Press Release

Nicolas Macrozonaris Colatoonized!

(Montreal, July 28th 2004) – Nicolas Macrozonaris, Canada’s 100m Olympian, will be part of the Coca-Cola Classic™ Colatoons ad campaign running this August. The campaign has already featured animated cartoon version of Marc Gagnon and Saku Koivu, but this time, the spotlight will be on Olympic hopeful Nicolas Macrozonaris.

The campaign, created by Cossette will feature both television and bus shelter advertising. 

The shelter ads will appear in Montreal, Laval and the south shore. They will feature a Colatoonized Macrozonaris.  Some bus shelters around Montreal will also feature a Colatoon Greek statue standing on a pedestal, demonstrating an Olympic discipline posture.

The television ad will give viewers an insight into when and how Nicolas might have begun his career as a sprinter. As the commercial opens, we see a young Macrozonaris chased by a little girl with a high-pitched laugh, Julie Tremblay, in the schoolyard. Julie’s wide-open mouth reveals nasty braces. She pursues a terrified Macrozonaris who runs for his life. A few years later, we see an adult Macrozonaris cross the finish line at a huge track & field competition, in a stadium filled to capacity. At the finish line, a gorgeous creature greets him with a hot embrace; holding a Coca-Cola in hand, ready to quench his thirst. She squeals, releasing a familiar high-pitched laugh… We hear a scream: “Julie Tremblay???” from his Colatoons schoolmates cheering for their childhood friend.

The television advertising will air in French on most Quebec stations and will run until the end of the summer.

“I am honored that Coca-Cola chose me to become a Colatoon this year. It totally fits my image since I tend not to take myself too seriously. I find their campaign to be funny and light hearted.  I truly love the fact that Coca-Cola has been supporting the Olympic Games for the last 76 years!” says an all smiles Nicolas Macrozonaris.

About Coca-Cola Ltd.

Coca-Cola Ltd. (CCL) is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company, the world's largest beverage company and the leading producer and marketer of soft drinks, juices and juice drinks. CCL is responsible for developing new brands, as well as enhancing existing brands specifically for Canadian consumers. This includes advertising, promotions, marketing and packaging innovations, in addition to juice and juice drink manufacturing. Current Coca-Cola beverages include: Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Sprite, Sprite ReMix Berryclear, Nestea ice teas, POWERADE sports drinks, DASANI bottled water, Minute Maid juices, Five Alive, Bibo and Fruitopia.

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Information: Josiane Bιtit, Etoile du Nord Public Relations,
(514) 398-9758, # 230, jbetit@etoileworld.com; Source : Coca-Cola Ltιe

Communiquι de presse
Pour diffusion immιdiate

Nicolas Macrozonaris Colatoonisι!

(Montreal, 28 juillet 2004) –Nicolas Macrozonaris, olympien canadien du 100m vitesse, participe ΰ la campagne des Colatoons de Coca-Cola. Cette campagne mettant en vedette des dessins animιs de personnages connus sera axιe cette fois sur Nicolas Macrozonaris. Ιtant donnι que Coca-Cola parraine les Jeux Olympiques depuis 1928, ils ont choisi cette annιe le chouchou canadien des Jeux Olympiques d’Athθnes 2004, le Colatoon Nicolas.

La campagne publicitaire sera visible sur des abribus de Montrιal, Laval et de la Rive Sud. ΐ noter que certains abribus de l’ξle de Montrιal seront ornιs de statues grecques montιes sur un podium; les statues reprιsentent des athlθtes dans une discipline olympique.

Pour ce qui est de la publicitι tιlιvisιe, les annonces passeront en franηais, en ondes, au Quιbec ΰ partir du 2 aoϋt jusqu’ΰ la fin de l’ιtι. On y voit un Nicolas Macrozonaris intronisι en Colatoon, Colatoonisι pour ainsi dire, par le talent de l’ιquipe crιative de Cossette.

