Olympics Highlights: Day 9

ByABC News
September 23, 2000, 4:51 AM

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Adelaide police have arrested a 22-year-old Olympic athlete from Uganda sought in connection withthe sexual assault of a 17-year-old woman.

Investigators will fly to the South Australian state capital 685miles southwest of Sydney to interview the man, New South Walespolice said.

Police had announced Friday that a warrant had been issued forthe athletes arrest. A police statement said the alleged assaultoccurred in the early hours of Wednesday at a western Sydney suburbadjoining the main Olympic site.

No further details were released.

Sydneys trouble-free Olympics are facing an unlikely bug big, fat, hairy moths calledbogongs.

The dive-bombing moths, something of an Aboriginaldelicacy, have hit town early on their annual migration andheaded straight for the games.

The insects, which are quite harmless, have descended onOlympic Park in their millions over the past two nights, drawnby the glare of floodlights from Stadium Australia and othervenues.

They had spectators ducking and swatting at Friday nightsathletics. At tennis, Australian doubles player ToddWoodbridge had to flick one into submission with his racketwhen it would not leave the court.

Sydney Olympics organizers said today they had turned toa scientific research body and some of the best expertson the 200,000 types of insect in Australia for advice on howto deal with the bogong swarms.

Badminton

Ji Xinpeng of China beat Hendrawan of Indonesia in two games towin the mens singles gold medal. Xia Xuanze of China beat PeterGade of Denmark for the bronze.

Ge Fei and Gu Jun of China beatteammates Huang Nanyan and Yang Wei in the womens doubles. GaoLing and Qin Yiyuan won the bronze to make it a Chinese sweep.

Baseball

Jose Ibar struck out eight in seven innings as Cuba shut downthe United States 6-1 in a game that was as raw and one-sided as inthe old days, when Cuba never lost.

Except for the shouting and the cussing, it wasnt veryentertaining. There could be a rematch, though both teams are 5-1and headed for the medal round.

Benches cleared in the fourth when Ernie Young was hit by apitch and got into it with the Cuban catcher. Tempers flared whenfirst baseman Doug Mientkiewicz dove and took down a Cuban runnerin the bottom of the inning.

Finally, 37-year-old catcher Pat Borders cussed a Cuban runnerwho flew into home plate spikes-high as he scored in the eighth.

Basketball

After a close game against Lithuania,the U.S. mens basketball team is back to blowing out the opponent.

The Americans scorched winless New Zealand 102-56.

Vince Carter had 18 points, Allan Houston 17, Antonio McDyess15, and Kevin Garnett 14.

The U.S. squad was up by 10 points eight minutes into the game,and up by 20 by the 12-minute mark.

In other basketball games, Lithuania beat China 82-66, Yugoslavia downed Spain 78-65, and Australia defeated Angola 86-75.

Beach Volleyball

Both U.S. womens beach volleyball teams lost Olympicquarterfinal matches to end medal hopes each thought were in reach.

Jenny Johnson Jordan and Annett Davis tried smashing kills,power serves and anything else, but had no answer to the precisionshots of Japans Yukiko Takahashi and Teru Saiki in losing 15-9.

Then Holly McPeak and Misty May came up short against BrazilsAdriana Samuel and Sandra Pires, losing 16-14.

Pires and Samuel now face defending bronze medalists NatalieCook and Kerri Pottharst of Australia in the semifinal. Takahashiand Saiki take on the other Brazilian team Adriana Behar andShelda Bede.

In mens play, both U.S. mens teams advanced to thequarterfinals and face each other Sunday (Saturday ET).