Jump to content

A come back for GIANNA ?


Poliochni

Recommended Posts

It's been quite a while since anything about Gianna was written in a greek newspaper. It seemed as there was a total black out of information, possibly requested / imposed by her.

When she first disappeared soon after the end of the paralympics, various urban myths emerged. At some point it was rumoured that she was dead (!) (what a modern day greek tragedy, with all the elements of it : hybris / nemessis, that would have made !). Then that she was dying (slightly more optimistic !). Cancer was the consensus on the diagnosis among the street cafes. Last time she was mentioned, was in Summer, when it was reported that she had an accident while water skiing .... No consistency in the sporadic stories emerging ! It was all too elusive and vague.

At last today a very credible, mainstream, Greek newspaper reports the following :

"Gianna is set for a come back. She dismisses Politics as "she does not do the same thing twice"

She would enter the world of media, only under certain conditions.

She is writing a book bound to cause a stir !

She has done an extended amount of work, supervised personally by her, on converting ALL her archives (confidential documents, correspondence with the IOC, photos) to electronic files.

"Nobody ever found out what exactly was wrong with her health, but that is no longer important as there is no sign whatsoever of the fact that she had gone through a very "bleak" period of time. Yet, now as a result, she has become far more accessible, she PASSIONATELY speaks of the need of an international effort in combating FATAL (=Lethal=Terminal)  diseases, and can happily enjoy her meal in a humble restaurant with a leaking roof, as it happened last week, when she was spotted after a speach she gave in Istanbul at an IOC event in honour of D. Oswald".

She has a team of american experts planning her next move. She gave a speech in Harvard last week on the "GREEK PARADOX" and she came in contact with leading "strategic consultants"  like Laurent Summers (sp ?) who was close to Bill Clinton.

"Leadership" is her motto. Lack of it , she thinks is to blame for the fact that all the olympic legacy (stadia, human resources, volunteers) have been left unexploited.

"The Olympics were not just a short break. All those things are left for us to use, provided that someone wants to showcase them". And obviously nobody wants to. Hence she chose NOT TO interrupt her holidays in Mykonos this past Summer, during the 1st year anniversary. She believed that such festivities are not unrrelated to the actual EVENT. And since there was NO continuity, there should be NO festivities.

Her first (after a long time) public appearance in Athens, is set for Tuesday, during the presentation of the book, of IOC's ex marketing director, M. Pein."

No major news really. Just thought of posting this for all those who - like me - were wondering WHAT ON EARTH happened to her.

At least we know she is alive and fit enough to contemplate a come back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You actually could watch the entire speech on video. There is a link on the top right of the page. Excellent speech! Well done!

Louroz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many thanks for pointing this out !

Great speech - great perspective from a true protagonist !

Amazing noone knew of her whereabouts in GR for so long and actually noone knew of this speech. I realise that she could be a potential threat to politicians and the current government, who made sure to marginalise her ASAP, but there must be more to it ... Will be interesting to see how it all evolves and when and how she will actually resurface.

PS - Great question from the french guy and a greater answer :

C'est jamais trop tard !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

59b.jpg

She looks fine. However, did I read correctly from here that she had a medical condition or something like that? If so, then it seems that she has recovered from whatever she got. Besides, as some of us want her to become next, has she been approached by the IOC to be an IOC member?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

She was probably just burned out from the run up to 2004 and took a much needed and deserved break from everything.  Wouldn't you?

If I had to go through what she had to go through, I would burn out, too, but much more than she. Besides, I hope that she does pursue the idea of IOC membership. If Heiburg (sp?), former president of Lillehammer 1994, is able to become one, then why not her for her Athens 2004 efforts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe she deserves it, pending whether her health will allow for it. Remember, Gerhard Heiberg, who headed the Lillehammer Organizing Committee for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway, was eventually rewarded with a spot on the IOC, and was head of the evaluation commission for the selection of the 2010 Winter Olympics host, won by Vancouver, British Columbia. Nothing is set in stone at this point but if it ever happens, she deserves it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was a rumour there was something wrong with her health last summer. If you ask me, I think she may had a face lift or something like that so she had to stay out of the lights.

Gianna describes herself as a 'leader', so I think to become just an IOC member is not her ambitious. Maybe if the president place is empty, she will go for it.

On the other hand, I heard that one of the 2 greek members of IOC is getting near the age limit, but his place will remain empty and no one from Greece will replace him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

She was probably just burned out from the run up to 2004 and took a much needed and deserved break from everything.  Wouldn't you?

Speaking of burn out, has she started anymore forrest fires?  :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was a rumour there was something wrong with her health last summer. If you ask me, I think she may had a face lift or something like that so she had to stay out of the lights.

Gianna describes herself as a 'leader', so I think to become just an IOC member is not her ambitious. Maybe if the president place is empty, she will go for it.

On the other hand, I heard that one of the 2 greek members of IOC is getting near the age limit, but his place will remain empty and no one from Greece will replace him.

Speaking of an IOC member from Greece leaving because of age, that would leave the nation with one IOC member after that. I think this is wrong per se because Greece is the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Besides, I think Gianna should take this step first of becoming one.

As for the IOC presidency, who knows if Jacques Rogge will want to be re-elected for the position or not. I think it is the 2009 IOC Session that will determine that. So, if Gianna is wanting this position, it could be a long-shot for her. But, she did become the first woman president of an OCOG. So, anything could happen within these years from now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gianna writes about the forest fire in her book. Reporters said that she says that she and her husband already replaced the burned trees, and that they gave an amount of money to enviromental groups.

She also writes that it's possible that someone else placed the fire and not the fireworks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi everybody, I am so glad to see that Gianna is back. I like her so much, she is a pure example of power and ambition. I real protagonist! Does anyone from you know where we can find the report for Athens and her book?

Many thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Her book is not published yet (I think it will take a year or 2 depending on her future plans).

As for the 2004 report, I saw the picture with Gianna giving them to Jacques, but that's it. No info on what it's written or where someone can buy them.

Unfortunately Athens 2004 (as a company) closed last March. So, either we can from Hellenic Olympic Committee, or even IOC about the report. Actually I'll send a mail to HOC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

On a side note about Gianna, it seems that the first woman mayor of an operating Olympic Games is the 2005 World Mayor of the Year. Yes, it is no other than Dora Bakoyannis: mayor of Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games in the city. Come see the article:

Dora Bakoyannis: Athens' City Mayor And 2005 World Mayor of the Year

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More or less Dora Bakoyanni seems that will be the first woman prime minister of Greece.

Her father is the ex-president of the conservative party.

Her husband was killed by 17 November.

Today she is married to the president of the Hellenic Equestrian federation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Huh? She is wanting to be a Greek prime minister now? Talk about wanting to achieve her political objectives here. However, she is no ordinary woman that's for sure; she's a fighter.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Her father was the prime minister 1990-1993 (Mitsotakis), her brother is a Parliament Member, she was the minister of Culture during her father's presidency.

Now, rumours say that she will be the foreign minister when the PM change the government (sometime in January). She is the number 2 of  the conservative party and when Karamanlis (PM today)  quits it looks like she will take it over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were rumours the last days that the 2 biggest political parties in Greece wanted Gianna to be the next mayor of Athens.

Yesterday she made a statement saying that she wasn't, she isn't and she won't be interested to be the mayor of the city. She said she is happy about the proposal, but the municipality of Athens isn't her ambition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...