Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, Greece’s 1996 windsurfing gold medalist, was overjoyed being handed the honor of lighting the Olympic flame in the opening ceremony. “It was an unbelievable feeling that comes once in a lifetime,” said the 36-year-old who will retire after the Games.
Tony Blair Signs Olympic
Truce in Athens
Heads of state and government as well as royals from 20 countries, including Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair, subscribed yesterday in Athens to the Olympic truce agreement symbolically agreeing to suspend armed conflict during the Olympic Games. “I would like to honor Greece for this principle that goes back to ancient times and imposes a ceasefire during the Games,” said the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge. Alongside Rogge and Blair, the document was signed yesterday by German President Horst Koehler, Romanian President Ion Iliescu, Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano. The truce recalls the ancient Greek tradition of “ekecheiria,” or Olympic truce, to ensure the safe passage and participation of athletes and others at the games. The United States is among the 190 countries voting in favor of a Greece-backed United Nations resolution that enshrined the truce back in November. Similar Olympic truce resolutions were passed before most other Olympiads.
Just the Ticket
Over 2.8 million Olympic Games tickets had been sold up until Friday, the day of the opening ceremony, organizers claimed. The objective is to sell between 3.1 and 3.4 million tickets, said press spokesman Michalis Zacharatos. The sales have yielded 176 million euros out of a 183 million predicted in the Games budget.
Laboratory Apologizes to Susanu for Drug Claim
The Romanian anti-doping laboratory apologized to Olympic champion Viorica Susanu yesterday for misleading the national press into reporting that the rower had tested positive for a banned drug. Romanian media reported in July that Susanu had tested positive for a very small quantity of a banned substance and in August the laboratory said the 28-year-old had been cleared after a second sample proved negative. But the Romanian Olympic Committee said in a statement yesterday that the first sample had been “inconclusive” not positive and said the laboratory assumed responsibility for allowing the wrong information to reach the media. “The Romanian sports institutions apologize for having allowed the speculations to seriously damage the athlete’s public image and hopes her performance and results will reconfirm her value as an athlete and her ethical attitude as an Olympic athlete,” the committee said.
Khan Can Be the Man
Lone British boxer, lightweight Amir Khan, could be the surprise medal contender at the Games, says coach Terry Edwards. But first he has to get past Marios Kaperonis who will have huge Greek support behind him in the opening bout. “It will be difficult as I’m sure he will have a lot of support. But Amir has boxed in foreign countries before where the crowds have supported their boxers so he is used to that and I’m sure he will raise his game,” said Edwards. “If Amir wins that first bout, he could box European champion Dimitar Stilianov. Amir is not in awe of anyone and could win a medal if he boxes to his capabilities.”
Second Time Around for Dimas
Triple gold medal winner Pyrros Dimas carried the flag for Greece at the Olympics opening ceremony for the second time in his career on Friday. Weightlifter Dimas, 33, won the hearts of his countrymen in 1992 when he won gold at Barcelona with a last lift which he preceded with a scream of ‘For Greece’.
Swedes Win Scandinavian Battle
Simon Dahl and Bjorn Berg gave Sweden a flying start in the men’s beach volleyball competition with a 21-13, 21-18 win over Norwegian rivals Jorre Kjemperud and Vegard Hoidalen. The Norwegian pair went into the match as favorites having been seeded ninth against their opponents’ 16th.
Bush Sr. Throws First Olympic Pitch
Former President George Bush tossed out the first pitch to open the Olympic softball competition yesterday. But his pregame words of encouragement for the women of the US “Dream Team” succeeded only in distracting them. Bush senior, who played baseball at Yale, is in Greece at the head of a presidential party. He was cheered by the crowd, though few came to watch a sport little followed in Europe. The high floater from the 80-year-old former president was cleanly snagged by Japan catcher Noriko Yamaji as the first game against Australia got under way. Bush offered words of encouragement to the US team before their subsequent game against Italy but pitcher Jennie Finch said that just added to her nerves: “I was a little nervous.” “This was created by Bush. He told us, ‘Let’s go girls’. And then I just wanted to throw strikes,” she said. Finch pitched three scoreless innings.
