ATHENS, 12 August 2003 — IOC chief Jacques Rogge has sprung to the defense of Athens organizers with a resounding vote of confidence in their ability to stage games fit for the country where the Olympics were born.
Rogge said that after a slow start, preparations were back on track.
“We are pleased by the pace of progress now,” Rogge said in a telephone interview with Reuters yesterday, in the week that Athens starts the one-year countdown to next August’s games.
“Unless something unforeseen happens they are going to make it if they keep up this pace.”
However, he warned there was “still a lot to do” and time would chase organizers right up until the last minute before the opening ceremony tomorrow.
“They must keep up the present sense of urgency and not relax for a minute,” Rogge said. “With the launch of a space shuttle if you uncover even a minor problem you can delay takeoff for a week. With the Games you can’t delay for even an hour.”
While not dismissing the seriousness of shortcomings uncovered last week in the first of a series of test events this month, Rogge said that “paradoxically” the trials were meant to expose flaws. In general, operations and infrastructure at the rowing and archery venues stood up very well.
