The International Olympic Committee is considering Beijing's
proposal to hold the 2008 Summer Olympic Games later than normal, a
visiting committee official said Wednesday in Beijing.
Beijing had asked to postpone the event from the end of July and
beginning of August -- the time set by the committee -- to later
August for fear of the hot weather.
"That is a very hot period in the city so indeed there is a
proposal of Beijing Organizing Committee for Games of the XXIX
Olympiad to go a little bit later in the month of August," said
Hein Verbruggen, president of the IOC Coordination Commission for
the Beijing Olympics.
The period set by the IOC is normally the city's hottest time and
the temperature can often hit 35 degrees Celsius or higher.
"We have asked for more details to back the proposal up,"
Verbruggen said.
But he said this "can't be decided easily" because of the impact on
the international sport events calendar. He added that the IOC
executive board would make a decision "very, very probably" at the
end of February.
Verbruggen was in Beijing as head of a 16-member co-ordination
commission for a three-day working session with the Chinese side.
The commission ended its visit Wednesday.
The two sides had talks on major Olympic topics, including venue
construction, marketing, the environment and accommodation.
The commission also stressed Wednesday that the Olympics would see
some cost-cutting, which could lead to several Olympic sports being
dropped from the Beijing Games. The IOC will vote on the proposed
cuts after the 2004 Athens Games.
Beijing officials were receptive to the cuts proposals, although
these would entail considerable changes to Olympic
preparations.
"Being frugal is always one of our main principles in running the
Olympics," said Jiang Xiaoyu, vice-president of the Beijing
organizing committee.
(China Daily December 5, 2002)