Olympians weigh safety vs. glory

Greek officials point to the extraordinary measures they have taken to protect the country during the Games, citing security as a top priority. The $1.2 billion budget is the largest Olympic security price tag ever, nearly four times that of the Sydney Games in 2000.

Greece has asked NATO to help guard international borders. There will be 70,000 security officers on duty during the Games - compared to just over 10,000 athletes. And the US company Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), which organized security for the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, is installing a vast $312 million security infrastructure system, the largest ever used for a nonmilitary operation.

With the anticipation of the homecoming Olympics already marred by delays in building stadiums and infrastructure, Greek officials have also faced criticism for delays in security preparations. At a conference in Athens last week, SAIC contractors said that such a complicated system typically takes two to three years to install, including time for testing and training; Work on the Athens system began just over a year ago. It was supposed be delivered May 28, giving security personnel at least two months of hands-on experience, but officials now say it probably won't be in place for at least another month.

"Basically, what we've started here is building a whole new system. So this makes it even more complex than you would routinely see in preparations for Olympics. Most countries don't run into that - they already have an infrastructure there, and they might build a little bit onto it," says David Tubbs, the head of SAIC in Athens.

Greek officials maintain that preparations will be finished on time. "In assuming the hosting of the 2004 Olympic Games, our country has guaranteed, vis-à-vis the international community, an absolute secure and peaceful environment ... there is no margin for cutting corners or delays when dealing with Olympic security," George Voulgarakis, Greek public order minister, recently told an assembly on Olympic security.

US ambassador to Greece Thomas Miller is more cautious, but still optimistic. He calls the Olympic security preparations a constant work in progress: "Are there guarantees? No. There are no guarantees anywhere in the world today. What this is all about is reducing risk. It's getting that risk down so much and making life so difficult for terrorists that you're not going to necessarily eliminate them, but you're going to make them go somewhere else. "

And although some athletes continue to question whether to come to Athens, thousands more are still expected here this August, with their primary focus on competing for gold.

US Olympic volleyball team member Tom Hoff knows that some of his teammates have told their families not to come to Athens, but he intends to be here with his wife and parents.

"My first priority is working on the game, on bringing home a gold medal. The Olympics are always a dangerous time," he says, recalling the bombing that took place during the Atlanta Games. "But it's also why they're great. People from all over the world will be there. If they're willing to take that risk, so am I."

He pauses for a moment, and adds, "I'll still keep following the news, though. I could change my mind up to the last minute."

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