HONG KONG -- International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge set himself a challenging task on Monday, saying he would avoid the cliche "best ever Games" when speaking at the Olympic closing ceremony.
IOC President Jacques Rogge gestures at a welcoming reception in honour of himself in Hong Kong on August 18, 2008. [Agencies] |
Rogge, who arrived here Monday, said he would, in line with an Olympic tradition, describe the Games at the closing ceremony and that his predecessors always said they were "the best ever Games."
"It made my task more and more difficult. I promised never to say 'best ever Games.' I believe that my vocabulary is rich enough to give a ringing endorsement," he said upon arriving in Hong Kong, where the Olympic equestrian events are being held.
"What you have achieved is outstanding," he told about 300 guests, including many senior officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, heads of local sports federations and some diplomats.
Rogge, praised as the best-dressed man in the room by Timothy Fok, president of Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, also said he would avoid the word "fantastic" after coming across it in an answer speech to a welcome message.
Rogge was expected to stay in Hong Kong and possibly watch the equestrian events before moving on to the mainland city of Qingdao, where the Olympic surfing events are held.
The Beijing Games, currently in its 10th competition day, had brought thrills and records all along since it started on August 8 and was scheduled to conclude on August 24.
Rogge said the Beijing Games were "really outstanding," with the athletes "absolutely happy with what they called the best ever Olympic Village."
"Even the media, who criticized us once in a while, said to me, 'president, we will continue to criticize you, but we have to say we never had so nice facilities.'"
The ongoing equestrian events in Hong Kong also won praises from Rogge, who said there were doubts and concerns among the equestrian community when the possibility of staging the equestrian events in Hong Kong was first discussed in 2004.
"I am glad to say today that these doubts have been totally dispelled and the choice of Hong Kong was a right one," he said.