Olympic events go to Web

NBC set to air extensive, and exclusive, coverage of games

NBC is making more than 2,200 hours of live competition from Beijing available online, giving Olympic junkies more action than they could ever devour in a day.

After barely tipping its toe in the digital world during past Olympics, the network will dive into the deep end: live blogging, 3,000 hours of highlights on demand, daily recaps and analysis, and even fantasy league gaming. That's in addition to the 1,400 hours of coverage planned on six television networks, more than the combined total of every previous Summer Olympics.

NBC's digital plans, however, have angered media outlets that worry the company is being heavy-handed enforcing its rights to exclusive Olympic access.

The network launched NBCOlympics.com in 2000, but then it offered only still pictures and schedule information to drive viewers to its television coverage. A limited package of highlights from Athens was available in 2004, but those visiting the NBC site were required to enter a credit card number, even though they weren't charged, and that drove away traffic.

NBC quietly experimented by beaming live over the Internet the hockey gold-medal game from the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. The change in scope to what it is offering this year is staggering.

"We're excited about what we are putting into the fingertips of the Olympics fan," said Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics. "We think it will generate a tremendous amount of engagement. We think it will generate more television viewership."

That's the danger for a TV network that offers so much online content: that people will turn off the TV in favor of the computer. Zenkel said there was worry in the past as NBC increased the level of events available on television that saturation would drive down viewership, but it turned out not to be the case.

The Associated Press has an agreement with NBC to distribute video links to the network's content online.

There's been some brewing tension about the rights of other media organizations to cover the event; NBC paid $3.5 billion to the International Olympics Committee to televise the five Olympics through Beijing. Other TV networks have a limited window in which to show Olympics highlights, but no video of Olympic events is permitted to be shown on any Web site besides NBCOlympics.com.

NBC has allowed video of Olympic trials events to be shown on other Web sites, but each site is required to link to NBCOlympics.com. All of that video must come down Aug. 7, the day before the Beijing Games start.

BOLT BEATS POWELL IN JAMAICA: World record-holder Usain Bolt beat former record-holder Asafa Powell in the 100-meter final Saturday night in Jamaica's Olympic trials in Kingston, Jamaica, finishing in 9.85 seconds.

Powell was second in 9.97. Last month in New York, Bolt ran a 9.72 to break Powell's world record of 9.74.

Kerron Stewart won the women's 100 in 10.80, the second-fastest time by a Jamaican woman ever. Shelly-Ann Fraster was second in 10.85, Sherone Simpson followed in 10.87 and world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown was fourth in 10.87.

DRESSAGE TRIALS: Steffen Peters and Courtney King became the first American riders to score at least 75 percent in a Grand Prix competition during the third test of the Olympic dressage trials Saturday in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

Peters scored 75.25 percent out of a possible 100 percent to win the test aboard Ravel, a Dutch Warmblood gelding, and King recorded 75.208 percent to finish second while riding another Dutch Warmblood gelding, Harmony's Mythilus.

With three of the four tests completed, Peters holds first place with 67.913 percent. Debbie McDonald is second at 65.822 and King has 65.528 percent for third.