With security a top priority for the Athens Olympics, the general in charge of security for the 2004 Summer Games was retired during an annual review of ranking officers. Maj. Gen. Vassilis Tasiopoulos, who was in charge of a special department preparing Athens for the 2004 Games, was replaced by Brig. Gen. Vassilis Constantinidis, formerly a police chief in western Greece. There was no reason given for Tasiopoulos retirement. He had attended the Salt Lake Winter Games and the 2000 Sydney Games as part of security preparations for Athens. Greece has budgeted $600 million for the Games and is receiving advice from Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Israel, Spain and the United States on counter-terrorism methods.
A tender will be issued by the end of March for catering at the Athens Games. 24,000 athletes and accompanying people will be staying in Athens during the Games and will be joined by between 2,000 and 2,500 operators in the Olympic Village. Three restaurants will be set up to serve 6,000 meals an hour, totaling 50,000 meals a day, with 250 chefs and 250 kitchen assistants supplying the meals. According to estimates, 100 tons of food will be needed every day, including 300,000 eggs, 150,000 litres of milk, 3,000,000 soft drinks, 2,000,000 litres of drinking water, 150 tons of meat, 85 tons of fish, 35 tons of chicken or turkey, 300 tons of fruit and vegetables, and 25 tons of cheese.
And finally, Ticketmaster will be the official tickets systems sponsor of the 2004 Games. Michael Payne, IOC Marketing Director, said that Ticketmaster was the most experienced company in the field of ticketing operations. Tickets will go on sale for the Athens Games in the second quarter of 2003.
