10 DAYS TO GO - ITU DIARY FROM ATHENS

TICKETS FOR THE TRIATHLON STADIUM: Triathlon was the first sport to be sold out - all of the 3,000 seats in the Triathlon stadium at Vouliagmeni are gone. For those of you who ordered tickets, they will be available for pick-up at the Triathlon Technical Officials Village (TOV), 28 Panos Street, Vouliagmeni on Monday, 23 August from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For those federations who have ordered tickets but have not forwarded payment, please make sure that you bring the payment when you come to pick up your tickets.

For NF Presidents and Secretary Generals who have reserved a ticket for the stadium, you have to pick up your ticket at the same time at the TOV on 28 Panos Street.

VENUE VISITORS AT VOULIAGMENI: We had lots of visitors at the Triathlon Venue in Vouliagment today. Our day started with a visit by ITU Vice President Chiharu Igaya (IOC) who met with Gergely Markus (Competition Manager), Sheila O’Kelly (Competition Jury), Brian Hinton (ITU Executive Board) and Loreen Barnett (Technical Delegate). We reviewed the entire venue then met to discuss several ways to improve some of the elements of the production.

ITU President Les McDonald came to the venue with a delegation from Beijing 2008 led by Yang Shu’an, Vice President Chinese Olympic Committee to review the key features. Les emphasized the importance of establishing a strong competition and venue management team and the importance of establishing a stadium setting on the beach where spectators can view all three parts of the sport.

Dragana Pavlovich from the IOC Sport Department (formerly President of the Yugoslav Triathlon Federation and ETU Board member) and Bob Fasulo, Executive Director of the Association of Summer Olympic Federations (ASOIF) also visited Vouliagmeni to support the work of Gergely Markus and his Competition Team. Both Dragana and Bob have been very involved and supportive these past months as final preparations were taking place.

Les McDonald, Loreen Barnett and Sheila O’Kelly also met with Ole V. Beust, the Lord Mayor of Hamburg, Klaus Mueller-Ott, President of DTU, and members of Hamburg Marketing Gmbh. Hamburg has put together a strong bid for the 2007 Triathlon World Championships.

STRONG WIND STORM OFF AEGEAN: A strong winds came up this afternoon over the entire coastline of Greece, which proved very exciting for the Olympic sailing competition which took place between the island of Aegena and Athens. The wind also provided a strong challenge for all of the installations at our triathlon venue. Everything met and passes the challenge.

TOMORROW….9 DAYS TO GO….