Nordics

U.S. drug control chief Barry McCaffrey has said that improved random dope tests and wider global research would help beat cheats at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials have accused the United States of covering up doping cases among U.S. athletes for more than a decade.

Euro 2000 proved a major hit with TV audiences across the continent, according to the latest figures released by Mediametrie.

The Belgian authorities have expelled a Yugoslav soccer federation official after he was found selling black market tickets at Euro 2000.

More than half of Italian soccer fans say that commercialisation is behind the downturn in fortunes experienced by their country's football teams.

UEFA have announced sweeping changes to their internal structure.

Euro 2000 organisers have freed up well over 50,000 tickets for this summer's championships and plan to sell them from Thursday.

The European Commission has sought to dismiss any idea the EU might give a blanket exemption to the collective selling of sports broadcasting rights, a practice seen as an illegal cartel.

The IOC has annunced an autumn programme of evaluation visits to cities hoping to stage the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Poland's government has approved a bid by Zakopane to host the Winter Olympics in 2006.

Switzerland's President Flavio Cotti has asked for the support of France and other French-speaking states for his country's bid to stage the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Italy's Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema met Fiat honorary chairman Giovanni Agnelli and other members of a Turin-based group on Monday to discuss the city's bid to host the 2006 winter Olympic Games.

Margot Jackson, an Australian who won the 100 and 200 metres sprint double at the 1952 Helsinki Games, has been appointed to the board of the Sydney 2000 Olympic organising committee.

The Salt Lake City bid scandal has claimed a second International Olympic Committee (IOC) victim when Bashir Mohamed Attarabulsi of Libya resigned as a member today.

Sydney and Salt Lake City Olympic officials have sought to reassure potential sponsors and spectators that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was dealing effectively with the biggest scandal in its 104-year history.

1.DIRTY TRICKS SURFACE IN IOC SCANDAL

2.KENYA'S MUKORA QUITS IOC

3.SAMARANCH DEFIANT, TOO

4.2006 WINTER OLYMPIC BIDDERS FACE CONFUSION, NEW RULES

5.2012 BIDS

6.HOT FILE

Six European cities desperate for their two weeks in the world spotlight will pledge their undying loyalty to the Olympic movement next week as the contest to host the 2006 Winter Games reaches its climax.

Turin officials have identified Swiss rivals Sion as potential winners when the IOC votes this Saturday to decide the venue for the 2006 Winter Olympics.