Athens Olympics 2004

[Llauma 0]

I will never consider me an European.. I don't even consider me a Swede even though I'm born and raised here and my passport says I'm swedish, and I'm not a Finn even though my blood is as Finnish as it gets... I will root for those I like.

I don't feel more proud when an Italian wins the gold than if an Algerian wins it and honestly I don't see any reason why I should. It's not being open minded if you leave the national borders just to limit your self to some other borders. The Earth is globe so you can't really say where it starts and where it ends so therefor it has no borders.

I'm glad that the Earth grabbed all the medals except one.

[Akira 0]

I personally routed for no American's other than Misty May and Kerri Walsh because they were too hot for words.

In fact I almost started bawling when Japan won the Gold Medal for the team gymnastics.

EDIT: But that probably doesn't matter, as I'm not European

[Guest]

Funny....I can't find "Europe" listed in the medal tally anywhere. Someone like to point out where it is?

[Major Fubar 0]

The athlete that I had never heard of before that I took a liking to was Germany's shotputter Nadine Kleinert

[Major Fubar 0]

BTW, let's not get too OT from the Olympics (in regards to what constitutes a country). The Olympics are over, and this thread has a finite lifespan as it is.

[blackdog~ 0]

The olympics suck.

And denoir's comment about the FSPilot awards is very close to lamebaiting... I mean, flamebaiting.

[Guest]

The athlete that I had never heard of before that I took a liking to was Germany's shotputter Nadine Kleinert  

It's a man baby!

[DarkLight 0]

BTW, let's not get too OT from the Olympics (in regards to what constitutes a country). The Olympics are over, and this thread has a finite lifespan as it is.  

Yeah, let's spam it to hell now that this topic is still open!

hoooraaay

[joltan 0]

What about the two greek athletes who had that 'moto accident'? Any news what became of them or about any proof that they were really trying to avoid the doping tests?

[Placebo 28]

Yeah, let's spam it to hell now that this topic is still open!

hoooraaay

If you'd like to be banned then go ahead.

[DarkLight 0]

Yeah, let's spam it to hell now that this topic is still open!

hoooraaay

If you'd like to be banned then go ahead.

I'll pass!

ps: nice clown

[ran 0]

I don´t know how some others think...but I do actually feel european and I like it. There is a lot of exchange among young people and the internet is a great tool therefore. I travel a lot in europe and it´s nice that the attitude of the youth changes to european and a bit away from national thinking. Noone has to give up his culture, but everyone has the chance to learn about others. Just go into former eastern countries and you´ll know what I´m saying. The youth is growing up european. That´s nice

Just my 2 cents.

Iv'e somewhat experienced it during my time in the police forces, there are a lot of work exchanges between European countries which someitmes end up as culutral exchanges and friendships (a lot more than before, that is).

[ralphwiggum 6]

ok, the olympic is over so i'll unpin this thread.

[ralphwiggum 6]

and as expected...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3649268.stm

Quote[/b] ]Greece is facing a massive budget deficit as it tries to absorb the cost of the Olympic Games.

The expected 7bn euro ($8.6bn; Å4.8bn) burden means the national deficit is set to hit 5.3% in 2004, said Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

He said the previous government was to blame, for concealing the extent of Greece's economic troubles.

"A large part of Olympic, social and other spending was not written up in the budget," he said.

"The real deficit was not recorded... The public debt exceeds even the most pessimistic of estimations."

Security costs

The Games is set to be the most expensive in the modern Olympics' 100-year history.

Not only did Athens have to sustain the usual cost of trying to outdo previous host cities.

The heightened fears following 9/11 meant that Athens was faced with a bill for security which was five times higher than that of Sydney in 2000.

In addition, much of the building work on facilities was only completed in a last-minute - and expensive - rush, in some cases just hours before the Games began.

Over the limit

The expected 5.3% budget shortfall is almost twice the 3% allowed by the European Union.

Total cumulative debt, Mr Karamanlis said, was as high as 112% of GDP or 184bn euros - or 50,000 euros for each Greek household.

Before March's election, the previous Socialist government had predicted a 1.2% deficit, with total debt of under 100% of GDP.

That was nothing short of deliberately misleading, he said.

"Social policy was done with borrowed cash, military spending did not show up on the budget, debts were created in secret," Mr Karamanlis said in a speech which traditionally sets the economic agenda for the year ahead.

But he said there was hope ahead.

Privatisation, new investment and pro-competitive laws were planned, but there was to be no shock treatment.

Mr Karamanlis promised "consultations, not surprise attacks - dialogue, not confrontation".