OLYMPICS: Organisers of the Athens Olympics, which open on August 13th, admitted yesterday that fewer than half of the 5.3 million tickets for the event have been sold, raising the prospect that athletes will perform before sparsely filled stadiums.

Although royals and world leaders will be present during the course of the Games, continuing concerns over security, the sluggish international economy and the high value of the euro are being blamed for deterring spectators.

Yesterday the Athens organising committee conceded that more than three million tickets have yet to be sold, but also announced that an additional 1,000 tickets are being made available for the opening and closing ceremonies. At this stage, ticket sales for the Sydney games had surpassed 75 per cent.

Before the figures were released, the Games' chief organiser, Gianna Angelopoulos, said the authorities were hoping for a last-minute rush for tickets, and that sales had increased in the past week to around 12,000 to 13,000 a day.