Three days after a pipe bomb explosion in the heart of
Centennial Olympic Park in the early hours of Saturday morning
that claimed two deaths and hundreds of injuries, Centennial
Olympic Park will reopen tomorrow under increased security, but
also with a pledge to revive the "party spirit of the past,"
according to this morning's ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. The park's
security force will be doubled and visitors will be subject to
random searches of their bags upon entry (Michelle Hiskey,
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 7/29).
THE GAMES MUST GO ON: On Saturday, ACOG and IOC officials
decided to continue to with the Games. ACOG CEO Billy Payne, in
an interview with NBC's Tom Brokaw: "We must go on in the face
of adversity. ... The spirit of the Olympic movement mandates
that we continue." Noting the inability to secure all public
spaces, Payne said the bombing was "not a consequence of doing
other than what was done" (NBC, 7/27). Payne, asked if the
bombing will be the "legacy" of the Atlanta Games: "Time will
tell. My opinion is that we will re-establish ... [that people]
are going to be the story of these Games" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
7/28).
OTHER REAX: IOC VP Francois Carrard: "We never came close
to cancelling them" (NEWSDAY, 7/28). SI' Peter King noted the
athletes "shared one attitude" in response to the bombing:
"defiance" (SI OLYMPIC DAILY, 7/28).