We're not cursing opening night: AOC

[GTF]

AUSTRALIAN Olympic officials expect several hundred members of the national team to march in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games and predict the size of the marching team will be similar to that at the Athens Olympics.

But its composition will be different. For Beijing, it will be without the Australian sailing team, equestrian competitors, cyclists, triathletes, footballers, women's basketballers, some archers, some boxers and the track-and-field athletes. This, say officials, is because of travel factors and scheduling rather than fears over pollution.

Australian Olympic Committee spokesman Mike Tancred said: "This is no snub to China. It is a decision based on performance and having the athletes able to perform at their best during their competition. There will be about the same numbers marching in the opening ceremony as before, and like the past couple of Olympics those athletes who have early competitions miss the march."

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