Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
On Route to Athens
The flight from Glasgow was
with British Airways. We had
expected to see a reasonable
amount of Olympic branding,
since BA is the UK official carrier.
However, there was very little on
our journey that indicated we
were on our way to the Olympic
host city or that the Games were
Athens looks completely transformed by
about to begin in just over a the ‘look of the Games’
week.
very different feel to Athens. The The evening ends with a range of
air is cooler, the buildings have a cultural presentations and –
marked Turkish and Macedonian finally! – some nice Greek food.
influence and there is not the
chaos of Olympic preparations
that pervade in the capital. The
trip from the train station to the
hotel is very straight forward.
Upon arrival we met one of the
Congress delegates in the station
and both proceed to ask for
information from the unaffiliated
info stand. Hotel very pleasant,
even a small glimpse of the ocean
and not too far from the Congress
Greek dances at the opening of the Pre-
venue. Olympic congres, Thessaloniki 2004
7-8 August
Congress in progress
What is most noticeable about the
Pre-Olympic this year is the
presence of social science and
humanities research. There are a
lot of papers discussing the law
and philosophy of sport, which
were not quite so present in
Thessaloniki, Olympic city 2004 Brisbane 2000. However, Brisbane
was an important stage towards
The congress opening ceremony this presence and the role of John
is around 6pm and includes Nauright in 2000, who was able
MANY welcomes from officials, to put a lot of social science on
including Patrick Schamash, the the programme, was greatly
IOC representative for Jacque appreciated. It is encouraging
Rogge and high priests from the that some of the sport science
Greek Orthodox Church coming congresses are now opening up to
from Olympia, the birth place of the less hard sciences. The ECSS
the Ancient Olympic Games. The meeting is also a good indication
long and elaborated ceremony of this and its numbers are also
offers a first glimpse at Greek quite staggering – around 1800 in
protocols which are going to be 2003.
continued at length throughout
the Olympic fortnight all around In the evenings we have the
the country. chance to explore a bit of the city.
Unfortunately, we end up
missing the special cultural
activities organised by ATHOC to
celebrate the opening of their
‘Catch the Light’ programme in
the Keramikos area. Our group
Impressive light projections at the has grown unexpectedly and we
Odeon of Herod Atticus to celebrate the must accommodate and go to
arrival of the torch to Athens Plaka for a most needed dinner.
7pm, we arrange to meet a friend They have not had a very good
from ATHOC, who has been told impression of the facilities,
of a big public screen at Omonia though this seems largely due to
Square. We all walk down there their expectation to access sports
and nothing is happening, so it is information, for which the ZPC is
back to the ZPC to watch the not set-up.
event at a big screen that has been
installed within the perystile. Olympic truce event
We both meet at the ZPC at
12.15pm awaiting information
about the Olympic Truce press
conference. There is nothing
available yet, so we check emails,
etc. At 12.40pm, Cathy Freeman
turns up with her Samsung-
sponsor entourage. We spend
some time watching the media
frenzy and get a sense for why
she is there. We are given the
opportunity to interview her, but
The Olympic flame is finally lighted at
the main Olympic Stadium, signalling decline seeing how tired she
the end of the Opening Ceremony and looks and given that this is her
the start of the XXVIII Games. lunch time!
14 August
BBC interviews
We depart the flat around 9.40am
and take the bus to Sygrou Fix,
where the tram is now
terminating, due to the road
cycling track arrangements in the
city. From hereon, the tram does
not leave from Syntagma Square
for the rest of the Games.
Cathy Freeman pays a visit to the ZPC
15 August
Beach Volleyball
Today was our first sporting
event, Beach Volleyball. It was
about time we found out how the
journeys to Olympic venues
The Olympic Truce function was a high
functioned and what kind of
profile event aimed at generating some experience visitors had
media headlines about this poorly throughout the process. We had
recognised but important initiative
‘Ptychoseis=Folds+Pleats’. This is
definitely one of the most
extraordinary exhibitions during
the Games.
The tour guide assures us she will The train back to Athens was not
find out about other possibilities, much fun. First leg was packed in
so we watch the event and relax a like chickens. The second leg
little. It is amazing how they have began in a nice first class carriage,
transformed the walk from until we were moved and had to
Olympia down to the stadium, walk through a ‘raining’ carriage
though there are nearly no water – air conditioning leaking into the
kiosks and certainly no food train – and into our less air-
anywhere. conditioned, but dry carriage.
the city were prices are high but We took some time to get to
service is truly excellent. We are know the OAKA complex. Some
lucky and have an uneventful parts look a bit desert-like, sand
public transport return to our flat. on the ground, seemingly
unfinished, though it would be
21 Aug possible to pass it of as a
traditional Mediterranean dry
Olympic park - athletics and dusty landscape!
A full day at OAKA today for the
athletics. We depart at around There are some beautifully
730am, missing our bus and, arranged water areas as well, and
thus, taking around 40mins to get there is where most of the visitors
to the tram. We arrive at OAKA gather to escape the heat. Despite
around 915am and are, again, the many warnings ‘not to get
able to sit where we like. So we into the water’, there are few of
get some near front-row seats to us that can resist the example of
watch the Heptahlon long jump. the many children who are
already enjoying it!
Denise Lewis pulls out with
injury, though looked good in the
performance. A strong
performance from Team GB’s
Kelly Sotherton. We also ‘see’ the
100m heats, which include
Maurice Greene, Kim Collins and
Greg Campbell, though the sprint
track is on the other side of the
stadium, so we don’t really see
much more than small dots of
people and the television screens The OAKA complex is a grand venue
in the stadium. that looks a bit unfinished in parts but
dazzling in others. The water areas are
the perfect venue to relax from the heat
seats, which are indeed always like this is the real Olympic spirit.
the best (better than the VIPs It is inspiring to see the reactions
designated area on the side). and appreciation of the runners
who arrive exhausted and still
While we sit, we see Bridget have the strength to smile or send
McConnell and her husband the kisses to the crowd while they
first Minister of Scotland Jack run the final lap.
McConnell. A happy coincidence.
We had a chance to say hello to
them both.