La publicitι montre quand et comment a dιbutι la carriθre de Nicolas en course de vitesse. On le voit tout jeune poursuivit dans la cour d’ιcole par une petite fille au rire perηant, Julie Tremblay. Julie montre ses dents garnies de broches et cours derriθre un Nicolas terrorisι qui prend ses jambes ΰ son cou pour la fuir. Quelques annιes plus tard, on voit un Nicolas adulte passer la ligne d’arrivιe d’un grand championnat, dans un stade plein ΰ craquer. ΐ la ligne d’arrivιe, une superbe fille l’enlace une bouteille de Coca-Cola ΰ la main, prιvue pour lui pour le dιsaltιrer. Elle lβche  un rire strident, perηant… familier… Un petit groupe s’exclame alors « Julie Tremblay???? » c’est les amis d’ιcole qui encouragent leur copain d’enfance, Nicolas.

La campagne des Colatoons n’est pas nouvelle, des personnages sportifs cιlθbres ont dιjΰ ιtι Colatoonisιs, soit Marc Gagnon et Saku Koivu.

« C’est fantastique que  Coca-Cola me fasse l’honneur Colatoon! C’est tout ΰ fait ΰ mon image, j’ai tendance ΰ ne pas me prendre au sιrieux. Je trouve leur campagne percutante, sympathique et j’aime beaucoup le fait  que  Coca-Cola supporte les Jeux Olympiques depuis 76 ans » de dιclarer Nicolas Macrozonaris, sourire aux lθvres.

ΐ propos de Coca-Cola...

Coca-Cola Ltιe (CCL) est une filiale indirecte appartenant en propriιtι exclusive ΰ The Coca-Cola Company, la plus grande compagnie de boissons du monde et le premier producteur et distributeur de boissons gazeuses, jus et boissons aux fruits. CCL est responsable du dιveloppement de nouvelles marques et de l'amιlioration des marques existantes destinιes aux consommateurs canadiens, ce qui inclut la publicitι, le marketing et l'innovation en matiθre d'emballage ainsi que la production de jus et de boissons aux fruits. La gamme Coca-Cola compte actuellement les boissons suivantes : Coca-Cola Classique, Coke Diθte, Sprite, les thιs glacιs Nestea, les boissons sportives POWERADE, l'eau embouteillιe DASANI, les jus Minute Maid, Dιli-cinq, Bibo et Fruitopia.

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Renseignements: Josiane Bιtit, Etoile du Nord relations publiques,
(514) 398-9758, poste 230, jbetit@etoileworld.com; Source : Coca-Cola Ltιe

Greek Myths
By NICHOLAS GAGE, New York Times, OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

July 24, 2004

Olympic Games

Although the Summer Olympics are still a few weeks away, one event has already started and threatens to dominate all the others - the rush to judgment.

For more than a year now, self-appointed doomsayers and armchair Cassandras have been predicting total disaster for the Olympic Games when they begin on Aug. 13 here, in the country where they were founded in 776 B.C. and where they were revived in 1896.

The gloomy forecasts have come in numerous newspaper articles and television features, first predicting that the venues would never be completed in time and that disaster was inevitable. Now that it is clear that the projects will be ready, there comes an array of warnings that terrorists could be a threat because the structures are being finished too late for security systems to be fully tested.

Athens has been slammed in the American news media in a way that other Olympics hosts never were, even though many failed to complete projects (Barcelona) and had security problems (Atlanta). Athens has been judged and found wanting before the Games have started. That's like anticipating disaster for a movie before it opens, and I need only mention the success of "Titanic" and "The Passion of the Christ" to point out the pitfalls of such premature verdicts.

As for the latest warnings about security at the Olympics, what I can say is this: I was born in Greece and spent my first 10 years living through the waves of war and revolution that engulfed the country in the 1940's. As an investigative reporter for The Times I covered organized crime and drug trafficking and later, as a foreign correspondent for the paper, I reported on conflicts throughout the Middle East. I have some experience in assessing risk, and not only am I going to be in Athens throughout the Olympics, but my wife and daughter are also coming with me.

