A Rod For Their Own Backs When Water Polo Girls Go Kissing

WE are not revealing any diplomatic secrets to report there”ll be a touch of what the Greeks call agape in the air during tonight’s opening ceremony.

While officials aren’t happy about some of the supposedly confidential details being aired in local and international media reports, organisers have provided some details themselves.

One of the high points, we”re assured, will be a minute-long tribute to Eros, the god of love. Perhaps it’s a good thing it’s being broadcast back home in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. Yet this focus on love should be a good omen for at least one group of Australians. Apparently a bet has been laid among the women’s water polo team. Everyone’s chipped in and the first girl to manage a kiss with American tennis hunk Andy Roddick gets $500.

Don’t put it past our girls to get their man.

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DISCREETLY, our water polo smoochers have declared Mark Philippoussis off limits. Not that a kiss with the Scud was hard to come by when he attended the terrific official team reception with Delta Goodrem. Philippoussis happily mingled with fellow athletes, cheesing for souvenir photos with whoever asked.

Delta may well require treatment for tennis elbow after spending an unfeasibly long time signing autographs. We”re told it was a momentous night for the glam young couple. When Delta slipped off her shoes to sing a couple of hits for the Australian team, it was the first time Scud had seen her perform before a live audience.

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TENNIS nuts in our Olympic contingent are delighted Philippoussis has decided to camp with the team at the athletes” village. There are four tennis courts in the massive facility and athletes and officials can book them at the swimming pool reception desk.

One keen amateur moseyed past and wondered if there were any vacancies. He was pleasantly surprised to find a clean sheet, probably because while the Greeks are happy to hire out balls, they don’t have any racquets. The Australians are hoping Scud, Alicia Molik and co might cough up a few spares.

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LUCKILY, Bruce McAvaney keeps himself trim because he”ll need to sprint between engagements during the middle weekend of the Olympics. The veteran Seven network broadcaster is commentating on the swimming and athletics in Athens, even when they overlap. Luckily the pool and the track are close to each other, and planners at Seven have carefully constructed a ’special” schedule to get Bruce seamlessly from one event to the other.

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HAVING harangued the New Zealanders into submission, Laurie Lawrence is turning his sights and larynx on the South Africans. Before last Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup match, the unofficial team motivator ridiculed the Kiwi haka and offered to cut the New Zealanders” lawn with a pair of nail scissors.

It was an astute challenge - the Wallabies won and there’s not a blade of grass in the dusty village. Now Lawrence is making it his business to similarly razz the Springboks, whom the Australians meet tomorrow week. Fortunately for Greece, the host country doesn’t play rugby union, so Lawrence was almost polite when the Greek PM walked past the Australians during a visit to the village.

Laurie roused the crowd and they greeted Costas Karamanlis with a chorus of Waltzing Matilda.