Ambitious glass roof to be crowning glory

The ugly duckling of Athens venues is about to become the beautiful swan.

For a long time, the Olympic Stadium was the butt of jokes about Greece's tardy games preparations.

Most seriously, the International Olympic Committee warned Games organisers a year ago to scale back their plans for the stadium. The stubborn Greeks pressed on, and, when the opening ceremony begins in a fortnight, they hope to reveal to the world a glorious venue.

The crowning glory of the stadium is already in place, in spite of IOC fears and rebukes. Stretching over the ground which will host the athletics, soccer, opening and closing ceremonies before a crowd of 72,000 spectators, is a grand roof that will not only be an architectural masterpiece but a shade from the scorching Athenian sun.

The stadium itself was more than 20 years old, and has been the venue for other international events.

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who has helped shape Barcelona, was brought in to make the ground a centrepiece of the Games.

His ambitious plan was to construct a roof of glass, designed to allow light but not heat through.

It was built in two parts and inched into place just months ago, with an arc-like look that Calatrava drew after being inspired by athletic feats such as the trajectory of the javelin or the leap of a long jumper.