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Athens 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games Launch Pad

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Athens 2004 (ATHOC) on the Web

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IOC, ASOIF and IPC

  • International Olympic Committee (IOC):
         The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement. Founded on June 23, 1894, the IOC is an international non-governmental non-profit organisation and the creator of the Olympic Movement. The IOC exists to serve as an umbrella organisation of the Olympic Movement. It owns all rights to the Olympic symbols, flag, motto, anthem and Olympic Games. Its primary responsibility is to supervise the organisation of the summer and winter Olympic Games. [Olympic Games] [Olympic Museum Lausanne]

  • Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF):
         The Summer Olympic International Federations are the organisations responsible for what happens on the field of play at the Olympic Games. With their long history of specific experience and know-how in running their sports on a daily basis, the Federations play a key role in the proper functioning of the sporting competitions at the Games. In close co-operation with both the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and the IOC, ASOIF ensures that there is equal treatment given to each sport on the Olympic Programme and that the competitions are held according to the rules and requirements of the International Federations. The Summer Olympic Games are staged every four years. The next summer Olympics will be held in Athens from August 13-29, 2004.

  • The First International Olympic Committee

  • The Foundation of the IOC -- The IOC and the Olympic Charter

  • Athens 1896 - Games of the I Olympiad

  • The Council of the first Olympic Games

  • The Organising Committees of the first Olympic Games

  • Dimitris Vikelas, President of the IOC from 1894 to 1896:
    The first President of the International Olympic Committee was Demitris Vikelas (1835-1896), a Greek. He was born in Ermoupolis, on the island of Syros, on February 15th, 1835 and lived permanently in Paris. The Regulations drawn up by Pierre de Coubertin stipulated that the President of the IOC should be chosen from the country where the next Games were to be held. Vikelas was thus President from 1894 to 1896. He had no particular connection with sport when he came from Greece to represent the Pan-Hellenic Gymnastic Club at the Congress in Paris in 1894. The original idea was to stage the first Games in Paris in 1900, but Vikelas was able to convince the Committee that they should be held in Athens in May 1896. [Dimitrios Vikelas]

  • The International Olympic Academy (IOA):
    The International Olympic Academy functions as a multicultural interdisciplinary cultural centre with the aim of studying, enriching and promoting Olympism. The foundation of such an institution was inspired by the ancient Gymnasium, which shaped the Olympic Ideal by harmoniously cultivating body, will and mind. On the eve of the 21st century, the centennial anniversary of the revival of the Olympic Games coincides with the global scale changes that are affecting every aspect of human thought and activity. The IOA operates from its magnificent premises which are situated a few hundred yards from the sacred site of Ancient Olympia. [IOA] [Mission] [The Olympic Movement] [Coubertin Grove] [The Archaeological Museum in Ancient Olympia] [Modern Olympic Games Museum] [IOA Sessions]

  • IOC and Athens 2004 - Games of the XXVIII Olympiad

  • IOC delegation says Athens organisers on course for 2004 success (Greece Now)

  • International Paralympic Committee (IPC)

  • Paralympic Games:
    In 1948, Sir Ludwig Guttmann (1899-1980), a neurologist at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, organised a sports competition involving World War II veterans with a spinal cord injury in Stoke Mandeville, England. Four years later, competitors from The Netherlands joined the games and the international movement, now known as the Paralympics, was born. Olympic style games for athletes with a disability were organised for the first time in Rome in 1960. In Toronto in 1976, other disability groups were added and the idea of merging together different disability groups for international sport competitions was born. In the same year, the first Paralympic Winter Games took place in Sweden. The Paralympic Games have always been held in the same year as the Olympic Games. The next Paralympic Games will take place in Athens in 2004. [History]

  • Eye on Paralympics (a message by Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis)

