New Winners in Field Events

Here, in capsule form, are the events that will be highlighted today in Athens:

Track and Field

Finals will be held in the men’s 50-kilometer race walk, men’s pole vault, women’s long jump, women’s javelin throw, men’s 110-meter hurdles, women’s 10,000 and women’s 400-meter relay.

A new champion will be crowned in the men’s pole vault, because Sydney gold medalist Nick Hysong didn’t make it out of the U.S. trials. The same is true for the women’s long jump. Defending champion Heike Dreschler isn’t in Athens, and two-time silver medalist Fiona May didn’t make it out of the first round. Marion Jones will try to improve on the bronze medal she won at Sydney.

Heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft of Sweden is among the women’s long jump finalists.

Helene Elliott

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Women’s Basketball

There are no surprises in the final four, the three medalists from Sydney having been joined by the reigning European champion in today’s semifinals.

The United States takes a 23-game Olympic winning streak into its meeting with Russia. Both teams had easy victories in the quarterfinals, the U.S. defeating Greece by 30 points and the Russians defeating the Czech Republic by 21.

The other semifinal matches the silver and bronze medalists from Sydney, Australia and Brazil.

Dave Morgan

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Men’s Soccer

Iraq has a chance to win its first Olympic medal in 44 years tonight when its men’s soccer team plays Italy in the bronze-medal game at Thessaloniki. Iraq’s previous best finish in the Olympic soccer tournament was by the 1980 team that reached the quarterfinals at the Moscow Games.

Grahame L. Jones

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Boxing

The two remaining U.S. Olympians will be in the ring tonight in the semifinals. Andre Dirrell, a 165-pounder, goes against Gennadiy Golovkin of Kazakhstan. Andre Ward will fight Utkirbek Haydarov of Uzbekistan in the 178-pound competition.

-- Steve Springer