IOC: Beijing '08 preparations on track
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-01 16:00

Olympic officials said Tuesday that Beijing's preparations for the 2008 Games are on schedule after touring construction sites for the main stadium and cube-shaped swimming center.

"We are completely confident that the venues will be completed on time," said Kevan Gosper, vice president of the International Olympic Committee's coordination committee for the Beijing Games.

Kevan Gosper, chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) press commission, speaks from a rooftop overlooking construction for the National Aquatic Center for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, during a visit to venues by members of the IOC coordination commission. The construction of sporting venues for the 2008 Olympic Games was progressing on schedule and, if anything, may be going too fast, the IOC said.[AFP]

China began slowing construction last year following IOC concerns that facilities would be finished too early, adding to maintenance costs. It also cut the number of stadiums to be built to five to keep building costs below $2 billion.

Beijing also expects to spend $24.2 billion on new subway lines, roads and other facilities by 2008.

Gosper said Beijing's heavy air pollution isn't a concern.

"We've been given very good advice for the environmental program," he said. "The Chinese are doing enough work."

The Chinese press has dubbed the main Olympic stadium the "bird's nest" for its latticework of girders stretching in every direction. It will house the opening and closing ceremonies as well as track and field events.

"The construction going on now is on the foundation," said Li Shizhou, general manager of the site. "By the end of October we hope to have the reinforcements for the stands in place."

The Aquatic Center for swimming and diving will be shaped like a cube -- 560 feet in length and width and 102 feet high, Li said.

"It is a remarkable design that they have chosen for the water cube," Gosper said. "It is a superb design that will be incredibly friendly to athletes."

Beijing Olympics to have 11,468 participants

According to the Beijing Youth Daily, the world's most renowned "metrology master" and 2003 Nobel economics laurel Clive Granger predicts that participants of the Beijing Olympics would reach 11,468.

Granger believes that the cost of holding an Olympics is directly linked to the number of participants. His prediction is that participants of the Beijing Olympics would reach 11,468.

Since for each 1,000 athletes there will be another 500 officials, coaches, cooks and security personnel accompanying them the total number would reach 20,000. This will have the most direct impact on China's tourism while the return of and impact on the tourism economy are the most difficult to predict.

Granger also put forward a small suggestion. "Beijing could replace all road signs with Chinese ones accompanied by standard English. Do not mix them with other kinds of letters. It will be very important for attracting the Olympic tourists." He believes that replacing road signs would not cost much while the effect would be surprising.

Granger gave a very cautious prediction. "As far as I know China will have better development in the next three or five years. However, I don't think the Olympics will have great impact on the Chinese economy in the three years to come. After that the impact and changes it will have on China are still unknown."

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