Olympic news

Olympics fever has spread to China's interbank money market, where traders are betting on the host country to take between 40 and 42 gold medals in this year's games, a jump from 32 golds in the 2004 games.

Traders who make their living pricing interest rate swaps and arbitraging in the bill and bond markets have organised an informal "swap" market to bet on China's Olympics medal tally.

Those betting on China to win more than a certain number of golds "buy" contracts at that level; traders betting on a ceiling for China's haul "sell" just below that maximum. Contract prices move in increments of a quarter of a gold medal.

Contracts were bid at 40 and offered at 42 yesterday.

I'm under-prepared, says Radcliffe

Britain's Paula Radcliffe is feeling fresh and healthy for the Beijing Olympic marathon but is still concerned about her injured leg.

Radcliffe, who holds the women's marathon world record but has never won an Olympic medal, admits she is under-prepared but says she is in better shape than at the 2004 Games when she failed to finish despite being among the favourites.

"I'd rather go into the race healthy and a little bit under-prepared than in the shape I was in 2004 but just not healthy and not well enough to endure the race," Radcliffe told BBC Radio.

"I'll be the freshest on the start line for sure and I think I'll probably be one of the happiest to be there because there have been those points when I really didn't think I would make it," she added.

Japan marathon champ withdraws

Women's Olympic marathon champion Mizuki Noguchi, of Japan, withdrew from the Beijing Games yesterday due to injury, public broadcaster NHK said.

Japan's Kyodo news agency had reported that the 30-year-old had undergone a second MRI scan after cutting short her altitude training in Switzerland, citing muscle soreness.

The withdrawal will be a blow for Japan, where marathon running is hugely popular and draws enormous crowds. The country has won the last two women's Olympic marathons.

Adlingtons victims of ticket scam

The parents of British swimming gold medallist Rebecca Adlington are among the victims of an internet ticket scam. Kay Adlington told the Nottingham Evening Post they had lost £1,100 after buying tickets online to see their daughter in action.

She said they booked the tickets in January and received an e-mail in August saying the business had gone bust. The IOC has said it is taking action to shut down fraudsters after a string of similar complaints.

Rebecca Adlington won the 400 metres freestyle on Monday to claim Britain's first swimming gold since 1988.

Mystery guard becomes sex symbol

A handsome but anonymous guardian of the Olympics torch on its troubled world tour has won legions of Chinese female fans and plenty of marriage proposals.

Known only as "Second Brother on the Right" because of his customary position by the flame, the young man with boyish looks and cropped hair is an Internet sensation and nationalist hero.

Pictures of him in regulation blue-and-white Olympics uniform abound on websites and Chinese media, with some fans likening him to Lei Feng, an idolised soldier of the Mao Zedong era.

"We love him not only because he is so handsome but because he represents the pride of China," one female blogger wrote.

The nameless hero's popularity soared as he was seen defending the torch from pro-free Tibet protests on its international tour before reaching China for the Games.

Oil slick spotted off coast

An "oily slick" covering about two square kilometres was floating off the coast of Qingdao, where Olympic sailing events are being held.

The unidentified substance on the sea's surface was first reported about 30 nautical miles from the sailing course by the city maritime department on Monday evening, Xinhua said, quoting Wang Weiping, deputy secretary general of the city government.

A massive and unsightly bloom of more than one million tonnes of algae had appeared off the rocky beaches of Qingdao in July, embarrassing the host city. Thousands of troops and volunteers were mobilised for the clean up.

Baby plans could spell end for US pair

Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor have lived through thick and thin together for eight years but the most powerful partnership in women's beach volleyball could soon be broken up by babies.

Both US players have married since they won gold at the Athens Games and while each is keen to get on with the next stage of family life, they were divided over how much they would play as mothers.

"I hope to be pregnant soon after the Games, take a year off and then come back," said Walsh, whose husband Casey Jennings is also a professional beach volleyball player.