Olympics 2008

Applause broke out at a forum on the topic of ACC in Dunedin on Saturday when the National Party's candidate for Dunedin North, Michael Woodhouse, agreed that an independent authority should be set up to deal with complaints against the corporation.

The New Zealand Olympic team in Beijing was too big and athletes should not be using the Games just to get experience, former Olympic selector Associate Prof David Gerrard says.

The team management was "nuts" to appoint sculler Mahe Drysdale as New Zealand's flag bearer for the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics.

Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt have been the major stories of the Olympic Games in Beijing. But which man should be acclaimed the bigger star? Sports editor Hayden Meikle tries, and fails, to come up with a satisfying answer.

After the euphoria of the opening days, the reality of staging the "perfect" event has tempered the Olympic spirit, wites Eleanor Ainge Roy from Beijing.

The 2008 Olympics come with a "Made in China" tag, but there are concerns consumers may have problems with the product. Be warned that unfurling banners - even those that say "Go Kiwi" - are banned.

If New Zealand women's hockey coach Kevin Towns misses any one attacking weapon in his switch from coaching the men, it will be a penalty corner smasher.

Olympic cyclist Greg Henderson's focus is currently on the track, but come the end of October it will switch to a lady walking up the aisle.

With a little more than two weeks to go before the 2008 Olympic Games begin, morale is "excellent" in the Kiwi team, the Queenstown-based president of the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) says.

He declined to give a number but Sparc chief executive Peter Miskimmin believes several New Zealand athletes have the potential to win medals at the Beijing Olympics.