(Return to "The 2004 Athens Olympics" albumn)

 

Brett flew to Sydney and attended the Olympic Processing Camp
on 23rd/25th October 2003

Wednesday 29th October 2003

Athens Team planning ahead of the game

The Australian Olympic Team heading for Athens next year is way out in front when it comes to preparation.

With the start of the Games still ten months away staff at the Australian Olympic Committee, Nike and Woolmark have completed the enormous task of “processing” the Shadow Team.

971 athletes and 327 officials have been measured, outfitted, photographed, briefed and their personal data captured by a small army of people who have been traveling throughout Australia for the past seven months.

“We’ve never been this well organised this far out from a Games” said AOC Director of Sport and Operations Craig Phillips.
“This has been a collaborative effort between the AOC, Woolmark and Nike and the team involved has done a fantastic job”.

Not all 1118 athletes and officials will get to go to Athens.
The numbers will be trimmed depending on how many athletes actually reach the qualifying standard to compete at the Athens Games.

It is expected around 500 athletes will wear the green and gold for Australia in Athens which will be our biggest “away” team at an Olympic Games.

AOC President John Coates says “the AOC is committed to sending a full Team depending on how many qualify”.

424 athletes competed for Australia in Atlanta in 1996, our largest overseas Games contingent to date.
632 athletes competed at the “home” Games in Sydney.

The AOC has budgeted a staggering $13.8 million just to send the Team to Athens.

Nike has continued its sponsorship agreement with the AOC to supply all the competition wear.
Woolmark, another sponsor from the Sydney Games, is again supplying the formal uniform, the opening ceremony uniform as well as casual wear for the Team.

Special consideration has been given to the heat with temperatures in Athens in August expected to top 40 degrees.
The designers will be aiming to keep the athletes cool on and off the field of play.
“Ultimately the athletes will be able to step off a plane in Athens collect their uniforms with a minimum of fuss and move straight into the Village and get on with the job of competing at their best for Australia” Phillips said.

Each athlete on the Team will receive over 100 items of clothing ranging from shoes, tracksuits, shorts, teeshirts, hats, bags, sweatbands, sports bras and other accessories.