The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 33

Spirit News I TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1999 www.smh.com.au Sou tb WfliminieirSj, girioDDneirs, SCHUETOGirS Ada Off 4 (rtvmmmi. i -j fca i -tt-nmit. itk i MUM 14 if' SSaSw est i I nwwirTnnK. v- 0g iwminBfflBi iX i SSS6i3w fj 1 -j; Last week, The Age's Peter Wilmoth travelled from Melbourne to speak with a very Sydney personality. I 1 In May, he had "a tumour the size of a rockmelon" removed from his left buttock.

"My leg doesn't do what it's meant to do," he says. The cut went from the top of the buttock to the back of the knee. "I don't think I'll ever get all the feeling back." This is Richo sounding vulnerable. Did such a scare make him re-evaluate his life? "No," Richo says, snapping out of this moment of serious contemplation. "It re-demonstrated that I'm indestructible." JUST in case Richo wasn't in the news enough lately, his former mate Paul Keating at the ALP conference in October referred scathingly to him as "little Richo" and warned Opposition leader Kim Beazley to stay away from him.

"Good line, by the way," Richo says in deference to the master of invective. "Beazley and I have been friends for too long. The idea that Beazley is suddenly going to say 'Oh, gee, Paul doesn't want me to see Graham anymore, I'll stop'." He then surfaced as a Packer go-between last month when he met with new Victorian Premier Steve Bracks. "All I was there to say was: 'I just want you to understand that there's been a change at Crown at the ownership level and we want to work with you it's obviously now a big part of what Kerry and James Packer do, we want to make sure things go It was just a matter of extending the hand of I life," hasays, "the more you become immune to this sort of thing." The scandal of the premium tickets has monopolised his life. The press mainly News Limited, he says, because "they've been cranky on me since the football where I had a role in costing them $500 million" has been giving him a caning.

His three jobs adviser and lobbyist for the Packer organisation, his radio program and his position as ticketing chief with SOCOG has prompted calls for his resignation over conflict of interest A poll this month showed 71 per cent of people claimed they'd lost enthusiasm for the Games, 16 per cent thought Richo was doing a good job and 60 per cent thought he was doing poorly. Richo thinks polls are 100 per cent crap. "If you think people lose sleep about polls like that you've gotta be joking." But it would be interesting to know what percentage understand Richo's idea of conflict of interest Last week, Richo absented himself from interviewing his boss, John Singleton, on the topic of Olympic broadcasting rights. But it was okay to recently interview Michael Knight, Olympics Minister and call him a man of "great "Obviously you don't understand it either," Richo says wearily. "That's only a problem if I'm acting against the interests of SOCOG, and I wasn't when I interviewed Michael Knight I was acting in its interests.

Conflict of interest comes about if I'm going to act against the interests of SOCOG or if I am taking part in a decision of SOCOG which involves another company with which I work." He tells his radio audience what he thinks of his regular "I do 3 6. jfr-f4-4 b2Sssti.a fcc-iifel iiim A From Page 31 plan so that regular city users can continue their normal activities, but also to ensure there is enough food, drink and entertainment for hundreds of thousands of visitors to remember Sydney's Games as one of the great times of their lives. Transport for any Olympic city is a big challenge. The Games are really too big for any city to accommodate without major changes, and Sydney's roads and rail lines will struggle. However, the Government's Olympic Roads and Transport Authority (ORTA) has demonstrated the advantages of having a single body in charge of all transport.

A series of test events at Homebush Bay, including several attracting crowds to the Olympic stadium, proved the public transport system works. The release last week of maps of proposed traffic rules around every venue is another example of the centralised planning so critical to making the Games work. SOCOG itself has also done a lot of work over many years that has been lost in the recent controversies. Talk to any of the sporting groups that have come for test events and you will invariably find them highly complimentary about SOCOG's preparations. Stein Haugan, a former Norwegian international soccer play er and the attache for the Norwegian Olympic Committee, said all of his teams were full of praise.

"I would say that each of the competition managers has a background in the sport and has recruited people with expertise The level of expertise is very, very high." Still, if Sydney's Games are going to be a triumph, the following problems will have to be resolved Technology: IBM was hammered in Atlanta when their technology did not work and they can't afford a repeat here. At least that's the theory. But delays of several months in delivering technology were sufficiently bad for Hollway to lead a team to Spain recently to inspect plants looking after aspects of the results systems. IBM, SOCOG and the International Olympic Committee played down the issue, but there have been plenty of mutterings recently that the problems are far from over and will take big money to fix. Money: The first problem on SOCOG's agenda next year will be to decide what cuts are needed to pay for a $100 million shortfall in revenue from sponsorships.

