.

Top U.S. performers: Lloy Ball, Reid Priddy, Kevin Barnett, Tom Hoff, Logan Tom, Tayyiba Haneef; Danielle Scott, Heather Bown.

U.S. chances: The U.S. men should make it out of pool play and reach the quarterfinals. The women could challenge for the gold medal or could fail to make the medal round. The American women are ranked second in the world behind China but suffered a four-game loss to Italy recently in the World Grand Prix after defeating China to open final-round play.

OUTLOOK

Men: The U.S. has not medaled since 1992, when it won the bronze in Barcelona. The Americans are in the more difficult Pool B with the Netherlands, Brazil, Russia, Italy and Australia. Serbia and Montenegro won the gold medal at Sydney in 2000, but Brazil is the current world champion.

Women: You have to wonder about the tournament pairings when the top two teams in the world, at least according to current rankings, meet in the first round of pool play. With China, Russia and Germany in their bracket, the U.S. will have to fight to get to the medal round but it has the talent and experience to do it.

Little-known fact: Opposite hitter Clay Stanley and his father, Jon, are the first father-son Olympians in the history of U.S. volleyball. Jon Stanley was a starter on the 1968 team that finished seventh in Mexico City and is a member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame.

You’ll remember: With her looks and a powerful game to match, the 6-foot-1 Tom, a former NCAA player of the year at Stanford, figures to get plenty of face time on television.

-- Eric Stephens,

The Times

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Water Polo

Where: Olympic Aquatic Centre, Olympic Sports Complex.

When: Aug. 15-29; finals -- women, Aug. 26; men, Aug. 29.

Top U.S. performers: Wolf Wigo and Tony Azevedo on the men’s team. Brenda Villa and Ellen Estes, along with goalkeepers Jackie Frank and Nicolle Payne, on the women’s team.

U.S. chances: The men have a very slim chance for a medal. However, the women are decided favorites after winning the world championships last summer in Barcelona. Before losing to host Greece in the final of the Thetis Cup in late July, the U.S. had been carrying a streak of six consecutive first-place finishes in international play.

OUTLOOK

Men: Hungary is the defending Olympic champion. The U.S. is in Group A, along with Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, Hungary and Kazakhstan. Circle Aug. 19 as the date the U.S. will play Hungary in its third game of group play.

Women: Other contenders for gold include Hungary, Italy and Russia, with Canada a medal contender. Australia, gold medalist at the Olympics in Sydney, is in the midst of a rebuilding phase, bringing a team to Athens with only three members from the 2000 squad.

Little-known fact: It took 94 years from when the first women’s water polo game was played in Harlem, Netherlands, in 1906, to the first women’s water polo tournament at the Olympics in 2000.

You’ll remember: Villa. The former Stanford star almost makes the word competitive seem like an understatement. She crafted her skill playing against boys in high school. And when asked if she could go up against any former Stanford athlete, Villa told the school’s website: “John Elway -- in a water polo shootout.”

-- Lisa Dillman,

The Times

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Weightlifting

Where: Nikaia Olympic Weightlifting Hall

When: Aug. 14-25.

Top U.S. performers: Shane Hamman, 105 kg+; Oscar Chaplin III, 85 kg; Chad Vaughn, 77 kg; Cheryl Haworth, 75 kg+; Tara Nott-Cunningham, 48 kg.

U.S. chances: Haworth won a bronze and Nott-Cunningham won a gold in 2000, and both return for encores in Athens. But they are the only U.S. women in the field, which should be dominated by the Chinese. On the men’s side, there are only three U.S. representatives. Hamman has an outside shot at a medal. But U.S. men have not won a weightlifting medal in 20 years and it is unlikely they will this year.

MEN’S OUTLOOK

56 kg: China’s Wu Meijin heads the world-ranking list in this class by a comfortable margin. Bulgaria’s Vitaly Derbeniev and Turkey’s Sedat Artuc are next on that list.

62 kg: Turkey’s Halil Mutlu has jumped up to this class after winning golds at lighter weights in 1996 and 2000. If he gets his third here, he will match the accomplishments of his legendary countryman, “Pocket Hercules,” Naim Suleymanoglu.

69 kg: Another Turk, Ekrem Celil, is atop the world-ranking list in this class. Croatia’s Nikolay Pechalov and China’s Zhang Guozheng also could contend.

77 kg: Atop the world list is Kazakhstan’s Sergey Filimonov with a total lift of 370 kg. Vaughn, the U.S. representative in this class, qualified with a lift total of 332.5.

85 kg: Greece’s Pyrros Dimas goes for his fourth consecutive gold, which no weightlifter ever has managed. But top-rated in this weight class is China’s Yuan Aijun. Chapin’s total when qualifying to represent the U.S. here was 355 kg, far behind Yuan’s world-leading best of 380.

94 kg: Another Greek, Kakhi Kakiasvilis, goes for a fourth straight gold as well. But, again, another is top-ranked in this weight class, in this case Bulgaria’s Milen Dobrev.

105 kg: Bulgaria’s Alan Tsagaev is top-rated. But close behind is Russia’s Dmitriy Berestov.

105 kg+: The defending world champion is Iran’s Hossein Rezazedah, who is such a hero at home that his wedding last year was broadcast live. Germany’s Ronny Weller, who has won medals in each of the last four Olympics, goes for one more. And ranked No. 1 in this class is Bulgaria’s Velichko Cholakov. This explains why U.S. rep Hamman is such a longshot.

