AGONY OR ECSTASY? For Navratilova, Athens will be the first and last opportunity for Olympic glory
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Her last season on the pro tour has been devoted to getting to Athens in pursuit of that missing prize. Solid play has boosted Navratilova's doubles ranking to No. 7 in the world. More importantly, as the U.S.'s top doubles player, she earned a spot on the Olympic squad. This week, she'll begin her women's doubles campaign at the Games, partnering with compatriot Lisa Raymond (the final is slated for Sunday). In May, the pair won a tournament in Vienna, and they reached the semifinals at Wimbledon last month. But the Olympics "has been our biggest goal" all year, she said at Wimbledon. "We can still pick it up another notch or two."
jenny thompson, u.s.
Four years ago, Jenny Thompson thought she was done. In Sydney, the swimmer collected her 10th career medal — and eighth gold, all for relays — and headed home to get on with the rest of her life. She went off to Columbia medical school and prepared to practice medicine instead of her freestyle stroke. But soon she was back in the pool, juggling her studies with her swimming. Her simple explanation: "I missed it."
Athens is the last chance for Thompson, 31, to win an individual gold. She has lost none of the competitive spirit that has made her the most medal-laden female swimmer in Games history. At the U.S. Olympic trials in July, she qualified for the team in the 50-m freestyle and the 100-m butterfly, but says she didn't swim her best. "I have a lot of room for improvement. Hopefully, I'm going to surprise even myself with how fast I go," she says. "I want to perform better than I ever have in Athens." If that's good enough for a solo gold, she'd be thrilled — but has few complaints if she doesn't. "If I don't win an individual gold medal," she says, "it's not going to change my perception of my career." Or her place in swimming history.
andrea sartoretti, italy
His lethal serve has earned Italian volleyball star Andrea Sartoretti the nickname of "Sartor-ace." But it hasn't been enough to deliver his country a gold medal. The Italian team has been tipped for gold at the last three Olympics, and every time, the Azzurri have fallen short. In 1992, they didn't even get a medal. In 1996, Sartoretti and his teammates won silver. But in Sydney in 2000, they managed only a disappointing bronze.
The jinx puzzles Sartoretti. This is, after all, the team that won both world championships that were contested during that same stretch. "The Olympics have been hexed as far as the men's national volleyball team is concerned," says Sartoretti. At 33, he finds himself near the end of his otherwise illustrious career, and he and his team's chances of winning that elusive gold are receding along with their hairlines. "After the Olympics, most of the old guard will find it difficult to continue," he says. So this is it. The Italians go into the Games as European champions but not prohibitive favorites. The pressure is lower this time, but their expectations are as high as ever. "For an athlete, playing to win is fundamental," Sartoretti says. "I'm still fighting to win." Maybe this really will be his year. Maybe everything will click. "Maybe we'll succeed," he says, "just this once."