日韩精品久久一区二区三区_亚洲色图p_亚洲综合在线最大成人_国产中出在线观看_日韩免费_亚洲综合在线一区

  Home>News Center>China
       
 

Athens more than a sports arena for China
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-08-30 07:50

As the Athens Olympics has been coming to a successful close on Sunday, the focus of the world will gradually shift to Beijing, the host city of the next Olympics.


China's national flag is raised during the closing ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 29, 2004. The next summer Olympic Games will be held in Beijing in 2008. [newsphoto]

China, who ranks second, only next to the United States, in the overall medals standings with 32 golds, 17 silvers and 14 bronze, is by far one of the leading sports powers in the world. But it has yet to prove its capability of hosting the world's largest sporting event.

If the Athens Olympics is anything special for China, it has at least provided the organizers of the 2008 Games much to learn.

As Beijing hopes to use the Games as a lens for the world to view China's historical heritages, the Athens Games has set a good example in combining Greek cultural and historical highlights with the sports extravaganza.

Shot put competition took place in ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and the elegant Panathanaiko Stadium, originally constructed 2,300 years ago, has hosted the archery events and become the finish for Sunday's marathon race, the last event of the Games.

"These are unique Olympic experience," said Liu Qi, President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympics (BOCOG).

"The splendid opening ceremony on the evening of Aug. 13 will be great inspiration in our own preparations," said Jiang Xiaoyu, BOCOG's Vice President.

The opening ceremony of the Athens Games won worldwide acclaim for its evocative tableau of 3,000 years of Greek history and culture. It registered a new record in TV viewing on a world scale, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Liu, who headed a BOCOG inspection team visiting the Aug. 13-29Games, also spoke highly of Athens' rapid city development.

"Athens has done an excellent job in upgrading its infrastructure over the past several years," he said.

The Olympics has indeed transformed Athens from a backward towninto a modern city.

Construction of a subway and other rail links were given high priority because of the Athens Olympics. A new airport was built in 2001, replacing the old seaside airfield. A brand new highway around the city also turned an hour stop-and-go trip into a 15-minute breeze.

With more than 1,000 extra cars hitting the Beijing streets every day and a forecast of 3.5 million cars in the city by 2008, traffic is considered one of the biggest challenges Beijing will face during the 17-day Olympics.

"The practice of dedicated-lanes for the Olympic Family is really worth learning," said Liu.

Traffic restrictions, including lanes reserved for a large fleet of Olympic Family vehicles and green lights for only authorized vehicles to park near stadiums, has played an importantrole in ensuring the smooth running of the Athens Olympics.

But the high cost of the Athens Olympics also requires Beijing to become more careful in monitoring its budget.

Greece is the smallest country to stage the Olympics since Finland in 1952. Athens struggled with construction delays and organizing blunders, falling behind schedule and even alarming theIOC to warn it of risking the loss of hosting rights.

Though Greece managed a turnaround and got everything ready before the start of the Games, the rising costs for venues and infrastructure projects, mainly due to double and triple shifts tomake up for lost time, and a soaring security budget, has driven the total spending up to at least 7 billion euros, according to the Greek government. The initial budget in 1997 was about 3.5 billion euros.

Keeping the principle of frugality in mind, Beijing organizers have halted the construction work on several Olympic venues, including the state-of-the-art National Stadium, earlier this month.

"We halted construction work mainly in order to optimize our design so that we can save the cost," BOCOG's Executive Vice President Liu Jingmin told a press conference here recently.

"But the new design would not affect the basic functions of thestadium," he added.

Expectations for a best-ever Olympics have run high throughout China since Beijing won the hosting right for the 2008 Games on July 13, 2001. But it would be a more daunting and complicated task to stage the Games than winning the bid.

Former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch said Athens Olympics turned out to be much better than expected and would set the bar higher for future Games.

"The Games are a great success, and they put the bar very high for Beijing 2008 Games," said the 84-year-old Spaniard.



 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Miracles lift China up at Athens Games

 

   
 

China amends disease law, bans blood trade

 

   
 

Tens of thousands protest Bush in NYC

 

   
 

Price rise sparks inflation concerns

 

   
 

Terrorists blamed for Russian plane crashes

 

   
 

Athens more than a sports arena for China

 

   
  China amends disease law, bans blood trade
   
  Macao gives Ho new mandate
   
  China launches science satellite
   
  West-east gas pipeline nears completion
   
  Catholic church receives revival
   
  Autos compete to be Beijing's taxi
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Triumphant Olympics end with pride, relief
   
Olympic flag handed to Beijing
   
Athens got job done, and done well
   
Business benefits from Olympic performance
  News Talk  
  It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 久久99国产精品 | 午夜国产精品无套 | av网址在线播放 | 黄色免费在线观看网址 | 免费99视频 | 精久久久久 | 91久久国产露脸精品免费 | 天天操天天操天天操香蕉 | 成人一区二区在线观看视频 | 欧美日韩一区二区三区四区五区 | 色综合久久88中文字幕 | 精品啪啪 | 日韩一区精品视频 | a一级免费 | www97影院 | 亚洲精品一区国产 | 成人午夜精品久久久久久久小说 | 91婷婷韩国欧美一区二区 | 久久综合九色综合欧洲 | 日本高免费观看在线播放 | 久久精品国内一区二区三区 | 免费午夜影片在线观看影院 | 国产精品www视频免费看 | 亚洲一区二区三区免费视频 | 91网站国产 | 99久久精品免费看国产一区二区 | 久久精精| 偷拍做爰吃奶视频免费看 | 二区久久 | 亚洲欧美日韩精品久久亚洲区 | 久久久久久久久女黄 | 日韩视频免费 | 中文字幕日韩欧美 | 国内精品易阳在线播放国产 | 久久天天拍天天爱天天躁 | 精品国产自在久久 | 久久这里只有精品国产99 | 天天操天天射天天舔 | 五月婷婷婷婷 | 一级毛片aaa片免费观看 | 欧美日韩国产一区二区三区 |