Ottavio Cinquanta, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board and President of the International Skating Union, said during a visit to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Games, “you have a great opportunity to use the Games through television of all the world to present China in the modern concept”.
Since it became the host city for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Beijing has spent billions of dollars on 16 new stadiums and gymnasiums. It has added 500 kilometres to the city’s expressways and 40 kilometres of subway line.
Also, industries are being relocated and suburban farms converted to forest as part of an endeavour to massively improve the city’s environment.
Cinquanta stressed that besides meeting the requirements of the IOC, the Beijing Olympic Committee should focus more on how to make the 2008 Games a special event for the Chinese people.
“I’m sure that you will provide an excellent Olympic Games, a sport event for the world for the IOC and for the federations. But more importantly, it’s for China. The 2008 Olympics will be so important that it becomes a special event in the Chinese history.
