Construction of Olympic venues to begin this year
( 2003-07-12 13:21) (China Daily)
With an investment of 830 million yuan (US$100
million), the National Swimming Centre is expected to begin construction by the
end of this year, together with the National Stadium, the Beijing Shooting
Gymnasium and the Laoshan Bicycle Gymnasium.
The construction of the Olympic
venues will be finished by 2006, with trial operations of the facilities
underway in 2007.
Officials with the Beijing Organizing Committee for
the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) vowed that the Olympic facilities not
only will be globally considered top-notch on a professional level, but also
could become the defining architecture of the new century in Beijing, leaving
behind a unique legacy for future generations.
Although construction has yet
to start, questions have already been raised as to how to make the best use of
these new sports facilities after the Games.
Thirty-five gymnasiums and
stadiums will be put into use during the Olympics, locating mainly in Beijing.
The facilities outside Beijing to be used are in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang in
Northeast China's Liaoning Province, and Qinhuangdao in North China's Hebei
Province - where the preliminaries of soccer will be held - and in Qingdao in
East China's Shandong Province where the sailing boat races will be held.
Currently, the overall layout of the Olympic Green and the Wukesong
Cultural and Sports Centre have been authorized by the municipal government.
In answering queries about the use of the sports venues after the Games,
officials with the BOCOG said that the facilities will be turned into
multi-purpose facilities to provide public recreation, sports and fitness
services.
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