We are confident we will be safe because we know the measures that are being taken to provide security for the Games. Athens is spending $1.2 billion on security, four times the amount spent for the Sydney Games. Greece has called together a platoon of experts from the United States, Britain, Israel and several other countries to help Greek authorities plan and direct operations for the Olympics. Biometric identification measures to control access to the Games have been set up at all venues, and 1,320 cameras have been installed throughout the city. While Awacs planes provided by NATO survey the skies over Athens, a force of 70,000 Greek police, military and security personnel will patrol every area connected to the Olympics, including the harbors where cruise ships will be anchored to house the overflow of expected visitors.

Most recently a blackout in parts of southern Greece, including Athens, set off new waves of alarm. But the blackout was caused by human error, not any weakness in the Greek electrical grid. The peak of electricity demands in Greece comes in July, not August. As John Paleocrassas, head of the public power corporation, told me, New York has had much worse blackouts for longer periods, but no one is suggesting that as a result, the Republican convention should not be held there in August.

No one can feel safe anywhere these days. But Greece has not been the target of significant international terrorist threats in recent years.

So cut Greece a little slack, at least for the short time remaining before the Games begin.

Greece is the smallest nation ever to hold the Summer Olympics and the one with the fewest financial resources. Yet it has had to build more venues than any previous host country as well as set up the most costly and most extensive security operation in the history of the Olympics.

Despite all that, the venues have been completed. The jewel in the crown - the glass and steel dome over the main Olympic stadium, designed by the renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava - has been fitted into place. It rises majestically over the stadium, a symbol of the new Athens just as the Acropolis signifies the ancient city.

Yes, the Athens organizers got an inexcusably late start, but they picked up steam as the deadline approached. Yes, there have been heart-stopping delays. And yes, work on part of the 26-mile road on which the marathon will be run stopped when the original contractor went bankrupt. (But a new contractor took over and officials say the road will be finished next week.)

It's also true that the swimming center will not have the roof planned for it, but panels have been installed to provide shade from the August sun. It's also true that some of the landscaping around the venues may not be finished in time, but every city holding the Games had problems. The roof of the swimming center in Barcelona was never installed, for example.

It's worth remembering that Athens will offer something no other city ever provided - what Lawrence Durrell called "spirit of place." To have the marathon run over the very route Pheidippides ran in 490 B.C. to bring Athenians news of victory over the Persians, to have athletes throwing the discus and javelin in the shadow of the Acropolis, to have men and women from all over the world competing where democracy was born, will provide some of the most stirring and unforgettable moments Olympic spectators have ever experienced.

Nicholas Gage is the author of "Eleni" and "Greek Fire: The Story of Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis."

Nicolas recorded his fastest time of the year this afternoon in Victoria, but it wasn't good enough to win on this day.

Pierre Browne of Toronto won the 100m race in 10.13 seconds, finishing just ahead of Nicolas who crossed the line in 10.20.

It has been a very trying 2004 so far for Nic.  An early season ankle injury was followed by a tendonitis problem as well as a flu-like condition that has left him feeling fatigued for weeks.  This myriad of problems have severly limited Nic's workouts this past month, with the biggest casualty his speed workouts. 

With his season best time of 10.20 today, however, Nic is well on his way to returning to top form in time for the 100m competition at the Olympics in August.

We congratulate Pierre Browne on his first Canadian 100m Championship, and wish him every success as he hopes to compete alongside Nicolas in Athens.

galako62904@yahoo.com

ATHLETES SAY STANDARDS ARE A JOKE

By ROB LONGLEY, IN VICTORIA, Toronto Sun

NIC MACROZONARIS doesn't mind admitting there are times he lets his mouth run as fast as his feet. But it was a well-measured rant yesterday by Canada's reigning fastest man, one supported by others, including this country's top Olympic medal hope, hurdler Perdita Felicien.

The subject of tightened guidelines set by the Canadian Olympic Committee has angered athletes from coast-to-coast in many amateur sports.

So at a windy Centennial Stadium in Victoria, site of this weekend's national track and field championships, the Macro-man took one for his would-be Olympic teammates.

"I'm not putting myself on a pedestal, but I have a big mouth that goes on and on and I'm here to voice my opinion of what amateur athletes feel like," Macrozonaris said.

"We shouldn't be busting our behinds to run after the standard, then go to the Olympics like it's already a prize for us.

