Olympics: lots of confidence, little building

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33966, 6 October 1975, Page 26

Olympics: lots of confidence, little building

tX.Z.P.A -Reuter —Copyright/

MONTREAL. World sports leaders gathered in .ontreal at the week-end to study lontreal's preparations for the 1976 Jlympic Games found themselves swamped with official confidence —but also a mass of uncompleted construction work.

The International Olympic Committee’s executive board began a crucial series of meetings on Saturday morning surrounded by good will and determined shows of progress, but it still has to rely on the assurances of the Mayor (Mr Jean Drapeau) and the Parisian architect, .Mr Roger Taillibert, that the main stadium complex can be completed by opening day, July 17. 1976.

Saturday was the opening day for Montreal’s huge new Mirabel Internationa! Airport, the official Olympic song was launched, fashion shows heralded the colourful uniforms to be worn by Olympic messengers and official, and police escorts whisked visiting delegations through traffic jams between the half-completed venues scattered around the city.

There is little of the crisis atmosphere which dominated 1.0. C. meetings over the last year when there were grave doubts that anything would be ready for the world’s greatest sports festival.

But only a construction expert could really determine whether Mayor Drapeau can deliver the vast 80.000-seat Olympic stadium for the games — and independent experts are being kept away. After completing routine business, the nine members of the 1.0. C. executive spent all of yesterday touring the sites. Lord Killanin, the 1.0.C.’s president, who will preside over his first games next . year, told a press conference of their findings after the , tour. Then the executive faced a session with leaders of the ' international federations

which control the individual sports which make up the games, who are making more detailed visits to the sites where their own <-ompetitions will be held.