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In pictures: What the venues from the 2004 Olympics look like now

A number of the stadiums built for the Athens Games are now unused and overgrown.

EIGHT YEARS AFTER Greece spent โ‚ฌ12 billion to stage the 2004 Olympics, some of those once-gleaming venues are crumbling.

The economy is a part of it, but so is the fact that many of these venues were built only for sports with little local interest (like softball), and now have no use.

A number of Greek officials admitted to the AFP that there was a lack of planning, and no one considered what they would be used for after the Games.

Despite all that, many of the venues from the Games are still going strong. The Olympic Stadium, Olympic Village, media center, and a few small-scale sports arenas have all found tenants.

But still, the aquatics center, beach volleyball arena, and softball arena are all literally falling apart. In addition, the massive Helliniko Olympic Complex where many events were held has been abandoned, and is in desperate need of private investors, according to AFP.

The photos of these venues are stunning, and a stern warning to future host cities of the importance of long-term planning.

The Athens Olympics venues eight years on
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  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

  • The Athens Olympics venues eight years on

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    Mute Lochlainn McKenna
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    May 23rd 2019, 12:08 PM

    โ€œAustralian footballer gets called up to Australian squad.โ€

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    Mute PScald
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    May 23rd 2019, 3:51 PM

    Is there any other country besides us and maybe North Korea which would run an article like this.

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    Mute Ronan McDermott
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    May 23rd 2019, 7:55 PM

    @PScald: haha . Nothing really wrong with the story though . Prob got published here as Martin Oโ€™Neill was looking at him., made the right choice . Senseless for him to play for Ireland . All tbouse long haul flights to prob sit on the bench

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    Mute Alan Dowdall
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    May 23rd 2019, 10:14 PM

    For someone who grew up in Australia he sounds like someone who grew up in Dublinโ€™s Northside!

    Very tidy player, always demands the ball in tight spaces. Has a great range of passing and could do a job for Ireland I reckon. Definitely the stand out Centre Mid in the A-League.

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    Mute Cormac ร“ Braonรกin
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    May 23rd 2019, 12:28 PM

    Soccerwhaaas??

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    Mute Tomas Rooney
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    May 23rd 2019, 1:25 PM

    A

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