slightly sour taste in their mouths, you could hardly blame them.

In fact, if their first impression of Bermudians was of ungrateful, ungracious hosts, they could also be excused.

Arriving on the Island with a rather generous gift -- sponsorship for the entire Bermuda Olympic team which is headed for Sydney later this year -- they might have wondered why they bothered.

Instead of thanks, they were greeted in some quarters with suspicion and contempt, and it was pitiful that their spokesman was practically forced onto TV and radio to explain their Olympic deal in almost apologetic tones.

Now to question the connection between sports and alcohol might seem quite appropriate, and nobody's fooled into thinking that the Foster's offer was purely philanthropic. Like most sponsorships, this was a two-way deal with both parties deriving substantial benefits.

But as Bermuda Olympic Association president Austin Woods pointed out, it wasn't as though other sponsors were exactly queuing up to throw cash into the BOA coffers.

What was most offensive was the hypocrisy of the criticism.

If politicians want to take pot shots at overseas companies offering sponsorship deals such as that provided by Foster's -- who, incidentally, are among the official sponsors of this year's Sydney Games -- then they had better get their own house in order first.

Because examples of local sporting events supported by either tobacco or alcohol distributors are almost too numerous to mention.

Sailing's recent International Race Week was backed by Bacardi; Gosling's -- local agents for Foster's -- use their Black Seal rum to promote the annual Belmont Invitation golf tournament; next weekend's Camel Cup cricket tournament is held courtesy of the cigarette firm; Heineken beer sponsor a major tennis tournament; Amstel have been involved in a popular summer golf league; Cosmopolitan Liquors and Burrows and Lightbourne have also been regular supporters of major sporting events...the list goes on.

We send our national cricket team to compete in the Caribbean's Red Stripe Cup, and in just about every major sport Bermudians have one time or another participated in events backed by companies promoting either tobacco or alcohol.

To single out Foster's, as was done on TV and radio last week, was simply ludicrous.

As their rep attempted to explain, the deal involves selling cans of beer specially designed to incorporate the Bermuda Olympic logo. For every can sold, a percentage of the cost is donated to the BOA fund.

Nobody was asking the athletes to endorse the product, not even to wear track suits or sporting gear advertising the beer. For the athletes it was a win-win situation.

If there are those who find the connection between alcohol and the Olympics distasteful, then they can register their own protest by simply not buying the product.

But then they might want to steer clear of an awful lot of other companies on their own doorstep who are involved with similar deals.

*** MARATHON MAR IT'S been a rather low key build-up to this year's annual Marathon Derby, which takes place next Wednesday.

And that's strange, considering in this columnist's slightly biased view, it remains the Island's premier sporting event.

Personally, this year's May 24 race is something extra special. It's a quarter of a century since I competed in my first derby back in 1975, and while the route seems to get longer and hillier every year, I can't think of any local sporting occasion which offers every one of its participants such a sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction.

Ninety nine percent of those who stream out of Somerset each year don't have a hope of winning, yet the unique atmosphere, the crowds and the colour make it an event not to be missed.

Oh, and incidentally, its sponsors this year -- for the umpteenth time -- will be Beck's beer! Cheers! -- ADRIAN ROBSON