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Paralympic Games

Tickets

  • Athens 2004 -- Official ticketing Web site

  • Ticketmaster, the official ticketing provider and supporter of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games:
    Ticketmaster, Inc., the world's largest ticketing company, has been selected by the International Olympic Committee as the official ticketing supporter for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. For the first time ever, Ticketmaster will join in supporting the Olympic Games ticket management system. This ticketing infrastructure will support the sale of tickets for 28 different sporting events at approximately 33 venues over 17 days. Ticketmaster's corporate headquarters are located in Los Angeles, CA. [About Ticketmaster]

  • Sportsworld Group PLC, Official Ticket and Tour Operator for the 2004 Olympic Games:
    Sportsworld Group have been appointed by the British Olympic Association (BOA) as the official ticket and tour operator for the Olympic Games in Athens 2004 and for the Olympic Winter Olympics in Turin in 2006. Sportsworld Travel is based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Sportsworld Group. To speak to the Sportsworld Olympic Dept., call +44 (0)1235 541173 or +44 1235 550904 in the UK or Sportsworld's Australian office on +61 2 9492 9100.

  • Official Ticket Agent for the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad and the XX Olympic Winter Games:
    Sportsworld Group have been appointed by the British Olympic Association (BOA) as the official ticket and tour operator for the Olympic Games in Athens 2004 and for the Olympic Winter Olympics in Turin in 2006. [December 17, 2001]

  • Sportsworld Group releases Athens 2004 registration brochure:
    Sportsworld Group PLC, the British Olympic Association’s official ticket and tour operator for Athens 2004, has released its initial registration brochure for the Games [July 12, 2003]

  • CoSport:
    If you are a resident of Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Peru, Puerto Rico, Slovak Republic, Slovenia or the USA, you can buy tickets for the Athens 2004 Olympics through CoSport. If you are not a resident of these countries, contact your National Olympic Committee for Athens ticket information.

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Volunteers

Olympic volunteers in 2004

  • Volunteers -- making the Games a success:
    Volunteers are the people who make the Games happen, supporting every athlete, spectator, and visitor for the most amazing sporting event in the world. A piece of the success of the Olympic Games belongs to each one of the 34,548 volunteers of the Barcelona Olympic Games, the 60,422 volunteers of Atlanta and the 47,000 volunteers of the Sydney Games.

  • Athens 2004 Volunteers:
    Sixty thousand volunteers will be trained to work at the Athens 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Anyone interested in making the Athens Olympic Games a success is welcome to become a volunteer. There are no restrictions based on gender, race, creed, physical ability, social standing or education. The only qualification is that applicants must be 18 years old by 2004.

  • Athens 2004 Volunteer Commission (Western Canada):
    The Athens 2004 Volunteer Commission (Western Canada), or simply Volunteer Commission, was formed in November 2001 under the umbrella of the Consulate of Greece in Vancouver and the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in association with the Athens 2004 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. The Volunteer Commission consists of Greek youth who carry out the recruitment of Volunteers for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games as well as the promotion of the Games to the broader community in Western Canada.

  • Blog: Diary of an Athens 2004 Olympic Games volunteer (Belgium-based)

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Youth

  • youth 1004:
    The Olympic Games for the young people around the world.

  • Olympic Youth Camp (OYC):
    The Olympic Youth Camp (OYC) is an important component for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The OYC is a cross-cultural program that brings together young people from all around the world. It allows them to participate with their peers in learning about other cultures. They can share their Olympic experience and learn about the culture of the host country.

  • Olympic Youth Festival:
    The Olympic Youth Festival will help young athletes experience the Olympic Spirit at the place where it was born -- one of the most holy places on earth. The objective of the Olympic Youth Festival is to disseminate the ideals of Olympism among young athletes the world over. Future Olympic winners will meet every four years in a sports, educational and cultural celebration in the sacred precincts of Ancient Olympia.

  • Rogge -- Olympics will not be pushed into accepting trendy sports:
    "The Olympic programme must always adapt itself to youth, but we must not fall into the trap of temporary fashions," IOC president Jacques Rogge said at a news conference. (AP, December 20, 2002.)

