"The Olympic Village is excellent, " Sergio Turiace, an Argentine fencing coach who has already took part in six Olympics, said on Sunday.

"I participated in the Los Angeles and Seoul Olympics as a fencer, and then as a coach," said Turiace. "But this time in Beijing, I think no other Olympic Village could be compared to Beijing's."

Coach of the only Argentine fencer at the Beijing Olympics, Turiace said he was impressed by the kindness and the excellent service of the staffs in the Olympic Village.

"Besides, there's a lot of excellent food in the Village," he said.

Turiace and his disciple, Alberto Gonzalez, train every day at the Fencing Hall of the National Convention Center. But they could still find time to go shopping and visit the downtown of Beijing.

"We've been to the Tian'anmen Square. It's really huge! And also the Forbidden City, I was told that in the ancient time, there was only the imperial family could live there, unbelievable!" he said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2008)