In an attempt to “whip up” government support for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge will meet with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi in September.
Reports say IOC officials are concerned about the pace of venue construction, shortage of accommodations and lukewarm support from the Italian government, media, sponsors and the public, prompting the IOC to renew its call Thursday for Italian organizers to show “a sense or urgency” in preparing for the Games, which begin in 18 months.
Jean Claude Killy, head of the IOC’s coordination commission for Turin, cited a need to speed up work on the bobsled and skating venues in time for test events next winter. He also expressed worry over the Olympic and media villages.
Rogge said, “our Greek friends have proved that delays can be overcome. All our experts are telling us that with a renewed and accelerated pace of preparations, Turin can deliver excellent Games in due time”.
Turin chief organizer Valentino Castellani said he agrees there is much work to do, with just 547 days to go before the Games.
At a press conference in Athens Turin 2006 officials said, “we have identified a number of priorities which will keep us very busy during the next months – strict monitoring of construction projects for the Test Events, allocation of accommodation to the different clients and achievement of the final target for sponsorization. In this field we have covered 83 per cent of our final target in financial resources.
“Finally, an important priority is communication, in order to involve the whole of Italy in what is, of course, the Italian Games. We have planned an important event for the end of September which will be 500 days before the start of the Games”.
