Eleftheria Pyroudi, Yannis Tsagklis
Olympic Imprint
2 0 0 4
Athens of 2004 played a very key role in the image of Athens as we know it today. With the organization of the Olympic Games, Greece undertook to face a significant challenge that is part of a larger and even more ambitious goal: to give impetus to the modernization of the country and especially the capital. The large, long-lived infrastructure projects have significantly improved city traffic and upgraded its cultural heritage: it is the construction, expansion and improvement of the metro; the tram network that favors the opening of the city to the sea; the highway and connecting roads that facilitate access to the international airport; the pedestrian network for the unification of archeological sites. Thanks to these changes, which will contribute to the successful holding of the XXVIII Olympiad, Athens will show a new image to the millions of visitors and spectators from around the world.
2 0 2 0
Facilities not in use since 2004 are being demolished on a daily basis. The BBC correspondent describes it.
"It simply came to our notice then. It seems that they have given up. There is no longer the money to build air conditioning in the main part of the track and field facilities in Athens. It makes sense for athletes to warm up and suffer. Everything is falling apart, the cement is worn out and the parts are now rusty. The facilities are being dismantled in just 8 years".