"We should be preparing ourselves for the big prize."

To illustrate his point, Macrozonaris pointed to Felicien, sitting a few feet away. Four years ago, both made it not only to their first Olympics, but also their first Canadian team.

And they made it to the Sydney Games with performances that would not be enough to earn a ticket to Athens.

Macrozonaris had a breakthrough 10.19 time at the 2000 Canadian championships, which double as the Olympic trials. It was the only time he met the Athletics Canada "A" standard, which was good enough then, but not now.

TOURIST

It was a similar story for Felicien, who admits she was a wide-eyed 19-year-old who "went to Sydney as a tourist."

But the reigning world 100-metre hurdles champion said the early Olympic experience may be her ace this summer.

"I think it's pivotal (to have had that experience), especially with my situation now and so much on my shoulders," Felicien said. "I'm not going to be star-struck when I get there ... I'll understand what the Olympics are about."

The pride of Pickering said one of the biggest beefs athletes have is that the COC has decreed the last chance to meet its standards is this weekend.

Other countries, meanwhile, can meet track and field performance criteria later this month at big meets in Europe.

The end result of making it difficult to qualify, Felicien said, is that developing athletes see the Olympics as unattainable when they are asked to "walk on your hands upside down."

"It definitely is discouraging," Felicien said.

"If you see what you're facing, you ask 'Why should I even try? ' "

Macrozonaris, meanwhile, said the confidence he gained in 2000 allowed him to defeat American Tim Montgomery last year in Mexico.

"All I know is I would probably lose a lot of experience and would never be able to beat the world-record holder three years later," he said.

Alex Gardiner, the head coach of the Canadian team, sees some flaws in the system as well, acknowledging the experience of 2000 was huge for two of his team's biggest stars.

"I'm sure Perdita will have the memories of Sydney," Gardiner said.

"The size of the stadium, the distractions."

However, Gardiner was careful not to be overly critical of the standards given Athletics Canada helped develop them. Gardiner agreed that a later date to meet standards would help but was told by the COC it was "out of the question."

Also helpful would be a provision for prodigies to get Olympic experience at a young age.

"For the promising or hopeful athlete, I think we need to build something in," Gardiner said. "There are examples all over the place."

One is here this weekend, in fact. Whitby native Priscilla Lopes, an NCAA star at Nebraska, needs to meet the Olympic standard a second time. Heading into this weekend, her situation is strikingly similar to Felicien's four years ago.

"Mark my words, she's going to be a star," Felicien said.

"She needs to make the team for her career."

By Rob Longley, Toronto Sun

BEFORE A JUMP is made or a race is run, Athletics Canada figures 21 track and field athletes are as good as set for Athens. By Sunday night's conclusion of the Canadian track and field championships at the University of Victoria, Canadian head coach Alex Gardiner hopes that number will grow.

"We're confident 21 athletes have qualified, and we hope that number increases over the weekend," Gardiner said.

"We would like to see three or four more."

Most of those that have already qualified must finish in the top four in their event at UVic's Centennial Stadium to finalize their Olympic spots.

So far, 17 individual athletes lack only that final step.

The other four spots go to those who make the men's 4x100 men's relay team.

Among those on the bubble are Jennifer Joyce of Richmond B.C., who needs one more standard in the women's hammer throw, and Priscilla Lopes of Whitby, who has to run the Canadian standard of 12.90 one more time in the women's 100-metre hurdles.

BEHIND THE MASK

World champion Perdita Felicien was sporting a new look yesterday, though not necessarily one she'll sport in Athens.

The 100-metre hurdler from Pickering unveiled a new suit made for her by Nike that features a hood not unlike those some of Canada's rowers are considering.

"We'll see when the Games come," Felicien said when asked if she would use the new uniform. "I'll try it out a few times and see how I like it. You don't change your spikes the day before the meet.

"It feels good though. It's almost like a second skin."

IT'S ALL GREEK TO HIM

Sprinter Nic Macrozonaris was sounding a little hoarse yesterday following a busy month cheering for another sport.

The Greek Canadian said he got caught up in the hoopla of his father Spiros' homeland winning soccer's Euro Cup.

