Athens 2004 – the no show games

Richard Cashman, writing in The Australian, has dubbed the current Olympics the no show games.

SPECTATORS are important to the Olympics. They are more than the backdrop to a global event; they provide the tangible buzz of excitement that is conveyed to the huge television audience.



Although there was a full house for the much-praised opening ceremony in Athens on Friday night, spectators have stayed away in droves in the first four days of competition. There have been reasonable crowds at some of the glamour events, such as gymnastics, swimming and diving, but many other attractive and well-appointed venues have been virtually empty.

Read the full article here.

I must say that is has been strange seeing events on TV with minimal spectators.

So what’s going on? Security fears? Extreme prices for accomodation? (I heard last night that a hotel hich normally charges around $200 a night is currently charging $1000)

Let’s hope the spectators start getting behind the games as they reach more of the final stages.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

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