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Olympic showpiece venues to be put into test in 2008
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2007-03-26 10:46
Xinhuanet
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BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The National Stadium will be put into use in April next year, about four months before the 2008 Olympic Games open on its ground, when it stages an international athletics event, organizers said on Wednesday.
"Twenty-six test events are set for 2007, with more than 20 competition venues to be put into operation," Yang Shu’an, executive vice president of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOCOG), told a press conference.
But the National Stadium and the National Aquatics Center, the two centerpiece venues of the Beijing Games, will not debut until next year, said Yang.
"The National Stadium will host an IAAF meet in late April to early May next year, and the National Aquatics Center will get its first test in February next year with the China Open swimming championships," he said.
In addition, 14 other test events would be also held in 2008.
The first major test event this year is the World Junior Rowing Championships, which opens on Aug. 8 -- one year before the opening of the Games. August is stacked with test events, from baseball and cycling, to canoeing, archery and beach volleyball.
"All of these sports are equally important to help us accumulate experience to help us host the Beijing Olympics next year," Yang said.
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