saeedahmed.com

The Olympic Files

thomson network; 07/15/96; rbm; for: all papers

ATLANTA OFFICIALS TACKLING THE THREE T's

By SAEED AHMED

For Atlanta, the mad dash toward the July 19 "absolutely unnegotiable deadline" has paid off. The venues are up, the volunteers are in place and the city is ready for the party of the century.

The success or failure of the Centennial Olympic Games now depends on what some Atlantans call the three "t's": temperature, traffic and terrorism.

"This could very well be the first time when the athletes cheer if it rains on their (Opening Ceremony) parade," said Jason McCall, one of many in Atlanta worried the brutal heat will take away from the festivities.

With Atlanta's temperature expected to average 88 degrees -- 10 degrees above that of the past five host cities -- health officials are concerned heat-related illnesses will skyrocket among spectators and athletes. During June's U.S. Olympic track & field trials, more than 100 needed treatment after the mercury rose to a humid 100 degrees in the stands.

"Heat has and always will be an issue at any Summer Games," said Pressley Harris, spokesperson for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. "But we have taken a number of steps to keep the emergencies to a minimum."

For visitors, cooling stations manned by volunteers trained in heat relief have been set up throughout the city. Organizers have also placed misting tents at some venues and are using rollerbladers with water-packs to shower fans upon request. Also, all concessionaires are required to provide free water once the temperature exceeds 90 degrees.

Outdoor events, especially those more than 15 minutes long, have been scheduled for early morning or late afternoon. Additionally, the competitors are provided with portable misting fans and plenty of fluids.

A second potential problem for Atlanta is traffic. In a city where rush hour often grinds to a halt--even on slow days--the onslaught of the 100,000 additional vehicles can become a nightmare.

To discourage visitors from driving, ACOG has prohibited spectator parking at all venues, and closed off certain streets to all but essential vechicles. Out-of-towners are well-advised to steer clear of cabs-- unless they know exactly where they're going -- Atlanta has 43 roads named Peachtree, which can confuse even the most experienced cabbie. A survey by an Atlanta TV station Sunday found few who know where the Olympic venues were.

The city's transit system, MARTA, is operating 24 hours a day, and 1,500 buses have been borrowed to expedite service.

"MARTA was really one of the main reasons for the Games being awarded to Atlanta because we are in direct proximity to all the major venues," MARTA spokesperson Laura Gillig said. "Visitors are already beginning to notice that, and it shows in our (ridership) figures."

More than traffic or heat, the biggest headache for Atlanta during the Games may be security. In a national poll, 61 percent of Americans expressed concerns about the Games being a target for terrorists.

"Every crackpot in the world will want to make a statement, and what better stage to get the world's attention than the Olympics?" said Brandy Sheridan, a librarian. "The hard part for ACOG will be which threats to take seriously and which to ignore."

Organizers say they empathize with the high level of anxiety among the general public, but insist Atlanta will be the "safest place in the world."

Over \$303 million has been spent on security, and 22,000 federal, state and military officers have been brought in. Spectators must pass through metal detectors to enter venues and parcels and packages undergo x-ray scrutiny. At high security zones, like the Olympic Village, biometric palm devices -- which match a person's palm prints to a stored map -- guarantee athletes' safety.

But despite the many concerns, Atlantans aren't letting the negativity faze them.

"The challenge to the Olympic Games can come from so many ways, but we can handle it," Atlanta resident Richard Stull said. "After all, we're used to it after the hell we've put up with from ACOG and from (the media)."

"It's our turn to show the world the true Atlanta," Stull added. "The light's on us now, see us shine."