Beijing 2008 has decided not to hold beach volleyball on Tiananmen Square during the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Beijing Olympic organizers had proposed to use the square during their bid, but later changed their minds.
Although no official announcement has been made, a source from the Beijing 2008 organizing committee informed Reuters Tuesday that the matches would be held at Beijing’s Chaoyang Park, east of the main Games site the Olympic Green.
Feng Qihua of the organizing committee’s media department told Reuters “we think this site is especially suited for the beach volleyball”.
No reason was given for the change, although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in its evaluation of Beijing’s bid in 2001 that the Tiananmen Square site was “inappropriate”, reports the BBC.
Beijing has scaled back on some of its ambitious plans it presented when it bid for the 2008 Games, like the bird’s nest” stadium, which will hold track and field events and the Opening and Closing ceremonies.
Organizers have also proposed moving the 2008 Equestrian competitions to Hong Kong due to the potential risk of equine diseases in Beijing.
Meanwhile, Beijing 2008 officials got some advice from Peter Ueberroth, President of the U.S. Olympic Committee, at the Fortune Global Forum’s Sports Roundtable.
Ueberroth said that Beijing 2008 should lower ticket prices in 2008 to let more local people participate in the Olympic Games. He said one million people should be allowed to see less attractive events such as cycling, the marathon and cross-country, free of charge.
He added that organizing committee members should use fewer luxury cars to cut costs, and volunteers should be provided with good accommodation.