Athenians shed indifference to embrace Paralympians

By Jessica Halloran in Athens
September 21, 2004

In the Athens heat hundreds queue impatiently outside the gates of the swimming complex and many are turned away. At the cycling it is standing room only.

Welcome to the Paralympics, the showpiece that has a lower profile than the Olympic Games but which is proving effortlessly popular with Athenians. Cheaper tickets compared with the Olympics are credited with attracting crowds and, unlike during the main event, locals have not fled the city on holiday.

Interest in the Games is big. More than half of the 500,000 tickets had been sold on the eve of the opening ceremony on Friday, and a poll published just before the Games found 79 per cent of Greeks questioned were "very interested" in watching them. Ticket sales have totalled €4.5 million ($8 million), well over the €4 million target.

An Athens resident, Demie Kepaptsoglou, said she planned to attend events every day.

"It's a very popular thing. Most of the people are interested in watching the disabled people compete at the Paralympic Games," she said. "Tickets are much cheaper than the original Olympic Games. It's half the price of a normal Olympic ticket. I think people are going to come, especially children. Most of the people are much more pleased with the Paralympic Games because it is [not as] commercialised as the Olympics. So people prefer to come."

The Athens underground train system has been packed with spectators travelling to the Olympic complex.

An Australian gold medal, the cyclist Peter Brooks, said the large crowd spurred him on.

"Yesterday's crowds were amazing. Today when I walked in here it was capacity. I guess it's a pleasant surprise.

"You definitely have to pay tribute to the crowd. They can share the gold medal experience with me. Certainly going every lap, no matter where you were, there was a big roar," Brooks said.

"The roar that there was enormous. It's a fantastic experience, and probably one I won't see again until I am in Beijing."