Qingdao people have a strong liking for sports. As an athletic and soccer town, it won 345 gold medals, 193 silver medals, and 146 bronze medals in 2002. Seven national records, 10 provincial records and 7 city records were broken last year.

 

As the host for the 29th Olympic sailing events, Qingdao has begun making overall plans in order to improve the ecological environment, highlight “Green Olympics”, “High-tech Olympics” and “Humanistic Olympics”, and build the city into a green Olympic metropolis with the best sailing facilities in Asia.

 

By June 2003, plans for an Olympic water sports center will be finalized, the relocation of the present Beihai Shipyard and construction preparations completed, and some infrastructure construction started. By June 2006, the Olympic water sports center and related supporting facilities will be basically completed, and the urban infrastructure facilities will commence construction. By June 2008, all the Olympic-related construction will be completed meeting the Olympic sailing requirements, and pre-Olympic sailing games will be held. During July - December 2008, the Olympic sailing events and those for the handicapped will be held.

 

Water Sports Center

 

The 2008 Olympic sailing events will be held in Fushan Bay near the city’s political, cultural and commercial center. The land facilities will cover approximately 45 hectares and will include a national sailing athlete training center, an Olympic village, an athlete center, a boat park, a news center, an international passenger liner wharf, an international conference center, a five-star international tourist hotel, an international yachting club, a seaside marina, parks and squares. The comprehensive sports center will integrate tourism, sports and entertainment. (qingdaochina.org)