Athens 2004

[PYRROS2004]

@Stu

I was searching for a long time for it! The music is from a traditional Greek song (40 young men from Livadia (-a city), and talks about how they kicked off the Turks from a Greek city (Tripolitsa). But the lyrics are different at the BBC theme.

@Guardian

Nope, only for the Olympic Games they light the flame at Ancient Olympia. The Special Olympics light their flame at Pnyka hill near the Acropolis in Athens. I suppose that since they use 'Olympics' in their title, IOC agreed and gave it to them. But I do remember Samaranch that was present when they light the flame in Athens.

[Guardian]

@Guardian

Nope, only for the Olympic Games they light the flame at Ancient Olympia. The Special Olympics light their flame at Pnyka hill near the Acropolis in Athens. I suppose that since they use 'Olympics' in their title, IOC agreed and gave it to them. But I do remember Samaranch that was present when they light the flame in Athens.

Thanks for clearing that up for me, PYRROS2004. I must have gotten mixed up in where the Special Olympics torch ceremony takes place. As per IOC rules, the organization only accepts the special one to have the name "Olympic" as part of that international multi-sport event's name. By the way, when is the date for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games torch ceremony there?

[Stu]

@Stu

I was searching for a long time for it! The music is from a traditional Greek song (40 young men from Livadia (-a city), and talks about how they kicked off the Turks from a Greek city (Tripolitsa). But the lyrics are different at the BBC theme.

That's interesting.

The BBC always creates something special using themes from the host culture for hallmark events such as the Olympics - it increases the atmosphere of the event.

Here are a few more....

Victoria, Canada - 1994 Commonwealth Games

[PYRROS2004]

They haven't announced the date yet. In their site they write ' /09/07 - The flame leaves for Shanghai'

They also write the IOC decision of allowing them to use the term 'olympics' but it's in Greek. More or less says:

'... considering the activity of the Special Olympics in the sector of development of athletic activities for the people with mental weakness. the IOC official recognizes the organization 'Special Olympics', giving the permision to use in its title the term 'Olympics'...'

Juan Antonio Samaranch, Calgary 1988

[Guardian]

Interesting.

It is now confirmed. She will be competing in the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham, UK, which starts this Friday.

Link: BBC: Thanou To Run In European Indoors

[wamel042]

I finally got the Official reprt of Athens 2004. It really exists!!!

Beautiful report, with extensive results (photos etc) on CD-rom.

The best one I have (in comparison to Atlanta and Barcelona). Of course the older ones (Munich, Montreal and Mexico City) cannot be compared to reports of the recent years.

Sydney 2000 is underway. I am very curious if the report can match the quality of the Games.

[savas]

You mean you got this:

It looks really great... I want it too!!!...... But it is heavy 11,5 Kg!!

[micheal_warren]

the report looks very nice from the outside, i would love to get my hands on a copy of one

[cfm Jeremie]

The DVD about the remodelling of the OAKA and the backstage of Opening and Closing Ceremonies is quite good too.

Athens is indeed one my favourite reports together with Nagano and Los Angeles.

[wamel042]

You mean you got this:

It looks really great... I want it too!!!...... But it is heavy 11,5 Kg!!

Indeed: I got this one, after a long (very long) search. My advise: keep searching (especially E-bay) and some will pop up.

I bought mine in the USA (Atlanta - funny coincidence) and the total package was very heavy. Not cheap: but definitely worth every euro!!

[Guardian]

Thanou did well in the Birmingham meet.

Link: BBC: European Indoor Athletics

[tominger]

Well, the Athens Report is quite curious.

First of all, it was very difficult to find it - Atlanta, Sydney and BArcelona and Salt Lake and if I am right also Lillehammer offerred their reports for sale. In Athens, none in ATHOC did new anything about the report when the Games were over and suddenly the report was there and sold out immediatly.

The Books are very beautiful indeed - brilliant photos. But unfortunatly, the AThens Report is a bit like the the Report from Salt Lake. Nice photos but less informative.

If we compare the Athens Report to the LA 84 one, or the one from Seoul, it is obvious that Athens offers less information. In LA 84 every single aspect is described and archived: All Accreditations, all OC Publications, all Pictograms and everything regarding the Look of the Games. Also Barcelona and Atlanta are great and really informative.

Reading these reports is always exciting - cause everytime, you explore new information.

I relaly hope that Torino 2006 will be a bit better.

[cfm Jeremie]

Well, the Athens Report is quite curious.

First of all, it was very difficult to find it - Atlanta, Sydney and BArcelona and Salt Lake and if I am right also Lillehammer offerred their reports for sale. In Athens, none in ATHOC did new anything about the report when the Games were over and suddenly the report was there and sold out immediatly.

The Books are very beautiful indeed - brilliant photos. But unfortunatly, the AThens Report is a bit like the the Report from Salt Lake. Nice photos but less informative.