While Knight said cuts of "$50 million to $100 million" would be needed, cooler heads say the lower amount is closer to the mark. With $50 million allocated for this revenue shortfall in the SOCOG contingency fund, there must be a reason Knight has not requested NSW Treasurer Michael Egan to make it available. That reason is likely to be other pressures looming on the budget, such as technology. Already the OCA has announced it wanted to co-opt senior public servants to help SOCOG, with the departments not SOCOG paying the salaries. Don't be surprised if this scheme grows as the Games loom.

Transport: Despite the good work done so far, transport will be an issue because it is at every Games. The question is how bad it will be. Further test events this year will push the rail system, but there will be no dress rehearsal for the 3,500 buses to be used during the Games. Many of the drivers will be from out of tow and their training had better be good if we are to avoid Atlanta's experience of lost buses. Politics: Despite the great organisational advantages of having a minister in charge of SOCOG, Knight has hardly enhanced the image of SOCOG this year with a fourfold increase in people who believe the committee is doing a poor job.

Knight has proved how tough he is, moving against those such as Phil Coles when he wants them out while refusing all invitations for himself to step aside. With a management review of SOCOG under way, don't be surprised if one or more heads roll before the Games begin. Olympic Park: Homebush Bay has been transformed, but the plan for moving hundreds of thousands of people around the site has not yet been tested. Hollway recently nominated the flow of people in this huge site as one of the potential problems. Volunteers: SOCOG's volunteer program failed to deliver enough applicants to fill all vacancies, prompting ORTA and other Olympic bodies to advertise for their own volunteer labour.

With so much pressure on SOCOG's budget, volunteers will be more important than ever and getting enough skilled volunteers will be vitaL I be not very intelligent" "Not very Richo fine-tunes. Interviewer: "Not very realistic. I'm not going to mention all the things you went through, but Richo: "You may if you wish." Interviewer: "Are you the troubleshooter for the Olympics?" Richo I'm either the troubleshooter or the trouble, depending upon who you ask The important thing is come September next year, no-one will be worried about any of that. This is a triumph that will have a million fathers, and I dare say those of us who have had something to do with it will barely get a look-in." a carpark at Homebush Bay, Richo is talking on his mobile. The thing is glued to his ear.

"Look, I want a favour," Richo tells someone. "What a great human being you are," to someone else. He leans against his car, standing in the baking sun, his generous girth protruding in the afternoon air. "Whatever you want to say about me, I'm interesting," he says of the media interest in him five years since having left politics. "Politics hasn't had a lot of characters, and I was a character, so I got more attention than I probably of both the 800m and the held earlier in the Games.

The residents of the host country had a lot riding on this race, as until this point they had not won an athletics event. Besides, they believed they had "ownership" of the race by virtue of its historical "background. They were not to be disappointed. Shortly after the race started, Frenchman Albin Lermusiaux took the lead and was still ahead at the halfway mark. However, he had to stop for a rubdown and this allowed Flack to take the lead.

The Australian had never run a race longer than 10 miles (16 kilometres), so by the time he reached the outskirts of Athens he also had flagged and eventually retired. The spectators in the stadium had been kept abreast of the progress of J--ir y.i 1 iuUiieimfjt mix. 1 ti m. deserved. Brian Toohey and Marian Wilkinson spent their lives chasing me.

I think it shattered them that they never got anything on me. They really He talks about a Bill Leak portrait he bought for $16,000. It's too big for his house, so he's loaned it to his close friend Rene Rivkin, who features it in the foyer of his Double Bay office. "It makes me look truly evil," Richo says breezily. He suggests we swing past Rivkin's office and have a look at the portrait.

It turns out it makes him look less evil, more shagged. But what do you say to the subject of a painting that has him with major hand luggage under his eyes, a soft-pudgy face and a double chin the size of a small hammock? Not the most flattering portrait. "Wasn't meant to be flattering," Richo says, before gunning the Ghia towards SOCOG. Richo, who turned 50 in September, is talking about his health. Both his parents died before 50.

Is he fearful of bad health? "I'm terrified of that. I think I've got to do something about it real soon Have a look at me. I've been overweight for a long time. I got more overweight when I left politics. I guess I ate more, exercised less.

I grazed in too good a paddock." the race by way of messengers travelling on horseback and bicycle. When the crowd heard Flack was in the lead there was frustration, but then a rider came forth and hailed, "Hellene! Hellene!" Greek! A The crowd roared their enthusiasm. At last a small, pitiful runner appeared at the entrance to the stadium. His clothes were soaked with perspiration, he was covered with dust, his face was purple and blotched with blood and his shoes were almost worn through. His name was Spiridon Louis.

