LONDON - Guarding against terrorism and natural disasters in Athens, the IOC took the unprecedented step of buying insurance in case the Olympics are called off.

The International Olympic Committee's $170 million policy guarantees that the organization and affiliated national committees and sports federations have enough money to continue operations.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said Tuesday insurance reflects no lack of confidence in the Aug. 13-29 games, which have been troubled by construction delays and security worries.

The IOC would not be covered if the games are called off because of the delays, IOC finance chairman Richard Carrion said.

Aside from terrorism, insurance experts say the main risk in Athens would be from earthquakes. The city straddles a fault line, and 143 people died in a quake in 1999.

LONDON - The oldest championship in golf is now the richest major, thanks to a modest increase in prize money at the British Open coupled with a higher exchange rate.The Royal & Ancient Golf Club said Tuesday the purse would be $7,152,000, with nearly $1.3 million going to the winner.But that's only if the exchange rate for the British pound - at $1.788 - remains the same. The purse is only 100,000 pounds higher than the 2003 British Open, but the exchange rate was about $1.60 last summer.The Masters had a record $6.5 million purse this year. The U.S. Open and PGA Championship have not announced their purses - they were $6 million last year.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A Senate committee obtained secret documents that could help U.S. Olympic officials keep drug cheaters out of the Athens Games.The Justice Department's decision to turn over the materials subpoenaed by the Commerce Committee was considered virtually unprecedented during a federal investigation.Still, it's unclear whether anti-doping authorities will have access to the documents, obtained during the grand jury probe of an alleged steroid-distribution ring.U.S. Olympic officials hope to use such documents to open their own cases against admitted drug cheaters - invoking a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency rule barring athletes who acknowledge the use of steroids and other banned substances.Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative founder Victor Conte and three other men have been charged with providing steroids to professional athletes. All four pleaded innocent.COLLEGE BASKETBALLRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Duke freshman Luol Deng has made himself available for the NBA draft but is not ruling out a return to school.Deng, who led the Blue Devils to the Final Four, will not hire an agent for now, keeping open the option of returning for his sophomore season. He has until June 17 to remove his name from consideration and retain his college eligibility.The 6-foot-8 forward issued a statement but was not available for comment.FOOTBALLORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - Drew Bledsoe renegotiated his contract with the Bills, giving Buffalo nearly $4 million in salary cap relief.The new three-year deal, which includes some incentive bonuses, will replace the old contract the Bills assumed when they acquired Bledsoe from New England in 2002. That original deal had seven years remaining on it, including a $7 million bonus due Bledsoe in November.The Bills will no longer have to pay that bonus.CINCINNATI (AP) - Dennis Weathersby was moved out of an intensive care unit, but the Cincinnati Bengals cornerback still has months of therapy ahead as he recovers from a severe head injury sustained in a car accident.Weathersby had been in a special neurological unit at University Hospital since his car went off a highway ramp and hit a utility pole April 12. He was upgraded from serious to fair condition and moved out of the 20-bed unit.Patients must be awake and alert to leave the unit, which typically treats people who have had head injuries and strokes, Dr. Lori Shutter said. The 23-year-old Weathersby will remain in the hospital while getting therapy.WOMEN'S BASKETBALLSue Gunter retired as LSU's women's basketball coach because of her health and was replaced by Pokey Chatman, who took the Lady Tigers to their first Final Four this year.Gunter, 62, had been on leave this season with respiratory problems. She has coached LSU the past 22 years and compiled 708 wins over her 44-year college career.Gunter declined to elaborate on her health but acknowledged it was the major factor in her decision. Gunter said she did not want questions about her health to hurt recruiting.Gunter was not well enough to watch her team play live during the NCAA tournament. She watched the Final Four in New Orleans from a hotel.GOLFTENNISWIMBLEDON, England (AP) - Wimbledon could have its first $1 million winners at this summer's tournament.The men's champion will receive $1,077,270 at the current exchange rate, with the top woman getting $1,002,174, organizers said.Last year, men's champion Roger Federer won $914,250 and women's champ Serena Williams won $850,650.AP-ES-04-28-04 0428EDT