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Business and the 2004 Olympics

  • Athens Business Club 2004:
    The place to meet for Greek and international business people coming to Athens for the Olympics. Forms part of the Greece, a winner's choice programme of ELKE, the Hellenic Centre for Investment. [Interesting map of all the Olympic venues and Athens Business Club Venues]

  • Games may slow recent rise in the Greek economy:
    COSTLY VENTURE: Greece may find that Olympic glory will exact a heavy price from its growing economy, as the funds generated may not match those expended. As the 24th Olympiad opened in a blaze of color, not every Athenian was filled with pride and relief. Albert Corcos viewed the end of frantic preparations for the Games with deep unease. As managing director of Herakles, Corcos runs Europe's largest cement-making factory near Volos, central Greece, which produced nearly a million tonnes of cement for Olympic-related projects. The Olympics has generated USD 87.5 million (?47.5 million) for Herakles. Its cement has been poured into 40 venues and helped to lay 122 km. of roads in Athens. Greece's annual cement construction totals 11 million tonnes. "I don't see a recovery to that level of consumption before 2008," Corcos says. "Business will go down by around 5% to 7%." (The Observer, London, August 16, 2004, page 12.)

  • Economic reform and massive infrastructure upgrades are building a new Greece, ready for the 2004 Olympics:
    Greece is a changed country. The drachma has gone, the Olympics are coming, and Greece is in the unprecedented position of enjoying one of the highest growth rates in the region. "There is no comparison between Greece today and 15 years ago," proclaims Yannis Stournaras, Chairman of the Commercial Bank of Greece.

  • Telecommunications Challenges of the Olympic Games:
    A very interesting 20-page PDF presentation by Alexis Iliadis, Telecommunications Manager, Athens 2004 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, at the Mobile Venue 2002 conference, which was held in Athens, May 30-31, 2002.

  • 2004 Olympic Games:
    For 16 days in August 2004, athletes from nearly 200 countries will compete in 28 Olympic Sports. About 11,000 men and women, accompanied by 5,000 trainers, physiotherapists and team leaders etc. will take part in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Business opportunities abound in all fields related to the preparation and execution of these Games in Greece. Contact the U.S. Commercial Service in Greece for information on upcoming projects and tenders related to these historic games. [Opportunities for U.S. Companies in Greece]

  • Olympic Gold For Australian Exporters -- Fact Sheet: 2004 Olympic Contracts For Australian Companies:
    Melbourne-based Concept Sports has won the merchandising rights for Athens 2004. The contract, worth an estimated A$100 million, has seen the company double its Australian workforce in the past 12 months. Australian-owned company Sportsworks is set to generate Olympic business worth more than A$15 million with its accommodation solutions services. Steriline Racing, based in regional South Australia, will supply and install the starting gates for the new racecourse at the Athens Olympic equestrian venue. Leading professional services firm Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) is assisting in the delivery of the roof for the main Athens Olympic stadium and velodrome. Sydney’s TAFE Global has secured multi million dollar contracts to help train nearly 80,000 Olympic staff and volunteers. (The Hon. Mark Vaile, MP, Minister for Trade, Australia; September 2nd, 2003.)

  • Operational plan for Olympic Technology at implementation:
    You do not have to be an athlete, commentator or spectator to be part of the 2004 Athens Olympics. (Department of Industry and Technology, Government of Western Australia, Electronic Commerce Centre - Case Studies.)

  • The Impact of the 2004 Olympic Games on Sectors of the Economy (8-page PDF document):
         A study by Athens-based Foundation for Economic & Industrial Research (IOBE).

  • UK Trade & Investment:
    The next Olympics in Athens in 2004 will have a significant impact on the development of Greek economy and generate a wide range of business opportunities. There are also potential commercial opportunities for British business, following on the success of UK companies involved in the Sydney Olympics.

