Table tennis: Chen's last-gasp flight

OLYMPIC GAMES

The transport problems in Atlanta may be tough, but Chen Xinhua, Britain's former World Cup winner, will not mind them after his own battle to find a way to the Games.

Chen will spend a day flying half-way round the world to make his Olympic debut. British officials have worked out a schedule which should allow the Chen to arrive in Atlanta from his base in China in time.

The world No 20, who plays David Zhuang, of the United States, in his first match on Friday, has been marooned for five days in his home province of Fujian, unable to catch a flight to Peking.

"We solved the problem of being unable to get an internal flight by finding him an external flight to Hong Kong," Alan Ransome, the British table tennis manager, said. "Chen will have to change again in Singapore and at Frankfurt before getting here on Wednesday."