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Athens got job done, and done well
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-08-30 03:56 Athens delivered a splendid
Olympic Games despite the concerns over construction delays, security threats
and over-spending.
Jacques Rogge stays away from a comparison of Athens with Sydney, not because
the Greek capital is less successful, because the Olympic chief has promised
never to make comparisons among the Olympic hosts, unlike his predecessor Juan
Antonio Samaranch who called the bomb-marred 1996 Games "well-done" and the 2000
Olympics "best ever".
The IOC president gave thumbs-up to Athens on Sunday, saying the host has
achieved major success in many areas like transport, security, broadcasting
rating and competition organization.
"I'm an extremely happy president of the IOC," Rogge said. "We always
expressed our confidence in our Greek friends. I've always said I believed there
was enough time to finish the preparations in due time.
"Many did not believe me. Many did not believe the IOC, saying, 'Oh, but
you're nice to the Greeks.' We knew they could do it amid a very strong
skepticism and criticism internationally. I think our friends have delivered in
Athens in a very splendid way."
The Olympic hosts claimed they won more medals than any other country or
region in the Games - measured against the nation's population of 11 million.
Greece, who averaged one gold medal in their previous 23 Olympic appearances,
delivered six gold medals, with the most unlikely one from diving, a sport
dominated by Chinese.
"Considering the ratio of medals to our population we rank first, together
with Hungary," said the Greek team's chief Yiannis Papadoyiannakis.
The United States topped the gold tally for the third straight time, sweeping
35 gold medals as its teenage swimmer Michael Phelps emerged the most-medaled in
the Games on eight including six in gold.
China followed on 32 golds, its best ever finish since the country ended an
Olympic gold drought in 1984.
Liu Xiang turned out the brightest star on the Chinese team as the
21-year-old from Shanghai equaled a world record to claim the men's 110m
hurdles.
The Chinese women's volleyball team staged a heroic comeback to beat Russia
3-2 in the final, winning their first gold since 1984.
Luo Xuejuan took a precious swimming gold for China, which also struck its
first ever golds in wrestling, tennis and canoeing.
With four more years of hard work and a bit home-turf edge, China will very
likely top the United States when Beijing hosts the 2008 Games, although the
Chinese sports chief brushed aside the notion that China has joined the United
States in sporting super heavyweights.
"We are not a sports power as great as the United States or Russia," said
Chinese sports minister Yuan Weimin.
After a poor start, Russia surged ahead in the last week of the Olympics to
finish third on gold count with 27 and second on the medal table with 92.
With stunning performances in cycling and swimming, Australia repeated its
fourth finish with 17 golds, one more than its haul four years ago at home.
Japan came out of decades-long slump to bag 16 golds, double that of its
regional rival South Korea, and one short of leveling its record collection of
16 in the 1964 Olympics.
Thailand, with three golds, was celebrating its best ever Olympic finish,
along with Chinese Taipei, who won their first ever gold medals with two titles
in taekwondo.
"This is the games where Asia was truly awakened. This is a strong sign that
Asians will be at full strength in Beijing in four years time," Rogge said.
As the Athens Games went down to history as the one of the most competitive,
it also registered a record doping busts.
Twenty-plus athletes have been thrown out of the Athens Games for doping
violations so far. Dozens more athletes were weeded out before the games even
started; others stayed home for fear of humiliation.
Hungary's Adrian Annus lost his hammer throw gold for doping on the last day,
the third disgraced champion after Russian shot put winner Irina Korzhanenko and
men's discus champion Robert Fazekas of Hungary snared in the anti-doping net.
The Athens Games was lauded as a watershed in the anti-doping war, brought on
by the IOC's "zero tolerance" resolve.
"In terms of drawing a line in the sand, we've done that here in Athens,"
world anti-doping czar Dick Pound said. "If we catch you, you're gone. If we
can't catch you now, we'll get you later and you're gone."
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