All-clear given for Games to start

Press, 17 July 1980, Page 6

All-clear given for Games to start

NZPA-Reuter Moscow The Soviet Union declared itself fully ready yesterday for the opening of the Olympic Games on Saturday, despite the boycotts and demonstrations planned to protest against the Kremlin’s military. intervention in Afghanistan. The head of the organising committee, Mr Ignaty Novikov, said the Games would be staged “to high organisational, technological and sporting standards.” Mr Novikov, a Deputy Prime Minister and an engineer responsible for .planning and building the lavish Olympic installations, spoke after making his final pregames report to the International Olympic Committee. The Soviet Union would try to be present at the Los Angeles Games in 1984. But he left open the possibility that the • situation might change. “We want to be present and we will try to be present, not like the Americans here.

“But time can change many things.” If the United States did not violate 1.0. C. rules, in future

and the 1.0. C. did not ■ ch an |« its own position, then we would be pleased to go, ne The Soviet organising committee W’ould accept the 1.0.C.’s ruling on whether tne United States flag would be raised at the end of theclcing ceremony on August 3_ to symbolise the moving of tne Olympics on to Los Angeles. The Soviet Government had recived two formal communications from the United States asking that the nag not be raised in Moscow, he said. . ... The 1.0. C. director, Monique Berlioux announced that 5687 athletes had been registered as participants, 1229 women and 4458 men. Another 1985 team officials will join them in the Olympic village. The Moscow organisers, like those in Montreal four years ago, originally, expected up to 10,000 athletes. After the African boycott, 6189 competed at Montreal. Mrs Berlioux said later that the 1.0. C. understood that Washington had now accepted the 1.0.C.’s view that the raising of the American flag was part of the protocol of the 1984 Games.

The Olympic stadium Wa? regarded as Olympic and not Soviet territory during f Games.

She said no questions were raised during the closet 1.0. C. meeting about changes in protocol for the opening and victory ceremonies. Rule changes at the Lake Placic session earlier this year allowed countries to use the 1.0. C. or national Olympic committee flag rather than their national flag. The British Olympic Association’s decision to send only Dick Palmer, its generalsecretary to march in the op. ening parade while athletes stayed in the village or spectator stands, met the new rules, she said. Earlier yesterday, Mr Vladimir Koval, the deputy chairman of the Soviet Games Organising Committee, rebuked West European countries for planning to use the opening ceremony to make a protest over Afghanistan. About 20 countries most of them European are expected either to keep their athletes out of the opening parade or turn up without their national flags and march behind the Olympic banner.