25th Mar
2004

2004 Olympic Flame lit today in Ancient Olympia

25 March 2004 - The countdown to the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games began today with the lighting of the Olympic flame in ancient Olympia, Greece.  Ignited by the rays of the sun in a traditional ceremony at 12:00 noon, Greek Time, (10:00 GMT) the flame was carried to the ancient stadium of Olympia, where it was viewed by the public, media and invited guests of the Hellenic Olympic Committee.  The flame lighting event is the beginning of the 7 day torch relay organised by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, which will be the first leg of the torch relay before the flame embarks on its first ever global relay. 

The flame will travel from ancient Olympia, where the first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC, through the Peloponnese, the islands of the Saronic Gulf, and finally to the Panathinaiko stadium in Athens, site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.  Highlights, images and information about the historic first seven days in Greece will be available on the official ATHENS 2004 website: www.athens2004.com/torchrelay

"It was in Olympia that everything began; and today that everything is going to begin for Athens 2004," said IOC President Jacques Rogge. "What better image of universality can the Organising Committee offer than to organise the first global Olympic torch relay. The flame will travel across the five continents, symbolised by the five rings, linking them together, removing political, religious, social and cultural barriers."

"Today we light a torch that will truly light the world" said ATHENS 2004 President, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki.  "The ATHENS 2004 torch relay honours and extends the ancient traditions that gave birth to the Olympic Games. This year's relay takes our tradition to a higher level.  For the first time ever, an Olympic Torch Relay will truly circle the globe, celebrating peace and Olympism around the world and in Greece, as we prepare for the homecoming of the Olympic Games."

This first leg will end on 31-March in Athens at the Panathinaiko stadium, where it will remain lit until 3-June, when the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games ATHENS 2004 launches the international portion of the first-ever global Olympic Torch Relay, a journey that will include 34 cities worldwide, (including ancient Olympia) as well as Africa and South America for the first time.  On 9-July, the relay will return to Greece to continue its journey, traveling throughout the country before lighting the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games on 13 August.  The ATHENS 2004 Torch Relay is presented by Coca-Cola and Samsung.

“Pass the flame, unite the world” is the theme of the ATHENS 2004 Torch Relay that will bring the flame to every city that has hosted the Olympic Summer Games, as well as Beijing, 2008 host city and other select cities on the international route.   

The time-honored lighting ceremony features a high priestess, who lights the Olympic flame in the Temple of Hera using a parabolic mirror to capture the sun's rays and ignite an Olympic torch. The flame is then transferred to the first torchbearer. In ancient Greece, fire symbolised the creation of the world, as well as renewal and light.

The flame will be carried by more than 11,000 torchbearers throughout the world and Greece. Information about the routes and torchbearers will be announced in May.

Olympic baseball schedule announced

The Olympic Baseball Tournament competition schedule was formally announced today at the ATHENS 2004 Conference Centre. The Tournament will be held in Athens from 15 to 25 August 2004.

Eight teams are through to the tournament after the preliminaries: Greece, as host country; Italy and Holland, via the European pre-Olympic tournament; Cuba and Canada, via the American pre-Olympic tournament; Japan and Chinese Taipei via the Asian pre-Olympic tournament; and Australia, winner of the knockout match between the champion teams of Africa and Oceania.

In the first match of the tournament, at 19:30 on 15 August, Greece will meet the Netherlands. The rest of the matches will be: Cuba vs Australia, Italy vs Japan, and Canada vs Chinese Taipei.

35,230 Tickets for popular Sports and for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies made available for purchase to the public

The IOC Executive Board today, during its meeting in Lausanne, approved the ATHENS 2004 proposal-initiative to hold the Shot Put event in the Ancient Olympia Stadium.

The members of the Executive Board enthusiastically welcomed the recent agreement between ATHENS 2004 and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), that had been ratified during the session of the IAAF Council, and unanimously decided to hold the Men’s and Women’s Shot Put event in Ancient Olympia on 18 August 2004.

The Men’s Basketball Olympic Tournament final competition schedule has been confirmed with the cooperation of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the media networks. The Athens Olympic Basketball Tournament will be conducted from 14 to 28 August 2004. The preliminaries will be held at the Helliniko Indoor Arena, with a capacity of 15,600 spectators, while the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will take place at the OAKA Olympic Indoor Hall, with a capacity of 19,200 spectators. The second round of the Tournament will be held from 24 to 28 August 2004, at the Indoor Hall of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex.

