KEY POINTS:
Fancy perching discreetly in the chandelier when Jacques Rogge and his International Olympic Committee chums get together for a chinwag in Beijing this weekend?
They will gather with a sinking feeling that perhaps their worst fears when China was granted hosting rights in 2001 are coming home in
spades.
Assurances were given that the city's choking pollution would be sorted out. Six days out from the opening ceremony it is improving, but that seems only a question of degrees, and Chinese officials are now talking about applying "emergency measures" to clear the air, so to speak.
And despite maintaining freedom to report and broadcast, and unrestricted access to the internet _ in other words normal Western activity _ would be put in place, it seems the IOC had been dudded by the hosts when the shutters came down earlier this week. But yesterday the hosts made a swift turnaround and agreed to lift all restrictions.
If you were one of those silently hoping doping would not figure on the main menu for Beijing, yesterday's events are what you get for taking a trip into la-la land.
Seven female Russian athletes have provisionally been red-carded for providing tampered-with urine samples, including Yelena Soboleva, a world record holder and world champion runner favoured to win both the 800 and 1500 metres. They might yet get a ruling to lift the suspension but the stink is there.
So, all in all, a dodgy start for Beijing, and the Games haven't even begun.
A colleague based in Hong Kong opined this week that Beijing will run a highly efficient event, spectacular even when theatrics rather than competition are the primary focus.
But as for fun, forget it, he said.
China is so wired up to avoid anything going wrong when the world's eyes are upon it, that fun is well down the scale of importance.
And what of New Zealand's hopes? In the lead-up to every Olympic Games, excitement brews at the prospect of medals from surprising quarters.
New Zealand has pocketed 80 Olympic medals since Harry Kerr walked 3500m faster than all but two other men in London in 1908.
The 80 medallists were drawn from 12 sports, of which 34 were gold, 14 silver and 32 bronze.
Athletics has provided the most, 18, and tennis, shooting and hockey the least with one.
At the risk of tempting fate, look for an addition to the list of sporting medals in BMX where world champion Sarah Walker is among the hot favourites in a new Olympic discipline. Male representative Marc Willers is also in the medal frame.
Expectations are high for rowing; there is optimism that sailing will return to being one of New Zealand's most successful Olympic sports; Valerie Vili, Nick Willis and Kimberley Smith carry track and field hopes.
Will there be, ahem, a bolter? Always a chance but don't put your shirt on it. One to watch? K1 500m canoeist Erin Taylor, only a serious paddler for two years but she has made rapid strides in the last 12 months.
