An Olympic Cola Contest

By DAVID ELLIS/

When Atlanta was chosen as the site of the 1996 Olympic Summer Games, officials in some rival cities grumbled about the inevitable triumph of "Coca-Cola capitalism." That complaint had a realistic edge: the soft- drink giant is based in Atlanta and strongly supported the hometown bid to the International Olympic Committee. Sensing a golden marketing opportunity, archrival Pepsi is suggesting to consumers in three losing cities -- Athens, Rome and Melbourne -- that they should register their displeasure at the checkout counter. In a newspaper advertisement in the Australian city, Pepsi declared, "If you don't like the I.O.C.'s choice, make your own." If this keeps up, the committee may have to introduce soda-can hurling as a gold-medal event.

With reporting by David E. Thigpen