"I lost my voice cheering for Greece," Macrozonaris said. "I've been celebrating for three weeks with surprise after surprise.

"Who knows, maybe I will follow that same regime and surprise everyone at the Olympics."

Says Canuck athletes are at a disadvantage

Move to international benchmarks: Felicien

RANDY STARKMAN
SPORTS REPORTER, Toronto Star

VICTORIA—When it was his turn to speak yesterday, Nicolas Macrozonaris apologized for having lost his voice cheering Greece's underdog victory in Euro 2004.

But it turned out the Canadian sprint champion had plenty to say anyway at a news conference promoting this weekend's Olympic track and field trials.

Macrozonaris criticized the Canadian Olympic Committee and Athletics Canada for making qualifying standards too high. He said all the emphasis on the standards takes away from athletes' concentration on getting ready for the Games next month in Athens.

"We shouldn't be running and busting our behinds to run after standards and when we go to the Olympics it should be like it's a prize for us," Macrozonaris said. "We should be preparing ourselves for the big picture."

His comments were backed by world hurdles champion Perdita Felicien of Pickering and veteran 1,500-metre runner Kevin Sullivan. Felicien and Macrozonaris would have missed the opportunity they got as 19-year-olds to compete at the 2000 Sydney Olympics under the current criteria, which puts emphasis on showing top-12 potential.

"It's discouraging," said Felicien, who is a gold medal contender for Athens. "If you look at the criteria and you see what you're faced with, you think, `Why should I even try?' I know if I was told in 2000 that you've got to do this three times and then you've got to walk on your hands upside down, there's too much there."

Felicien said the COC should accept the standards set by her sport's international governing body, the IAAF.

"These are not easy standards that someone off the street can make. These are world-class standards."

The standards set by the COC and Athletics Canada are higher than the IAAF's in 17 events. A total of 22 COC standards equal the IAAF — but Canadians must achieve them twice in speed and power events plus also make a lower `B' standard another time, with at least one of those performances coming between May 1 and July 11.

The COC standard for the 110-metre men's hurdles is 13.46 seconds, compared to the IAAF's 13.55; the men's 800-metres is 1:45.71, compared to the IAAF's 1:46.00; the men's 100 metres is 10.18, compared to the IAAF's 10.21; and the women's 100-metre hurdles is 12.90 compared to the IAAF's 12.96.

While the COC's cutoff date is Sunday, athletes in many other countries have up to 10 days to achieve their standards. "That's cut-throat," said Felicien of the COC deadline.

Athletics Canada head coach Alex Gardiner said he's confident all the athletes who should be in Athens will cement their berths this weekend. He also credited the athletes for speaking up.

"What I like about all of them is they're not concerned about themselves, they're looking at their teammates, in some cases their friends, and other young athletes, and they're saying `Give them a chance. I've made the team. It's not about me,'" said Gardiner. "That's just fabulous. That's the kind of people we want on our team."

Lori Ewing
Canadian Press

Friday, July 09, 2004
 
VICTORIA (CP) - Star sprinter Nicolas Macrozonaris lashed out Thursday against tough Olympic qualifying standards for Canadian track athletes.

"In 2000, that was where I broke out of my eggshell. I ran 10.18 that day, and I qualified," the 23-year-old from Laval, Que., said at a news conference in advance of this weekend's Canadian Olympic track and field trials. "Three years later, I was able to go to Mexico and beat Tim Montgomery, the world record-holder.

"But if that was today, I wouldn't make the Olympic team. I would probably lose a lot of experience and would never be able to beat the world record-holder three years later."

Macrozonaris burst onto the international track scene by winning the 100 metres at the Canadian championships and earning a trip to the Sydney Olympics.

That would not happen under the new rules.

After Canada failed to win a medal at either the 2000 Sydney Olympics or the 2001 world championships in Edmonton, Athletics Canada - in conjunction with the Canadian Olympic Committee - implemented new standards for Athens.

In 23 of 45 events, the standards are more difficult than the IAAF standards that other countries must achieve. In all but the distance events, the athletes much achieve the standard twice, including once between May 1 and this weekend.

