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Athens olympics 2004

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  [b said:
Quote[/b] ]Athens pool roof scrapped due to time pressure

By Karolos Grohmann

ATHENS (Reuters) - Plans to build a roof over the main swimming pool for the Olympics have been abandoned because it would not be finished in time for the start of the Games in August, Athens Olympics organisers said on Saturday.

Organisers said work on the roof for the outdoor pool was stopped after consulting with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Swimming Federation (FINA).

"We have come to the conclusion that the timely completion of the roof was not guaranteed and this could jeopardise the running of the competitions," Athens organisers said in a statement.

"The IOC has been informed and immediately asked the Greek government and ATHOC to work on contingency plans...to ensure there will be no negative effects for athletes, the sport and broadcasters," it said.

The roof had been planned to shade swimmers from Athens' searing summer temperatures and allow high-quality broadcasting of events.

While the roof was not an Olympics-related project, it was important for broadcasters because swimming and water polo competitions have been scheduled for midday when the light is brightest.

But according to officials, the swimming events were likely to be shifted to early morning and late afternoon to avoid direct sunlight hitting the pool allowing athletes to compete in cooler temperatures.

"We are very relieved and so is the IOC and the government with this decision," an ATHOC source told Reuters, adding that organisers would now increase lighting around the pool for the afternoon competitions and add temporary shading above the grandstands.

"PERSONAL DECISION"

"It was a personal decision by the Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis after being briefed by ATHOC and the IOC. It was a tough decision to make," the source said.

Athens will hold the first outdoor swimming events since the 1992 Games in Barcelona.

The decision to scrap the roof is the third major shift in organisers' plans since a conservative government came to power in the March 7 election, ending more than a decade of socialist rule.

"Seven years after winning the bid and less than 150 days before the start of the Games there are still pending issues," Karamanlis told Parliament on Saturday. "But we are enforcing new, intensive rhythms...and despite delays we are certain we will organise a successful Games."

Since Karamanlis came to power, landscaping for the start of the marathon has been trimmed and the transport ministry has scaled down building of a rail line linking the nearby port of Piraeus to central Athens.

The actions to get the Games ready in time were part of the "tough decisions" that IOC chief Jacques Rogge demanded when he met Karamanlis a week ago.

"This was a wise decision which frees us from more serious problems we could have faced in the coming months if work on the roof started," ATHOC spokesman Serafim Kotrotsos told Reuters.

More than half of the venues are not finished, including the main Olympic stadium which will not be ready until three weeks before Games start on August 13.

http://www.reuters.com/locales....4611490

Too little, too late. 150 days to go, and still the majority of the venues are not even close to being completed.

Will this be the Olympics that the IOC would rather forget?

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This is just how Greece works.. Nothing get's done, nothing get's done and then suddenly everything is ready.

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  (Llauma @ Mar. 21 2004,10:56) said:
This is just how Greece works.. Nothing get's done, nothing get's done and then suddenly everything is ready.

Exactly biggrin_o.gifbiggrin_o.gifbiggrin_o.gif

By the way, the majority of the venues are complete. According to the BBC, 24 out of 35 are ready smile_o.gif

The big problems are the swimming pool, the funky roof for the olympic stadium, and the road from Marathonas into town - the company doing that went into liquidation crazy_o.gif

What pisses me off is the cost - it could have cost 30% less, but Greece has developed a culture of pocketing project money mad_o.gif Did you know that the overhaul of the National Gardens cost 1M €? What was done? Some benches, a hut for tools, new sand on the walkways and some new watering stuff was added. Waste of money mad_o.gif

Whilst I am no fan of the conservatives, I do hope they clear things out. We have been in power for far too long and haven't tapped into our potential. Good luck to Kosta anyway smile_o.gif

But yeah, the games will be ready, you will see some things held together with blue tack and gum, but things WILL be ready biggrin_o.giftounge_o.gif

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less building's=less chance for terrorist attack's

I got a vision recently where some Libian transport accidently paradroped a bunch of Nile crocodile's onto the olympic swimingpool ,wich will lead to a smasching new world record and a new and popular olympic swimming decipline.

About the roof of the Olympic stadium ,given the builing contracter's i bet that at the start of the olympic's that stadium will have a roof that will strongly look like the Hull of an ocean vessel put upsidedown above it. (glued to the "super" structure)

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  [b said:
Quote[/b] ]less building's=less chance for terrorist attack's

rock.gif

You don´t need to have buildings for a terrorist attack.

It´s bad planning and corruption that keeps the greek from finishing buildings as planned.

Anyway I have a good chance of going there for security reasons.

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  [b said:
Quote[/b] ]You don´t need to have buildings for a terrorist attack.

It´s bad planning and corruption that keeps the greek from finishing buildings as planned.

Well .. actually that comment was ment to make an ass of the Greek olympic comitee ,they are pumping all that money in security anyway with the "hughe" chance of an terrorist attack on the olympic's.

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I think they won't be ready, and that nothing will happen. If it does, Greek Navy Special Forces will respond, they've been training constantly for some time now. Of course, all this security is the most prepared ever in the history of the Olympics and any worldwide event.

It'll take one hell of a lot of bombs to kill them all.

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  (Ex-RoNiN @ Mar. 21 2004,21:06) said:
But yeah, the games will be ready, you will see some things held together with blue tack and gum, but things WILL be ready  biggrin_o.gif  tounge_o.gif

That's the biggest concern though, or at least it would be if I were competing. All the venues will be so new, that proper testing could not possibly be complete in time. It is very likely that alot of the glitches, no matter how obvious, will not be ironed out, and that takes time. Something that there isn't much left of.

Here's part of an Editorial from the London Free Press.

  [b said:
Quote[/b] ]And one personal note: The media village will not be air conditioned even though it was supposed to be. Be forewarned: Those covering the Games will be more grumpy and smelly than usual.

That's not gonna be great for publicity!

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