Official Line of Fragrances of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games
Image courtesy of ATHEX-listed Gr. Sarantis SA

  • Gr. Sarantis SA granted licence for use of 'Athens 2004' registered trademarks for the category of fragrances:
     A fragrant aroma surrounds the Athens 2004 Games, as Athens organisers (ATHOC) unveiled the names of two perfumes and two colognes intended for the Games' 'Olympic Spirit' line of merchandise. The new line will be developed by Athens-based Gr. Sarantis SA, following the latter's agreement with ATHOC. An initial design calls for the colognes and perfumes to be found in stylish commemorative metallic containers, while brand names touch on four individual Olympic values: 'Heritage' and 'Fair Play for men; 'Participation' and 'Celebration' for women. [Company press release, October 16th, 2001] [Smells like Olympic Spirit: Athens 2004 unveil the scent of next summer's Games (Greece Now)]

  • Athens 2004 Olympic Games -- Economic implications
    This page is maintained by Panagiotis Abartzakis.

  • Tourism and the Olympics in Greece:
    The Athens 2004 Olympic Games are expected to focus world-wide attention on the country. As viewers from throughout the world turn their attention to Greece, investors who have focused on participating in one of the world’s most attractive tourist destinations will be in a position to benefit from an expected surge in visitors. Incentives for tourism investment offered by the Greek government cover a wide range of areas, regions, and categories. Incentives include cash grants of up to 45% of eligible expenses, tax allowances ranging from 40-100%, and subsidy programs for labor cost. Categories include building expanding, or modernising hotels, building conference centres, ski resorts, marinas, thalassotherapy centres and health spas, golf courses, and the conversion of heritage buildings into hotels. Greece offers an abundance of attractive sites in urban, rural, island, and mountain areas.

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Culture -- Cultural Olympiad 2001-2004

Cultural Olympiad 2001-2004
 Image courtesy of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture

Hellenic Undersecretariat of State for Sports
TM & © Hellenic Ministry of Culture

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Emblem and Identity

  • The conception and the design of Athens 2004's identity:
    An international competition was launched for the choice of the emblem for the 2004 Olympic Games. 242 companies from 14 countries participated with their proposals, which were assessed by a Committee. The olive wreath ('kotinos') was the result of collaboration between two strategic planning companies, Red Design Consultants of Greece and pioneering British brand agency Wolff Olins. The emblem is simple but symbolic: Peace, Democracy, and Civilisation.

  • Can brands help a bid to host a world sporting event? Getting off the blocks:
    The idea behind Athens 2004, for example, is about bringing the Olympics back to their birthplace. But, in keeping with the IOC’s vision of universality, Athens promises a ‘world experience’ rather than a Greek one. (By Dan Bobby - Consultant, Wolff Olins. Published in Sport Business International, July 2002.)

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Accommodation

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International Design Competition

  • International competition for the design of ephemeral architectural structures in Athens:
    Hellenic Cultural Heritage SA, supported by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, is organising -- within the context of the Cultural Olympiad 2001-2004 and the Athens 2004 Olympic Games -- an international competition for the design of ephemeral architectural structures. The competition, which has been approved by the International Union of Architects (UIA), is open to professional architects as well as students of architecture of UIA member countries.

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Broadcasting and Press

  • Olympic Broadcasting:
    Television is the engine that has driven the growth of the Olympic Movement. Increases in broadcast revenue over the past two decades have provided the Olympic Movement and sport with an unprecedented financial base. This has allowed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to make substantial contributions to the development of sport throughout the world. The IOC has provided direct support to Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), Olympic Solidarity (OS), The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and International Federations (IFs).

  • Zappeion Press Centre 2004:
    A new Press Centre that will accommodate international media professionals is being set up at the Zappeion Megaron in downtown Athens. The centre will provide all necessary facilities to media representatives, especially those not accredited by the Athens Olympics Organising Committee, who wish to report on Greece before and during the 2004 Olympic Games. The Zappeion Press Centre will operate from May 2004 until the end of the Paralympic Games in September 2004.

  • Main Press Centre (MPC):
    The Main Press Centre (MPC) is the headquarters for the 5,500 written and photographic press covering the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. It will be located within walking distance from both the International Broadcast Centre and the Athens Olympic Sports Complex, which will host nine out of the 28 Olympic sports being contested at the Games. The MPC will be constructed in the area occupied by the HELEXPO building complex, aligned with the Olympic Stadium, an area measuring 13,462 m2 on Kifissias Avenue in Maroussi (Attica).

