Tumbleweed blowing across the car parks, under-worked staff in the box offices and empty seats in the stands. Welcome to Athens 2004. ”We will not be giving tickets away, and we will not be offering discounts. To do so would be unfair to those who have paid full price,” an Olympic games spokesperson, Michael Zacharatos, said on Monday, denying there were plans to, in a phrase used most commonly by failed theatre impresarios, ”paper the house”.

Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou left hospital on Tuesday, four days after a motorcycle crash that followed a missed drug test — again taking the focus from the competition arenas at the Athens Olympics. Eleven medal events were scheduled on the fourth day of Olympic competition.

South Africa’s gold-medal swimming duo Ryk Neethling and Roland Schoeman are through to Tuesday’s semifinal of the men’s 100m freestyle, but not without some anxious moments for the supporters. ”I’m … now looking forward to the semifinals tonight,” said Neethling before quickly moving through the media zone.

Manchester United, who are now thought unlikely to buy a new striker despite their injury problems, can bounce back after their opening Premiership defeat at Chelsea on Sunday, their French defender Mikael Silvestre predicted. Silvestre said United deserved a draw rather than the 1-0 loss to pre-season big spenders Chelsea.

Robert Key and Andrew Flintoff hit unbeaten half centuries as England recovered against the West Indies on the fifth and final day on Monday to win by seven wickets. Key anchored the 231-run second-innings chase with an unbeaten 93 as the home team reached their target with 27,2 overs left in the final session.

United States equestrian Robert Dover is among the rarest of all 10 500 athletes in Athens, not only for his six Olympic appearances but because he is one of a tiny handful of competitors who publicly identifies himself as gay. But many believe there are scores of other gay and lesbian athletes at these Summer Games.

Australian media on Tuesday hailed Ian Thorpe’s 200m freestyle victory in the ”race of the century” at the Athens pool and crowned the swimmer this nation’s best Olympian to date. Petria Thomas’s victory in the 100m butterfly earned just as many plaudits because of the adversity the 28-year-old overcame.