Olympics-Games chief happy at halfway mark despite rocky preparations

By Karolos Grohmann

MILAN, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The Milano Cortina Olympics reached the halfway mark on Saturday, having avoided any major crisis so far, leaving organisers enjoying strong ticket sales and increased viewership despite rocky years of preparation to get the Games ready.

While past Olympics have traditionally struggled with teething problems or more serious issues that have affected venue operations or even a lack of atmosphere, the Games in Italy have so far gone off largely without a hitch, with ticket sales currently at 85%, or 1.27 million sold, and Italy earning medal after medal on the snow and ice.

The European time zone has also meant a rise in viewership both across the continent and the key market of North America, compared to the previous two winter editions held in Asia.

U.S. rights holder NBCUniversal CMCSA.O sold out advertising spots for the Games a month before they started, the company said in January.

MOST SPREAD-OUT GAMES IN HISTORY

For the hosts, the success of local athletes on the fields of play was crucial to shore up domestic support and interest. Italian athletes have delivered in spades, on Saturday sitting second in the rankings behind Norway, who are largely expected to top the table at the end of the Games.

"We know that this is not a walk in the park and that many things can happen that are outside our control," Games CEO Andrea Varnier told a press conference on Saturday. "We believe Milano Cortina has done an excellent job. The less people talk about us, the better we have done our job."

Among the highlights for organisers of the most spread-out Games in history -- with Milan and the mountain clusters in Cortina, Bormio, Livigno and Val di Fiemme stretching across a large part of northern Italy -- are the sold-out crowds for newly introduced ski mountaineering and the speed skating venue being 94% full on average.

SLIDING CENTRE CONTROVERSY

But Italy was far from guaranteed a successful Games, with almost instant pressure from the moment they were awarded the Games in 2019.

A delayed start and slow progress in the construction of the Santagiulia ice hockey arena in Milan quickly became one of the main headaches in the run-up to the Olympics.

Italy also decided to build a new sliding centre in Cortina despite the International Olympic Committee's vocal opposition, given the time needed and the multi-million euro cost involved. The IOC had suggested that organisers could shift the competition to another country and an existing sliding centre.

The Italian government refused to move any competition outside the country and opted to build a new one, piling more pressure on the already embattled organisers.

"We are completely aware that we are pioneers when it comes to this edition of the Games," Varnier said, pointing to the spread-out plans. "We knew we would face many challenges but after a week most seem to have been tackled."

FOCUS TOWARDS CLOSING CEREMONY

Suspected sabotage on train lines in Italy during the Games has resulted in some delays. The first attack was claimed by anarchists who denounced the Olympics as a "glorification of nationalism".

Police in riot gear also clashed with a small group of protesters last Saturday after around 10,000 people took to the streets of Milan in a protest over housing costs and environmental concerns.

However, transportation concerns between Milan and the mountain clusters have eased, mainly due to the limited number of spectators commuting between the two because of the long travel times that can reach six or seven hours. Most fans have opted to stay in either Milan or in the mountains.

The Games end on February 22 with a closing ceremony in Verona.

"Of course we are satisfied with what we have done so far, where we are today," Varnier said. "We have another important part to complete. We need to stay focused so that things will keep on going. Focus is now the keyword because we cannot get our eyes off the ball."