Concluding three days of crucial meetings and site visits in Beijing, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission gave the state of preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games a positive review. The eighth visit by the IOC to assess progress was considered a milestone of high importance for the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).
With only 477 days left until the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Hein Verbruggen underlined that time is of the essence as anticipation grows and the eyes of the world increasingly focus on Beijing. The Coordination Commission, which has assisted BOCOG in over six years of preparations, is due to visit Beijing twice more before the Games begin.
"The world is watching and waiting, eager to see what Beijing and China have to offer and anticipating what can be achieved through hosting the Olympic Games," Chairman Verbruggen said. "This puts a great responsibility on their shoulders, but I believe in them and their ability to show the world the potential of their country and their people in the 21st century."
The 26 test events scheduled this year will be an important tool for BOCOG to fine-tune preparations and make improvements in advance of 2008. "Test events this summer are a crucial opportunity the organisers must use to test how operations, planned for so long, will actually work in practice," explained Verbruggen. "There will be a year to make any refinements if necessary," he added.
Source: IOC