The Toronto Star from Toronto, Ontario, Canada • 89

THE TORONTO STAR Tuesday. April 16, 2002 El 1 MPs, bigwigs win gold medal for insensitivity Olympic heroes kept hidden from public at Ottawa ceremony After inviting the public to take part in the festivities, the government roped off almost MX) seats for VIPs, leaving the public unable to see the proceedings because they were positioned behind a platform erected for television cameras. Fewer than 100 members of the public were allowed into the VIP area at the Museum of Civilization, across the Ottawa River from the Parliament Buildings, but only because the seats would have gone empty, and only if they arrived up to an hour before the noon-hour ceremony began. During the flush of Olympic success in February, Heritage Minister Sheila Copps suggested that yesterday could have been a day of national celebration, with events in communities across the country. Maybe were not as important as we would have thought, said Chantal Coveyduck, a public servunt who used her lunch hour to pay tribute to the athletes, only to find herself perched on steps with no view of the proceedings.

This is just an inaccessible locale, said Kory Gylander, a museum worker who wanted to see the teams. "You feel more like a viewer than a partici pant in something like this. 1 would have liked to see it opened up so people could be a part of this. Many of the athletes did mingle with the public after the ceremony, signing autographs while a private reception was underway inside the museum. Obviously, whenever there is an event, there are people who are invited and they sit up near the front when they are a person involved with one of the sports organizations or ministries which support them, said Sports Minister Paul DeVillers.

All Liberal MPs were invited to at tend. Many did, as did Mis from other parties. The athletes were also honoured later oil the floor of the I louse of Commons. Prime Minister Jean Chretien thanked the medallists, who were individually introduced, for allowing the country to share their dreams. Their dreams cany others along Chretien said.

The biggest cheers of the day were reserved for figuie skaters Jamie Sate and David Pelletier, wlio won gold belatedly after international controversy, arid for tlie women's hockey team that beat the United States for gold. ByTimHakpir OmWAHl'MAL'lllllF GATINEAU, Que. White throngs of flag-waving schoolchildren were stuck behind barricades, MPs, senators and diplomats toasted Canada's Winter Olympic and Paralympic medallists at a largely made-for-TV gala yesterday. Sports Digest Tracy, Andretti prepare Hilton appeal denied to make switch to Lola 4 MONT-REAL Former boxing champion Dave I lilton appeal to shorten his seven-year sentence for sexually assaulting two girls was rejected yesterday. Three Quebec Court of Appeal justices ruled unanimously that the lower court's sentence should stand.

Hilton tried to have it cut to four years. Hilton was found guilty in March 2001 on nine counts for abuse that began when the sisters were 12 and continued from 1905-98. The World Boxing Council stripped the fighter of his super middleweight title. I lilton, 38, was not in court yesterday. He has been training in jail.

Brown to sit -s: in 4 4 fW' rv' ji if. 1 VI- 1 1 iikv L- L-MKTi TTTW Ji VkJ I i Mi ll 1 .1 LONG BEACH, Calif. Paul Tracy will be in a Lola chassis for CARTs next race in Motegi, Jajian. So will Team Green teammate Michael Andretti, despite the fact he won Sunday's Long Beach Grand Prix in a Reynard. Dario Franchitti, the third member of the team, has decided to remain in a Reynard chassis, but don't be surprised if he, too, switches to the Lola by the time the series returns to action June 2 in Milwaukee.

By then Team Green will have used its two remaining test days to run the Lola through sessions at Mid-Oliio and Milwaukee. There's no doubt that Lola has bounced back with a vengeance to become the dominant chassis in the series. With Reynard having gone into receivership there is concern that while it may be competitive in the early part of the season it won't be so as the campaign goes on. Fortunately for Team Green it took out an "insurance policy in the form of six Lolas when rumours began to circulate that Reynard was in financial difficulty. It could have been a white-ele- iihant purchase had Reynard bund a deep-pocketed saviour to bail it exit of its monetary woes.

But as it turned out it proved to be a prudent decision. If you want to stay competitive we're going to have to (make the switch), said Tracy, who finished seventh in Sunday's race. There's no development from here out from Reynard and Lolas going to continue to develop, so with Reynard you're going to stand still By half season you're not going to be competitive. Both Lola and Reynard had started producing special aerodynamic "kits fin: the Motegi race, but because of its financial situation Reynard was able to supply Team Green with only three of them. With Team Green taking six cars to Japan, it had to look to Lola for half of its fleet.

Development of the Reynard has ceased, said team general manager Kim Green, brother of owner Barry Green. From now on any development of the car is up to the teams themselves. We feel that if the car is competitive well still run it so that we can use up some of the budget we spent on racecar parts. But I suspect there may be a time when it will not be competitive because Lola is not going to sit back and do nothing. They want to dominate the series with their car.

