Seven years ago, through strong determination and commitment, Beijing won the bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games. Now, less than ten days before the official start of the games, international sports officials and media members who have toured the city say Beijing has fulfilled its commitments. CRI's Zheng Chenguang reports.
Reporter:
Among the fantastic venues Beijing has built for the games, the Water Cube and the National Stadium have met with the highest praise from foreign sports officials and athletes.
Alex Gilady, an International Olympic Committee official, believes that the advanced technology employed in the Water Cube will help boost swimmers' performances.
"Everything is perfect. And what is the most important is that the athletes will swim even faster here, and are likely to break records. The design of the venue is not just to look good, but more importantly, it's for competition. I'm expecting that the athletes can perform well here. "
The air quality in Beijing has been a major topic of discussion among athletes. While some are skeptical that the air quality will be under control by the start of the games, Charles Nobre, Benin's chief Olympic delegate, says the environment in Beijing is relatively good for such a large city.
"This is quite natural. If you take the population into consideration, you will find that many places in the world have much fewer people, but face much more severe pollution. We should congratulate China on its achievements rather than be too demanding. "
By the end of July, more than 11,000 journalists had arrived in Beijing and started reporting on the games.
Francisco Larios is a journalist from Mexico.
"We are indeed satisfied. All of the services are there, and so far, we haven't had any problems with the technical set-ups like electricity, air conditioning and the telephone. I believe there won't be any hassles, and I'm happy with it. "
The journalist says that Beijing's preparations for the media are in line with international practices. He is confident that the Beijing Olympics will be one of the most successful games in history.
Zheng Chenguang, CRI News.
