As thousands across the north tuned in to this morning's opening ceremony of the 2004 Games, five Tamworth Olym-pians were preparing for the biggest sporting challenge of their lives.

Water polo players Nathan Thomas and Craig Miller, softball player Stacey Porter, and shooters Tom Turner and George Barton represent our local contingent in Athens.

But there's a solid band of Games players with New England connections also in Greece as part of the Olympic team crowd.

Narrabri farrier Peter Todd is looking after the shoes of the equestrian horses. Former Tamworth hockey star Jeremy Davy is a match analyst with the Kookaburras, and Armidale bicycle retailer Jock Bullen is the cycling team mechanic.

Bullen is taking part in his sixth Olympics. Gunnedah photographer Paul Mathews is at his third Games, in Athens this time as photo manager of activities in the Olympic Stadium.

And there has been a steady stream of tourists and Games supporters leave Tamworth and the north to follow their Olympic dream teams.

They include the parents of Olympic competitors Stacey Porter, George Barton and Craig Miller, the wife of shooter Tom Turner, and the partners of the two water polo reps.

In Athens last night, shooters Barton and Turner were both upbeat about joining about 200 other Aussie athletes and officials in the opening ceremony march into the Olympic Stadium.

Barton said the Aussie flag-raising ceremony and the announcement of the team flag bearer two days ago had fired up all of the athletes.

"It was the first and probably only time all of the team will be together, and it was a big buzz. That was really inspiring and it hit a lot of us that this is it. It's finally here, it's on," Barton said.

He said the five Tamworth Olympians had met up at the flag raising – and that had been a great psychological boost for them.

Barton said security was fine, the Olympic transport lanes were working well, and he and Turner were pleased with their form and training regime.

He said Turner had been a big hit in a segment with television hosts Roy and HG at a team barbecue yesterday.

While the world switched onto the Olympic buzz overnight, Tamworth set its clocks and television sets to cheer on its homegrown heroes going for sporting glory.

The Games fever that galvanised Australia for the Sydney Olympics has lingered. Electrical stores are switching to the Olympic channels and, at Retravision, the stock network underwent an upgrade this week to improve the Channel Seven reception.

At the Tamworth Regional Council, customer services supervisor Robyn Fletcher decked out the Manilla office with the Aussie flag and colours, balloons and a television set.

"We're getting into the spirit of our community and the world as well," Mrs Fletcher said.

There are numerous other northern links to this Olympics.

Aussie road cyclist Sara Carrigan, who was born in Gunnedah, is competing. Both sets of her grandparents are following her from Gunnedah.

Tamworth NBN sports reporter Martin Cuddihy is following the fortunes of his cousin archer Tim Cuddihy, the current world junior champion.

And the McGregor clans in Narrabri and Tamworth have their eye on their water polo grandson, nephew and cousin Sam McGregor, who celebrated his 20th birthday in

the training pool in Athens

yesterday.

In Athens last night and soaking up the colour and culture were Stan and Robyn Porter from Tamworth, and their daughter Kristy.