European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Barcelona # a tackles the olympic games Challenge the City s old stadium once slated for demolition has been renovated for the games. At left workers race the clock As they ready the olympic  Vince Crawley staff writer Barcelona Spain s 2,000-year-old City on the sea Lias All the symptoms of olympic Lover. The subways Are clean the grit Tiest slums Art gone and the red Light District has been tem x warily moved away from the downtown waterfront. Three times previously in this Century Spain s Quot second c ily Quot campaigned to Host the summer games even going so Lar As to build a stadium in 1929, but to no Avail. Finally on the fourth try the International olympic committee nodded its approval Lor the 1 992 games. But with a month to go then1 is still much work to be done. Beginning at Sunrise the air is tilled w Ith the Staci Ato of Jat hammers As construction Crews sprint to put the finishing tout lies on a 10-year Marathon of Urban renewal. 1 hese workmen will lie the City s unofficial Gold medallists it they actually finish by the time the athenian flame is lighted atop the1 venerable month Pic stadium at 8 37 . On july 28. Everywhere is the Clatter and contusion of Barcelona s 2 million people feverishly racing to meet their olympian deadline. During a visit two months before Showtime the place looked for All the world like it was digging out after an earthquake or atomic bomb. The Harbor the Airport the train station dozens of streets and squares and monuments were All in a chaotic state. It was As if the easy going spaniards so famous for putting things off until another Day had just discovered there is no Manana. Olympic guide Marianela Franco seemed genuinely shocked when she said that the Highway by pass had opened a few weeks earlier part of it tunnelling beneath downtown and cutting Street traffic by 22 recent. Quot truthfully Quot Franco said Quot i never thought it would be finished for the  but much More remains to lie unveiled. The eerie Beauty of the magic Fountain one of tin City s symbols c eyed six months ago its plug pulled until further notice. I Low about that elevator inside the 200-foot column in Monument 1 closed Lor renovation f or that matter so is the meet it sits on. Ditto for the Boardwalk in front of it. At least the olympic stadium is finished. Built More than half a Century ago it was about to be demolished in 1081 Vav Hen City fathers once again resurrected their Long standing ambition to Host an olympiad. For the record they lost to Paris in 1924, Berlin in 36 and Munich in 72. A amps photos by Jim Derheim the people of Barcelona Are Able to brag with some Pride that their Arena hosted the popular games of 1936, a footnote event for sports trivia buffs that was staged As an alternative to Quot Hitler s games Quot in Berlin said Franco our tour guide. Originally seating 30,000, the old fashioned stadium was refurbished and can now temporarily seat 65,000 a still Small by today s olympic crowd seating standards. However Barcelona is determined to make a profit on the games thanks in part to nearly $640 million in contracts Tor telex Sion rights and aided by the endeavour space shuttle s last minute communications satellite Rescue. This Means the City is taking a practical approach building Only things that will still be useful on aug. 10, the Day after the closing ceremony. Quot we could build a Gigantic stadium Quot Franco said. Quot but w hat will we do with a Gigantic stadium after the olympics the place is almost empty during Ordinary sports events she said. Quot it Only fills up for Rock concerts Madonna the rolling  still she conceded the opening and closing ceremonies will be cramped at the stadium despite the fact that workers added extra rows of seats by dynamite no the floor and sinking 8 stripes Magazine june 18, 1992