1.   Badly underfinanced, he found it difficult to compete and skipped several events.

2.   Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the modern Games, joined many European countries in skipping the event altogether.

3.   Buchanan said it was a significant move by Bush, who has been criticized for skipping events such as meetings of Hispanic journalists and African-American mayors.

4.   But by ostentatiously skipping the event, the absentees were able to convince the news media to relay their points.

5.   But he offered a suggestion to those who might be inclined to skip the event to spend Memorial Day at home.

6.   But it could create a class system of tournaments, possibly inducing star players to skip lesser events and focus on the big-money events instead.

7.   But she acknowledged that she nearly skipped the event after two friends urged her to steer clear of West Trenton until the anthrax scare was over.

8.   C. Virginia Fields, the Manhattan borough president, said she was not surprised that the mayor skipped the event.

9.   Conservative commentator Pat Buchanan skipped the event, telling Dole it would be inappropriate for him to accept the invitation.

10.   Dole also skipped the event, which drew seven prospective GOP candidates.