"I think it's unfair, and I know that no one's going to stand up here and talk about it, but unfortunately I am," said Macrozonaris, who received quiet applause from other athletes at the news conference. "A long jumper from Canada has to jump two national records in Canada (to make the standard). It's unbelievable.

"If I didn't come up here and talk about it, I would be tossing and turning all night in my bed."

Macrozonaris has already made the qualifying standard. But he still has to finish in the top four at the trials to make the Olympic team.

The track meet at Centennial Stadium represents the last chance for athletes to earn a berth for Athens.

Athletics Canada head coach Alec Gardiner says the standards received good reviews from athletes who competed at the world championships last summer in Paris, after having to hit similar qualifying marks.

"It is tough to make this team, there's no doubt," said Gardiner. "But these athletes know that they're going to be ready to go on the day they're going to have to go."

But in the weeks leading up to the Olympic trials, which start Friday, there's been talk of little else in Canadian track circles.

Kevin Sullivan has been chasing - and finally met - the men's 1,500-metre standard at a meet in Europe, but says he's barely seen his wife in 2½ months. Shane Niemi, the Canadian record-holder in the 400 metres, has not made the standard and sounds about ready to pack it in for good.

World hurdles champion Perdita Felicien says most athletes agree with Macrozonaris - including her.

She wouldn't have qualified for Sydney either, and so Athens would have been her first Olympic experience.

"I think it's pivotal especially considering my situation now (as a gold medal favourite), there's so much on my shoulders," said Felicien, a native of Pickering, Ont. "I'm going to get there and not be star-struck, I'm going to understand what the Olympics are about and I'm going to be cool."

Felicien, 23, worries the standards will discourage younger athletes from the staying in the sport.

"If I was told in 2000 that you've got to do this three times, and then you've got to walk on your hands upside down, there's too much there," said Felicien. "People get too discouraged and think, why should I try?"

Gardiner said there are 21 athletes who have met the qualifying criteria and there are a few on the bubble including 100-metre hurdler Priscilla Lopes who was second at the NCAA championships, hammer thrower Jennifer Joyce, and Katie Vermeulen who was on pace to make the 1,500 standard at a recent meet in Europe but fell coming down the final straightaway.

Niemi decided to give up trying to make the standard in the open 400 and set his sights on helping the 4x400 relay qualify. The relay dropped out of contention though, when their world ranking recently dropped to No. 18 (only the top 16 qualify).

Four years ago, the runner from Kamloops, B.C., missed the standard in the 400 by two one-hundredths of a second. He made the standard in the 200 at the trials, but the time was wind-aided and so wasn't legal. His struggles prompted a newspaper to run his photo with the headline: Canada's Unluckiest Athlete.

Can he stay focused for another four years until the next Olympics?

"I don't know, that's the big question: is it even worth it to get motivated anymore?" said Niemi. "I'm just sick of it.

"It's just ridiculous, you've got to be at your best before you even go there, you should be at your best when you get there.

"That's the way they want to go, but I think it's the wrong way."

'If you make the international standard, you should go to the Olympics,' urges hurdling champion
 
Cleve Dheensaw
Times Colonist

Friday, July 09, 2004
 
Several of Canada's top track and field athletes, in Victoria for the Olympic trials this weekend, have blasted the Canadian Olympic Committee's qualifying standards for the 2004 Athens Summer Games as being unrealistically stringent.

"The (COC) standards are unfair," said three-time Canadian 100-metre champion Nicolas Macrozonaris of Montreal.

"They're unbelievable and have to change. In the long jump, for instance, you would have to break the Canadian record twice to make our team to Athens. I'm not trying to be negative. I'm just trying to show my concern about this. Our amateur athletes should not be busting their behinds chasing these standards."

The qualifying standards to make the Canadian team to Athens are more strict in 17 events than those set by the IAAF, the world governing body for track and field. The COC and IAAF standards are the same for 22 events, although Canadian rules stipulate those standards have to be met more than just once in the qualifying period, while once is good enough under the IAAF rules.

