Greek organizers call upon military for extra security

Athens ordered a major boost in military involvement in security for the Aug. 13-29 Games, as Greece’s public order minister denied reports Wednesday of problems with its massive Olympic surveillance system.

An additional 35,000 military personnel have been assigned for “secondary” duties to free the 70,000 police and soldiers already detailed to guard Olympic sites in Athens and three other Greek cities.

Police spokesman Lefteris Ikonomou said the additional manpower will be used to guard railroad stations, borders and other areas, mainly outside Athens.

Olympic security has stretched resources to the limit in Greece, which is spending a record $1.5 billion on protecting the games.

The military also will provide 500 vehicles, 50 ships and more than 200 planes, including fighters to monitor a no-fly zone over Athens. Also deployed will be U.S.-made Patriot and Russian S-300 air defense systems, armed forces officials announced Tuesday.

Athens has revised its security budget and commitments upwards several times this year amid continued international concern surrounding the safety of the first summer games held since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.

Also Wednesday, Athens’ main port of Piraeus was closed for nearly two hours as a navy minesweeper inspected the area where luxury cruise ships will moor during the games to serve as floating hotels.

Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis denied reports that city’s elaborate surveillance systems was not fully operational.

Meanwhile, a homemade bomb exploded near an electrical substation outside the Greek capital, causing damage but no injuries.

Authorities said it was not immediately clear if there were a link between the blast and the Olympics.

The device, which police say was made with a cooking gas canister and a triggering fuse, exploded in the bathroom of a building near a substation in the town of Metamorphosi, six miles from Athens. No electrical facilities were damaged.

Americans bask on beautiful island

A collection of bungalows provides a stunning view of the calm, aqua water of the Mediterranean softly lapping at the sand of the Pilot Beach Resort.

Just behind it are the foothills of the rugged Lefka Ori – or White Mountains. Winding roads lead to quaint villages and the caves where, legend has it, the Greek gods were born.

“It’s beautiful. This is great,” marathoner Jen Rhines said. “It’s even better than I think we imagined.”

The U.S. track and field team began arriving on the sun-baked island of Crete for a mix of relaxation and training before heading to the Olympics in nearby Athens.

About half of the 531 American athletes have made the trip to Greece, looking to defend their spot atop the Summer Games medals table.

Security is tight but not obtrusive.

Plainclothes Greek police officers were stationed outside a section of the resort on Crete’s northern coast. One officer, who wore swimming trunks and carried a handgun beneath his short-sleeved shirt, said there were many more police in the area – they just weren’t that easy to spot.

Mike Conley, executive director of elite athlete programs for USA Track & Field, chose the location and said about 100 of the 115 members of the U.S. track team will spend time there.

Coria withdraws from tennis

Third-ranked Guillermo Coria of Argentina will skip the Athens Olympics because of a right shoulder injury, his trainer said from Buenos Aires. The French Open finalist has tendinitis, and tests indicated he would not recover in time for the Aug. 15 start of tennis competition.

Ex-MLB players boost Canada

Former Seattle Mariners Rob Ducey and Paul Spoljaric helped Canada defeat Greece 5-3 at Baltimore’s Camden Yards in a tuneup for baseball competition at the Games.

Ducey, an outfielder in the big leagues for 13 years, was the designated hitter and scored Canada’s first run.

“Things went very well. We end up winning the game,” Ducey said. “We have guys that haven’t played a whole lot this year, and they’re going to get a chance to see some pitches and get some at-bats before the Olympics start.”

Canada’s hopes for collecting a medal were bolstered by the performance.

In other baseball news, Japan’s team for the first time will be made up entirely of professionals, leaving teams from the Central and Pacific leagues without some of their best players during the pennant drive.

Infielder Michihiro Ogasawara is putting up most valuable player-like numbers for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters this season but will miss a handful of games when he heads to the Games.

“I’m hoping to bring a gold medal home to Hokkaido,” Ogasawara said..