IOC ?Inspector General? Oswald starts Athens visit Wednesday

An IOC inspection team of 44 led by the new overseer of the Athens Games, FISA President Denis Oswald, starts a three-day visit tomorrow (Wednesday). It is the final IOC review before Athens hits the 1,000-day threshold and the final stretch before the start of the Games in August 2004.

AP reports that Oswald – dubbed “Denis the Menace” by some Greek media – jolted the government and Olympic organisers from a summer slumber by announcing the surprise visit.

In the wake of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, security issues are likely to take center stage during the three-day review, but it won’t necessarily top the agenda. The government already has announced it will overhaul its $600 million security plan to include contingencies for possible aerial assaults.

More security, however, will not make up for the valuable time lost by Athens in the first three years after it won the bid. Even before his arrival, Oswald expressed concern over delays and sent a list of venues he wanted to see, including the weightlifting site in Nikea.

Construction delays are expected to monopolise discussions among the IOC inspectors, organisers and the government.

Information for this article came from AP News and Sportsline.com