OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK: EDWARDS MIGHT BE BANNED FROM ATHENS.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Unless Torri Edwards can convince the International Court of Arbitration for Sport otherwise, the track star can forget about running in the Athens Olympics.

A source, speaking to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the Chicago Tribune report that the International Association of Athletics Federation doping review panel ruled in favor of a two-year suspension for the Pomona High and USC graduate after she tested positive for the banned stimulant nikethamide April 24 at a meet in Fort-de-France.

The IAAF panel rejected the opinion of a U.S. arbitration hearing panel that said ``extraordinary circumstances'' possibly led to Edwards' positive test. Edwards claimed her physical therapist and chiropractor purchased glucose tablets at a store on the French Virgin Island.

--Defense is difference: The U.S. men's basketball team held Serbia- Montenegro to nine points in the second quarter on its way to a 78-60 exhibition over the defending world champion in Belgrade.

Tim Duncan led the U.S. with 16 points.

--Suspension possible: A Bulgarian Olympic official implicated in alleged bid city corruption faces possible suspension from the International Olympic Committee.

Ivan Slavkov was secretly filmed by an undercover BBC television crew discussing how votes could be bought in the campaign to host the 2012 Summer Games. New York, Paris, London, Madrid and Moscow are vying for the 2012 Games.

--Biker's request denied: Sue Haywood's effort to be restored to the U.S. Olympic mountain biking team ended in Denver, where a federal judge denied her request to have a second arbiter decide who should race in Athens.

Haywood was USA Cycling's original nominee to be the lone woman on the mountain biking team. But in late July, an arbiter overturned that decision and ruled Mary McConneloug - ranked No. 2 in the world, one spot ahead of Haywood - was the rightful winner of a yearlong points battle.

--Greene second again: Jamaica's Asafa Powell beat Maurice Greene again in the 100 meters, this time at the Weltklasse Golden League meet in Zurich, Switzerland.

Powell won in 9.93 seconds. Greene was second in 9.94. The Chatsworth resident also finished second to Powell in a London meet July 31.