As Venues Sit Unused, Athens Feels Olympic Remorse

"As Beijing gears up for the most expensive Olympics in history – in the neighborhood of $40 billion – Athens is looking back at the legacy of its Games. The smallest country ever to host the modern event, Greece was proud to have pulled it off despite widespread skepticism. But while the event gave a morale boost to the Olympics' birthplace, many say Athens has failed to translate that into lasting momentum for modernization."

"Many of the venues are still vacant four years later, promised parks never materialized, and new transportation infrastructure has caused problems like flooding and increased traffic, says Mr. Efthimiou. Citizens question the event's $15 billion price tag – most of it paid for by the state."