Competition Venues in Beijing Ready for RunningLocated at the Northwest of Beijing, the University Students Gymnasium has a structure of integral frame.At the four corners of the Gymnasium stand four eight-angle prismatic poles, which are upright, mighty, imposing and spectacular, reflecting healthy body, endless wisdom, power and vitality benefiting from sports. Four white ridges, which extend to respective direction, like four flying dragons, mythical monsters represent courage, go-aheadism and nobleness as traditional totem of all Chinese. It is a coherent and superior mixture of Chinese features and advanced modernization. The modernized and multipurpose comprehensive gymnasium originally was a basketball gymnasium constructed for the Asian Games and was completed in September 1988. Since then, it has successfully hosted many important games domestically and internationally, including the basketball matches of Asian Games, and the International Volleyball Games. After its upgrade was finished at May, it covers an area of over 12,000 square meters with the height of 32 meters and it can accommodate 4078 seats. The University Students Gymnasium, subordinated to Capital College of Physical Education, will host men's basketball competitions of the 21st World University Games slated for August 22 to September 1. It is one of the 52 venues for the 11-day events. There will be 12 sports for the Universiade, including 10 compulsory sports and two sports chosen by China as the optional sports. Last July, the various technical committees of Universiade confirmed after inspection that 52 venues will be available for the 12 sports scheduled for the 2001 games. Of these 52 venues, 19 stadiums and 33 gymnasiums, 31 will be used to stage the competitions and 21 will be used for training purposes. All these venues and related installation were upgraded in accordance with the technical requirements put forward by International Sports Federations. Three main venues, the Worker's Stadium which will hold the opening ceremony of the Games and soccer matches, the National Olympic Center which will hold the substantial part of a comprehensive games -- track and field competitions and the site for finals of Basketball, Volleyball and Gymnastics -- the Capital Gymnasium are now well up to international standards after undergoing a major facelift. Norber Wolf, chairman of the Table Tennis Department of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) who is on his second inspection on the preparation works for the Universiade in Beijing, said the Haidian stadium for the table tennis competition was better than expectation. "It is fantastic for the works have been done in Beijing. Stadiums and facilities for table tennis are in the best condition for competition and also for training. It is high international quality as well as the Athletes Village. It is fantasy." said Norber. The newly renovated Haidian stadium has 3000 seats, all the facilities in the stadium are all the international-level. The training venue beside it is newly constructed. Seven of the 52 venues are newly constructed. Among them, four are built at university campuses, namely TsingHua University Gymnasium and Diving Pool, the Gymnasium of the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Swimming Pool of the Beijing Physical Culture Teachers' College. These gymnasiums and the former gyms at the campuses, together with a few other supporting facilities, make up a small-size sports complex in the university. After the Games, these facilities will open to all the students and nearby residents. At present, Beijing has 40 well-equipped large stadiums and gymnasiums. The city's 106 sports facilities are open to the public, having paved the way for the city's efforts to enrich and enliven the sparetime cultural life of local residents. |
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