As one chapter ends, another begins. At tonight’s closing ceremonies of the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics, the Torino Organizing Committee (TOROC) will be given six minutes to show the world what it has in store for the 2006 Winter Games.
The mayor of Salt Lake City, Rocky Anderson, will hand over the Olympic flag to Sergio Chiamparino, mayor of Turin Italy. Then images of Turin will be projected on the field of Rice-Eccles Stadium as Italian pop rock stars Elise and Irene Grandi sing.
TOROC will have models parading down a runway wearing clothes of Italian designers Versace, Vallentino and Dolce and Gabbana.
Also, Italian pop stars will entertain instead of the stereotypical Italian opera singers to emphasize the readiness of Turin to embrace the modern world.
TOROC President Valentino Castellani said there are many things about the 2002 Winter Games he would like to implement, but he said he doesn’t think TOROC should copy Salt Lake’s Games because the environments are so different.
He said, “we are not better or worse locations. We are just different than Salt Lake”. He added that TOROC had a long way to go with preparations. He said 40 per cent of its venues are not yet even started.
Regarding security, Castellani said security awareness has been unusually high here. He said he hopes that in four years, “the world would be a better place and such strict security would not be necessary”.
