Gianna Angelopoulos, head of the Athens 2004 Olympic Organising Committee (ATHOC) vowed here on Tuesday that the Games would be a huge success, despite the pressure to be ready in time.

"We will have a unique human Games, a unique Greek Games. Athens can do it. It is the ideal stage," said Angelopoulos after giving an update to the IOC executive board.

"It is clear that significant progress has been made in all areas," she added. But Angelopoulos admitted that time remained critical.

"We have to strengthen our efforts even more. We do not have a single day to waste," she said.

Denis Oswald, head of the IOC's co-ordination commission for the Games said he was much more positive than he was only three months ago.

However, he warned that his commission would continue to put pressure on ATHOC.

"We cannot lose any days. It is a race against the clock. Therefore we feel it necessary to keep on the pressure. But in the past few weeks Athens had reached a cruising speed which is satisfactory and if there are no major problems everything will be ready for the Games," said Oswald.

Earlier the executive board approved four ATHOC programmes - the Athens Games budget which is balanced at 1.96 billion euros, ticketing, the daily competition schedule is almost identical to that in Sydney, and the torch relay programme.

Athens plan to have the touch carried to all five continents and most of the cities that have previously hosted the Games.

The mascot for the 2004 Games is to go on display next January but it must first be approved by IOC president Jacques Rogge and Oswald.

(Agencies)