President Bush's parents headed to Athens.(The Dallas Morning News) - Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

Byline: Cathy Harasta

DALLAS _ Former President George Bush and his wife, Barbara, plan to attend the Athens Games. The parents of President Bush notified Athens 2004 committee president Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki of their plan by letter last week.

BUSINESS AS USUAL

The U.S. Olympic Softball Team's domination actually is becoming scary as the squad steamrolls teams on its pre-Olympic tour. The U.S. pitchers posted an ERA of 0.24 as the team went 15-0 in March.

Last week, the U.S. pitchers combined for consecutive no-hitters in a doubleheader sweep of Parma in Livorno, Italy. Texas lefthander Cat Osterman of Houston struck out all nine batters she faced in the opener, a 17-0 pasting.

SECOND TIME'S THE CHARM

Four years ago, Barb Lindquist was the picture of disappointment in Irving. She failed to qualify for the Sydney Games when the inaugural U.S. Olympic Triathlon Trials were held in Las Colinas. She had lived up to her top U.S. ranking as she built a lead in the swim and bike portions. Then the heat forced her to withdraw during the run.

But when triathlon makes its second appearance on the Olympic program, in Athens this August, Lindquist, of Jackson Hole, Wyo., will be one of the three women representing the United States. She landed the first berth with her victory in the International Triathlon Union's points race in Honolulu last weekend.

Hunter Kemper, of Longwood, Fla., captured the first spot on the U.S. men's team. U.S. athletes' next chance to make the Olympic team will come at the world championships in Portugal next month.

MORE GOLD FOR WOGA

Gymnast Carly Patterson, 16, of Allen, won the balance beam and floor exercise events at the Pacific Alliance Championships in Honolulu last weekend. Allyse Ishino of Santa Ana, Calif., edged Patterson by 0.066 in the senior all-around competition.

Nastia Liukin, 14, of Plano won the junior all-around title and gold medals in the junior event finals on the uneven bars, the beam and the floor. The United States won the senior and junior team gold medals.

Patterson, a world champion, and Liukin, the U.S. junior champion, train at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano. Patterson is among the favorites to make the six-member women's Olympic team for Athens. Liukin is too young for this summer's Games, as the sport's minimum-age rule requires a female gymnast to turn 16 during the Olympic year.

GARLAND SPRINTER

DROPS COACH

Sprinter Joshua 'J.J.' Johnson, a former North Garland High School basketball star, said he expects to coach himself through the Olympic season. Former TCU sprinter Raymond Stewart had been coaching Johnson, who said he now works out at SMU. Johnson is the reigning world outdoor 4 X 100-meter gold-medal anchor.

NUMBERS GAME

1.5

Kilometers in the swim portion of the Olympic triathlon.

10

kilometers in the run portion of the Olympic triathlon.

15

Decks on the Queen Mary 2, which will dock in Greece's port of Piraeus and host Olympic spectators during the Games.

40

Kilometers in the bike portion of the Olympic triathlon.

2,500

Coast guard personnel who will guard the port of Piraeus during the Games.

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