Greece absolutely ready to host the Games, last gov't meeting on Olympics concludes

Greece is ready to host the Olympic Games with absolute safety, the final session of the government committee for Olympic preparations concluded on Wednesday.

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, was attended by all parties involved in organising the Games, including Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni and Athens 2004 Olympics Organising Committee chief Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki.

Participants went over the final details of arrangements for the Olympics and ascertained there were no outstanding problems. The mood was upbeat as ministers emerged from the meeting, with several prepared to wager that the Athens Games will be the best ever.

Public Order Minister George Voulgarakis stressed that everything was going according to plan with respect to security measures and thanked the Greek public for "responding in a way that no one could have believed".

He said the C4I security systems were working perfectly and that all the staff operating them had been fully trained.

Regarding Tuesday's incidents involving a number of Mexican journalists that were arrested over apparent breaches of security, Voulgarakis stressed that the security measures had a particular protocol that guaranteed a secure environment for everyone.

Rogge

The Olympic Games were also the focus of a meeting between Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge at the Maximos Mansion on Wednesday night, in the presence of Alternate Culture Minister Fani Palli-Petralia and 2004 Athens Olympic Games Organising Committee President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki.

" Athens is ready and fantastic Games will take place. I was coming to Greece for seven years and I am extremely happy to be here shortly before the great celebration," Rogge said afterwards.

Replying to a question on the issue of security, he said "we are confident that Greece has done everything that is humanly possible."

On her part, Daskalaki said that "the city's appearance has impressed even its residents”, however, adding that “the degree of the citizens’ contribution to this image is even more impressive.”

Greeks optimistic about Athens Games

Greeks are optimistic about all aspects of the Athens Olympic Games, including timely completion of projects, security, successful organisation and Greece 's image abroad, according to fresh surveys conducted by the public opinion research group Focus.

Data accumulated during the Focus surveys, which have been conducted since 2001, lead to the following conclusions:

Greeks always felt that the country would be ready, in terms of projects and infrastructure, even if that meant "shifting gear at the last minute, typical Greek way of doing things. Now that the majority of projects are completed, there is a rise in the number of “believers”.  

As the Athens Games draw nearer, Greek optimism also increases, with more than half of those surveyed expecting the Athens Games to be better and more impressive than previous Games.
Greek citizens seem confident about security measures, with confidence rising as the Games get closer.
Greek public interest in the Games and intention to attend events in person is also greater than before.

Athenians get first taste of Olympic measures

Athenians on Sunday got their first taste of measures to ease congestion and boost security for the Athens 2004 Olympics, which begin on August 13.

In place for the first time were restrictions on movement along major highways leading to Olympic venues, with buses, private vehicles, and event-accredited coaches, taxis and automobiles channelled into three separate lanes to facilitate movement for athletes, sports officials and media. Lane violators will be filmed on security cameras and charged 156 euros.

Also taking effect are circulation and parking restrictions around Olympic venues and selected spots in the city centre, while an airspace control coordinating centre is monitoring the Athens flight region to ensure safety and security for flights, which are increasing ahead of the games.

The control centre belonging to the Civil Aviation Authority and reporting to the ministries of transport, public order and defence is run by highly trained staff to monitor air traffic and provide immediate solutions if case of emergencies.

On Monday, an expanded Olympics shopping schedule took effect, with stores staying open between 0900 and 2100 hours this month, closing at 1800 hours on Saturdays. Banks in central Athens , tourist areas and near Olympic venues stay open until 2000 hours; gasoline stations are authorised to serve customers on a 24-hour basis; and the city's new tram line and electric train network operate throughout each night with all other means of public transport breaking operations between 0200 and 0500 hours.

Security measures to protect any potential targets of terrorist attack include a grid of Patriot missiles guarding Olympic venues; flight restrictions; an airbourne Zeppelin airship loaded with security cameras overflying Attica on a near-24 hour basis; NATO airbourne radar conducting surveillance of Greek airspace; Greek air force fighter jets patrolling the skies; and a crack NATO division stationed on Evia that is trained to handle biological and chemical warfare.

The Athens international airport is also in a state of readiness in terms of security and measures to handle vastly increased air traffic, including more than 500 flights daily for 48 hours before the Olympic opening ceremony and the day of the closing event at the end of August.

Also in a state of readiness are hospitals that have undertaken to treat athletes and vistors, although state ambulance workers have vowed to continue strikes if the government fails to award them an Olympic bonus, deliver overtime back-pay and hire more staff.

Over 3.9 billion people will watch Athens Olympic Games on TV

    Over 3.9 billion people are expected to watch the Athens Olympic Games, due to begin on Friday, on television.

    According to an announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Saturday, television coverage of the Games is expected to break all records from all points of view.

    More than 300 networks will be providing footage from Athens , while total coverage is expected to exceed 35,000 hours (meaning 2,000 hours a day).

    To enable comparisons to be made, 29,600 hours had been broadcast from the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, while during the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 the number had been limited to 20,000.

City of Athens Olympic volunteers are taking to the streets

Olympic volunteers recruited by the City of Athens took to the streets on Thursday to help the city’s visitors find their way around.

The roughly 3,000 volunteers who rallied to Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni under a campaign dubbed "Show them the Athens you love" have excellent knowledge of at least one foreign language, while 80 percent also speak another language.

Sixty five percent of total volunteers are female, while most are aged between 18 and 35, with a few exceptions, including a 77-year-old man who speaks seven languages. Other volunteers have a good knowledge of sign language and more than 80 percent have reached tertiary education.
In addition to Greeks, other nationalities also work as volunteers, including Nigerians, Ethiopians, Chinese and Poles.