“Pass the Flame, Unite the World” is the Theme as Cities in Greece and around the Globe prepare to Host the Olympic Torch in 2004

The ATHENS 2004 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games announced today the route of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay, (to be approved by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee on 4-December, 2003.)

After a decision by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the flame will be ignited by the sun’s rays in a traditional ceremony in Ancient Olympia, Greece on 25 March 2004, the date that the modern Olympic Games were revived in 1896. It will travel by relay for seven days through the Peloponnese, the islands of the Saronic Gulf, and finally to Athens, where it will remain at the Panathinaiko Stadium, site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. It will remain there until 4 June 2004, when it will begin its first-ever truly global journey, covering 34 cities worldwide, including ancient Olympia, in 35 days, and arriving back in Greece, host country of the 2004 Games, where it will travel for several weeks.

All past and present sites of the Olympic Games, as well as the site of the 2008 Games, will greet the flame. The relay also will visit the continents of South America and Africa for the first time, as well as other selected cities along the way, in a global celebration of everything that brings people together. Returning to Greece in July 2004, the relay will continue through Greek communities on its way to the 13 August 2004 Opening Ceremony of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games. The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay is presented by Coca-Cola and Samsung.

The Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), in its session held today, ratified the agreement between the ATHENS 2004 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and IAAF for holding the Shot Put event in the Ancient Olympia Stadium. This agreement is now subject to the approval of the IOC Executive Board, in its scheduled meeting in Lausanne on the 4th of December. This issue will also be a matter of discussions between the Greek Ministry of Culture and the responsible Archaeological Authorities.

This decision is considered to be a historical one, as it will accentuate the uniqueness of the Athens Games, linking the Games of Antiquity (Ancient Olympia) with the modern Olympic Games.

In addition to the Shot Put Men’s event, the decision also concerns the Women’s event, which will be held in the same Stadium and on the same date.

In order to give further prominence to this unique circumstance, ATHENS 2004 and IAAF will propose that the event takes place on the 18th and 19th August.

AOB will broadcast the event using 7 television cameras, in their majority portable ones, so as not to cause any problems. Competitions will be held on a single day, with the preliminaries scheduled to take place in the morning and the finals in the afternoon, so that no requirement arises for installing any lighting whatsoever in the Stadium.

Phase Two of Tickets Sales starts tomorrow

For citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area, Phase Two of ticket sales for the 2004 Olympic Games starts tomorrow (October 1); for those who applied for tickets in Phase One (12 May to 12 June 2003) only, the Phase Two started on 15 September 2003, as previously announced.
During Phase Two, tickets will be sold at two types of outlet:

• Firstly, 140 selected branches of Alpha Bank throughout Greece. For the benefit of customers, these branches will display a special sign and will provide, free of charge, a pamphlet entitled Guide to Phase II and containing the program of the Games and the ticket prices. At all other branches of the Alpha Bank network a foldout leaflet listing these 140 ticket-selling branches will be available.
• Secondly, the official ticketing website www.athens2004.com/tickets, which carries all the necessary information and where purchase of tickets by VISA card can be made quickly and reliably.

Sales of tickets in Phase Two are on a first-come, first-served basis. A confirmation of sale note is issued automatically provided the ticket selected is still available. Payment for tickets in Phase Two can be made in cash, by VISA card, or via an Alpha Bank account (for purchases made via the Alpha Bank branch network); and by VISA card, for purchases on the Internet. Customers should note that after confirmation of sale it will not be possible to cancel or return a ticket.
There is no Order Form insert in the Guide to Phase II, as there was in the Guide to Phase I: this is because in Phase II no order form has to be filled out, the sale taking place instantly.

Tickets are still available for most events – even for those which went into the random selection process in the first round, at a different price level.
In detail:

• Ceremonies: There are tickets for the Closing Ceremony in the B price category (€500). But there are at the moment no tickets available for the Opening Ceremony, in any price category.
  
• Athletics: For a total of 16 athletics competition periods, there are tickets for all competition periods except 26/08 (19:30-22:30).
  
• Basketball: There are still tickets in the A price category (€300) for the Basketball Men’s Final on 28/08 (20:00-00:30), as well as for all the qualifying rounds. There are no more tickets for the Men’s Semi-Final on 27/08 (20:00-24:00).
  
• Swimming: There are tickets for the Swimming for nearly all the morning qualifying rounds. But no tickets are available for any of the evening Finals from 14/08 to 21/08.
  