  • Athens Olympic Broadcasting SA (AOB):
    AOB is the Host Broadcaster for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. As Host Broadcaster, AOB is responsible for producing and distributing unbiased radio and television coverage of the Olympic Games. The coverage is provided as a service to Broadcasters who have purchased the Olympic Broadcast Rights from the International Olympic Committee and Athens 2004 to broadcast the Games in their respective countries. The ATHOC Broadcasting Coordination Unit was established in February 2001 and is responsible for administering the broadcasting contracts for the 2004 Games and safeguarding the delivery of ATHOC services to the AOB. After an international tender process, International Sport Broadcasting (ISB) was selected to establish and manage AOB, together with ATHOC. ISB is the majority owner (90%) with five board members, and Athens 2004 holds 10% ownership with two board members. Spaniard Manolo Romero is AOB's President and CEO. Romero's ISB has produced the last three Olympics and will co-operate with the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation SA (ERT). [ISB picked for Athens 2004 TV coverage] [MOU signed between Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation SA (OTE) and AOB]

  • Hellas Sat, a satellite for the Olympics:
         Launched on May 13th, 2003, Hellas Sat will provide television and telecommunications services for the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. Five companies are part of the Hellas-Sat Consortium Ltd.: Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation SA (OTE), AvacomNet (ANS group), The Cyprus Bank of Development Ltd., Hellenic Aerospace Industry SA (HAI) and Telesat Canada, a world leader in satellite communications and systems management. Lefteris Antonacopoulos, Chairman and CEO of OTE, commented: “The Hellenic satellite secures the TV broadcast of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games world-wide, while representing the main channel of communication between Greeks abroad with Greece and Cyprus."

  • Designing Olympic Venues:
    "The more you know about the Olympics, the less it is about sport," says Bob Perry, Scott Carver's design director of Olympic Projects. "It's about temporary architecture and about buildings 'repurposed'. You need people who understand it is an event, who don't over specify but solve problems, think laterally and become a change manager." (by Catherine Brown) [Aris Hellas Ltd. was the special architectural consultant for the final study of the MPC, collaborating with big Australian firms such as Scott Carver and SKM]

  • LAMDA Development SA secures contract to build Olympic Games Media Village: [premium content]
    ATHEX-listed LAMDA Development SA has undertaken the development of high-calibre residential projects, including the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Media Village in Maroussi, Athens, which is the largest private property development project in Greece and one of the largest in South-East Europe. In addition, LAMDA Development is developing the first commercial and leisure centres of their kind in Greece. Two multi-use regional commercial & leisure centres are being created, one at the Athens 2004 Olympic Media Village in Maroussi, Athens and one in northern Greece in Thessaloniki, in the suburb of Pylea. Finally, for the first time in Greece, an upscale marina in Flisvos will be redesigned, rebuilt and operated according to top international specifications, accommodating the needs of mega yachts and other large private vessels from all over the world. Furthermore, the Flisvos Marina will serve as a VIP marina to accommodate the guests of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The Media Village will accommodate 1,600 journalists and will be built on a 62-acre site comprising low buildings, extensive open spaces and direct contact with the facilities of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex (OAKA).

  • Stefi Productions SA -- Broadcast services:
    With 220 networks attending the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, a great number of broadcasters will be anchoring their shows during the Olympic Games from Athens, 'live' or 'recorded'.

  • Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports and Olympics:
    Dick Ebersol was named chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics in May 2004. He is responsible for all sports programming on the NBC and USA networks, along with overseeing every aspect of NBC Universal's involvement with the Olympic Games.

  • Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports:
    Sean McManus was named President, CBS Sports, in November 1996 and President, CBS News, in October 2005. He is only the second person to hold both Division titles simultaneously; Roone Arledge held both at ABC in the late 1970s and '80s. [Leslie Moonves announces veteran CBS executive to oversee both Sports and News divisions, effective November 7, 2005]

  • AOB's High Definition Television Technology operations on August 10, 2004:
    A view of the Athens Olympic Broadcasting (AOB) High Definition Television Technology operations at the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. (Credit: © IOC Olympic Museum Collections/Onic Palandjian).

