I Have Excellent Stay in Beijing: IOC President

Jacques Rogge, newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has expressed his satisfaction with his stay in Beijing, and gave high marks for Beijing's preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games.

"I had an excellent stay in Beijing," Rogge told reporters at the airport before leaving for Switzerland this afternoon.

After arriving here Monday morning, Rogge has inspected some sports venues, the Athletes' Village for the ongoing 21st Summer Universiade and attended some sports competitions.

"Yesterday I had a visit to the Universiade, which is absolutely well-organised. The Board of Directors of FISU are absolutely delighted about the preparation and organization of the Universiade,"said Rogge.

The Universiade is the first global multi-sports event that Beijing held after the city was awarded the 2008 Olympic Games on July 13 in Moscow and the Universiade has been widely regarded as a test event for Beijing's capacity to organize the Olympiad.

"This is really an advance mark for the future,"Rogge referred to what Beijing has done for the Universiade.

"Basically I have full confidence in Beijing, and the best proof is that the IOC has elected Beijing as the organizing city," he said.

Rogge also had a meeting with Beijing Olympic organizers in the morning, discussing the preparation of the 2008 Games.

"It is very constructive and fruitful,"said Rogge."I am very impressed both by what I saw and by the discussion with the future organizers."

Impressed by Beijing

Despite a busy working schedule in a two-day tour of Beijing, the host of the 2008 Olympic Games, newly elected IOC president Jacques Rogge has been deeply impressed by the Chinese capital.

"It is the quality of people, the expertise, the support of the government, the geography of the city, the strength of the Chinese sports and Chinese tradition," said the president. "All of this make that you have everything to stage the best possible Games."

After arriving here Monday morning, Rogge had inspected sports venues, the Athletes' Village for the ongoing 21st Summer Universiade and attended some sports competitions.

"Yesterday I had a visit to the Universiade, which is absolutely well organized. The Board of Directors of FISU are absolutely delighted about the preparation and organization of the Universiade,"said Rogge.

While giving thumb-up to Beijing, he said that the Olympic organizers should not slacken their efforts in the build-up to the Games seven years later.

However, you should not be complacent, you should work very hard to the last day," he said.

No Reflection on Past

How do you like the feeling of being the president of the International Olympic Committee?

This is a question put to Belgian Jacques Rogge, who was elected on July 16 at Moscow to head the world sports ruling organization.

"Frankly speaking, I have no time to reflect on that, only the duties of the IOC," Rogge said at the Beijing airport after concluding a two-day visit to the Chinese capital, the host of the 2008 Olympic Games.

He said that he is a man who only "focuses on the present and future" instead of the past.

"Maybe one day I will say, well, happy, unhappy...I donnot know, I will tell you later," he said. "But today I have no time to reflect on myself."

Rogge was elected at the 112th IOC session where former president Juan Antonio Samaranch retired after a 21-year tenure.

Before taking over the high-profile job, Rogge had chaired the Co-ordination Commissions of the Sydney and Athens Games and headed the European Olympic Committee and Belgian Olympic Committee.

"(Before) I could still combine these with my job as a surgeon, but today it is impossible, so I gave up my job as a surgeon, now I am full-time IOC president," he said.

The president added that the presidency is not a job as the IOC members are volunteers.

"It is a passion, I love to fulfill my passion," he said.






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