Athens Olympics 2004

[billybob2002 0]

Where are the people???

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tm....inter=1

Quote[/b] ]

Empty Olympic stadiums set off alarm bells

Sun Aug 15,10:37 AM ET

ATHENS (AFP) - IOC (news - web sites) officials, worried by the television images being flashed around the world of athletes competing in near empty stadiums, have told the Athens Games organisers to give tickets away for free if necessary.

On Saturday, the first full day of competition, weightlifter Nurcan Taylan became the first Turkish woman to win an Olympic gold medal but her feat was achieved in a near empty stadium.

On Sunday, tennis superstars Venus Williams (news - web sites) and Andy Roddick, used to playing to packed courts, began their Olympic quest to vacant stands.

Organising officals tried to play down the crisis, saying that they knew at the beginning of the Games some events would be badly attended because they were not popular sports in Greece.

"As we move on it will be much, much higher," said spokesman Michalis Zacharatos. "We are very pleased with our ticket sales."

But the International Olympic Committee (news - web sites) knows its brand image is damaged by the sight of near empty stadiums.

At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the then IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch told the Korean organisers to fix the situation and within 24 hours the main stadium was packed every day as school children and soldiers out of uniform were shipped in.

Four years ago in Sydney, free tickets were given away at the start of the Games after IOC complaints that there were not enough people in the stands.

"It is very important for the IOC that when people throughout the world watch the Games on television, they see filled stands. It reinforces the claim that the Olympics is the world's biggest sporting festival.

"Hugh blocks of vacant seats suggests the opposite and the IOC is very concious of its image," said an international marketing expert here for the Games.

In a bid to increase sales, 35 new ticket offices have been opened, making it easier for the public to buy them.

So far 2.9 million tickets have been sold out of a target of five million.

In Sydney, 9.5 million tickets were sold.

On Sunday, IOC officials, at a meeting with Greek organisers, suggested ways that the spectator numbers could be increased, including giving tickets away to volunteers.

Athletics begins next week and the IOC wants a packed stadium for the most televised event of the Games.

With Greek sprint star, defending 200 metres champion Kostadinos Kenteris, facing being thrown out of the Games after failing to turn up for a doping test, there are concerns thousands of Greeks will not bother to go to the athletics.

[turms 0]

Maybe the price is just too high.

[MilitiaSniper 0]

My country "USA" seems to be doing not as good as 2000 Olmypics.

Sincerely, MilitiaSniper

"OFF the WALL Team"

[DracoPaladore 0]

Who has the most golds so far?

[Guest]

China on 5, followed by Australia on 4.

[Badgerboy 0]

China are on fire at the moment. I believe their medal total is 11 medals, including 7 golds.

Total Gold

1. China 11 7

2. Australia 9 5

3. Japan 5 4

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

Maybe the price is just too high.

10 euros

Seriously though, there are many sports that no Greek cares about. Until a few weeks ago, no one in Greece (me including) even knew that we had a baseball team (or what baseball was, in fact)

Football and Basketball should be the most popular ones, as we are European Champions in both

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

YAY!!! FIRST GOLD MEDAL!!!

Thanks, you strange and weird man

[denoir 0]

Maybe the price is just too high.

10 euros

Yeah it's like:

Stockholm-Athens, Ryan Air, 1 €

Ticket to game: 10 €

One night in a medium price-range hotel: 1000 €

It's not the travel or the tickets that will kill your budget - it's the hotel prices during the olympics.

Too bad I really don't have time right now - otherwise I'd go and see something. I mean when it is here in Europe and everything - one should really take the opportunity.. oh well.. I'll most definetly make time for the WC 2006 in Germany.

[ralphwiggum 6]

but the ticket prices are 16bucks USD, so the Greek population could enjoy the games, right?

[denoir 0]

Yepp, except for that all their stars are doped or losing, hence no interest

[DarkLight 0]

Yepp, except for that all their stars are doped or losing, hence no interest  

Well whadya know, good ol' Belgium even has some medals already, no goldies but still... i'm truly impressed that we are able to do this.

I've checked the news a couple times and a lot of Belgian ppl are doing very well at the olympics... When they don't win a medal their score still is pretty good, i think...

Aaaaaaah we rock.

Fuck all you big countries with all your gold medals! hehe

[Guest]

Australia has to be smaller than Belgium

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

Karen Humphry just made an amazing gymnastics performance

EDIT: And her team mate was just as good, if not better

[Scorpio 0]

This may have been brought up already, but...

IRAQ-4 PORTUGAL-2

IRAQ-2 COSTA RICA-0

Come on, you gotta admit, Iraqis are the real masters of football.

Over 12,000 fans came to watch them, and boy did they make a hell of a noise in the streets after the match with Portugal. One guy even sold his house in Baghdad for the trip.

[Bordoy 0]

USA should of won that, anyone hear the crowd booing the judges and quiet rightly so. an extra 0.100 and USA would of won it, but it was a low score.

This is getting like the Eurovision Song contest, a political choosing, nothing to do with performance.

[Bordoy 0]

Now the judges gave a russian 9.3 even though she did very very good. No wonder the crowd the wistleing and booing.

The judges are on drugs.

[quicksand 0]

Wohooo,we won!!!!

This all that I hoped for.A remarcable performance from my country,the girls did a terrific job whistling the golden medal away from the USA team.

And belive it or not Ponor(the last girl that performed on the ground) lives in the same neighberhood as I do.Can`t wait to personally congratulate her for her outstanding perormance and for helping Romania be the first once more at the women gymnastic olympics.

[ralphwiggum 6]

And belive it or not Ponor(the last girl that performed on the ground) lives in the same neighberhood as I do.Can`t wait to personally congratulate her for her outstanding perormance and for helping Romania be the first once more at the women gymnastic olympics.

be honest, you are fantasizing a night with her, not congratulating her.

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

Greece lost their final match 2-3 to Mexico, recording 3 straight losses (just like the ladies):angry:

Both Greek teams are out in other words.:angry:

[ran 0]

I am happy ... the french delegation is doing relatively well.

[Bordoy 0]

Greece lost their final match 2-3 to Mexico, recording 3 straight losses (just like the ladies):angry:

Both Greek teams are out in other words.:angry:

you won euro 2004. dont be selfish, let Iraq win or something.

[quicksand 0]

And belive it or not Ponor(the last girl that performed on the ground) lives in the same neighberhood as I do.Can`t wait to personally congratulate her for her outstanding perormance and for helping Romania be the first once more at the women gymnastic olympics.

be honest, you are fantasizing a night with her, not congratulating her.

Ah,so you`ve watched how Romania's pride triumphed over your wannabe gymnasts

And Ponor,what can I say wouldn`t mind if one thing goes to another,but first thing's first for now

[ran 0]

A gymnast wouldn't do it for me, I would break her apart if ever I held her in my arms. Give me a female horse rider with her firm little bott.... erm ...

... I wouldn't spit on one of those female swimmers, some of them are nice.

nvm ....

women beach volley rocks btw ;)

[Tim Pink 0]

Im proud of how well Australia is doing at the olympics, especially in the Swimming, Cycling and Shooting.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!!!!!!

Oi, Oi, Oi!!!!

And we cant forget how good "The Dream" with Roy and HG is, makes the olympics so much better

Timmeh