The Modern Olympic Games Comes Home

The Modern Olympic Games returns to it’s roots in August 2004 and when the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad open in Athens on 13 August, athletes from all over the world will be in Greece to celebrate competition and Olympic values.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in Greece in 1896, but the origins can be traced back to 776 BC and ancient Olympia. Held every four years, the prize for champions at the Ancient Olympic Games was an olive wreath, with nothing for second or third place. Such was the noble character of the competition that warring nations would cease hostilities in order to honour the ethos of the Olympics and this concept continues today in the form of the Olympic Truce.

The celebration of the Olympic spirit and Olympic values has been uniting countries around the world since it’s revival in 1896 by the French Baron Pierre de Coubertin and Greek scholar Dimitrios Vikelas. Each host country since then has added it’s own aura and magic to the Games, to make it what it has become today, and when the Opening Ceremony starts in the Olympic Stadium on 13 August 2004, it will be the turn of Athens and Greece to host the world. The Olympic flame, which was lit in Olympia, will have travelled for the first time to all five continents of the world before arriving in Athens for the start of the 2004 Olympic Games.

Athens is the capital city of Greece and was selected as the host city for the 2004 Olympic Games on 5 September 1997 in Lausanne, Switzerland, the home of the International Olympic Committee. Since then, the city has been transformed into the world’s busiest sporting and cultural venues, and for the month of August, all eyes will be on Athens.

Since that announcement in 1997, work has been taking place to produce world-class venues for the 28 sports of the summer Olympics, which comprise in total, 37 disciplines. The centrepiece of this work has been the Athens Olympic Sports Complex (OAKA), within which is the Athens Olympic Stadium. The Olympic Stadium will host 55,000 spectators who will attend the exciting athletics events as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Following an ATHENS 2004 and Ministry of Culture initiative, the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava has designed the upgrade of OAKA using innovative and creative ways, including the new roof structure for the Olympic Stadium.

The Athens Olympic Sports Complex also features the Aquatic Centre, Velodrome, the Indoor Hall and the Tennis Centre.

North-west of the Centre of Athens is the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, where over 8,000 Wrestling and Judo fans will have the opportunity to watch their heroes in a purpose built venue.

To the south of the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall is a cluster of venues situated around the ancient Port of Piraeus in south west Athens. Here one will find the City Centre Cycling Road Race Course, the Nikaia Olympic Weightlifting Hall, the Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hall, the Panatwhinaiko Stadium and the Faliro Coastal Zone, where the increasingly popular Beach Volleyball takes place. Next to this venue is the brand new harbour, the Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre.

Athletes, Coaches, and Team Support will be housed in the vast Olympic village in the north of the city. A safe environment that is convenient, stress-free, friendly and respectful of multiculturalism will be provided. All actions will be guided by an 'Athletes First' philosophy where residents can enjoy the Greek spirit of hospitality with an extensive workforce that will cater to all residents' needs on a 24 hour basis.

The entertainment and recreation services provided for athletes in the village will be extensive, support a wide scale of interests, and promote a positive state of mind for all residents. The programme will be inviting to all athletes that wish to be entertained, but will be sensitive to those who wish to focus on their competition or simply get away from it all.

The Olympic Village includes a variety of entertainment options where residents can enjoy their spare time, as well as top class sporting facilities, an open-air cinema, internet cafes and games rooms.

Apart from the sporting and accommodation facilities boasted by the city of Athens, a huge infrastructure-building programme has been taking place since Athens was awarded the Olympic Games in 1997. One of the most important aspects of this is the new Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport. Located at Spata, to the east of the Agios Kosmas Sailing Centre, the Airport was opened on 28 March 2001 and is operating with the most advanced technologies and equipment, with its focus on safety, user-friendliness and service excellence.

A huge network of rail, road, and motorway links has also been built in preparation for the smooth running of the 2004 Olympic Games. Not all the action is situated in Athens, with a number of satellite venues, including the ancient stadium of Olympia, which will host the Shot Put event, all linked together with a modern transport network.

All in all, the Olympic Games in Athens look set to be one of the most memorable and spectacular sporting events in recent history, and certainly for the country of Greece, the city of Athens, the athletes, coaches, officials and spectators all over the world, the Modern Olympic Games have come home.