"They should go by the international (IAAF) guidelines, period," said world 100-metre hurdles champion Perdita Felicien of Pickering, Ont. "If you make the international standard, you should go to the Olympics. The IAAF standards are not easy to begin with. Now the COC is making it impossible for a Canadian to qualify in many events.."

The COC's method in coming up with its own standards is a complicated formula based on times that would place athletes in the world top-12 in their events.

But it is applied across the board to all sports. Summer sport athletes are complaining it's far tougher to make top-12 in track and field, in which almost every nation in the world participates, compared to sports such as luge or skeleton, in which fewer countries participate. Yet the COC is loosening qualifying standards for winter sports to encourage more athletes to take part in them in the leadup to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

"That winter-versus-summer issue does bother me, although I understand the reasoning that the Winter Games are coming to Canada," said Alex Gardiner, head coach of the Canadian Olympic track and field team.

But Gardiner generally supports tougher Canadian standards to get to Athens in his sport.

"The qualifying standards are somewhat controversial but we want to be able to perform at a high level at the Olympics and not just show up," he said, adding Canadian sport needs to get more podium-oriented.

"The Olympics are not for everybody. It's tough to make this team, no doubt. But don't forget, Canadian athletes are meeting these standards."

Seventeen Canadian track and field athletes, including Macrozonaris and Felicien, have met theirs and need only finish in the top four this weekend during the trials at Centennial Stadium to book their passage to Athens. The Canadian track and field team to Athens likely will number between 19 and 25. More than 500 athletes are here competing at the trials.

"It depends on the event but some COC qualifying standards are definitely tougher than they should be," said veteran 1,500-metre runner and Olympic veteran Kevin Sullivan of Brampton, Ont.

"I believe the IAAF standards are tough enough. It's really an inexact thing to analyse statistics and say this time or that time would place you in the world top-12."

Macrozonaris and Felicien pointed out that under the new COC standards, neither of them would have qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Both said the experience garnered in Sydney will hold them in good stead at Athens.

Triathlete Simon Whitfield of Victoria would not have qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney under the new COC formula. Whitfield won the Olympic gold medal.

"These COC standards are discouraging many good athletes," said Felicien. "They're saying, 'Why should I even try?' It's cutthroat."

Lucy Smith of Victoria, whose last chance to qualify for Athens in the 5,000 metres goes tonight at Centennial Stadium, agreed.

"These standards are so far out of reach that it will only discourage top youth athletes from trying our sport," said Smith. "And so track and field will suffer when they see they have no opportunity to race on the national team."

Smith said she finds the podium push ironic "because in Canada, they don't fund you to gold-medal level . . . there is no foundation or support to help us reach these standards they have set."

The Olympic track and field trials begin today at Centennial Stadium and run through Sunday. A finals-loaded stretch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday will be televised live on CBC.

Nicolas will be defending his Canadian 100m championship this weekend in Victoria. He tested his injured hamstring this past weekend in Montreal, running easily to win in 10.36 seconds.   A decision will be made following Saturday's 100m event on whether Nicolas will line up in the 200m on Sunday. The CBC will televise Saturday's events live. galako62904@yahoo.com

Greece's national soccer team won the European championship today, defeating home side Portugal and confounding many, an amazing start to a summer for a country that will also showcase the Olympic Games in August.

Besides "underdogs" and "long-shots" Greece was also labeled "giant killers" the last three weeks, having beaten the likes of France and the Czech Republic.

Let's be clear here. This was indeed the most successful showing internationally by Greece having never before won any major tournament game, let alone a championship. While there has always been a good talent pool organizational questions and internal strife sidelined the team in the past, issues that were kicked to the curb this time around thanks in no small part to German coach Otto Rehhagel.

What there has never been any question of, however, is the "Greek spirit" that unites all Greeks, whether native or Diaspora. Perhaps it was this united spirit, from the world over, that became the 12th man on the field today, helping propel our boys to victory.

So, what "giant killers" we ask? THE GIANTS won the European Championship today.

Bravo Hellas from your friends at NicolasMacrozonaris.com. We will walk with you in August, where our united spirit will hopefully yield many successes for you once again!!!!

galako62904@yahoo.com