Javelin thrower Breaux Greer made the U.S. track and field team for the Beijing Olympics, joining Tyson Gay, Allyson Felix and Jeremy Wariner on the 126-member roster.

Greer, an eight-time national champion, didn't qualify at the recent Olympic trials, finishing 17th and failing to reach the final round.

But USA Track & Field decided to place him on the team announced yesterday, citing a rule that allows for "the selection of an injured athlete who competed in the Olympic trials but did not final ... as long as another athlete is not displaced from the team."

Greer hurt his shoulder while winning a bronze medal at last year's world championships and hadn't thrown in competition until the Olympic trials.

The roster includes 15 Olympic medalists and 31 outdoor world championships medalists.

The United States topped the track and field medal table at the 2004 Athens Olympics with a total of 25. That was the country's largest haul since taking home 30 medals from the track at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games.

The U.S. also led the medal table at the 2007 world championships in Osaka, Japan, with 26.

"This Olympic team is one of our strongest ever, with more medal-winning experience in a wider range of events, from sprints to distances and field events, than we've had in many decades," USATF president Bill Roe said. "While it would take an incredible performance to match our medal counts of recent championships, we certainly feel that this team has what it takes to again top the medal tables."

BASKETBALL

GREECE WINS OPENER AT QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

Greece had an easy time before a home crowd yesterday in Athens, Greece, and was joined by winners Croatia, New Zealand and Slovenia in a 12-nation basketball tournament that serves as a qualifier for the Beijing Olympics.

Greece routed Lebanon 119-62; Croatia defeated Cameroon 93-79; New Zealand downed Cape Verde 77-50; and Slovenia beat South Korea 88-76.

The other countries bidding for the three remaining Olympic berths are: Brazil, Canada, Germany and Puerto Rico. The Athens tournament ends Sunday.

Nine nations have already qualified for next month's Beijing Games: Angola, Argentina, Australia, China, Iran, Lithuania, Russia, Spain and the United States.

Today, it's Slovenia vs. Canada; Cape Verde vs. Germany; Cameroon vs. Puerto Rico; and Lebanon vs. Brazil.

Greece shot 73 percent for the game and was backed by Kostas Tsartsaris with 15 points.

"Sometimes when you start a tournament, especially in front of an adoring crowd, you become nervous and you make hasty decisions," Greek coach Panagiotis Yannakis said. "This did not happen to us, as it has in other times."

RESTRICTIONS

CHINESE GOVERNMENT RELEASES LIST OF NO-NOS

For any Olympic fans wanting to make like Robin Hood, know this: Crossbows will be banned at venues.

The Chinese government will be taking tough security measures when the Olympics begin in 3 1/2 weeks. It issued another reminder yesterday about fan behavior and what not to bring into Olympic sites.

Hoping to stage-manage a perfect show, Beijing organizers have been preaching "civilized behavior" for several years as the Aug. 8 games approach: no spitting, stand in line, and be polite to other nationalities.

Banned items include guns, ammunition, crossbows, daggers, fireworks, flammable materials, corrosive chemicals and radioactive materials.

Restricted items include a wide assortment: musical instruments, oversized carry-on bags, suitcases, handbags, flags of countries and regions not participating either in the Olympics or Paralympics, flags more than two meters in length or one meter in height, banners, leaflets, posters and unauthorized professional videotaping equipment.