CGTN | 30-Jul-2020 | Hu Zhicheng
“In the beginning, it took us a couple of months, now 20 days will suffice,” said Yang Qiyong, general manager of the Beijing National Aquatics Center on Tuesday, making room for reporters to gasp in awe.
The soft-spoken veteran, who has overseen the iconic 2008 Olympic venue for more than a decade, was merrily opening up about the amount of time needed to convert the center’s flawless swimming pool to a stellar ice rink.
The pioneering attempt to transform the “Water Cube” into the “Ice Cube” for the 2022 Winter Olympics’ curling event is part of Beijing’s commitment to a new Olympic agenda for a “stronger focus on sustainability, legacy, and transparency.” It reflects the stride that China has taken towards fulfilling its 2022 mission of “green, open, inclusive and clean” games.
“By advocating environmental sustainability and driving coordinated development to improve people’s quality of life, Beijing 2022 could galvanize broader change and create a strong model for positive interconnection between the Olympic movement and the hosts,” she observed. “It could become a powerful driving force behind the Green Olympics,” she added.
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