Tax Bill Is $342 Million for Olympics

The Salt Lake City Games will cost $1.9 billion and taxpayers will pay 18%, or $342 million, according to a General Accounting Office report released Thursday.

That does not include an estimated $50 million that will be spent on additional security after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In conjunction with the Feb. 8-24 Olympics, Salt Lake City also will stage the Winter Paralympics.

The 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, had an operating budget of $824 million, but the government spent billions on rail, highway and infrastructure improvements.

President Bush recently allocated an additional $10 million in federal funds to help protect the Games from potential attack. A total of $34.5 million in federal aid has been added to the $200-million Olympic security budget since Sept. 11.

Tennis

Playing on the road against the world’s No. 1 player, Nicolas Escude defeated Lleyton Hewitt, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, to give France a 1-0 lead over Australia in the Davis Cup final in Melbourne. Escude, who also beat Hewitt at Wimbledon, handed the 20-year-old his first defeat in seven Davis Cup singles matches this year.

France’s Sebastien Grosjean played Pat Rafter in the second singles match.

The United States could face a fine over its withdrawal from last month’s Fed Cup final. The board of directors of the International Tennis Federation voted this week to allow the United States to play in the 2002 Fed Cup. But the board still could decide to fine the U.S. team when the board meets Feb. 23-24 in Brussels.

Skiing

Italy’s Isolde Kostner won the first women’s World Cup downhill of the season at Lake Louise, Canada, and American star Picabo Street had her best finish since returning from serious leg injuries.

Kostner, who won a downhill on the same course last season en route to the World Cup title in the event, finished in 1 minute 36.75 seconds.

Austria’s Michaela Dorfmeister was second at 1:37.08, and Switzerland’s Corinne Rey Bellet was third in 1:37.26.

Street, who shattered her left leg and blew out her right knee in a 1998 crash, finished sixth in 1:37.61.

Golf

Hidemichi Tanaka of Japan shot an eight-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament at West Palm Beach, Fla., while 17-year-old Ty Tryon moved up 26 places and was in good shape to get his card.

Tryon’s 69 at Bear Lakes Country Club put him in a tie for 33rd at 139. The top 35 earn exempt status on the PGA Tour next year.

Defending champion Ernie Els shot a five-under-par 67 in a steady drizzle to take a one-stroke lead over six players in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City, South Africa. Retief Goosen, the U.S. Open champion who teamed with Els to win the World Cup for South Africa two weeks ago, was in the group at 68.

Miscellany

Katie Wilkins had 21 kills and Stacy Rouwenhorst added 11 to lead Pepperdine to a 30-21, 30-22, 30-22 victory against Georgia Southern in the first round of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament at Chapel Hill, N.C. The Waves (22-3) will play North Carolina in today’s second round.

Olympic gold-medal winner Megan Quann won her fourth consecutive U.S. Open swim title in the 100-meter breaststroke at East Meadow, N.Y. Quann, who won the 100 breaststroke and 400 relay last year in Sydney, finished in 1:07.40.

U.S. national soccer team captain Claudio Reyna wants to leave Scottish club Rangers to play in England’s Premier League. The midfielder has 18 months left on his contract and turned down a new offer from the team.

After playing only 10 games in 2001 because of the opening of the Women’s United Soccer Assn., the U.S. women’s team will open a busy 2002 schedule on Jan. 12 against Mexico in Charleston, S.C.

Pole vault world-record holder Stacy Dragila and shotputter John Godina have won the Jesse Owens Award for 2001 as the nation’s outstanding track and field athletes.