DROUGHT ENDS Terry Labonte led a NASCAR Winston Cup race for the first time in IK years when he led 11 laps of Sundays Virginia 500 at Martinsville. Labonte, who finished sixth, last led a race on Oct. 15, 2000, at Talladega. RECORD BID USI) Cristiano da Maria's chance of tying the CART record of four consecutive victories vanished when he collided with Adrian Fernandez in pit lane at Sundays Long Beach Grand Prix. Da Maria was leading the race when he came in for a routine pit stop.

But as he left his pit box he made contact with Fernandez, who was coming into the pits. The incident knocked da Maria back to 16th place from where he worked Ids way back to an eighth-place finish. Da Maria still leads the drivers championship with 27 points, five more than Michael Andretti and Michel Jourdain Jr. FIRST Wilt Ward Imrie of Winnipeg scored his first win in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge National Championship Saturday on the road circuit at California Speedway in Fontana. DENVER -Los Angeles Dodgers ace Kevin Brown will miss his next start because of swelling in his pitching elbow caused by the dislodging of scar tissue.

Brown left Saturday's game against San Diego because of pain in his elbow. He had suigeiy on Sept. 27 to repair a torn flexor muscle in his right elbow. Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said yesterday an MR1 showed some tearing of some superficial scar tissue that was completely outside the area of repair. Argos in London The Argonauts confirmed yesterday that theyll take their long-standing rivalry with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats into London, on June 2 1 when the two CFL clubs play a pre-season game at the University of Western Ontario's TD Water-house Stadium.

The game was originally announced by the Boatmen last month, but final details hadnt been arranged at the time. Toronto opens its pre-season schedule in Ottawa on June 13. 1 4 1 s' I 4 8 a 4 a 'N a a -I 4 'I 4 Michael Andretti takes the checkered flag at Long Beach. Blazer probed APPMOIO PORTLAND, Ore. Lake Oswego police said yesterday that they have sent the results of an investigation involving Portland Trail Blazers guard Damon Stoudamire to the district attorneys office.

Oswego Police Capt. Marc Galloway would not confirm a KATU-TV report that drugs had been found in Stoudamires home. Afridi leads Pakistan into Shaijah Cup final Cricket record for the fastest one-day century against Sri Lanka in 37 ble on the fifth and final day yesterday because of heavy rain. The West Indies made 501 and India was on 395 for seven. Costly gum recovered.

At Georgetown, Guyana, the first Test match between the West Indies and India ended in a draw after no play was possi balls, gave Pakistan the perfect start with opener Imran Nazir. WIN I US nWM SMHWWE SliMCIS Shahid Afridi smashed an unbeaten 108 yesterday and off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq snared three for 26 as Pakistan crushed New Zealand by eight wickets yesterday to storm into the final of the three-nation Sharjah Cup at Shaijah, United Arab Emirates. Chasing the modest New Zealand total of 213 for eight, Pakistan suiged to its target in just 31 overs as opener Afridi clobbered eight sixes, including three in one Scott Sytris oner. The right-handed Pakistani TUCSON, Ariz. A Wisconsin man gave up a real wad $10,000 for the gnawed-on chewing gum of Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Luis Gonzalez.

Jason Gabbert, owner of a sports memorabilia store in Wood Lake, and John-jay Van Es of Tucsons KRQ radio confirmed the 10,000 bid last night. (MmFHfSfWJVSTMA'm SlSMCfS The pair blasted 101 runs in 84 balls before Nazir was dismissed for a fine 57 off 53 balls. Earlier when Pakistan fielded, New Zealand looked set for a bigger total with the openers, Mathew Home and Nathan As-tle slamming 75 in 71 balls. As-tle finally shrugged off his run of poor form to crack six boundaries and a six in his 36. But New Zealand slumped to 79 for four and never slammed seven boundaries and reached his century in 88 balls, including a six off Chris Harris over the long on fence.

He struck the winning boundary off Ian Butler to complete an important win for Pakistan. Pakistan now faces Sri Lanka, who topped the league stage with three wins, in tomorrow's final where the winner will take home 120,000 (U.S.). Afridi who holds the world "Divorce Survival Strategies" MINI INDUSTRIAL UNITSI With hydro 200400oq.lt. From ml MmI tar contractors, ontrapronouro 0 small bualmaaaa 2 locations in Scarborough 416-698-8787 Murray! Rifit-A-Spaca www.mrn.ci Apr! 14, 2002. Mr ipandh largo Bums an Wqd (mi, coi The Family low Centra la undirdend your nghH and obligations.

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