If we compare the Athens Report to the LA 84 one, or the one from Seoul, it is obvious that Athens offers less information. In LA 84 every single aspect is described and archived: All Accreditations, all OC Publications, all Pictograms and everything regarding the Look of the Games. Also Barcelona and Atlanta are great and really informative.

Reading these reports is always exciting - cause everytime, you explore new information.

I relaly hope that Torino 2006 will be a bit better.

Well, since Sydney 2000, the IOC, together with the University of the South Wales, has managed the Olympic Knowledge Transfer Programme which means a lot of data are now transfered through this programme and not through the Official Report anymore. That's why the last official reports (Sydney, Salt Lake, Athens) are quite different from LA and Seoul.

[Stocking Phil-er]

Andrew says he had lunch with Thanou, no that I care as she went from being a national hero to national embarrassment overnight. Actually that's quite cool...

The DVD about the remodelling of the OAKA and the backstage of Opening and Closing Ceremonies is quite good too.

Athens is indeed one my favourite reports together with Nagano and Los Angeles.

So Jeremie, can you tell me some more about the backstage DVD of the Ceremonies? Few of the ceremonies actually know anything about it, even though they saw Jack Morton filming...

[Guardian]

Thanou's next quest: Osaka 2007.

Link: BBC: Thanou Determined To Make Worlds

[Colonel Iredale]

Yeah but I wanted Merlene Ottey to win... 47 years and still going strong!

[Guardian]

This American, who clobbered the competition in the pool at Athens 2004, is having his 22nd birthday today.

Link: IOC: In At The Deep End...

[Guardian]

Well, I did not expect this turn of events from Athens 2004. A report was sent to the IOC, at Guatemala City 2007, to explain about the legacies left behind from the Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad.

Link: IOC-> Guatemala 2007: Building A Strong Olympic Legacy From Athens 2004

Part of Athens 2004 Opening Ceremony

Fireworks

The Road Cycling Event

La place Syntagma pendant les Jeux

Souvenir Shop In Athens

Athens 2004 Main Press Centre

A Couple Of Members of the 119th IOC Session

[christos]

Hi! I want a favour, if someone has the book of the Opening Ceremony to post any pages, the cover, about the parade and the Flame.I have found only the allegory and klepsydra part.

Thanks

[baron-pierreIV]

Another Athens 2007 bit: was watching a BBC documentary on Parisian "haute couture" on PBS the past few nights; and it was like an insider's peek at this rarefied world -- from both the rich buyer's and the venerated Paris fashion houses that still participate in "haute couture."

Anyway, on the footage of the Chanel show in January, while she was not singled out by the BBC producer (who had like 4 or 5 American women and 1 British/irish woman as their subjects), at the Chanel show at the Bois de Boulogne, who should walk up behind one of the guests but none other than madame Angeloupoulos-Diskalakis herself!! It was definitely her with that unmistakable look of hers. She still looks good. Gianna definitely hobnobs with the jet set!!

[Filipe_Golias]

Here's updated info about the Athens 2004 report by the LA84 Foundation:

With my lessening patience for the report to come out, I re-emailed the AAFLA (LA84) library to see when they plan on actually putting it up (if you remember, I last told you that they'd have it up by the end of July, but...).

Anyway, so with a swift response (within a half-hour!) someone responded and said that the priority for the foundation at the moment is setting up a Google search interface, which they expect to take about 3 weeks. By the time that's done, though, the 2004 report should be accessible. So don't get your hopes up again, but we'll wait it out and see what happens.

The person who replied also asked if I needed anything specific from the report, but I replied no, because really, I need the whole report, and I wouldn't know where to begin! So if there is something you're stuck on, might I suggest you contact the person on the receiving end of library@la84foundation.org, who seems sort of excited that someone is actually awaiting one of their publications.

The librarian also said that they have received the hard copy reports from the 2006 Olympics, but "the digital edition is a long way off."

Anyhow, I just thought I'd let you know this updated information. Jared (t)  20:47, 4 August 2007 (UTC)

So they'll provide the 2004 Olympic report afterall and are due to upload Turin's also, so it seems that they are allowed by the IOC to continue with their task of releasing the reports to the public domain.

[christos]

Here's updated info about the Athens 2004 report by the LA84 Foundation:

So they'll provide the 2004 Olympic report afterall and are due to upload Turin's also, so it seems that they are allowed by the IOC to continue with their task of releasing the reports to the public domain.

Great news!

[Guardian]

I cannot believe that 3 years ago today, since Athens got to host the Olympic Games came back home to its birthplace. I know for sure that it will be the only time I will see it happen in my lifetime.

[LinkParkFn]

Just did a bit of playing around with the site, http://simpsonizeme.com, which allows users to transform pictures of people into Simpsons characters.

I did one of the still lovely MILF Gianna Angelopolous, former head of the Athens Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee, trasforming her from this:

to this:

Of course, they blew her boobs up a little bit, but this is still quite good, though not really perfect.

[christos]

I found a tv spot about the 1000 days before Athens Games and uploaded it

1000 days