KEY POINTS:
Six weeks out and there are only six teams left to be named.
New Zealand's Olympic squad is fast taking shape, with teams and individual athletes inked in. But for basketballers, hockey and soccer players these are twitchy times.
Both Black Sticks' men and women's teams, and the two national soccer sides are going to Beijing, as are the Tall Ferns.
The men's basketballers face a demanding final qualifying event in Athens starting on July 14. The odds are long on them.
The Tall Blacks are ranked No 13 and should make the quarter-finals, after group games against Germany (world No 9) and Cape Verde (No 56).
(If you're scratching your head thinking "Cape where?", it's a republic in an archipelago off the west coast of Africa, and you now have a pub quiz answer in your back pocket.)
They must make the semifinals, where the two winners progress to Beijing, as does the winner of the clash between the two losing semifinalists.
Both the Oly-Whites and Football Ferns announced pre-Games programmes yesterday; both hockey squads are just back from assignments in Europe and China.
The selection panels are sifting form, assessing combinations. It is not a job to be taken lightly.
Decisions depriving worthy candidates of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity should not be taken on a whim. There will be heartbreak when all those squad names are revealed. Coaches will ponder whether they require an extra midfielder. Can they get by with one fewer defender? How are they off for guards?
In some cases, good quality players, deserving Olympic candidates, will miss out in the calculations because the numbers simply won't work out. How often do Olympic team sports selectors curse the fact they are restricted to 16 or 18 players, when one more could solve a multitude of issues?
Road cyclists are still to be revealed, and the New Zealand Olympic Committee, in a release confirming BMX and mountainbiking selections, hinted more names may be added to the track team.
Beach volleyballers Kirk Pittmann and Jason Lochhead are still trying valiantly for a big rails run to get them into the top 24 pairs. They are on the cusp but, much like the Tall Blacks, need things to go their way. Mark Todd and his three-day eventing colleagues are out but the showjumpers are still to come.
Outfittings, flight arrangements, getting a pile of athletes _ many long on talent, short on organisational intelligence _ and equipment into one place at the right time, are all minutiae to be worked through.
Six weeks to go. Plenty of time for all i's and t's to be dotted and crossed. The clock is ticking.
