CURTAIN READY TO RISE ON A SPORTING SPECTACULAR
After years of preparing for the Winter Olympics which will open on Feb 4, Beijing is determined to give the world a green, sharing, open and clean Games.
Following a sustainable development concept, 11 of the 13 venues for the Games in Beijing were used for the Summer Olympics in 2008.
The Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (Group) Co., which was responsible for the design work for the Winter Games venues, said those in the city being used for ice events can be adapted to stage summer sports.
The Wukesong Sports Center is one of the 2008 Summer Games venues being used along with the Bird’s Nest (the National Stadium), which will stage the opening and closing ceremonies for the Winter Olympics. The Water Cube (the National Aquatics Center) will host curling, and ice hockey will be staged at the National Indoor Stadium.
Capital Indoor Stadium, an older venue that was renovated for the 2008 Olympics, will host figure skating and short track events.
The Water Cube, which hosted swimming and diving during the 2008 Games, has been transformed into what is being called an ice cube for the Winter Olympics curling events. Decoration and renovation work at the venue included filling the main pool with removable and reusable steel structures.
Zheng Fang, chief designer for the renovation project, said the Water Cube has been given a smart upgrade. The display system uses 5G technology, providing additional details of the Games and enabling instant interaction with spectators during events.
The lighting system is also smart, and a green construction concept was adopted in line with the country’s aim of reducing carbon emissions.
The only new outdoor venue in Beijing for snow sports is Big Air Shougang, located at Shougang Industrial Park in the western district of Shijingshan. The site features a steep, twisting ramp, which will remain in place after the Games.
Four Winter Olympics gold medals, two for snowboarding and two for freestyle skiing, will be decided at this venue.
Zhang Li, chief architect for Big Air Shougang and dean of the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University, said transformation of the industrial park, which was used to house a steel factory, centered on a cultural, sporting and leisure theme.
“Building a permanent Olympic venue at the park is the perfect expression of this theme,” he told China Central Television. “The sports it will host feature speed, light and freedom, and we’ve incorporated these factors in the ribbon design.”
The 2008 Summer Olympics paved the way for Beijing to experience top-level international sports competitions and also changed many people’s career paths.
Huang Zhenxiang, who worked as a volunteer during the Summer Games that year, is now volunteer manager at the National Snowmobile and Sled Center in Beijing.
“I was in middle school in 2001 when China won the right to host the 2008 Olympics. I saw people in Beijing celebrating this achievement in the streets.”
In 2008, when Huang was a university student in Beijing, he worked as a volunteer at the Summer Games.
He has been involved with volunteer service ever since and said the 2008 Games changed his life.
Zhang Xiaodan, who helped design Olympic venues used in 2008 after he had just graduated from college, is working as deputy competition service manager at the National Speed Skating Oval during the Winter Games.
“Few international sporting events were held in China before 2008, but in the past decade the country has hosted many, creating increased demand for related talent,” Zhang said.
“Many young people who worked for the 2008 Games are now leaders in various areas.”
During the Winter Games a new group of young volunteers will start their learning process, which may point the way to their futures.
Up to 200,000 volunteers will work at the Games, starting from Jan 25, the municipal government says. They will help provide information, language services, emergency aid and support for people with disabilities.
The Beijing government has introduced stringent measures to prevent the risk of infection during the Games, with the aim of holding a safe Olympics for everyone.
Shen Xue, a former Olympic champion figure skater, said that since China won the bid to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, ice and snow sports have developed rapidly in the country.
“All the ice venues will become precious Olympic legacies for Beijing and China, helping the country become a strong force in winter sports.”
Over the past seven years Beijing and Hebei have stepped up integrated development during their preparations for the Winter Olympics. Infrastructure in Zhangjiakou has been significantly upgraded, including transportation services, water, power and natural gas.
The two cities have also been successful in jointly tackling air pollution.
Liu Shanshan, 36, who loves to ski, said the forthcoming Games have brought the two cities, people and winter sports closer.