Almost one year from the start of the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games the legacy of the Games has not yet materialized.
The Guardian reports that rubble and garbage has taken over the entrance of the central Athens Panathenian Stadium where the 1896 Games were held.
Gypsies have reportedly camped outside the taekwondo arena and the Peace and Friendship stadium, venue for volleyball. The Schinias rowing course is covered in algae and reeds overgrow the banks.
The main Olympic Stadium has been closed for most of the past year, but has opened to the public recently because of the anniversary.
The floor of the swimming pool is covered in moss and the velodrome is empty.
The government admits it failed to draft a post Olympic plan because of efforts to get the Games ready at the last minute.
According to the Guardian no venues will be sold and they will be leased to private investors to recoup part of the cost of the Games.
Part of the equestrian centre will become a golf course and first class hotel, the canoe-kayak wild watercourse will become a water fun park and the sailing centre will be a luxury marina. Other sites will house restaurants, cafes and bars.
Culture Minister Fani Petralia told a newspaper this week, “the years lost before the Games affected planning. We built very expensive venues wherever there were free spaces exclusively for a use of just 15 days”.
But security is a positive aspect of the Games. A record $1.24 billion was used to ensure the security of the Games. Greece now sells its experience to major sports events like the 2006 soccer World Cup in Germany, the Beijing 2008 Summer Games and next year’s Asian Games in Qatar.