• Weightlifting: Tickets are available for the Weightlifting for all competition periods except 21/08 (Group A, Men’s, 85 kg Category) and 23/08 (Group A, Men’s, 94 kg Category).
  
• Beach Volleyball: Tickets are still available in the A price category (€90) for the Women’s Volleyball Final on 24/08.
  
• Tennis: Tickets are still available in the B price category (€90) for the Tennis Finals on 21/08 (17:00-23:30). But there are no tickets for the Finals on 22/08 (17:00-23:30).

Ticketing seat assignment – the allocation of a specific seat for tickets bought – will be made in Spring 2004, once the construction of all competition venues is complete. Tickets will be available for collection in June 2004. Greek citizens will collect their tickets from branches of Alpha Bank. Residents in other countries will be sent their tickets by post to the address they have indicated.

The eight teams of the Olympic Softball Tournament

The eight Softball teams to compete for the medals in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games were announced today at an official event held in the ATHENS 2004 Conference Centre.
This is the first team sport in which the qualification process for the teams that will participate in the Olympic Tournament, to be held from 13 to 24 August 2004, has been completed.
The eight finalists were announced in the presence of International Softball Federation (ISF) President, Don E. Porter, ISF Secretary General, Andrew Loechner, ATHENS 2004 Executive Director, Spyros Capralos, Hellenic Softball Federation President, Dimitris Modes, and other representatives of the Hellenic Softball Federation.
The finalists are:

The competition schedule, which will run for nine days and will comprise a total of 32 games played at the Helliniko Olympic Softball Stadium, was also announced. In his welcoming address to the sport’s representatives, ATHENS 2004 Executive Director, Spyros Capralos, stressed that “there are 326 days to go before the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games and, using the valuable experience we have gained from the August Sport Events, we are working hard in order to organise unique Games that will be a source of pride to the world’s athletic community.
Ever since the time of the Bid File, our view was expressed by the slogan: Athens for Athletes”. Referring to the event, Mr Capralos said that it is a “special moment” for Softball, adding that “this is the first team sport in which the qualification process for the 2004 Games has been completed for all teams. In the Olympic Games, every team will play against each one of the other seven, and the four top teams will compete for the medals.
We will watch 32 games in total, and we expect that the 120 women athletes, who will represent 8 countries, will offer a fascinating sport show. We are working closely with the Hellenic Federation for promoting the sport and making it more widely known, and we believe that, through the 2004 Games, more and more athletes and spectators will be interested in Softball and become acquainted with its unique features”.
Expressing his feelings for Athens as the Host city, International Softball Federation President, Don E. Porter, emphasised: “This is the city that reflects more that any other the importance of sports, the city where the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad will be hosted in 326 days”. Mr Porter said that this is a very important day for the sport: “We are especially pleased that today we share with you the official announcement of the competition schedule for the eight teams who have qualified for the Games. We believe that these eight teams, out of a total of 36 teams who participated in the qualification system, will exhibit a particularly advanced level of competition skills during the Olympic Games, next August”.
National Coach Linda Wells said, “Through Softball, Greek women athletes can discover all the key elements of the Games – friendship, peace, and hope – becoming themselves a miniature version of the globe through the world of sports”. Mrs Wells also thanked the International Softball Federation, the Hellenic Softball Federation, all the women athletes who make up the eight teams to participate in the Olympic Tournament, and all the teams who participated in the qualifying games for the 2004 Olympic Games. In addition, Mrs Wells thanked the ATHENS 2004 staff, and especially Softball Competition Manager, Annie Constantinidou and all the persons working in Softball.
During the event, the eight Olympic teams to participate in the Olympic Games were presented, and then the competition schedule was announced. The first games to be held in the Olympic Softball Stadium will be those of Japan vs. Australia and USA vs. Italy (on 14 August), while the first game of the Greek National Team in the preliminaries will be versus China.
The President of the Hellenic Softball Federation, Dimitris Modes, also addressed the event, stressing the significant progress made in softball in Greece in the course of the last four years, during which the National Federation has been operational. Also present at the event were athletes of the National Softball Team.

Impressive results from the first days of phase two of ticket sales: sales amount to 2,2 million €

Phase Two of ticket sales to the public was launched on Monday, 15 September 2003, applying only to buyers who took part in Phase One.
Sales started both at Alpha Bank and the official website www.athens2004.com/tickets. The response from the public was highly impressive as it was during the first three days of sales that the total value of orders amounted to 2,2 million €.
According to the Ticketing Division there are tickets available for most sports, even for those that went into a random selection process during Phase One of sales, but at a different price level.
During the Phase Two, tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, with immediate confirmation of sales, and provided the tickets applied for, are available.
ATHENS 2004 has made known that the Phase Two will begin for citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area, on Wednesday 1 October 2003.

