Article: Athenian transformations: Athens is undergoing traumatic transformations in preparation for the Olympics. Report by Jim Antoniou.(Place)

Greece is renowned as the homeland of the Olympic Games in honour of the god Zeus at Olympia, now the mute ruins of the Palaestra, or training ground. Training was gruelling work, so much so that the Greek word for competing games, agones, became the English word for 'agony'. Greece is once again frantically agonizing to create the right setting in Athens for the 2004 International Olympic Games, with over 200 countries competing. As a result of hosting the Games, modern Athens is undergoing a long-awaited renaissance to upgrade the capital to European standards. Athenians are suddenly realizing that ugly surroundings are not inevitable.

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