Greece’s Premier Costas Simits told his ministers that preparation for the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games are more important than upcoming national elections said a spokesman. Simitis said they must not be affected by elections coming up in a few months. “The Games are above elections”. Simitis’ socialist party is trailing the opposition conservatives in opinion polls.
Government spokesman Telemachos Hitiris said there were still “some problems” with work at the Karaeskaki soccer stadium in Athens main port of Piraeus, and with an 8,000-seat boxing arena in the city’s western district of Peristen, but added, “there is no doubt that all the venues will be ready on time”. He said a list of sites had been drawn up to be checked by government health inspectors ahead of and during the Games including hotels, mineral-water bottling plants and cruise ships.
Greece’s public order minister met with police chiefs and other top security officials this week to review progress on plans worth more than $750 million (U.S.) to protect the Games from potential terrorist attacks.
Australian Andrew Walsh has been appointed executive producer of the Athens 2004 Opening and Closing Ceremonies. He recently produced the Opening and Closing Ceremony for the Rugby World Cup in Sydney. He says the creative direction for the Athens Games will come from a Greek creative team. Walsh added that the ceremonies are backed by big budgets.
Finally, Athens 2004 signed an agreement with a local medical company granting it license to provide services, staff, equipment and premises on a 24-hour basis for the Games. According to the agreement the private clinic as an Official Provider of Health Services and Hospitality, has the right to sell Olympic Products in the permanent gift shops in its buildings from now until the end of the Paralympic Games. In return the company will staff the International Broadcasting Center and Main Press Center medical offices near the Olympic Stadium with the appropriate medical and nursing personnel and equip them with essential medical supplies. The company will also supply medical consumables to competition and non-competition venues for medical offices operating from the start of the training period to the close of the competition for each venue during the Games.
