Australian firms first winners of 2008 Olympic Games

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Australian firms first winners of 2008 Olympic Games

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With successful experience at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, some Australian companies have been the first winners of the Beijing 2008 Olympics by actively participating in the tremendous preparations for the world's top sporting event.

Sandy Hollway, former chief executive of the Sydney Olympic Organizing Committee and now a member of the Sydney-Beijing Olympic Secretariat, said Australian firms have won about half of the design contracts for the 2008 Olympic venues, including the national swimming center and a shooting venue.

Hollway on Tuesday told a conference at a sports facilities exhibition in Beijing that the total value of the 2008 Olympic projects was estimated at three billion Australian Dollars (2.37 billion US dollars).

"Australian architects are also shortlisted for participation in all current venue tenders and these projects have a value in excess of two billion Australian dollars," Hollway said.

With contracts in hand and optimism over the bidding prospects,Australian companies have their eyes on the follow-up business.

"The focus of the coming year will be to assist Australian participation in supplying goods and services for the design, development and construction of both major and smaller venues," said David Churches, director of the Sydney-Beijing Olympic Secretariat.

The 27 Australian participants at the exhibition, most of whichcontributed to the Sydney Olympics, cover steel manufacturing and construction, railway infrastructure, seating systems, electronic projection and environmental technologies.

"We have offered products and services for the Sydney Olympic Games and for Chinese projects as well," said Wang Fengchi, regional manager of the BlueScope Steel Coated Steel China, a local branch of Australia's BlueScope steel enterprise.

"Our production bases in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu will also try to serve the Beijing 2008 Olympics with the highest quality," Wang said.

"The preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games to date are excellent. In particular, progress with the construction of the venues, the first great challenge for any Olympic host city, has been managed exceptionally well," said Churches, adding challengesstill remained.

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