WOMEN’S OUTLOOK

48 kg: Nott-Cunningham got her gold in 2000 when Bulgaria’s Izabela Dragneva, who had won the event, produced a positive drug test. She could contend again for a medal, but the heavy favorite for gold is China’s Li Zhuo.

53 kg: Thailand’s Junpim Kuntatean leads the world ranking by a comfortable margin.

58 kg: China has dubbed its four women lifters the “Dream Team.” One of that quartet is Chen Yanqing, considered the favorite in this weight class.

63 kg: Contenders should include Poland’s Dominika Misterska, Bulgaria’s Gergana Kirilova and Algeria’s Leila Lassouani.

69 kg: Liu Chunhong, another member of China’s “Dream Team,” has no real contenders in this weight class’s world rankings.

75 kg: Kazakhstan’s Tatyana Khromova sets atop the rankings. But Greece’s Christina Ioannidou is on it too, at No. 8, and could get a boost from the hometown crowd.

75 kg+: Missing from China’s “Dream Team” is Ding Meiyuan, the gold medalist in this weight class in Sydney. She has been replaced by Tang Gonghong, who in April set a world record with a total lift of 302.5 kg. But Haworth, who qualified with a total lift of 272.5, could still contend for a silver or bronze.

Little-known fact: Turkey’s legendary Suleymanoglu stood a mere 5 feet, which is why he was dubbed “Pocket Hercules.” His successor, Mutlu, is 4-11, which explains why he has been nicknamed “Little Naim.”

You’ll remember: Weightlifting is a Greek passion, which means Athens will be abuzz when Dimas and Kakiasvilis each go for a record-setting fourth consecutive gold in his weight class. Win or lose, the scenes surrounding their efforts are sure to be the stuff of memories.

-- Skip Myslenski,

Chicago Tribune

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Wrestling

Where: Ano Liossia Olympic Hall.

When: Aug. 22-29; finals -- women’s freestyle, Aug. 23; men’s Greco-Roman, Aug. 25-26; men’s freestyle, Aug. 28-29.

Top U.S. performers: Rulon Gardner, Cael Sanderson, Kerry McCoy, Toccara Montgomery, Patricia Miranda.

U.S. chances: The U.S. will be hard-pressed to capture the seven medals its wrestlers won in 2000, even with the first-time appearance of women’s freestyle wrestling.

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE

48 kg: Three-time world champion Irini Merlini of Ukraine is the favorite, but Miranda gave Merlini all she could handle in the 2003 world championship finals.

55 kg: Japan has owned the weight class the last four years with Saori Yoshida winning the last two titles. Tela O’Donnell of the U.S. upset Tina George at the Olympic trials.

63 kg: Kaori Icho of Japan has won the last two world titles, but Sara McCann of the U.S. had beaten her in 2003 before losing last year’s world title on a late takedown in overtime.

72 kg: Japan’s Kyoko Hamaguchi is a five-time world titlist, but Montgomery beat her a month after losing to her in the finals at the 2003 world championships.

MEN’S GRECO-ROMAN

55 kg: Reigning world champion Dariusz Jablonski of Poland leads a weight class filled with the last five world champions.

60 kg: Bulgaria’s Armen Nazarian has won the last two world and Olympic championships.

66 kg: A topsy-turvy weight class with three different world champs the last three years, plus Korea’s 2000 silver medal winner Kim In-Sub bumping up from 58 kilos.

74 kg: No. U.S. qualifier.

84 kg: Gocha Ziziashvily, the 2003 world champ, is looking to make history by becoming the first Olympic champion from Israel.

96 kg: Former 84-kilo wrestler Martin Lidberg of Sweden won the 2003 world title and has shown more improvement in subsequent tournaments.

120 kg: Since recovering from his ski mobile accident, Gardner continues to peak at the right moments.

MEN’S FREESTYLE

55 kg: Defending Olympic champion Namik Abdullayev of Azerbaijan, 2001 world champion Herman Kontoyev of Belarus, 2002 world champion Roberto Montero of Cuba and reigning world champion Dilshod Mansurov of Uzbekistan all qualified.

60 kg: Defending world champion Arif Abdullayev of Azerbaijan is the brother of the 55-kilo 2000 Olympic champ.

66 kg: Jamill Kelly picked up a berth here by Olympic qualification. Russia’s Irbek Farniev won the 2003 world title, but Makhach Murtazaliev won the Russian national championships to force a tough decision for the Russian national governing body.

74 kg: Five-time world champion and 1996 Olympic champion Bouvaisa Saitiev is hungry to make up for his 2000 Olympic gold-medal loss to retired Brandon Slay of the U.S.

84 kg: Sanderson, the only undefeated four-time champion in NCAA history, is ranked No. 2 to whichever Russian shows up: three-time world and 2000 Olympic champion Adam Saitiev or 2002 world champion Sajid Sajidov.

96 kg: Two-time world champion Eldar Kurtanidze of Georgia should bump heads with Iran’s Ali Reza Heidari in the finals.

120 kg: Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan beat McCoy for the 2003 world title, but both must contend with Russia’s David Musulbes.

Little-known fact: Montgomery, who won a silver medal at the world championships in 2003, beat reigning world champion Kristie Marano of the U.S. in the Olympic trials after Marano’s weight class was eliminated for the Athens Olympics.

You’ll remember: Gardner gets the sentimental nod. After losing a toe to frostbite, he won at the U.S. Olympic trials.

-- Gary Blockus,

Allentown Morning Call