ATHENS, Greece - Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Donn Nelson, who has helped guide Lithuania to three straight bronze medals in men's basketball, has a caveat for his fourth Olympics with the team.

He won't be giving guidance if Lithuania faces the United States.

Nelson was an assistant coach for Lithuania in 1992 when, in its first Olympic appearance, it beat the Unified Team representing most of the former Soviet republics for the bronze.

He was in Sydney four years ago when Lithuania lost 85-83 to the United States in the semifinals. A 3-pointer by Sarunas Jasikevicius at the buzzer was short and Nelson spent a sleepless night considering what might have been, had that shot fallen.

He vowed at the time he never would coach against the United States again, saying he couldn't handle being part of an overseas team that knocked off the Americans. He reiterated that position on Sunday.

"I'll help these guys beat any other country in the world," Nelson said after Lithuania opened preliminary play with a 78-73 win over Angola. "I won't be on the bench for a game against the U.S. They know that."

Someone was missing from U.S. gymnast Mohini Bhardwaj's cheering section.Former "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson wasn't at Sunday's preliminaries, and Bhardwaj wasn't sure if the actress would make Tuesday night's team finals.The actress gave Bhardwaj $20,000 after learning she was selling raffle tickets to help pay for training. The donation raised Bhardwaj's profile significantly and Anderson later brought a large group of fans to the Olympic trials in Anaheim, Calif."I'm not disappointed," Bhardwaj said. "I know security is an issue for her all the time."

Basharmal Sultani was beaten in his first-round boxing match. But in the eyes of the crowd, the Afghan welterweight was a big winner.Sultani, the only boxer in Afghanistan's four-member delegation in Athens, was supported by dozens of frenzied, screaming fans, most waving an Afghan flag or wearing white T-shirts with the flag on the chest.They packed one corner of Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hall. Each time Sultani landed a punch or charged at Egypt's Mohamed Hikal, they erupted in cheers or chants of "Sultani! Sultani!"Although Hikal won 40-12 in one of the day's most one-sided fights, Sultani got another ovation when he left the ring.

Australian runner Cathy Freeman, who won the 400-meter gold in Sydney, insists she has no regrets after retiring last year and can't envision a comeback."I can't see any change of heart," she said. "It was a big, big decision for me to walk away from the track. It wasn't even a decision - I just followed my heart. I can't see myself making any sort of comeback whatsoever."Freeman is involved in television commentary, writing newspaper columns, promoting sponsors and doing charity work but remains undecided on a permanent career."I'm looking at everything at the moment, and that's completely overwhelming. I haven't exactly decided where my burning ambition is going to take me right now," she said.

Gisela Morales is a swimmer who blames her failure in the Olympics on the ground, not the pool. She said she enjoyed marching in the opening ceremony but that it left her too weary to compete."That parade killed me," the Guatemalan said after being eliminated in the 200 backstroke. "I stood there for nearly nine hours and went to bed after 2 a.m. Everything was really nice, but when the time came for competition I was exhausted."