Athens looks for Olympic glory

The Olympic Stadium will be the focal point of the games

ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- With the next Olympics just two years away, Athens is charging through a massive development programme to show it is ready for the biggest athletics show on Earth.

Athens already has history on its side, but organisers hope the games will show Greece can look forward as well as to its past.

No surprise then, with organisers wanting Athens to be considered the perfect host, that the city has become one huge building site.

It is playing catch-up with its preparation plans after losing three years because of political fighting between two major parties.

MORE STORIES Greek Olympic chief Gianna Angelopoulou talks to CNN

With various bureaucratic hurdles hindering the works, Greece has been accused of slow progress in preparing for the 2004 Olympics.

But the organisers are now determined to prove their critics wrong.

"We want to prove to the world that we are not just a country of very rich history, classical studies and natural beauty," says Gianna Angelopoulou, the president of the Olympics Organising Committee.

"We want to convince them we are a determined team of high-profile people."

Angelopoulou: Determined to convince the critics

With 85 percent of the sporting venues in place, the organisers now feel they are back on track.

The main Olympic stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies will take place, was built nearly 20 years ago for the 1982 European championships. But just like many other sites, it is going to be completely modernised.

The sports village will house 10,500 athletes and 4,500 trainers. An ancient aqueduct was discovered during construction of the village, and the aqueduct will become village's focus, symbolising the unique history of the city.

The Olympic games are a one-time chance to show the world that Athens has developed into a modern, ready-for-business city.