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Olympics 1992 Tuesday 28 July: Elsewhere

Saturday 25 July 1992 23:02 BST
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The combination is incongruous, and the competition might be negligible. For Steffi Graf - a millionairess many times over - to be competing in what was once the bastion of amateurism might strike a slightly off-key note. But here she is today beginning her attempt to win the tennis gold medal.

Graf, the reigning Wimbledon and Olympic champion is the only player in the women's top four in Barcelona - Monica Seles, Martina Navratilova and Gabriela Sabatini all declined the opportunity - so it will probably need Arantxa Sanchez Vicario to provide the opposition. But Graf's biggest obstacle could be the clay surface.

The men's competition is more open, with Jim Courier of the United States the favourite but only just ahead of Boris Becker, Michael Stich and the newly crowned Wimbledon champion Andre Agassi.

The star-spangled banner waver of four years ago, Matt Biondi, will be under intense scrutiny as he begins his attempt to repeat his double-gold performances in the 50m and 100m freestyle swimming. Today the American contests the longer event.

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