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Security

  • Olympic security:
     Athens is considered to be one of the safest European capitals. However, a secure 2004 Games remains a top priority for Athens 2004 and the Greek Government. The country is investing USD 600 million, which could climb to EUR 1 billion, in security planning and infrastructure that will ensure a safe environment for all athletes, spectators and visitors. Additionally, 37 security agreements have been signed with 22 countries, which will work closely with Greece, offering their previous experience and expertise towards a secure 2004 Games. Scotland Yard also provides know-how on crowd control from its experience in dealing with the last three Summer Olympic Games.

  • Peter Ryan, QPM BA Msc, Chief of Security, Athens 2004 Olympic Games:
    Peter Ryan's policing career began in 1963 in England, where he progressed through every rank to Chief Constable. Appointed Commissioner of the New South Wales police force on August 30, 1996, he was responsible for all security arrangements for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Ryan is currently working full time as Chief of Security for the 2004 Athens Olympics. [Athens turns to Sydney security chief -- Peter Ryan appointed by ATHOC to head comprehensive planning for 2004 Games (Greece Now)]

  • Olympic security jolted by assassination attempt:
    A top adviser stressed that Olympic security will be visible but not intrusive, an assessment made before an assassination attempt on Athens' mayor-elect. Dora Bakoyianni, who will represent the city at the 2004 Games, was briefly hospitalised for cuts to her hands and face. A man fired at her car window and she bent down to pick up her purse at the instant of the point-blank shotgun strike, police said. Her driver was wounded in the neck. Peter Ryan, a senior security adviser to the organisers, spoke before the assassination attempt. The Briton headed security at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. (Associated Press Writer, December 13th, 2002.)

  • "We will do the job":
    It was not so long ago that the major security concern for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games was the spectre of the ever-elusive terrorist group November 17, whose bloody 27-year tenure ended last summer in a series of spectacular arrests and revelations. (Greece Now.)

  • Construction clock ticking -- Rogge points to unparalleled task for 2004 construction sector, rejects security concerns:
    "The Greek government undertakes the full cost," IOC coordination commission head Denis Oswald confirmed after IOC president Jacques Rogge dismissed the need for any radical overhaul of the 640 million-euro security budget. (Greece Now.)

  • Exercise envisages 2004 attack (Kathimerini English Edition, November 25, 2002)

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Traffic and Transportation

  • Infrastructure:
    The building of the tram, Olympic projects, and the revamp of Athens’ beachfront from Piraeus to Alimos are breathing new life into the capital's entire coastal area. (ELKE.)

  • Traffic Olympics -- Congestion is 'biggest challenge' for Athens 2004:
    Spectators at the 2004 Olympics will rely on a network of special public transportation in an attempt to overcome Athens' serious traffic woes, Spyros Kapralos, Executive Director of the 2004 Organising Committee, told a conference on the Athens Games. (CNNSI.com, March 6, 2002)

  • Attiko Metro SA:
    Athens' new metro. [Tickets] [Art in metro stations] [Olympic Metro Operation Company SA ]

  • Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" SA:
     The Athens International Airport's mission is to operate the most successful, customer-oriented airport in Europe.

  • Olympic Airlines SA (OA):
         Greece's national, and ailing, airline was re-named from Olympic Airways to Olympic Airlines in 2003. Ship-owner Aristotle Onassis founded the company in April 1957.

  • European Investment Bank (EIB) -- EUR 500 million for Olympics 2004 related infrastructure in Greece:
    The European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union's long-term financing institution, is providing EUR 500 million for the construction of new, as well as the upgrading of existing infrastructures and facilities related to the Athens 2004 Olympics. The schemes are located in Athens and other municipalities throughout Greece. This is a follow up EIB loan operation in support of the Athens 2004 Olympics. A EUR 100 million loan has been provided in November 2001 for the construction of two new tramway lines of a total of 22.7 km in Athens (line T1 linking the Athens centre (Zappio) with the South coast of Athens (Neo Faliro), and line T2 connecting Neo Faliro to the southern suburb of Glyfada, including also the supply of 35 tram cars).

