The Greatest Show on Earth Sydney is ready to welcome 10,000 athletes from 200 nations. Here are the likely star performers, certainly the ones to beat.
Alexander Carelin His Olympic foes call him 'King Kong' or 'The Experiment'. None of them have beaten him — ever
Ralf Schumann Germany's Mr. Rapid Fire aims for another 72 seconds of glory
Laura Flessel-Colovic 'The Wasp' has given France and fencing a flashy new dimension
Hicham El Guerrouj Morocco's hero will gain new admirers once he blows through the field in the 1,500 m
Caroline Brunet Silver will be no salve to this ultracompetitive Canadian kayaker
Are Drugs Winning the Games? There will be new tests to catch the cheaters in Sydney. Will the Games be clean? Not a chance
This Is Sport? Some events should get medals for silliness
E U R O P E France: The Ordeal of Jospin Protests by French fishermen and the resignation of a trusted minister have left the French prime minister reeling
B U S I N E S S All Boxed In Amazon.com is losing money and Wall Street support. So why is the e-tailer still expanding?
Share Alike A Swedish upstart bids for London's bourse
A F R I C A Mbeki Speaks Out In an exclusive interview with TIME, the South African president discusses the struggle against racism, his controversial views on AIDS and the future of the continent
E N V I R O N M E N T Willy Won't He? The killer whale who starred in Free Willy is preparing to return to the wild
