KEY POINTS:
New Zealand-born coach of the United States Olympic volleyball team, Hugh McCutcheon, was today mourning the loss of his father-in-law who was murdered in an apparent random attack in central Beijing.
In news which cast a pall over day two of the Olympic Games, Todd Bachman was confirmed
dead after being set upon by a knife-wielding man at popular tourist spot the Drum Tower, 5km from the main Olympic site.
His wife Barbara was also attacked, and was reportedly in a critical but stable condition after suffering multiple lacerations and stab wounds in the attack in central Beijing on Saturday.
McCutcheon's wife, Elisabeth Bachman McCutcheon, was with them at the time but she was not injured, Reuters reported.
Reports said the attacker then leapt from the 45m high tower to his death.
"For all intents, it appears to be a random attack by a deranged man," US International Olympic Committee member Jim Easton told The Associated Press.
Christchurch born-and-raised McCutcheon, 38, was told the news as he was preparing his gold medal favourite team for their first game against Venezuela tonight. He has since withdrawn from his duties for the match.
Now based in Irvine, California, he represented New Zealand and moved to the US in 1990 to play college volleyball. He took over as US head coach in 2005.
New Zealand Olympic Games chef de mission Dave Currie said he was confident his team remained safe in Beijing.
"Our team security adviser is in close and regular contact with New Zealand and Chinese government officials and we remain satisfied that the security risk to New Zealand Olympic team members is low," he said.
"We will continue to monitor the situation and will advise our athletes of any changes."
He said the New Zealand team were saddened by the news, and extended their sympathies to members of the US team.
US Olympic Committee chairman Peter Ueberroth said the team were stunned.
"It is impossible to describe the depth of our sadness and shock in this tragic hour," he said.
"Our delegation comes to the Games as a family, and when one member of our family suffers a loss, we all grieve with them. Our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences are with the Bachman and McCutcheon families."
A spokesman from the Beijing Municipal Government told the X inhua news agency that the attacker was Tang Yongming, a 47-year-old from the eastern city of Hangzhou. A local tourist guide was also injured in the attack.
Xinhua cited Zhejiang police as saying Tang had no criminal record, and worked for a factory in Hangzhou before resigning. He divorced in 2006, sold his apartment and moved into a rented apartment.
- NZPA
