Sports briefs for February 5, 2004

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004 | 10:05 a.m.

U.S. offers training to Iraqi Olympians

The United States will fly four Iraqi wrestlers to Colorado and fund their training ahead of their possible participation at the Athens Games this summer, U.S. and Iraqi officials said today.

The wrestlers are the first Iraqis to be named to a future Olympic team, which will compete under the Iraqi flag provided the International Olympic Committee lifts the suspension imposed on Iraq last year after Saddam Hussein's regime collapsed.

L. Paul Bremer, the top U.S. civil administrator in Iraq, said the four-member Iraqi team has been "invited by the American people" to train at an Olympic facility in Colorado Springs, Colo.

"The Iraqi wrestling team will have access to all the services and training techniques available to U.S. athletes as they prepare for the 2004 Olympic Games," Bremer said.

Iraqi sports officials elected a new National Olympic Committee on Jan. 29. The IOC's executive board meets Feb. 27 in Athens and may decide then whether to lift the suspension and allow Iraqi athletes to compete under the Iraqi flag. If the suspension is not lifted, the IOC has said Iraqi athletes can compete under the Olympic flag.

"This is what we aspire to, to raise the Iraqi flag in the next Olympic games in Athens," said Ahmed al-Sammarai, the new president of the National Olympic Committee.

ESPN pulls the plug

ESPN canceled its controversial series "Playmakers," which drew criticism from the National Football League because of its depiction of drug use, racism and homophobia within a pro football team.

Wranglers beat Dogs

The Las Vegas Wranglers began a five-game ECHL road trip with a 4-1 victory against the Long Beach Ice Dogs. Jeff Attard scored two power-play goals for the Wranglers and Marc Magliarditi stopped 17 shots for his 20th victory of the season.

Rebels add to staff

Gary White, a catcher on the 1980 team that was inducted into the UNLV Hall of Fame, was hired by Rebels coach Buddy Gouldsmith as director of operations.

Stanford down one

Reserve sophomore forward Matt Haryasz will miss No. 2 Stanford's game tonight against Arizona State because of an ankle injury.

U.S. team perfect

The U.S. team beat Argentina today to end roundrobin play at 6-0 at the world championships in New Zealand.