1.   Athletics events were the core of the ancient Games.

2.   A Greek weightlifter broke a world record and Ecuador won its first ever Olympic medal, a gold, in the opening athletics event.

3.   A spectator died of a heart attack Friday while waiting to get into Olympic Stadium for the first day of the athletics events.

4.   He also became only the second athlete to win the same athletics event in four straight Olympics.

5.   He also became only the second competitor to win the same athletics event in four straight Olympics.

6.   On Tuesday, the World Cross Country Championships were moved from Dublin to Brussels, depriving Ireland of staging its biggest ever athletics event.

7.   Scheduled for later Wednesday were athletics events at San Nicola Stadium and the boxing semifinals.

8.   The games wrap up Tuesday with medals in nine athletics events.

9.   The win marked the first time a Japanese woman had ever won an athletics grand prix event.

10.   Top-sprinter Aham Okeke, who tested positive for steroids in the United States last year, was banned Friday from athletics events for three months.