Beijing Olympic organizers expressed satisfaction over the
near-complete construction of the Shenyang Olympic Sports Center
Stadium on Saturday, one of the four soccer venues outside Beijing
for the 2008 Games, adding that the lawn is still needed to be
improved.
After receiving updates on the progress of the ongoing
construction, Zhang Jilong, head of the Sports Department of the
Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG)
said it is so stunning that the project takes just more than a
year, and he believed the stadium can meet the demands of the
Games.
He urged the local organizers to improve the lawn after a trial
stepping in person, saying it is needed to be flattened further to
meet the standard.
The Shenyang stadium will serve as one of the four soccer venues
outside Beijing in 2008, together with other three in Tianjin,
Shanghai and Qinhuangdao, which are to be concluded within this
year.
Covered by shining exterior glass and a 2,000-square-meter
petal-shaped roof made by transparent materials, the stadium
started construction in March last year for a capacity of more than
50,000 seats. The total cost is expected to stand around 900
million yuan (US$ 120 million).
The venue will soon embrace its first match, with the
Four-Nation Women's Soccer Tournament to kick off in July this
year.
(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2007)