So was born a legend. Louis was probably a shepherd who served in the army and became a messenger. He came from the village of Maroussi and he was one of the last entries' for the race. Much has The man at the centre of just about everything Graham Richardson at SOCOG headquarters. Photograph by Robert pearce ICHO'S tired.

Tired of being bashed about bloody SOCOG, tired of journalists being negative, tired of 1 8-hour days, tired of going to SOCOG every day of the working week. Just tired. Mentally and physically. And that's why he appears to have fallen asleep up here alone in the SOCOG boardroom with its whiteboard, projector screen and tea and biscuits. imagine what's been said around this table.

Today, there's the smell of a war room at a terrible time in the campaign. And the strain shows on Richo. He's leaning back in his chair, hands behind his head, eyes closed. All day Richo's talked about wanting a quick nap. He even sometimes mini-kip during the news on his 2GB radio program.

But here's a window: the SOCOG guys haven't arrived yet, another meeting about the ticketing debacle hasn't started, so Richo's grabbing the moment "I'm having a pre-meeting doze," he say's when his eyes blink open. It's been one of the rougher weeks in the Sydney media for SOCOG. The Sydney Morning Herald's front page headline the previous Saturday was at rock Only one way up from there. Today, the papers have reported that Richo's boss at 2GB, John Singleton, has called SOCOG chief Sandy Hollway "absolutely "It would be much better for me if he hadn't," Richo says. "But that's Singo." On top of the Singo embarrassment, the Daily Telegraph had called for Richo to resign from either SOCOG or his media work because of conflict of interest As the committeemen file in, they ask Richo what he thought of the papers.

"Better than yesterday," Richo shrugs with a great weariness. He turns to us. "If you think this is a bad day, you haven't been in Sydney." Richo: the persuader, the cajoler, the convincer. He's a get-things-done guy. Bob Hawke once said, as quoted in Marian Wilkinson's biography Tlie Fixer.

"I am indeed the only person in the world who had Richo's kind services to help me become Prime Minister and to help me not be Prime Minister." This desire to be where the fun is is why Richo could never have refused the offer to join the SOCOG board. He's afraid of dying because of the hours he's working. "It's obviously giving me pain, the question is how much pain and is the pain bearable?" he says. Would he have taken the job if he had known the level of commitment it would require? "To be honest with you, if I'd known the time this has been taking over the last few months, the answer's no." But later, Richo is amazed anyone would wonder hy he took the job. "Without wishing to be rude," he says, staring ahead at the road, "that is a really dumb question.

Someone comes along and offers you a directorship for the body organising the biggest event in the world that will come to your nation once in your lifetime and you ask me, 'Why did you take Can you imagine rejecting it? I mean, hello." I T'S eight o'clock at radio 2GB and Graham Richardson is slumped in his chair wearing Olympic socks and a T-shirt with a Channel 9 logo. The only'enthusiasm he seems to be showing is floating the bits of paper on hich the commercials are written across to his producer. Cher comes on the TV screen. "Thirty-seven facelifts!" he says. "Every part of ya lifted!" Richo could use a bit of lifting himself, in all sorts of ways.

It hasn't been a great six weeks. It's lucky he knows how to be up to his neck in trouble. "The longer you're in it public SPORT BRIEF Kelly to chase cheats Federal Sports Minister Jackie Kelly has threatened to expose drug cheats at Sydney 2000 if the IOC is not strict enough. Kelly said she would "chase" every positive result to ensure that no-one received a medal who was not entitled to one. "If I hear there's a positive I'll be chasing it down every burrow I can, because it means some athlete has walked off with someone else's medal, and that's not on," she said.

"We want the real winner on the podium. "It's a poor second to be given a medal through the mail 10 years AAP A friendship friendship and saying, 'Here we are'." head towards Catalina restaurant on Rose Bay, the eatery of choice for rich media types where Richo and Rivkin are to meet Rivkin turns up, cigar in mouth, casually dressed. "He loves the publicity," Rivkin says of his friend. Richo's expression doesn't change. Later, in the car, he says this isn't true.

"I kind of hoped I would have faded more from the public eye than I have," he says. He's not bellyaching about it "If my name wasn't Graham Richardson, I would not have rated a mention in dispatches. Now I'm mentioned in every dispatch I expect to get heat every minute I'm on it the SOCOG board, whether I do anything wrong or not, I'll be accused of it, so I'd already factored that in." And then comes the best clue as to why Richo is grinning and bearing it. Asked why, if he's so exhausted and fed up, he doesn't quit SOCOG, he says: "The Olympics is going to be a tremendous triumph and I'm not sure why I should be robbed of that" Has the scandal damaged him professionally? "Nuh. Not at all.

