Welcoming international Olympic scholars to The Finishing Line lounge at UTS are: (left to right) Wiebke Benze, Development Officer; Janet Cahill, Olympic Project Manager; Professor Rob Lynch, Chair of the UTS Olympic Committee; and Caitlyn Brewer, a third-year student from the School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism.

While Sydney hosts the elite international athletes and officials of the Olympics, UTS is hosting the elite international academics who study and write about the Games.

Professor Tony Blake, Vice-Chancellor of UTS, and Professor Rob Lynch, Chair of the UTS Olympic Committee, opened the UTS Lounge for Olympic Games Scholars ­ "The Finishing Line" ­ on Wednesday, 13 September.

"The Finishing Line is ideally located at the UTS Broadway Campus, in close proximity to the Olympic venues at Darling Harbour," said Janet Cahill, UTS Olympic Project Officer.

"Each Wednesday and Saturday evening until 30 September, leading international Olympic scholars will visit the lounge to discuss the Sydney Games and network with their colleagues from around the globe, including more than 100 visitors from Europe, Asia, and North and South America."

Professor Robert Barney, founding Director of the International Centrefor Olympic Studies from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and Visiting Fellow at UTS, spoke at the opening of The Finishing Line.

Other speakers at "On the Starting Blocks" information sessions include Tony Bijkerk, Secretary-General of the International Society of Olympic Historians from the Netherlands; Dr John Lucas, Order of the IOC, from Pennsylvania State University; and Dr Richard Cashman, Director of the Centre for Olympic Studies at UNSW.

Associate Professor Tony Veal and Dr Kristine Toohey from UTS are introducing their new book "The Olympic Games: A Social Science Perspective" at The Finishing Line.

The Finishing Line is a complimentary facility provided by UTS. Registered guests will be supplied with communication links, work space, television and print coverage of the Games, and some warm university hospitality.