Olympics: Athens faces 'gigantic task' - Games chief

12:00 PM

ATHENS - The chief organiser of the 2004 Athens Olympics said that it was a "gigantic task" and her team would be tested every day until the Games were over.

In an interview with Reuters Television, ahead of a key meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) watchdogs, Gianna Angelopoulos said progress was being made on a daily basis.

"Every day we test ourselves, how we are doing. It's not easy, and until...the closing ceremony of the paralympics we will be tested every day," the president of the 2004 Athens Organising Committee (ATHOC) said.

Calling herself a perfectionist, Angelopoulos said she was constantly being asked how the preparations were going.

"I say everything has to get better," she said.

Angelopoulos will present a progress report on November 22 to IOC officials who have complained about delays that may risk the success of the Games.

"We want the IOC to be more satisfied, so the next meeting will be very important," she said.

Angelopoulos said ATHOC would announce new deadlines for the completion of projects to the IOC visitors, one of the requests they had made in their first progress check in August.

Many venues are scheduled to be completed just before the beginning of the games in August 2004.

"The different ministries that have this job will show new timetables, and I hope and believe there will be a level of satisfaction (from the IOC)," she said.

In-fighting between ATHOC and ministers over control of preparations has plagued progress, and Angelopoulos has appealed for unity.

She said that Premier Costas Simitis was constantly watching over the process.

"The prime minister is on top of the whole preparation and he personally takes care.

"We work together almost every week and work with the inter-ministerial committee to solve all these issues - I don't want to call them problems - they are challenges for the country and they are issues we have to handle together," she said.

Asked about security at the Olympics, a concern highlighted by the June assassination of a British diplomat on an Athens street by the urban guerrilla group November 17, Angelopoulos said steps had been made since the last IOC meeting.

She noted the Greek government had signed an agreement with the United States on tackling organised crime and terrorism and that security consultants from countries such as Britain, Russia and Spain were being brought in by the government.

Funds from the national budget would be allocated for security including getting the right equipment.

"I think all cities are concerned about security. There is no city organising a huge event that doesn't have such concerns but we are preparing ourselves very carefully," she said.

- REUTERS

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