Legacy
To commemorate the games, a series of Greek high value euro collectors' coins were minted by the Mint of Greece, in both silver and gold. The pieces depict landmarks in Greece as well as ancient and modern sports on the obverse of the coin. On the reverse, a common motif with the logo of the games, circled by an olive branch representing the spirit of the games.
Preparations to stage the Olympics led to a number of positive developments for the city's infrastructure. These improvements included the establishment of Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, a modern new international airport serving as Greece's main aviation gateway; expansions to the Athens Metro system; the "Tram", a new metropolitan tram (light rail) system system; the "Proastiakos", a new suburban railway system linking the airport and suburban towns to the city of Athens; the "Attiki Odos", a new toll motorway encircling the city, and the conversion of streets into pedestrianized walkways in the historic center of Athens which link several of the city's main tourist sites, including the Parthenon and the Panathinaiko Stadium (the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896). All of the above infrastructure is still in use to this day, and there have been continued expansions and proposals to expand Athens' metro, tram, suburban rail and motorway network, the airport, as well as further plans to pedestrianize more thoroughfares in the historic center of Athens.
The Greek Government has created a corporation, Olympic Properties SA, which is overseeing the post-Olympics management, development and conversion of these facilities, some of which will be sold off (or have already been sold off) to the private sector, while some other facilities are still in use, or have been converted for commercial use or modified for other sports.
As of 2012 many conversion schemes have stalled owing to the financial crisis in Greece. The annual cost to maintain the sites has been estimated at £500 million, a sum which has been politically controversial in Greece, though many of these facilities are now under the control of domestic sporting clubs and organizations or the private sector.
The table below delineates the current status of the Athens Olympic facilities:
| Facility | Olympics Use | Current/Proposed Use |
|---|---|---|
| Athens Olympic Stadium (OAKA) | Opening & Closing Ceremonies, Track & Field, Football | Home pitch for Panathinaikos FC, AEK FC (football; Greek Super League, UEFA Champions League), Greek national football team (some matches), International football competitions; Track & Field events (e.g. IAAF Athens Grand Prix), Concerts |
| Athens Olympic Indoor Hall | Basketball, Gymnastics | Home court for Panathinaikos BC and AEK BC (Greek basketball league); Greek National Basketball Team, International basketball competitions, Concerts |
| Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre | Swimming, Diving, Synchronized Swimming, Water Polo | Domestic and international swimming meets, Public pool, domestic league and European water-polo games. |
| Athens Olympic Tennis Centre | Tennis | Domestic and international tennis matches, training courts open to the public and home of the Athens Tennis Academy, currently the best-kept facility in the complex |
| Athens Olympic Velodrome | Cycling | Domestic and international cycling meets |
| Peace and Friendship Stadium | Volleyball | Home court for Olympiacos BC (basketball), Concerts, Conventions and trade shows |
| Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena | Basketball, Handball | Home court for Panionios BC (basketball), Conventions and trade shows |
| Hellinikon Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre | Canoe/Kayak | Turned over to a private consortium (J&P AVAX, GEP, Corfu Waterparks and BIOTER), plans to convert it to a water park, although currently it is abandoned. |
| Hellinikon Olympic Hockey Centre | Field Hockey | Mini-football, will be part of new Hellinikon metropolitan park complex |
| Hellinikon Baseball Stadium | Baseball | Main ground (no. 1) converted to football pitch, home field of Ethnikos Piraeus F.C. (Football; Greek second division), auxiliary ground (no. 2) abandoned. |
| Hellinikon Softball Stadium | Softball | Abandoned |
| Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre | Sailing | Currently out of use, turned over to the private sector (Seirios AE), will become marina with 1,000+ yacht capacity and will be part of Athens' revitalized waterfront |
| Ano Liosia Olympic Hall | Judo, Wrestling | TV filming facility, Future home of the Hellenic Academy of Culture and Hellenic Digital Archive |
| Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre | Beach Volleyball | Concert and theater venue, it hosted Helena Paparizou's concert on 13 August 2005 to celebrate the first anniversary of the Olympic Games, currently sees minimal usage plans to turn it into an ultra-modern outdoor theater |
