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An article by George Liveris that talked about the arrival in Athens of the President of the International Olympic Committee, the American Avery Brundage, as well as his views on the subject of the Olympic Games in Athens, was published in the newspaper “Athletic Echo” of 3/10/1970. As it is of high historic interest, here we present it for you as follows:
THE OPINIONS PRESENTED BY BRUNDAGE
On the day he reached his 83rd birthday (10.02.1970), Avery Brundage arrived in Greece. One of the greatest figures in the world history of sports. The man who for over half a century, is President of the Athletic Federation of USA, U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee.
With an incredible lushness the like of which I remember only demonstrated by Conrad Adenauer, when at the age of 88 he was a chancellor of West Germany while he also was a modern sportsman who flew an airplane on his own – not a fighter jet course.
Avery Brundage does not rule a state, nor heads a nation. He governs the sports of 130 countries and heads tens of millions of athletes and sports fans around the world. Avery Brundage is the man who must supervise over the world amateurism, to assist the height of the Olympic idea and keep the rhythm of the Olympic movement. A real religion, the widest religion in the world.
Avery Brundage came to our country for three days to inspect the facilities and the way the Olympic Academy conducts its business. During his stay here, he also had the chance to repeatedly cooperate with the General Secretary of Sports, the President of HOC general T. Papathanasiadi, the president of IOA E. Petralia and the other magnates of the Olympic Committee with whom he discussed the subjects of the International Olympic Committee and Greece.
The American President of the IOC was delighted with his stay here and stated that the Olympic Academy’s excellent work helps immensely towards the objectives of the International Olympic Committee.
Regarding the issue of the commission of the Olympic Games here, Avery Brundage responded to a relevant question saying he is confident that Greece will host the Olympic Games in accordance with their true principles, i.e., keeping in line with the spirit of austerity.
Regarding the timing during which the Games will be held, Mr. Avery Brundage noted that this will depend on the nominations of the other countries.
Referring to the upcoming Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, Mr. Avery Brundage stressed that the Germans advance in the construction and creation of facilities at a very rapid pace and are always on schedule.
