Olympics Opener Third-Highest Rated on Record
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The spectacle in Athens lured 56 million viewers to watch at least some portion of NBC's Friday primetime telecast of the opening ceremonies of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.
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The United States finished atop the medal charts for the third straight Summer Olympics, with Russia the overall runner-up and China second in gold medals &#151; its best showing ever and the leading edge of a surge by Asian teams. The American team amassed 103 total medals, topping its target of 100, and won 35 golds to 32 for China and 27 for Russia.
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ATHENS -- After 16 days of competition and 301 events, the United States finished atop the medal charts for the third straight Summer Olympics, with Russia the overall runner-up and China second in gold medals -- its best showing ever and the leading edge
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Boosted by strong results from US gymnasts and swimmers, NBC&#39;s ratings for the Athens Olympics&#39; first four days have topped the disappointing viewership levels of the 2000 Sydney Games.
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Olympics chief Jacques Rogge heaped praise on Greek organisers and declared the Athens Games an all-round success. Television ratings are 15% up from the 2000 Games in Sydney, while ticket sales have topped figures from the Seoul and Barcelona Olympics.
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Athens - Sarah Ulmer gave New Zealand their first ever Olympic cycling gold medal and only their second of the Athens Games on Sunday, breaking her own world record for the women&#39;s 3-km individual pursuit in the process.
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ATHENS, Greece -- The world record was like graffiti on a masterpiece, a reminder of a sport&#39;s dark past.
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Cyclist Bradley Wiggins claims bronze to become the first Briton to win three medals in one Olympics since 1964.
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The bill arrived for the Athens Olympics on Friday -- about $11.6 billion, and it might climb higher. The tally announced by the government was almost double the original estimate, making the games by far the most expensive in Olympic history.
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ATHENS, Greece - The man behind the Athens Olympics' opening ceremony is reluctant to call his work a success, despite worldwide acclaim for his evocative tableau of 3,000 years of Greek history and culture.   "I hope this stays in the hearts and minds of people...
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Ilias Iliadis of Greece thrilled the home crowd Tuesday, beating Roman Gontyuk of Ukraine to win the gold medal in the 81-kilogram class.
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Cyclist Bradley Wiggins tonight became the first Briton for 40 years to win three Olympic medals in one Games as he claimed bronze with team-mate Rob Hayles in the Madison.
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Exhausted cyclist Sarah Ulmer is still on a high from taking gold at the Olympics in world record time. She is back at the Olympic village and still cannot believe the number of New Zealanders at the velodrome to cheer her on.
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A series of unusually quick times in the men&#39;s 100 metres heats have sparked expectations of a possible world record in Sunday&#39;s Olympic final.
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More than Â£100million profit is expected to be made from staging the 2012 Olympic Games in London, it has been claimed. The estimate forms part of the London 2012 bid book handed into the International Olympic Committee on Monday.
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Michael Phelps wins more golds in Athens than Holland, New Zealand, Spain and Canada.
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British athletes were not the only ones making history in the Olympic Stadium on the final day of competition. The keenest of track historians, Hicham El Guerrouj entered the record books as