ITALY: Turin Olympic Committee are working hard to ensure Winter Games runs smoothly

Record ID: 331909

  • Title: ITALY: Turin Olympic Committee are working hard to ensure Winter Games runs smoothly
  • Date: 29th December 2005
  • Summary: GV/PAN: OF MOUNTAIN RANGE
  • Embargoed: 13th January 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA6NMWX5OQ9D33H9VLQI7NIWWSO
  • Story Text: Turin's Olympic Committee is working hard to find solutions in advance for everything that might go wrong during February's Winter Games, in particular including transport, logistics and - most importantly - snow fall. Well aware that Italians are not internationally renowned for their clockwork organisation skills, the Turin Olympic Committee (TOROC) is working hard to ensure that the upcoming Winter Games go smoothly in every aspect.
    With the main construction works proceeding on schedule both in Turin and in the Alps, TOROC is looking to consider future scenarios to make sure possible problems are tackled before they arise. Logistics is the first obvious focus of concern as 2,500 athletes, 10,000 members of the media and 1 million spectators are expected to arrive to the area by February 10, when the Games start. TOROC maintains that enough is being done to grant transport, accomodation and access to the venues. Dedicated "Olympic lanes" have already been drawn in the main roads that connect the city with the Alps, to ensure that normal city traffic and Olympic-related transport don't get in each other's way in February. Over a thousand buses and three thousand cars will be made available for athletes and members of the press while a frequent shuttle service will be available to the public.
    Responding to concerns that people who bought tickets would find it difficoult to reach events, TOROC have printed a 180-page Spectator Guide that will be given to every ticket holder, giving details about transport, times, venues and competitions. Ticketing Manager of TOROC Giorgio Lauretta says any fears that ticket holders have should be dispelled by the Spectator Guide or referring to the official website - www.torino2006.org, Lauretta says that 25,000 volunteers will be working throughout the games to assist athletes, journalists and spectators.
    Another source of concern for organisers is the response of local inhabitants in the face of the massive Olympic influx of people. "Surely there will be many problems. When people come in mass from the city to the mountains there are always problems like restricted access, passes..." says Caterina Macchi, a resident of Sestriere. "But we know that we have to cope with these things for the sake of this great event" she added, summing up the general enthusiasm of the residents. Most local people expect problems but they also expect advantages to come along with them and are ready to cope.
    Turin has spent more than 15 billion U.S. dollars so that the Games can transform the nation's fourth largest city from a fading automotive-manufacturing area into a hot spot for sports enthusiasts and tourists. But the most essential element of the Olympics, far more than any logistical aspect, is the snow. Since Salt Lake City's Winter Olympics in 2002, enviromentalists have warned that global warming threatens the future Winter Games because it is resulting in less snow, and shorter and warmer winters. Surface temperatures are warmer this century than any other in the last thousand years. But snow has fallen heavily near Turin in December and its conditions are constantly monitored. "The snow that has already fallen allows us to maintain a sufficient snow cover everywhere in the sites, also keeping in mind that the tracks have been integrated and will be continuously integrated with a good system of programmed (artificial) snowing" Roberto Maini, TOROC's enviroment manager, told Reuters Television. TOROC has worked closely with the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) to draw up a plan for a "green" Olympics. This includes offsetting all carbon dioxide emissions - seen as the cause of global warming - produced during the Games by cutting down on similar pollution elsewhere.
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