An impressive show
The events of the Athens Olympics appear to be progressing smoothly – without any evident organizational hiccups – as we enter the second week of the Games, which traditionally attract the largest audiences, chiefly due to the focus on track events. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge acknowledged this during a press conference on Thursday with some surprise, noting that this is one of the few Olympiads where the daily briefings for journalists are so brief – which proves that there are not many issues that need investigation. The IOC chief added that the general feedback he is receiving from the public is that the Games are a success – a satisfying declaration following widespread moaning and the «self-criticism» of certain IOC officials who had pledged that this would be the last time the Olympics would be organized by a «small country.» But up until now, this «small country» has appeared to be managing just fine compared to the larger countries which have made a mess of things in the past (a good example being the disorganization and provocative commercialization at Atlanta)… Greece’s success is even more impressive when one bears in mind that the Games were organized in the wake of the September 11 attacks, which discouraged many people from traveling and appearing at major events, and which obliged Greece to implement unprecedented security measures…
