Athletics: Delivering flyers only job for Olympic champ

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Olympic modern pentathlete champion, Alexander Parygin, is running the streets of Australia delivering junk mail instead of training for the Games.

Parygin, who won gold for Kazakhstan at the 1996 Olympics, has missed out qualifying for the Australian team because he is two months shy of residency status.

Despite being crowned a national hero in his homeland after victory in Atlanta, Parygin moved to Australia two years ago for a better life for his young family - but the only job he can get is delivering pizza pamphlets.

He is determined, however, to keep training for the 2004 Athens Olympics, when he can finally compete as an Australian.

Herald Online Olympic News