U-M experts available to discuss Olympic Games

ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan has several experts available to discuss topics related to the 2004 Olympic Games. They include:

William Martin, U-M’s Donald R. Shepherd Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and acting president of the United States Olympic Committee. Martin can comment on various aspects of the Olympics, including what makes these Games in Athens especially important and which athletic events are being considered for future inclusion. Martin can be contacted through the USOC office at (719) 866-4531.

David Potter, professor of Greek and Latin specializing in Greek and Roman history, can speak about the sports and entertainment of those empires. He can be reached at (734) 936-2249 or dsp@umich.edu.

Artemis Leontis and Vassillios Lambropoulos of the Modern Greek Program are available to speak on the origin or complications of the modern Games, Greek politics (ancient or modern) that may have influenced the Games, how Athens is preparing for the 2004 Games and what that city hopes to gain from hosting the Olympics—socially, economically, politically. Leontis can be reached at (734) 994-8834 or aleontis@umich.edu. Lambropoulos can be reached at (734) 764-0126 or (734) 994-8834 or vlambrop@umich.edu.

Greg Kinney, archivist at the Bentley Historical Library, a repository for U-M and Michigan history, maintains a Web site depicting U-M athletes who have competed in past Olympics. Visit http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/bhl/olymp2/oltitle.htm.

As other U-M athletes qualify for the 2004 Olympics, Kinney will update the site with their names and results of their competition. Photos are available. Kinney can be reached at (734) 764-3482 or gkinney@umich.edu.

Mitch Rycus, professor emeritus in urban planning, continues his work in security planning, risk analysis and vulnerability assessment. Rycus’s firm developed the security for the water system for the Olympics held in Atlanta. He is available to discuss any of these issues as they pertain to the Games in Athens. Rycus has traveled extensively, examining international crime reduction methods for planners. He can be reached at (734) 665-5164 or mjrycus@umich.edu. Kathy Babiak, assistant professor of sport management, did her doctoral research on the interorganizational partnerships of Olympic sport organizations. She explored what motivates sport organizations to enter into partnerships with non-profit, government and private sector organizations. Babiak’s interest in interorganizational relationships extends to public-private partnerships and to relationship marketing practices in both amateur and professional sport contexts. She serves on the International Olympic Academy Participants Association and was part of a team that put together Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic bid. She can be reached at (734) 763-6922 or babiak@umich.edu. Susan Alcock, associate professor of classical archaelogy, focuses on the foods and accompanying practices of the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. There were Greek drinking parties (called symposia), and drinking games where wine dregs were flung at a target.

Patterns of eating and drinking are individual to each culture, Alcock says, offering the means by which groups distinguish and identify themselves—and that includes athletes of the ancient Mediterranean world. Alcock can be reached at (734) 936-3888 or salcock@umich.edu.