Do you think this is the first time I've had adverse publicity? People make up their mind about you. Most of this stuff is pretty irrelevant It's certainly not going to hurt me in any business sense. I doubt very much whether Kerry's going to pick up the paper and say 'Oh, gee, Graham's involved in a ticketing debacle, I better sack him'." We are talking about SOCOG chief executive Sandy Hollway choosing to take a holiday in a week when criticism of SOCOG was white hot "It was a holiday that'd been booked for months," Richo says. "That's the trouble. Anytime you go off on a holiday, they'll say the pressure got to you, you were forced out.

People are always looking for the negative. Why is it? You tell me. Why is the media so negative in Australia?" Richo used to ring journalists and abuse them, but there are not enough hours in the day now. Nor the inclination. The guy's gone soft "You might feel better after a few minutes of abusing somebody, but it doesn't get you he sighs.

He mentions a story in a Sydney paper that he says was "factually "But do you think I get a call from the journalist saying, 'Sorry about that, I was wrong Well, you never do. The arrogance of those people is plain extraordinary." Richo's voice drops. "But they'll all have their day. I forget none of them." Maybe he hasn't gone soft after all. been written about the Olympic champion, but he is still surrounded by mystique.

We do know he was a modest man and, although having all sorts of prizes and money offered to him, he accepted only a horse and cart which were needed to help transport water to his village. The day after his victory, he returned to the stadium to accept his prize, then disappeared to the obscurity of his village, allowing journalists to make up all sorts of vivid details about him. Possibly, more than any other single event, the inspirational victory by Spiridon Louis in 1 896 did more to keep the Olympics going through all the hard times that the movement faced over the following 12 years. Games, no-one thought we'd get it Everyone thought we were mad. If you'd said at the time, 'Not only will we get this, but we'll get more than $4,000 for that seat', you'd have been taken off to a lunatic asylum.

But that's what happened in the end. I guess the mistake is in saying, even if you were just testing, why not let people know, and that's the judgment call we got wTong. "But some of the newspapers are so determined to be anti-Olympics they would have found a reason to complain." complain. AYOR Richardson is standing on the balcony of a Homebush Bay unit. During the Olympics, this area will be fenced off against "terrorists and Richo tells a crew from German television.

He waves his arm across the horizon, telling them it is the greatest sporting precinct in the world. "Australians are getting a buzz out of this," he tells the interviewer. "They expect it to be spectacular. If it's not, people like myself will be hung." Interviewer: "To expect something to be organised like the Olympic Games without any difficulties and without scandals and all that sort of thing would The arrogance of those people journalists is plain extraordinary. But they'll ail have their day.

I forget none of them." GRAHAM RICHARDSON get irritated over time when the same thing occurs, and I am the only name mentioned, when quite clearly I'm not the only person on the SOCOG board with a conflict of interest It's just impossible to get a board of people, the kind of people you're going to need for SOCOG, and not have a few of them." WE are driving to Homebush Bay in the Fairmont Ghia provided to Richo by his good friends down at City Ford. (The car is the only thing he says he needs to declare on the radio. Comfortable about the car? "I'm incredibly comfortable about it," he says). He is asked to contemplate his darkest moment "There isn't a darkest moment. There is a series of really bad ones, and they were all to do with the mistakes that we made, and we did make some.

Some of them were cock-ups, and some were ones we made a bad judgment call on You're not going to get everything right" Would it not have been easier to tell the public? "We were always going to. What we did was test the market with 50,000 seats because we had no idea, when we started to sell premium tickets, what they were worth." Back then, he says, "no-one thought that we would be able to get the amount we eventually got for our opening seats without any premium. When we announced we were going to charge 1,372 for an opening seat to the reluctant hero Spiridon Louis. 3 BERRY'S 50 BEST SPIRIDON LOUIS, No 40 Sports historian Kevin Berry, Olympic gold medallist in the 200m butterfly in Tokyo, continues the weekly countdown of his Olympic heroes. NO other event excites the sporting public more than the marathon and the Olympic marathon is the ultimate thrill event.

The marathon commemorates the legend of Pheidippides, who allegedly carried the news of the Athenian victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490BC. When he arrived in Athens, he is said to have called, "Rejoice, we have won!" and dropped dead of exhaustion. Today, it is generally agreed that there were 1 7 runners in the marathon of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, although some reports say 18 faced the starter. Thirteen of these athletes were Greeks and the remaining four included Australia's Edwin Flack, the winner.