BERMUDA'S Flora Duffy will be competing in one of the newest Olympic sports at one of China's most ancient sites.

Triathlon was first introduced to the Games at Sydney in 2000 and has seen enormous growth in popularity ever since.

The August 18 women's event will start in the Ming Tomb reservoir in northern Beijing, providing a spectacular backdrop for the thousands of spectators who are expected to watch.

Meanwhile, the Olympic cyclists will find it difficult to keep their eyes on the road.

The route for the road race is a sightseers dream, taking the riders from the start line in the ancient quarter of Yongdingmen and continuing through some of Beijing's most famous landmarks.

It snakes through the city's urban centre, passing the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and after some 78 kilometres on the outskirts finally hits the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall.

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THE number of Bermuda officials in these Games outnumber the athletes.

And another is on his way.

Bermuda Football Association president Larry Mussenden will be in Beijing to take his place as chairman of the FIFA Committee for the Olympic football tournament.

But before anyone moans about more cash coming out of the BFA kitty, it should be explained FIFA and the IOC are footing the bill.

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BASEBALL and the Olympics have never enjoyed a particularly smooth relationship. And it's destined to get worse.

The sport was only admitted to the Games schedule in 1992 and, of course, was a big feature of the '96 Games in Atlanta.

But, under pressure from the London Organising Committee, it's now been dropped for 2012.

And that's hardly surprising when the US likes to call its league championship the World Series, when only teams within its own borders contest it.

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HOTEL staff can't do enough to accommodate their guests during the Games.

But it seems they want to make sure their male visitors, in particular, have a pleasant trip.

Along with the shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and toothpaste provided in every bathroom, they've also placed a packet of three condoms!