The volunteers are staffing 40 air-conditioned street booths throughout the Greek capital, offering information about transportation to Olympic venues, tourist attractions, Athens neighbourhoods off the beaten track, restaurants and night entertainment.

Armed with internet-connected mobile phones, some volunteers staff the booths around the city from early in the morning until late at night at 40 points around Athens, while others patrol the streets wearing jackets stamped "City of Athens - May I help you".

The City of Athens has also installed 20 touch-screen information providers, which are to remain in place after the Olympics.

Athens Games a starting point for a new economic course, FinMin says

The Athens 2004 Olympic Games will not only have an organising success but they will become the starting point of a new economic course that passes through a more external orientation, Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, presenting the "Athens Business Club 2004" programme at Zappeion Hall, Alogoskoufis added that the Greece would have to begin a “revolution of quality” to be able to compete other countries on a low cost basis.

The Greek minister stressed that the Olympic Games provided a unique opportunity to promote the country, its cultural and economic achievements. Through the programme, Greek and foreign businessmen would have the chance to meet and discuss trade and economic deals, he said.

According to the figures released by the Hellenic Investment Centre (ELKE) a total of 600 foreign companies have expressed interest in discussing business deals with Greek companies, of which 135 from the US , 134 from Bulgaria , 111 from Germany , 105 from the UK , 59 from Australia and 56 from Italy . A total of 158 businesses have expressed interest in investments in electronics, 89 in clothing, 78 in food-beverages, 50 in securities transactions and 40 in computers.

Alogoskoufis said that the government aimed at achieving a "revolution of quality" and stressed that the Olympic Games offered a significant opportunity to boost the country's external profile.

Economy and Finance ministry offered an open invitation to the business world to invest in Greece through the Athens Business Club programme.

A total of 2,104 companies have already registered with the programme, of which 1,042 are foreign.

Exhibition focuses on first modern Olympic host-city: Athens 1896

The much-anticipated “Olympic homecoming” will be welcomed with a myriad of cultural events and happenings this August, with one museum exhibition focusing on the first modern Games of 1896 -- the last time Athens hosted the Olympics, in fact.

The exhibition, organized by the National History Museum of Athens, includes exhibits and objects from the first modern Games in the Greek capital, while also retracing the initiatives and actions to revive the Games in the modern era.

The exhibition, which will last until October, is jointly organized by the culture ministry’s Olympic Games general secretariat and the Museum, and will be hosted at the Greek Parliament building on Syntagma square. It includes paintings, 19th photographs of the era, prints, rare book editions, architectural designs, sculptures, maps and numerous other exhibits from the Museum’s collections, as well as collections from various other museums around the country - many of which are on display for the first time.

Thematic chapters, moreover, follow the Olympic Games from their development in antiquity and ancient Olympia to the present day. The last Olympics in the late fourth century AD are also covered, with organizers showing how sports and athletic competitions withered during the Middle Ages until the revival of Greco-Roman ideas and works fired the Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries. The gradual inclusion of physical education in west European schools’ curricula during the 17th century and the Romantic era rediscovery of Greece , as a concept, almost simultaneously with the Greek War of Revolution is also detailed.

A special portion of the exhibition deals with 19th century Olympic pioneer Baron Pierre de Courbetin and Greek Olympic pioneer Dimitris Vikelas, as well as the Conference of Sorbonne (June 1894), where the final decision to hold the first modern Games in Athens was held.

Other parts of the exhibition focus on the individual competitions during the 1896 Games, the facilities, the champions and the first winner of the Marathon , Spyros Louis. The exhibition is open to the public.

In brief…

The renovated Syntagma Square , a landmark in the heart of Athens , was turned over by Mayor Dora Bakoyianni to the residents of the Greek capital during an event on Thursday night. Completed relatively soon, the “revamped” square boasts special anti-skid tiles, a new water fountain, water cascades, 40 newly planted trees and two new coffee shops with outdoor tables.

Incidents of profiteering seem to have been contained following concerted efforts from various authorities and organisations according to the consumer agency INKA, which surveyed prices at various establishments. According to the agency, this is also apparent by the fact that complaints regarding the cost of living - while still the number 1 complaint among consumers - has dropped by 15%, while restaurants and eating establishments in general continue to be in violation of suggested guidelines.

INKA is continuing its efforts to protect Olympic visitors, foreign tourists and Greeks, with the publication of a 52-page guide which will be distributed at the country's key points of entry, on means of public transportation, as well as at INKA information centres. Additionally, the agency is in the process of increasing its staff in order to meet increased demands in light of the Athens Games.

Greek shops on Monday began "Olympic" operating schedule, from 9.00 to 21.00 daily, while banks located in downtown Athens tourist areas and near Olympic facilities have extended their operating hours until 20.00.

Under the new system, petrol stations stay open on a 24-hour basis, while the Tram system and the Athens Metro run 24-hour schedules. All other public transportation systems will operate with a break period between 02.00 and 05.00 in the morning.

Ticket sales for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games jumped drastically during the past several days, with more than 80,000 tickets sold last week, compared with the average 4,000 sold daily in June. On Monday, an additional 2,152 tickets for the ceremonies and for athletics events were made available following the re-ordering of the tiers in the Olympic Stadium, which were sold out by noon.
The Athens 2004 Organising Committee said that aside from the above ticket sales, a general interest in all Games tickets showed an increase with more than 20,000 tickets being sold by early afternoon.

Members of the Greek Olympic team received the outfits which they will wear during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Athens Olympic Games. The outfits, designed by Sophia Kokosalaki, will not be the customary blue and white colours of the Greek flag, but rather based on the colours of the olive tree - a symbol of the city of Athens since ancient times. The athletes will wear a beige-olive coloured jacket, olive green pants, with a white shirt and olive tie.