The Olympic Games are about the athletes, the world's greatest competitors in a variety of sports recognized by the Olympic Committee. For most of these athletes (except for a few pro sports), this is the highlight of their careers and basis for their involvement in international sports.    As much as this is about Olympic competition, it is also about the international press. There are  many, many more journalists credentialed to work these Games than athletes. This includes television, radio, print and internet communicators from across the world. This is the biggest event in the world, not just in sports, but life. The focus of the entire planet is on the Olympics for a few weeks every two years (four years between Summer Games). It is bigger than the Super Bowl, the World Series, Wimbledon tennis, the Soccer World Cup. It can only be compared in scope to a major war, a space walk on the moon and other such things. This is not opinion - this is documented and reconfirmed every Olympic Games.    Not only are there more journalists than athletes, they come to Olympics earlier than the athletes, scouring for stories on the Games and on the entire experience. There are times when they are just looking for something to write about. At other times, there is way too much going on to keep up with it all. It is not just sports that is reported; you can expect coverage on politics, weather, celebrities and anything else of interest to the world. Believe it that there is a search for controversy and negative news - and things can quickly get built up and sometimes blown out of proportion.    The world's passion for the Olympics passes quickly, but during the Games it is red hot. Anything and everything is a possibility for a media story, like it or not. Likewise, things can get  missed by the media at the Olympics. Again, this is just like life out there. Strike while the iron is hot.    For Olympic sports, especially those with no professional levels, the Olympics is the big show. It happens every four years and lasts about two weeks. After the Games are over, the buzz continues for awhile, and then it goes back to normal.    Every U.S. Olympic Team is required to do one press conference, and be available for interviews at their competition. The press conference is often held in the Main Press Center, a huge building that is not located near either the Athlete Village or the American College of Greece. For the press conferences, the USOC most often brings the athletes to the media.    There is never a guarantee that a press conference will be well attended. Each sport has its communications professionals working with the USOC staff and volunteer team to promote and then conduct the press conference. It helps to have some great individual and team stories. Often, timing is also a factor for a successful press conference.    Wrestling has held two press conferences, first with the men's Greco-Roman team and second with the women's freestyle team. USA Wrestling chooses to bring the entire team as well as its coaches to the press conference. It allows journalists from the athlete's hometowns to visit with them, as well as for media with a national interest to meet them all. Each of the U.S. athletes has a unique story, and each deserves the chance to meet with the press and tell that story.    It would be fair to say that both of the press conferences featuring wrestling so far have been successful. The number of journalists at each event was large, and all of the U.S. athletes on both teams had the opportunity to talk with journalists.     The difficult challenge with press opportunity is that every journalist wants their own "one-on-one" time with the athletes. With hundreds of press there, this is next to impossible. For an athlete who has achieved national recognition, such as a Rulon Gardner or a Patricia Miranda, there is often a crowd of journalists who surround them with questions. Television cameras, radio microphones and reporter's tape recorders are shoved in their face, and for an hour they talk non-stop about themselves, their lives and their sport.    The men's Greco-Roman team had a large turnout for their press conference. Many were there to talk to Gardner, who was the big star of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and has remained in the public eye. Many were there because the press conference was one of the first ones held, and they were seeking good stories prior to Opening Ceremonies. Some of the reporters care about specific athletes, who are from their home area or have a compelling story. Others are just looking for something different.    Our Greco-Roman men did a tremendous job. When one journalist asked all six athletes to talk about security, each handled the tough topic well. The journalists had some fun when Rulon Gardner picked on coach Steve Fraser about his age, and Fraser shot back a response about Gardner's weight. Brad Vering got to tell his story about small town Nebraska, Dennis Hall explained his perspective of competing in a third Olympic Games and Oscar Wood was able to explain his thoughts about serving in the U.S. Army. Coach Andy Seras explained that his strength was being able to quickly access a match and make adjustments, while Shon Lewis talked about his ability to motivate his athletes.    The women's wrestling team had an even larger turnout. Clearly, being the only new sport of the Games gave many journalists a reason to stop by. Others had covered the athletes at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and had met the women, and enjoyed learning about them.     The women also had a good performance, first answering a variety of questions during the formal portion of the press conference, then with a group of journalists surrounding them during the informal portion. Everybody got their chance to talk to both print and broadcast journalists. They talked about the difficult road they endured becoming wrestlers in a male-dominated sport. They shared their excitement of being in the first Olympic Games with women's wrestling.    Patricia Miranda gave her perspective about whether or not men wrestlers respected the women athletes. Tela O'Donnell answered questions about her earrings. Coach Townsend Saunders was asked if his athletes would beat Chyna, but Saunders thought they meant China and talked about the tough Chinese women wrestlers rather than the pro wrestling vixen. Montgomery explained how her college had a women's wrestling team and how the men helped her train. Sara McMann explained her excitement about winning a test event in Athens and how it will help her to do well in the Olympics. Coach Tricia Saunders explained the early days of international women's wrestling and how excited she was to coach the first Olympic Team.    There will be many more times that U.S. wrestlers will have contact with the media. The Today Show featured Gardner today, and is scheduled to show Miranda tomorrow. Other journalists are interested in coming up to the American College of Greece to conduct interviews at practice. The freestyle team, which has not yet even arrived in Greece, will have its own press conference and training session interviews.    And then the wrestling competition begins August 22.    But there is another competition going on, between journalists to get interviews with the teams. NBC has agreements in place with some other broadcast entities, such as Access Hollywood and the TV Guide Channel, all who want to interview the hottest athletes. Billy Bush of Access Hollywood interviewed most of the women's team and coaches during the press conference for their exclusive coverage. Cell phones are ringing, with producers and editors and writers all asking for interviews.    With more journalists than athletes and a battle for ratings and issue sales, good stories and interesting people are a key part of the Olympic Games. Wrestling has more than its share of great personalities and stories to sell. The key is getting all those journalists to spend some time with these great individuals.    Let the Games begin.