2000 Sydney Games: 500 days to go

With 500 days to go before the Sydney Olympics, organizers still cannot escape the shadow of the last six months.

The bribery scandal involved in Salt Lake City’s winning bid for the2002 Winter Olympics erupted last November, and has sincebrought the purge of 10 International Olympic Committee members,the creation of two panels to regulate ethics and write new rules, and tarnished the image of the games and their leaders.

Sydney organizers want to refocus attention on the athletes and competition. Yet as the 500-day countdown passes Tuesday, the scandal remains in the spotlight despite good progress on preparations for the games of Sept. 15-Oct. 1, 2000.

Construction of venues and the athletes village is on or ahead of schedule, with the 100,000-seat Olympic Stadium opened to rave reviews more than a month ago.

Tests of the stadiums and the transportation system for the games have been positive, if not perfect, and the huge events schedule is set.

“We are very satisfied,” said Jacques Rogge, an IOC executive board member and head of the committee’s coordination panel for the games.

Rogge’s commission reviewed venues, transportation , housing, security and coordination with international sports bodies during a visit last month, the first by top IOC officials since the scandal broke.

But even that visit was colored by the bribery scandal. Rogge spenthis first day with Australian sponsors, saying the IOC had betrayed them, the athletes and the public.

Budget problems also dog the Sydney Organizing Committee forthe Olympic Games, which last month cut $32.5 million fromsponsorship forecasts and put another $16 million into a contingency fund in case things get worse.

Rogge said Sydney’s sponsorship goals always wereoverambitious, but acknowledged the scandal discouragedsponsors. He said reform will make the IOC a “better-functioning” IOC.

“We believe the Sydney Games are not going to be damaged long term, or at games time,” Rogge said.

Sydney organizers said the cuts will be made through “reorganization of priorities” rather than budget slashing. The “core quality” of the games won’t be affected, although “we are not considering anything immune,” said Michael Knight, the Olympics minister of New South Wales and the head of the organizing committee.

SOCOG still has to find about $110 million before the Olympics, a figure Rogge said was achievable.

Meanwhile, an Australian IOC member is one of two who remain under investigation in the scandal.

Phil Coles was censured after the Salt Lake investigation and standsfurther accused of receiving excessive gifts from another biddingcity. His case is expected to be decided by the IOC this week.

While the scandal has simmered, Sydney organizers are gearing up their campaigns for public support.

More than 100,000 people attended the opening of the OlympicStadium in March with a fireworks display and rugby leaguegames. Other events have been marred slightly by a transportation glitch, which once sent a trainload of city-bound spectators in the wrong direction.

The path of the Olympic torch relay is so extensive – including an underwater visit to the Great Barrier Reef – that even people living in the most remote town will not have to travel far to see it.

SOCOG’s next big challenge is to sell 5 million tickets reserved forAustralians to the 1,700 events covering 28 sports, which go on sale in late May.

Knight says the necessary cuts are small in an overall budget of $1.6 billion. But there is no doubt finding the savings puts pressure on the overall spending plan.

SOCOG chief executive Sandy Hollway has imposed a freeze on staff hiring. And while looking for cuts elsewhere, SOCOG has had to boost its budget to solve emerging technology problems, an area that plagued Atlanta in 1996.

Rogge said the coordination commission was watching technology closely, although he was reassured by the allocation of extra money and personnel.

Knight is determined that the forecast budget surplus of $19.5 million not be touched. After spending $1.3 billion of public money on venues, taxpayers deserve to get something back, Knight said.

“If we can’t put on a great games for 2.5 billion (Australian dollars), then everybody involved deserves to be sacked and I should be politically executed,” Knight said.

SOCOG is facing opposition from local residents who claim the beach volleyball event will close off too much of famous Bondi Beach for too long.

The local council said it is willing to negotiate a better compensation deal with SOCOG, after Knight hinted SOCOG would consider legal action if the council tried to renege. Associated Press