Shot putters to keep Olympia spirit alive

The fountain for the Olympic spirit, that mythical force behind the Games, lies in Olympia.

Described by travellers, starting with the poet Pindar, as "the most beautiful place in Greece", the revered site and soon to be sporting venue is 320km south west of Athens in the western Peloponnese.

The home of the Ancient Olympics where athletes came to honour the Olympian Zeus and compete for more than 1000 years, Olympia is an indelible reminder of the lineage that links modern heroes like Hicham El Guerrouj and Ian Thorpe with their ancient forebears.

Last year, after protests from the community leaders of the town of Olympia that they were being left out of the Games, the International Olympic Committee decided to alter the schedule.

As a mark of respect and a nod to history, they decided that the Ancient Olympia Stadium should host the shot put. The delicate and revered surroundings at Olympia will welcome athletes whose sheer grunt and power emulate that displayed in antiquity, although shot put was not actually on the Ancient Olympic sporting calender.

Rules put in place to preserve the site mean New Zealander Valerie Adams and her opponents will complete their competition in one day, August 18, with qualifying rounds in the morning and the final in the late afternoon.

Other steps mean spectator and media access, as well as lighting and the usual electronic displays, will be restricted.

They are conditions unprecedented in the modern Olympics, but they befit a place deemed a World Heritage Site.