Athens 2004 President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, from Lausanne on Wednesday, exactly one year before the 2004 Olympic Events, said she was convinced that Athens would organize ''magical'' Games.

Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, in a ceremony held in the Swiss capital, along with International Olympic Committee President Jaques Rogge formally addressed an invitation to 201 National Olympic Committees - a record number in modern Olympic history - to participate in the XXVIII Olympiad.

''For the first time since 1896, the world's greatest athletes coming from a record-breaking number of countries are invited to compete at the Olympic Games in Athens, a come-back to the birthplace of the Games for the athletes, for all nations, for everyone'', the head of ATHOC told the ANA.
 
The ATHOC chief said that Olympic preparations in Athens are on schedule, work is carried out at a much higher speed, and all Greeks are waiting to welcome everyone in Greece. She said Greece was undergoing a transformation.
''Europe's most contemporary airport is now open, public and private mass transportation in Athens is taking a new shape. Hundreds of public and private construction programs are underway and they will be ready for the world on 13 August 2004'', she stressed.

''We believe that we will organize 'magical' Games. We believe that as our history with the Olympic Games goes back 3,000 years, the next Olympic Games could be the best ever'', she added.

''In one year from now, as the Olympic torch will glare above Athens, everyone's systematic and hard efforts will be met with recognition as the Games that will be hosted in Athens will make Greece feel proud and will fill the world with the true spirit of the Olympic Games'', the ATHOC head concluded.

Source: Athens News Agency

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