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| | Friday, 23 August, 2002, 12:26 GMT 13:26 UK Athens praised ahead of 2004  Athens still has two years to prepare for the big event Olympic organisers have declared their first test event for the 2004 Athens Games a success. An international sailing regatta held in the Greek capital last week was almost hitch-free. The eight-day competition, held at the still unfinished Agios Kosmas marina, was widely praised by the 500 participants.
The marina, on the city's southern coastline, will host Olympic sailing and windsurfing events. Temporary marina facilities were used for competitors, officials and the media while construction work continued. "The facilities are even better than what we needed," said International Sailing Federation (ISAF) president Paul Henderson. "We're happy to say that Athens has done more than what we asked. "We leave very optimistic that this will be one of the best Olympics." The praise was warmly received by Athens organisers who have endured months of criticism for falling behind schedule in their preparations for 2004. Athens Olympics chief Gianna Angelopoulos said: "It does not mean that we are ready. We want to be perfect. But, with this event, we have gained in confidence." The regatta was the first of 40 test events in all sports that will be arranged over the next two years.
Competitors who visited the marina earlier this year - when criticism was at its highest - have been surprised at the progress made. "I'm shocked. It looks like the Olympics are ready to go, everything is in place," said French Finn class sailor Pascal Rambeau. "I wasn't expecting something on this scale - it's much bigger than Sydney," New Zealand windsurf coach Matthew McCormack said. But it was not all plain sailing for the organisers. One day of competition was lost to bad weather and some sailors complained of light and inconsistent winds. Competitors also got a foretaste of the tight security measures that will be in place for the Athens Olympics. "In Sydney, it was controlled, but with a smile. Here the security men were so serious that it was scary," said Rambeau. | | See also:  13 Jun 02 | Other Sports 05 Apr 02 | Sport Front Page 05 Apr 02 | Other Sports Top Sport Front Page stories now: Links to more Sport Front Page stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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