WELLINGTON - Dave Currie, the chef de mission of the New Zealand Olympic Team to Beijing, said the Beijing Organizing Committee has done a great job and he is confident the city will host a magnificent Olympics next month.
In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency, Currie, who has been to China several times in the past three years, said he was quite impressed by Beijing's sports venues, the Olympic Village and the "Green Olympics" idea.
Beijing has planted millions of trees in the past years and exerted great efforts to improve air quality and curb pollution, he said.
He was confident the air quality will not affect the athletes and the food will be safe in the Olympic Village.
In 1908, 100 years ago, New Zealand sent its first athletes to the London Olympics. This year, its 1,000th Olympian will attend the Beijing Olympics.
New Zealand will send one of its biggest teams ever to the Games - some 180 athletes and 120 coaches and managers. It will be the 16th largest team in terms of members. "It is a big team for a small country with only a population of over 4 million," Currie said.
"We are into our final preparation. The first members of the group arrive in Beijing on July 19 to formally register with the organizers of the Games. The rest of the group will arrive over the following week as we transform the New Zealand section of the villages in Beijing, Hong Kong and Qingdao into New Zealand characteristics. We'll welcome the first team into the village on July 28."
The New Zealand team won three gold medals and two silvers at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and Currie was confident the team will have a better performance at the Beijing Olympics.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee has adopted a stricter rule in selecting the athletes.
Only those among the world's top 16 in respective disciplines are qualified to compete.
"In the past year, we had 30 athletes among the world's top 8 and 17 among the top three," Currie said.
The New Zealand team boasts advantages in rowing, sailing, equestrian, triathlon, track and field, and swimming.
The team's uniform will not be unveiled until the opening ceremony on Aug 8.
"It is a secret, I can only tell you that the uniforms will reflect New Zealand characteristics and the strong historical links between New Zealand and China," Currie said.