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Olympic Village

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Environment

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Crowd Management and Guest Services

  • CSC Hellas:
    CSC Hellas was contracted to provide the Spectator Services for the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games. Contemporary Services Corporation (CSC) is the world's premier provider of crowd management and guest services, specialising in events and entertainment services. Thirty-six years ago, CSC entered the service industry, pioneering peer-group security for the music industry, and expanding its approach to the full spectrum of crowd management services for facilities and events. CSC's innovative approach has had an impact everywhere and its yellow jacket appearance has been copied the world over. Having completed the 2004 Summer Olympic Games project in Athens, CSC International is now moving forward on its next Olympic project, the Winter Olympic Games in Torino.

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Athens, the Host City of the 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games

  • Election of the Host City of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad:
    Greece was the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. In 2004, the Olympic Games will return to their origins when Athens hosts the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad. Athens was elected at the 106th IOC Session in Lausanne, on September 5, 1997, from a total of five finalist cities: Athens, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Rome and Stockholm.

  • Olympic Athens -- The Olympic look of Athens

  • Municipality of Athens

  • Dora Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens:
    "Our top priority is the citizens' every day life and its immediate improvement. Within this framework, our set goals for the upcoming mayoral term are: 1. Plant 10,000 big trees all around Athens until 2004, 2. Give back life to the parks of our city and restore them for the use of Athenians to whom they rightfully belong through the creation of summer theatres and cinemas, children entertainment areas, bicycle routes, running tracks and providing for their sufficient lighting and round-the-clock guarding..." [Dora Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens, wins 2005 World Mayor Award] [Athens mayor on achievements (February 9, 2006)]

  • Athens wants EUR 95 million to get in Olympic shape:
    It will take the City of Athens nearly EUR 95 million to be ready for the 2004 Olympics, according to a blueprint released by Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni on February 10, 2003. Bakoyianni unveiled plans involving building makeovers, tree planting, waste management and sheltering strays in view of the 2004 Games at a cost of EUR 94.13 million. The municipality hopes the government will foot a major part of the bill -- over EUR 40 million. (Athens News.)

  • Where Have All the Dogs Gone?
    Sent off: Stray dogs are being removed from Olympic venues around Greece for the duration of the Games. Poisoning eliminated many homeless animals in the years leading up to the Games. Now, with a week to go, the strays near Olympic venues are being found shelter until all sporting events are over. (By Cordelia Madden, Athens News, August 6, 2004.)

  • Matt Barrett's Athens Survival Guide

  • Athens Today -- On-line and Off-line Guide focusing on Athens

  • Columbus World City Guide - Athens City Guide - Sport:
    As if Athens’ cultural and architectural achievements are not enough, the city can also boast the modern Olympic Games and the marathon among its lasting legacies. Panhellenic athletic contests were held in Athens from the fourth century BC and reinstated as the modern Olympic Games in 1896. After the initial disappointment of seeing the millennium Olympic Games go to Sydney, Athens is preparing to welcome the Games home again in 2004. The marathon commemorates the Greek soldier Phidippides, who ran 42 kilometres (26 miles) from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens, to announce Greek victory over the Persians (490 BC).

  • From Ancient Olympia to Athens of 1896:
     On September 18, 1838 Athens was chosen as Greece's capital. In February of the same year, the population of Athens celebrated that fact in the church of St. George, the ancient temple of Thissio long ago converted into a Christian church. Between 1838 and 1896, a thorough attempt was made to lay out the plans of Athens, 'modern' capital, after the current city planning standards of European cities. Eminent Greek and European architects, engineers and men of arts were invited to work for this purpose. This Web site, made possible thanks to the kind support of ATHEX-listed EFG Eurobank Ergasias SA, is based on the old "Olympics Through Time" site.

