ATHENS, Greece – The folks at the International Olympic Committee won’t allow Mayor Bloomberg to blatantly appeal for the 2012 Summer Olympics in his brief visit here, but he’s intent on making his mark.

His three-day agenda in Athens consists of everything from meetings and dinner parties with the city’s A-listers to a nightclub bash that probably won’t get started until well past midnight.

To better his chances of being labeled the next Aristotle Onassis, he also has sought-after VIP tickets to sold-out games, including yesterday’s basketball and swimming events and today’s track and field competition.

About 25 members of the NYC2012 bid committee are here representing New York’s aspirations to host the Summer Olympics. The mayor’s role here is a more elastic one that has as much to do with diplomacy as supporting the Games simply by showing up and having a visibly good time.

The timing could be a bit better, though; next Friday marks the start of the Republican National Convention, so he has to hurry back home Saturday evening.

Fresh off the plane, the mayor made a brief pit stop at his hotel room yester day morning to wash up before meeting with a few reporters in the New York sponsored lounge at the OAKA sports complex, where VIPs can seek an air-conditioned refuge from the masses and listen to Broadway show tunes or eat little cookies.

Wearing the mayor-takes-a-holiday attire of a colorful button-down shirt and boat shoes, Mr. Bloomberg fielded questions from reporters, despite the handicap of not being able to say much. International Olympic Committee rules prohibit him from going to bat for NY2012, and he hadn’t been in town long enough to know much.

So he was stuck saying perfectly nice but not very monumental things along the lines of, “The Olympic movement has done wonderful things for sports but has also done a wonderful thing for this country.”

His predominant message was that he had come to represent New York, home to the largest Greek community outside of Greece, and he was focusing on “these games” rather then the 2012 games.

While he’s here, he hopes to learn from the Athens organizers about their experiences with things like security and construction. “I want to do as many things as I can,” he said. “I want to see as many venues as I can. I want to see how the games are put together.”

He had to skirt all questions that lead back to the New York bid, but he managed to plug his new “Welcome Peaceful Political Activists” program, wherein discounts to hotels and restaurants like Applebee’s are awarded to “peaceful protesters” at the Republican National Convention.

When asked about the thin crowds here, he merely said, “If you don’t come, you’re really going to miss the opportunity to see one of the most wonderful games ever staged.”

Afterward, the mayor and a phalanx of City Hall colleagues braved the heat and toured the main Olympic complex, a space station-esque area with sprawling white structures growing out of the dusty ground.

The mayor strode around the grounds, offering his hand and stopping to chat with pretty much everybody he passed, including U.S. beach volleyball players Eric Fonoimoana and Dain Blanton.

“This is just wonderful,” said Diana Taylor, Bloomberg’s reed-thin girl friend who, in her long beige dress and chunky black sunglasses, rivaled Katharine Hepburn in the elegance department. She said she was once in Greece 20 years ago when her mother brought her here to celebrate her graduation from business school. “Traveling with your mother is a little

different than traveling with the mayor,” she said in a sweet whisper.

The group was led through the diving pool hall, a practice swimming pool, a spectator swimming pool, and the velodrome, where rows of cyclists were zipping by so fast it sounded like there were motors attached to their bikes. The group paused at each arena, allowing the mayor to reflect on it all.

“How come some of their back wheels are solid?” the Mayor wondered. “And that guy looks like he can’t make up his mind,” he said, pointing at a partially spoked back wheel.

That mystery left unsolved, everybody packed into cars that motorcade down the highway to Hellniko basketball complex to watch America play Australia.

Slipping into a VIP area, the mayor sat briefly with the Athens mayor, Dora Bakoyiannis, before assuming his assigned seat, which was none too shabby – one row in front of Kristin Davis of “Sex and the City” and one section to the side of what may have been the loudest Australians on earth. They were wearing sparkly wigs and wielding Australia flags and an inflatable Kangaroo.

Australia’s jolly green giants were giving the Dream Team a run for its money. At the end of the third quarter Australia was leading 67-65. The crowd was wild, but the mayor preferred to cut a dignified figure, occasionally leaning forward with an expression of concern whenever Australia threatened to catch up.

He didn’t flinch the first two times the wave came around the audience. The third time he raised his arms and made a what-the-hell face. It became apparent to all that America was going to win when the Australians stopped bothering with the inflatable kangaroo.

The final score was 89-79,America. No facepaint or jumping and dancing for the mayor’s circle – just the noble declaration that he was “thrilled.”

“It was a real contest all the way through,” he said as he attempted to leave the arena, only to be waylaid by an American couple that wanted to take a picture. Soon as the flash sparked, the mayor et. al. resumed their stroll into the glaring sun.