Athens Wins Race To Host 2004 Olympics
Athens has won the contest to host the 2004 Olympic Games, returning the worlds most prestigious sports event to the Greek capital for the first time since 1896, when the first games of the modern era were held.
Athens won 66 of the 107 votes cast by International Olympic Committee members at their annual meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Friday, comfortably defeating its main rival Rome. The two European capitals reached the final round of voting after first Buenos Aires, then Stockholm and finally Cape Town were eliminated from the bidding. Athens led the voting in each of the four rounds, and news of its victory was greeted by wild cheering from the huge crowd that had gathered in the city centre square to watch the announcement on large video screens.
The third place earned by Cape Town was a respectable showing from an African citys first meaningful attempt to be chosen. The choice of Athens is belated compensation for the failure of IOC members eight years ago to choose the Greek capital for the centenary 1996 Olympics, which were hosted by Atlanta.
Criticism of the over-commercialisation of those games unsettled the IOC, which has become increasingly sensitive to claims that it chooses the Olympic city primarily on commercial grounds. A crowd of 1,000 supporters of the bid made clear their joy outside the headquarters of the Athens Olympic Committee, close to the Panathenian stadium where the modern Games began in 1896.
Dozens of balloons were released into the pink dusk, flags were waved and cars across the city honked their horns. The strength of Athens bid helped the city overcome any concerns IOC members may have had about its transport and environmental problems. Gianna Angelopoulos, leader of the citys bidding group, admitted during her presentation on Friday that more work had to be done to improve the citys infrastructure.
She described the submission as a new bid for a new city, highlighting the current building programme that will see a new international airport, a new metro system and a new ring road and highways completed by 2001. Ms Angelopoulos also emphasised Greeces record of political stability, its strong economy and low crime rate. This vote is a victory for the people of Greece. The new Greece won today, she said.
The Athens organising committee plans to spend just under $1.6 billion (1 billion) on the games, with the city, regional or state authorities and the private sector investing another $1.4 billion to prepare the city for the event. The IOC is expected to contribute about $1.5 billion to the cost of hosting the Olympics, using income from television rights, sponsorship rights and ticket sales.