Oly: Greece's iron woman basks in Olympic glory

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2004
Oly: Greece's iron woman basks in Olympic glory

By Sharon Labi

ATHENS, Aug 15 AAP - Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki hardly needed the money.

After all, she was already rolling in it. But accepting the challenge of preparing
Athens for the Olympic Games gave her the spotlight she is said to so desire.

With her perfectly-coiffed hair and elegant wardrobe, Angelopoulos became the face
of the Games that critics said Athens would never be able to deliver.

She has proved them wrong. Some stadiums might still be surrounded by dusty rubble
but most are fully completed, new roads opened just in time and the Olympic transport
network is up and running, albeit with some problems.

Angelopoulos' real moment of triumph came when Athens turned on a stunning opening ceremony.

Wearing a beige slim line dress and matching shoes, the glamorous brunette shared the
stage with International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge and welcomed an enormous
world TV audience to Greece.

Later, with opening ceremony over and hailed as spectacular and flawless, it was impossible
to wipe the smile from Angelopoulos's her face.

She was so pleased, it was hard to put her feelings into words.

"I will not speak," she said. "Look at my face. Look at my smile. What is important
now is that we passed this period. We opened the door and now we're somewhere else."

Angelopoulos, who has a penchant for Cuban cigars, tends to dodge questions and repeat
the same well rehearsed line.

Athens would be ready, she repeated over and over, and now that the Games have begun,
she can say:"I told you so".

"We knew it. For the others outside of Greece, it was probably difficult for them to
understand. We have an ancient heritage but it found a modern, brand new expression."

Angelopoulos has a reputation for being difficult and ruthless. She has been known
to explode and slam her fist down in meetings, but it is perhaps these qualities that
saved the Athens Games from disaster.

The 49-year-old trained lawyer and one time politician is said to be using her success
as Athens organising supremo to launch a bid for the Greek presidency.

She's had plenty of practice at living the life of a president, having resided in a
$100 million palatial house in London's trendy Chelsea.

Angelopoulos is married to shipping and steel tycoon Theodore Angelopoulos - one of
Greece's richest men. They live now in a mansion in Athens, have a private jet and a $65
million yacht, not to mention her formidable jewellery collection.

Born in Crete, she moved to Greece as a teenager to study law, and in 1989 was elected
an MP when married to George Parthenis, described in the Greek media as a playboy.

But the union didn't last and she married the very wealthy Angelopoulos in 1990.

Fourteen years later, she has made sure "Athens is lighting up the whole world".

It is the homecoming of the Games after 108 years she hopes will distinguish the Athens
Olympics from the best games ever in Sydney.

At this early stage, she has refused to draw comparisons between the two.

Each host city has its own character to offer the Olympic movement, she says.

"The difference between the Athens Games and those of other cities is that we believe
our our Games are unique in that they are a homecoming," Angelopoulos said.

"We wanted these Games not because we wanted to gain something from these Olympics
but because we believed that we had something to offer the Olympics."

With her harsh exterior, she has hardly endeared herself to the Greek population.

But after delivering a successful opening to the Games and rescuing them from the brink
of disaster, she could win a few hearts yet.

AAP sal/sp

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