Mountaineers of the Pieria region receive flag from ATHENS 2004 to be placed on the top of mount Olympus Athens

In a simple but warm ceremony held in the ancient site of Dion, in the Pieria region, about sixty mountaineers and members of the Alpine Club of the area received the ATHENS 2004 flag from ATHENS 2004 Managing Director, Ioannis Spanudakis, to carry up to Mount Olympus and place it on the Mytikas peak (the legendary throne of Zeus).

Deputy Minister of Public Order, Pantelis Tsertikidis and Mayor of Dion, Grigoris Papachristos, directed the proceedings. The Professor of Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Dimitrios Pantermalis, spoke of the historical dimension of the Olympic Games and the direct link between the Olympic Games and the highest mountain of Greece, Mount Olympus, which according to mythology was inhabited by the ancient Greek gods.

Mr. Spanudakis highlighted the symbolic nature of the task the mountaineers of Pieria have undertaken: to fly the ATHENS 2004 flag “on the top of Greece”, and said that the 2004 Olympic Games are a major national issue.

He also reminded his audience that the ATHENS 2004 flag was already at the top of Europe, in Caucasus, and on the uppermost peaks of South Pole and South America. As soon as the ceremony was over, the team of 60 mountaineers set off on their ascent up the “mountain of the gods” and is expected to reach the Mytikas peak tomorrow morning.

2004 Olympic Games flag on mount Olympus Athens

As from this Sunday (14 September), the flag of the 2004 Olympic Games will fly on the highest peak of Mount Olympus, legendary throne of Zeus.
This initiative was taken by the members of the Pieria Region Alpine Clubs Association (Katerini SEO, Litochori SEO, Katerini EOS, Leptokaria EOS, Dion EOS, Vronto EOS, ?. Panteleimona EOS, Litochori EOS, and the Emergency Rescue Team), in tribute to the return of the Olympic Games to their homeland.
ATHENS 2004 Managing Director, Ioannis Spanudakis, will hand over the flag to the mountaineers at a special ceremony at 11.00 am (on Sunday 14 September) at the archaeological site of Dion. The Deputy Minister of Public Order, Pantelis Tsertikidis, local mayors, and other worthies will also be present.

The first Olympic kick-off will take place in Volos

ATHENS 2004 President, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, together with the Mayor of Volos, Kyriakos Mitrou, inaugurated the ATHENS 2004 office in Volos, the capital of Magnesia.
This is the first of the four ATHENS 2004 offices that will operate in the Olympic Cities. “The slogan ‘The Olympiad is the whole of Greece’ becomes a reality here in Volos”, Mrs Angelopoulos-Daskalaki said in her speech, and stressed that “the role of Magnesia in the effort for a perfect organisation of the Olympic Games is crucial”. She added: “It is from here, from Volos, that the very first images of the Greek Olympic organisation will be transmitted, images that will become a reference point for the Games to follow.
The first kick-off will take place in Volos and will be broadcast all over the globe”, stressed the ATHENS 2004 President. The ATHENS 2004 President announced that more than 1,000 citizens of Magnesia, and a total of 2,500 citizens from all over Thessaly, have already submitted their volunteers applications, and that the selection and training procedure will start in Volos in September.
The ATHENS 2004 President also announced that the Olympic Flame will remain in Volos for one day in the course of the Torch Relay’s journey across the globe, a route that was decided for the very first time.
The Mayor of Volos, K. Mitrou, stressed that all organisations must unite forces effectively towards the national goal of the Olympic Games, stressing that “the Office granted by the Municipality may be small, but it is a very welcoming one; it is the place where the heart of the Olympiad will beat”. The Mayor of Nea Ionia in Volos, St. Fouskis, remarked that the Olympic Games will be a milestone for future generations, while the Prefect of Magnesia, G. Printzos, emphasised that the ATHENS 2004 Office will function as a catalyst in the cooperation between the Organising Committees and local bodies.
Metropolitan Bishop Ignatios of Dimitriada, who officiated at the inaugural ceremony for the Office of the Organising Committee in Volos, referred to the important work carried out by the ATHENS 2004 President for a perfect organisation of the Olympic Games.