Greeks Admit to Poor Olympic Planning
The president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee admitted that organizers of the Athens Olympics failed to properly plan for the Games, resulting in large venues that remain largely unused.
As reported by the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Spyros Kapralos, speaking at a Technical Chamber of Greece seminar on post-Olympic use of venues, said, “Unfortunately, in Athens we were very late in planning for the post-Olympic period.” Kapralos was not HOC president during the Games.
Theodoros Skylakakis, a foreign ministry official echoed those sentiments. “We built large permanent venues without it being demanded of us... as a result, many of these venues are now abandoned or damaged.”
An official with the city of Athens said the now empty venues are a burden on the city. The venues “are not reminiscent of the Games in any way. Very few venues are open to the public; most are being used for commercial gain or for entertainment, but hardly any for sports.”
Dionysis Stamenitis, who runs the company that manages the venue, disagreed with those views. “Of the 22 sports venues, seven have been turned over to private firms for commerce, leisure or sports; 10 have been given to associations and municipalities to be used chiefly for sports; and five have gone to the state.”
Raña's Grandson Confirmed Victim of Swine Flu
Jimena Saldaña, Executive Secretary to Mario Vazquez Raña, confirms to Around the Rings that the first swine flu victim to die in the United States was the grandson of the Mexican IOC member and PASO president.
Saldaña said via e-mail that 21-month-old Miguel died April 27 in Houston. He had been visiting family members in Brownsville, Texas. He was the youngest of six children.
Saldaña added that at the PASO office in Mexico City, staff were "still trying to return to a normal life, but still a bit depressing."
Briefs...
...The Japan Association of Athletics Federations announced the Japanese marathon team for the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. The men's team consists of Satoshi Irifune, Masaya Shimizu, Kazuhiro Maeda, Arata Fujiwara, and Atsushi Sato. Yoshimi Ozaki, Yoko Shibui, Yoshiko Fujinaga, Yuri Kano and Yukiko Akaba make up the women's team.
...The Australian Sailing Team now has a dedicated fan page on Facebook. The page gives recent news about the team, provides videos and photos about the team, gives links to the athletes’ pages, and allows fans to leave messages for the team.
Media Watch
The Associated Press reports on the beginning of construction work for the Sochi Olympics.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-wlmrHkZZB3-_23Cw4WfiSflyegD98209J00
Exec Digital magazine has an article on the logistics of the 2010 Olympics.
http://www.execdigital.co.uk/The-logistics-of-the-2010-Winter-Olympics_24000.aspx
Rugby World Cup preparations are “well under way” according to an interview with 2011 Rugby World Cup chief executive Martin Snedden in The Independent.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/news-comment/2011-world-cup-preperations-well-underway-1676821.html
Simon Hart writes that Spain’s new drug testing laws could cost Madrid the 2016 Olympics.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/simonhart/blog/2009/05/07/new_spanish_law_on_drugtesting_could_wreck_madrids_2016_olympic_prospects
The Trinidad & Tobago Express has an interview with newly re-elected NOC chief Larry Romany on his plans for his upcoming term.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_sports?id=161474197
Written by Ed Hula III.
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