Reuters reports that after wasting more than three years due to in-fighting and bureaucracy, Athens Games organizers have managed to catch up with tight IOC construction deadlines. Gilbert Felli, Games executive director, said organizers should keep up the pace.
He told Reuters that organizers needed to speed up the construction of Athens’ suburban railroad and tramline.
Felli said, “we are always concerned to make sure that testing (of venues) is done but we are confident they will do it on time. We are happy with all (projects) except for two projects that are tense. They are the suburban rail and tramway”.
Meanwhile Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, President of Athens 2004, told AFP Monday there was “concern” over the train project, but said “alternative solutions are going to be looked at”.
She added, “but all the cities who have hosted the Games have been forced to meet these kinds of problems”.
Felli said that the IOC was confident organizers will complete a huge arch-like dome above the main Olympic stadium despite initial concerns it was delaying other more important work.
Chief inspector Denis Oswald will be in Athens this week to monitor the dome and other Games preparations, less than 300 days before the event.
Felli called it a wise move that organizers set up an international security advisory group comprising seven nations, following the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States.
He said, “we are very happy when the Greek government decides to take advice from seven other countries … it gives us confidence. We believe that these countries must be happy with the preparations”.
The first ever Olympic security group includes the United States, Britain, France, Spain, Australia, Germany and Israel.
Felli said security during the Games “will be acceptable” and tight safety measures, including more than 40,000 police and army personnel, will not deter fans from enjoying the Games.
