Greece haunted by the legacy of the 2004 Olympics | EUROtoday
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HAS Olympia, an historic metropolis which homes, within the Olympic Academy, the center of Pierre de Coubertin, the ceremony of the departure of the flame took on a specific which means this 12 months. Indeed, it was because of the contribution of the French baron who died in 1937 that the fashionable Olympic Games had been capable of see the sunshine of day in 1896 in Athens, then in Paris in 1900. “The Olympic Games have their origins in a Franco-Greek collaboration very strong”, says Gianna Angelopoulos, who, 20 years ago, chaired the organizing committee for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. She confides her hope of seeing the Paris Games, where the flame is due to arrive on April 26, breathe new life into the Olympic values and their heritage. This is a very difficult challenge for her. “The French capital has done real in-depth work to develop the intangible heritage of the Games,” she welcomes.
Its encouraging message contrasts with the sad legacy left by the Athens Games just 20 years ago. At the time, in August 2004, the Greek capital beamed as it welcomed the return of the event to its original land. Greece was entering a modern era with the construction of infrastructure, such as new roads, a new airport but also impressive stadiums, including the famous OAKA Olympic complex, decorated with a futuristic roof, designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava .
Rainwater infiltration
Today, the immense Olympic complex is closed to the public. The roof, which weighs 1,800 tonnes, is considered dangerous by experts. The gyms are rusty. The cycle path, one of the best in the world, is completely dilapidated by the infiltration of rainwater. Other infrastructure is in ruins, such as the wooden surfaces of the ice rink, located in Schinas, northwest of the capital, eaten away by the high humidity. Like several other stadiums, this installation was looted, tables, chairs, cables and electrical equipment were vandalized because they were left unattended.
In the Olympic field hockey stadium, until recently, there were still flags and other signs left by the supporters of 2004. It has never been used since, nor even opened to be dusted. The situation is the same at the beach volleyball stadium, in the suburb of Phalerum, on the Piraeus road from Athens. It is distinguished by its circular shape and its roof, designed by the same Spanish architect. The seats are dilapidated, hollowed out, damaged. Over time, pieces of folding seats fall onto the sand left there since 2004, petrified by time and humidity. The metal frame is subject to rust. Only stray dogs benefit there.
This beach volleyball stadium cost 9 million euros, the OAKA, 130 million euros, for a total budget of 8.5 billion euros. Added to the 2004 bill are those for the following twenty years, during which just the surveillance of around ten stadiums cost the Greek state some 50 million per year. If repairs were to take place, they would be more expensive than new construction.
Report of failure
The political class that has been in power for the last twenty years cites the economic and budgetary crisis (2008-2018), accompanied by severe austerity measures, to explain this mess. However, according to Spyros Capralos, president of the Greek Olympic Committee, “a post-Olympic exploitation project for these stadiums was missing”.
The observation of failure also concerns the intangible heritage. The Greeks did not take the opportunity to practice new sports, and were only too rarely interested in women's or disabled sports competitions.
Today, the Conservative government wants to correct the situation. In addition to allocating 57 million euros to restore the OAKA Olympic complex, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister, would like to attract renovation investments, like the old Ellinikon canoe-kayak stadium, where Tony Estanguet received his gold medal in 2004. Along with the softball and baseball facilities, it was destroyed to be transformed into a gigantic urban park, “larger than London's Hyde Park”. It is to characteristic luxurious beachfront villas, ultra-modern residences in a large tower and a on line casino resort on the marina.
“Thus, we will be able to bring a new green lung to the southern suburbs of Athens,” assures Odysseas Athanasiou, CEO of Lamda Development, answerable for working the Ellinikon city park. The first buildings needs to be prepared by 2025. As for mentalities, it’ll undoubtedly take time to see this heritage shine.
https://www.lepoint.fr/monde/la-grece-hantee-par-l-heritage-des-jo-de-2004–16-04-2024-2557820_24.php