Press conference: Operation of Olympic Village

Wang Hui

I would like to thank deputy director Deng Yaping for her vivid explanation. Now the floor is open for questions to the journalists. Before you raise up your question, please identify yourselves. You are the first one.

Swedish News Agency TT

I am just wondering if you have specified a list of how many bed sheets you are going to provide during the whole Olympics. How many quilt covers, bath towels, foot towels and so on? If you can hand it out?

Deng Yaping

This is a very subtle question. We do have some figures when all the athletes are here, they are working very hard. The weather is hot and humid. Everyday we changed bed sheets, quilt covers, pillow covers including shower towels. A lot. I think between 2-5%, more than what they did in Athens Olympic Games. Everyday we changed about 17,000 towels.

AFP

You said that you have 49 letters of praise. I would like to know how many complaints you have and what the complaints were about.

Deng Yaping

It is a very good question. Maybe we don't know for every other day we hold a meeting for the chef de Mission. Every morning from 7:30-8:30 during this one hour time, that is the time for the chef de Mission or the deputies to express their complaints and questions. According to the regulation requirement of the IOC or the technical manuals, we must give feedback on the same day before 3 in the afternoon. Our job is like that. Actually starting from the pre opening of the Village, from 27th, everyday we are dealing with a lot of question. For one particular day, I mentioned the figure, on the 5th of August, 97 countries and delegations will go into Village and settle down. You can imagine the number of people and the amount of work. On the peak day, 1800 people simultaneously went into the Village. So in terms of the preparation of the bed and the handling of the luggage, these things happen everyday. This becomes the routine of the day. As long as they have questions and complaints, they just express that to our coordinators. Up to now, in terms of the service and accommodation teams, we have not received one single complain letter.

China Radio International

Because of the program, the athletes have different time for competition. How you guarantee the athletes' better rest because some of the athletes may rest during the day.

Deng Yaping

In terms of the layout of the Olympic Village, there are southern district and the northern area. In the southern area, there are 42 building for the athletes rest and in the northern part it is a recreational or public area. So one is quiet area and the other is a dynamic area. You are quite right, athletes have different schedules for competitions. But according to technical manual of the IOC, we only allocate a certain number of rooms to a given NOC. As for who is going to living in which room, that is in the hands of that given NOC. They should be very experienced in allocating which athlete should stay in which room according to the competition schedule.

Xinhua News Agency

In Olympic Village, you are one of the athletes to provide the service. Li Lingwei is also a badminton champion. You are two very experienced Olympic champions. Apart from you two, are there any other very experienced athletes providing services for the athletes? What are the advantages for the two of you to provide services?

Deng Yaping

Up to now, yes, you're right, we two are the only former athletes providing services for the athletes. Of course there are other staffs including the volunteers. Even among the volunteers there are former athletes although they are not world champion. To us, we used to be athletes; we know the needs and the habits of the athletes. Therefore, in terms of providing service to the athletes, besides the two of us, we also invite specialist and scientists, those who have participated in the former Olympic Games to solicit their good opinions and recommendations. And also, we invite those athletes who used to stay in the Olympic Villages for good recommendtaions. So we two are the ones providing services, but behind us there are many supporters who are very professional and very good.

Wang Hui

As far as I know, many athletes in our team have visited the Athens and Turino for practice. They are not new to this. Thank you.

Beijing Youth Daily

After the Games, the Olympic Village will be sold to the citizens. Right now the facilities are designed for the temporary use of the athletes. Before you sell it to them, do you need to make modifications?

Deng Yaping

In the entire design of the venues and Olympic Village, we considered how to make further use of it after the Games. It is also designed for the future selling to the citizens. Right now, we do have made some installations and facilities for the athletes for temporary purposes. But after the Games, it will be sold as commodities. The housing developers, they have to restore the design to keep what they promised to do to the buyers. The Paralympics will be held after the Olympics. After that, the developers is going to fulfill their promises to the future buyers of the Olympic Village.

AFP

On the use of the religious facilities in the Olympic Village, you just said that 345 athletes and officials have used the facilities between July 27 and August 14. Are you surprised that the number appears so low, considering there are more than 10,000 athletes in the Village. Would you expect that there will be more people to use the religious facilities in the Olympic Village?

Deng Yaping

The religious service project is unique. We just do according to what is said on the layout of the technical manual of IOC. We set up religious service center. We only provide major 5 religious services. I think they start from the Sydney Olympic Games. At that time I was a member of the IOC. I visited that center. As for why there are so many athletes people living in the Village, but the number of people attending the religious services is quite low, I believe they come here for competition mainly. They come here for the Olympic Games. Of course, there are a lot of religious believers among them, no matter what their religions are, they want to cultivate themselves, cultivate their own minds, relax themselves. I think that's the most important. As for whether they really visit the religious service center for prayers. We don't know. We only provide the services.

Free Asia Radio

In the Olympic Village, management is very good, the operation is very good, and I'm sure you invested a lot of money. Can you brief us on the investment of the Olympic Village? After the Olympics and Paralympics, when it comes to the marketing of these building, how do you conduct this kind of business?

Deng Yaping

I should say the buildings are commercially constructed before we receive the athletes to the Village. The developers has already started the selling of the buildings. But they said clearly you must give out these buildings for the Olympic Games. After the Games, you'll get the house. Right now, the marketing goes on very smoothly, because a lot of people believe the location and the environment of the Village is beautiful and good. So developers believe the marketing is quite good. Right now, the operation of the Olympic Village is smooth. The Closing Ceremony is on the 24. The Village will be closed on 27, there are more than 10 days time left. We have laid a solid foundation but there is a long way to go for us. We hope all the staff and all the volunteers should work even harder and double their efforts. Who laughs last who laughs best. Up to now, the situation is quite satisfactory.

Wang Hui

That brings us to the end of today's press conference. I am sure the Olympic Village will make every athlete to be happy until the end of the operation. Thank you very much once again.