| Faliro Sports Pavilion | Handball, Taekwondo | Converted to the Athens International Convention Center, hosts concerts, conventions and trade shows |
| Galatsi Olympic Hall | Table Tennis, Rhythmic Gymnastics | After 2004, was the home court of AEK BC (basketball) before the team moved to the Athens Olympic Indoor Hall. Turned over to the private sector (Acropol Haragionis AE and Sonae Sierra SGPS S.A), being converted to a shopping mall and retail/entertainment complex. |
| Goudi Olympic Complex | Badminton, Modern Pentathlon | Now the site of the ultra-modern Badminton Theater, hosting major theatrical productions |
| Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre | Equestrian | Horse racing, Domestic and International Equestrian meets, Auto racing (rallye) |
| Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre | Shooting | Converted to the official shooting range and training center of the Hellenic Police., but sees hardly any use and is reported to be heavily vandalised. |
| Nikaia Olympic Weightlifting Hall | Weightlifting | Has hosted fencing competitions in the years following the Olympics, but has recently been turned over to the University of Piraeus for use as an academic lecture and conference center. |
| Parnitha Olympic Mountain Bike Venue | Mountain Biking | Part of the Parnitha National Park. In public use for biking and hiking. |
| Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hall | Boxing | Partially converted to a football pitch, also in use for gymnastics competitions. |
| Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre | Rowing and Canoeing | One of only three FISA-approved training centers in the world, the others being in Munich and Seville. Hosts domestic and international rowing and canoeing meets. Part of the Schinias National Park, completely reconstructed by the German company Hochtief., has not been used since the Olympics and its waters are becoming more of a swamp. The increase in mosquitoes and other insects in neighbouring areas is thought to be because of the abandonment of the Rowing Centre which has been colonised by them. |
| Vouliagmeni Olympic Centre | Triathlon | Temporary facility, not in existence presently. |
| Kaftanzoglio Stadium | Football | Home pitch for Iraklis FC (football; Greek Super League) and temporary home pitch for Apollon Kalamarias FC (football; Greek second division). Also in use for track and field meets. Hosted the 2007 Greek football All-Star Game. |
| Karaiskaki Stadium | Football | Home pitch for Olympiacos FC (football; Greek Super League) and for the Greek National Football team. Also used as a concert venue. |
| Pampeloponnisiako Stadium | Football | Home pitch for Panahaiki FC (football; Greek third division). Also used for various track-and-field events, concerts, conventions, and friendly matches of the Greek National Football Team. |
| Pankritio Stadium | Football | Home pitch for OFI FC and Ergotelis FC (football; Greek Super League). Hosted the 2005 Greek football All-Star game. Also home to various track-and-field meets. |
| Panthessaliko Stadium | Football | Home pitch for Niki Volou FC (football; Greek third division). Has also hosted concerts, conventions and track-and-field meets. |
| Panathainaiko Stadium | Marathon, Archery | Site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. One of Athens' major tourist attractions, also used for occasional sporting and concert events. |
| The Ancient Stadium at Olympia | Track and Field | One of Greece's historic sites and largest tourist attractions, open to the public to this day. |
| International Broadcast Centre (IBC) | International Broadcast Centre | Half of it (the section fronting Kifissias Avenue) has been turned over to the private company Lambda Development SA and has been converted to a luxury shopping, retail, office and entertainment complex known as the "Golden Hall." The remaining section, facing the Olympic Stadium itself, will become home to the Hellenic Olympic Museum and the International Museum of Classical Athletics. |
| Olympic Athletes' Village | Housing | 2,292 apartments were sold to low-income individuals and today the village is home to over 8,000 residents. Several communal installations however are abandoned and heavily vandalised. |
| Olympic Press Village | Housing | It has been turned over to the private sector and namely Lamda Developments S.A. (the same company which owns and runs the Mall of Athens and the Golden Hall), and has been converted to luxury flats. |
Read more about this topic: 2004 Summer Olympics
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“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
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