COMING UP

Sydney is 18 hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Time, meaning it will be midday in Australia when The Times goes to press daily. The Times, with a staff of 16 in Sydney, will be uniquely positioned to report on many events on a same-day basis--and often ahead of those events appearing on television. NBC, which owns U.S. broadcast rights to the Games, has decided to show all events on tape delay over its network and cable affiliates.

ON THE WEB

For complete coverage of the Sydney Olympics, including audio commentary from Times columnist Bill Plaschke, photo galleries and up-to-the-minute stories and results, go to http://ukobiw.net/olympics.

The first week’s schedule of the 2000 Olympics with television information in parentheses, all times PDT:

TONIGHT

SOCCER

Women

* Australia vs. Germany at Canberra, 11 p.m.

* Sweden vs. Brazil at Melbourne, 11 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

SOCCER

Women

* United States vs. Norway at Melbourne, 11:30 p.m. (MSNBC, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.)

* China PR vs. Nigeria at Canberra, 11:30 p.m.

Men

* Nigeria vs. Honduras at Adelaide, 12:30 a.m.

* Cameroon vs. Kuwait at Brisbane, 1 a.m.

* Australia vs. Italy at Melbourne, 2 a.m.

* United States vs. Czech Republic at Canberra, 2 a.m. (MSNBC, 3:30 p.m.)

SOCCER

THURSDAY

Men

* South Korea vs. Spain at Adelaide, 12:30 a.m.

* Brazil vs. Slovakia at Brisbane, 1 a.m.

* Morocco vs. Chile at Melbourne, 2 a.m.

* South Africa vs. Japan at Canberra, 2 a.m.

FRIDAY

ARCHERY

* Women’s individual and team ranking, 3 p.m.

* Men’s individual and team ranking, 8 p.m.

BADMINTON

* Women’s singles and mixed doubles first round, 11 p.m.

BASKETBALL

Women

* Poland vs. New Zealand, 3:30 p.m.

* Brazil vs. Slovakia, 5:30 p.m.

* France vs. Senegal, 8:30 p.m.

* Canada vs. Australia, 10:30 p.m.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

* Women’s eliminations, 3 p.m.

* Women’s eliminations, 8:30 p.m. (MSNBC, Sat., 7 a.m.)

BOXING

* First round (119, 132 pounds), 7 p.m.

EQUESTRIAN

* Team three-day event dressage, 3:30 p.m.

FENCING

Men’s individual epee

* First round, second round, third round, quarterfinals, 3:30 p.m.

* Semifinals, bronze medal, gold medal, 11:30 p.m.

FIELD HOCKEY

Men

* Netherlands vs. Britain, 7:30 p.m.

* Spain vs. South Korea, 9:30 p.m.

Women

* South Korea vs. Argentina, 2:30 p.m.

* Germany vs. New Zealand, 4:30 p.m.

GYMNASTICS

* Men’s qualifying, 4:30 p.m.

* Men’s qualifying, 9 p.m.

JUDO

* Prelims/repechage (men’s 132, women’s 106 pounds), 9 p.m.

SHOOTING

(begins at 3 p.m.)

* Women’s 10m air-rifle qualification

* Men’s trap qualification

* Women’s 10m air-rifle final

* Men’s 10m air-pistol qualification

* Men’s 10m air-pistol final

SOCCER

Women

* Australia vs. Sweden at Sydney FS, 11:30 p.m.

* Germany vs. Brazil at Canberra, 11:30 p.m.

SWIMMING

(begins at 4 p.m., Ch. 4, Sat. 1:30-3 p.m.)

* Women’s 400m individual medley heats

* Men’s 400m freestyle heats

* Women’s 100m butterfly heats

* Men’s 100m breaststroke heats

* Women’s 400m freestyle relay heats

* Men’s 400m freestyle relay heats

TABLE TENNIS

* Men’s and women’s doubles qualifications, 4 p.m.

* Men’s and women’s doubles prelims, 9 p.m.

TEAM HANDBALL

Men

* Germany vs. Cuba, 3:30 p.m.

* France vs. Slovenia, 5:30 p.m.

* Yugoslavia vs. South Korea, 8:30 p.m.

* Spain vs. Tunisia, 10:30 p.m.

TRIATHLON

* Women’s final, 4 p.m. (NBC, Sat., 4 p.m.)

VOLLEYBALL

* Women’s prelims, 4 p.m.

* Women’s prelims, 6:30 p.m.

WATER POLO

* Women’s prelims, 7 p.m.

WEIGHTLIFTING

* Snatch; clean & jerk, Group B (men’s 123 pounds), 8:30 p.m.