Where Your Dreams Become Reality
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Where Your Dreams Become Reality |
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Athens Olympics Preparations: An Insider Look Editor's Note: Adam Dailey will be providing LetsRun.com periodic reports on the preparations for the upcoming Athens Olympics, and a few of the pre-Athens track meets.. He and his wife, Jessica Dailey, were 17 time All Americans at the University of Arkansas. They moved to Athens this spring to start their company Ludus Sports, ( www.trackandfieldtours.com ) , which assists people planning on going to Athens this summer to watch the Games. Whether you want a full service track and field tour, or just hotel accomodations, or want to host a banquet, Ludus sports can help you. More info on Adam and Jessica can be found at their website or at the bottom of this article. As a runner, I always grew up thinking and dreaming about the Olympics. I remember in 1997 when officials announced that the Olympics would return to their birthplace in Athens. I considered about how incredible it would be the Olympics in Greece. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined I'd be here now in my current role. Will Athens be ready? This is the question we're asked over and over again. Yes. Well, I'm pretty sure it will be. When my wife, Jessica, and I visited Athens last year, we spent a month in Greece surveying the scene. We were confident that the city could be transformed over the next 10 months to be everything the Greeks were guaranteeing. However, our level of optimism has been on a roller coaster in recent months. As you venture through Athens, it is difficult not to notice the substantial changes (improvements) made from only weeks ago. Buzzing jackhammers, ripped up sidewalks and Albanian construction workers occupy almost every street corner. So what I am doing here in Greece? Will it be a runner's paradise? What are the Greeks like? What about security? And most importantly will Athens be ready? After living here, I can see why Greece is so far behind. The red tape that exists is incredible. We have learned that Greeks work their whole lives to be given a bureaucratic cush desk job working for the government. Then they're set (among other things, they get off at 2:00 everyday). This is quite the opposite of the USA--where you work your whole life to get out of the government desk job. If they're even really required to do anything (i.e. work), they hire a lackey foreigner to go in for them--and pay him 20% of their salary. Yes, I am serious. As an example, it took us almost 2 months to get DSL set up here. First we had to get a phone line (you can't get just cable). Then we needed a tax number. Then we needed to set up the line in the building never mind, it's far too complex to even go into it. Just be sure that getting things done in Greece isn't easy. We've been helping people get set up for the Olympics. Our clients have included federations, agents, gold medal athletes and everyone in between. Some people ask for our help, and end up trying to tackle Athens 2004 by themselves shortly thereafter. Dealing with the Greeks, however, is not that easy. Athens is a madhouse right now. After spending many frustrating hours on the internet and/or phone, many times we hear back from these people a week or two later. You can feel the energy in the air here. It is a mix of anticipation and panic. What people don't realize is that not only is there around the clock construction being done at the Olympic venues, but every street corner, cathedral, restaurant and hotel is trying to make improvements in time so it can be a showcase for the August Summer Games. After walking around the city in the afternoon, our shoes are constantly covered in dust from all of the construction. Will Athens be ready? I'm getting there Changes are obvious, but there is no denying that an incredible amount of work remains to be finished between now and August 13 (Opening Ceremonies, which will cost you about $1000 a pop). It is obvious that Greeks have their own way of doing things. They enjoy a slower pace of life, although they're not afraid to work hard. And despite what reports say, progress is rapid. Every day, some Olympic landmark is achieved. Greeks take the Olympic movement very seriously. Afterall, they have their history and their legacy to defend. Every self respecting Greek is doing their part to make sure that Athens is prepared for the millions of visitors that will flood the city this summer. It should be noted as well that every Greek also thinks that they will somehow get rich off of the Olympics! Restaurants have already began to hike up prices, and hotelsforget about it. There are hostels charging 130 euros per night to share a 6 bed room. And they're sold out (they have one spot left on August 19, if you're interested!). We laugh, however at two different reactions to the question, "do you think Athens will be ready in August?"
That being said, with recent milestone accomplishments, the pessimism among Greeks is down, and we all can see the light at the end of the tunnel here in Athens. As runners, one of our serious challenges has been finding places to run within Athens. Surprisingly, there are some great trails and parks right in the city. It's an intimidating task trying to exercise because of the aggressive taxi drivers and motor scooters that like to use sidewalks when necessary. Furthermore, the Greeks see stop lights as suggestions rather than law. A big concern around the world (most specifically, in the United States) has been Olympic security. What can Athens do to make things safe? ATHENS 2004 has spent over $1 billion (more than every other Olympics combined), but there are global echoes of concern. Why? The Greeks are doing everything possible, but they can never guarantee some idiot won't strap a bomb on and go hit some part of any residential neighborhood, can they? He could also do the same thing anywhere in Boston, NYC or Seattle for that matter. Some Greeks have pointed out the fact that, as a nation, Greece is not against most of the extremist groups (they don't support them either). So why would they want to strike the Olympics? As a result, they argue, the world would rally against them. The Olympics are sacredsurely terrorism won't be a factor knock on wood. Will Athens be ready? Yes, and then some. More to come later. Editor's Note:Adam and Jessica Dailey were both former University of Arkansas All Americans (17 times between the two of them). They will be providing LetsRun.com with periodic updates on the scene in Athens. After competing in the last Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Adam and Jessica moved to Barcelona, Spain for almost two years. After Spain, both returned to Austin, Texas (where Adam was the Race Director for the 2003 Mercedes Benz Congress Avenue Mile and Jessica managed Marathon Kids). But after a year and a half in Austin, the Daileys had an itch to return to Europe. Adam saw a unique opportunity to create a business that caters specifically to the world of track and field and facilitating people in their Olympic plans. Ludus (meaning sport in Latin) was born (web address: www.trackandfieldtours.com) , and the Daileys arrived in Athens soon thereafter. They love the fact that theyre able to work with many different people every day and stay in the running industry. If you're interested in going to Athens in any capacity: as a spectator, parent, fan or agent, the Dailey's job is to help you out. Click here to visit their website.
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Cross Country Spikes 10% off Injured?
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