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Mascots

  • Athena and Phevos:
    Athena and Phevos, the Athens 2004 Olympic Games mascots, are a brother and a sister, symbols of the Olympic values and the idea of brotherhood among all people and ambassadors of participation, noble competition and equality. Two siblings, wearing the colours of the Greek sea and sun, remind us that humanity is and always will be at the heart of the Olympic Games. An ancient Greek doll from the 7th century BC was the source of inspiration for Athena and Phevos.

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Olympics Through Time

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Greek Olympians

  • Hellenic Olympians Association (HOA):
    The Council of the Hellenic Olympians Association (HOA) is a founding member of the World Olympians Association, which is the official body of Athletes of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

  • The Former King of Greece:
    The former King Constantine of Greece, only son of King Paul I and Queen Frederica, was born on June 2, 1940, at Villa Psychiko, Athens. In 1960, he became the first Greek to win an Olympic Gold Medal since 1912. He achieved this in Sailing (Dragon Class) as helmsman on the 'Nereus' in the Bay of Naples. Former King of Greece still sails whenever his busy schedule permits. He is President of Honour of the International Sailing Federation -- a position he shares with His Majesty King Harald of Norway. He is an Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). [The Greek Royal Family]

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Sailing

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Baseball

  • International Baseball Federation:
    Founded in 1938, the IBAF is the International Baseball Federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Established in Lausanne, the Olympic Capital, since 1994 and counting 110 National Federation members, the IBAF organises the Baseball World Cup, World Championships in their different categories, the Intercontinental Cup and the Baseball Olympic Tournament, securing the development and expansion of this sport all over the world. The fourth Baseball Olympic Tournament will take place at Athens during the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad. The Baseball competition will be held at the Hellinikon Olympic Complex from August 15th-25th. [Athens Olympic Games] [IBAF - Olympic Games]

  • Boost for endangered Olympic sports:
    The three sports under threat of losing their Olympic status have received a boost to their chances of staying in the Games. Baseball, softball and modern pentathlon had been recommended for exclusion from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

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Volleyball

  • Volleyball:
    A YMCA physical education teacher, William G. Morgan, in his attempt to find an indoor team game with a minimal risk of injury, invented the sport of Volleyball in 1895, at the YMCA branch of Holy Oak, Massachusetts, USA. Its initial name was 'Maidonet'. Within a short period of time, however, and after an exhibition game took place, it was renamed to Volleyball. [Volleyball] [Beach Volleyball]

  • Volleyball venue -- Peace and Friendship Stadium (SEF):
    During the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games, the Volleyball competition will take place at the Peace and Friendship Stadium at the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex, which has a total capacity of 14,000 seats. The competition programme will span over 16 days, from August 14-29, 2004. Men's and women's matches will be held every other day, beginning in the morning and ending at night. 288 athletes from different countries will participate at the Athens Olympic Games (12 men's and 12 women's teams of 12 players each).

  • Beach Volleyball venue -- Olympic Beach Volley Centre (BVP):
    Beach Volleyball will be staged at the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre, which is part of the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex. Faliro is a southern suburb of Athens. Competition will take place over twelve days (August 14-25, 2004). For the first time in the Olympic history of the sport, games will take place late until in the evening with floodlights. The Olympic Venue will have a main competition area of a 10,000-seat capacity, as well as six training and two warm up courts.

  • International Volleyball Federation (FIVB)

  • Cartoon in the "Kathimerini" newspaper, May 10, 2003

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Pankration

  • Pankration - Olympic Games:
    Pankration is one of the original sports played in the Olympic Games. Because of this it was widely believed Greece could re-enter Pankration in the 2004 Olympic Games. This has not been the case. In 1996 the IOC expressed the belief that the Greek government was unable to provide the needs of the 2004 Games i.e. security, construction, transportation system, etc. After threatening to move the Games to Sydney Australia, Greece was able to convince the IOC it was capable if no new medal sports were added. The Olympic Youth Festival will still be added in 2004. Pankration has a shot at it... (By Master John Townsley, President, USA Federation of Pankration Athlima.)

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Collectibles

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Olympic Truce
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