Bringing to a close its next-to-last meeting before the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games begin, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Coordination Commission, Thursday 25 October 2007 marked an important milestone in its review of preparations for August next year. The three-day meeting with the Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee (BOCOG) was the first held since the IOC visit in August, and was the opportunity to fully appraise the results of the test events held over the past months.

 “The BOCOG team has once again shown us that they have understood what is needed to organize top quality Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Hein Verbruggen, Chairman of the Coordination Commission. “The feedback that we have been receiving from the International Federations and athletes alike, specifically from their experiences at the test events, shows us that BOCOG has been able to translate that understanding into an operational reality. However, in these final months the need for continuous action is imperative.”

With less than 10 months left until the Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony, presentations at the meeting gave Commission members details of Games preparations as well as status reports on how BOCOG and the local Beijing authorities plan to address matters such as air quality, ticketing and the Olympic Torch Relay.

The final Coordination Commission meeting before the 2008 Olympic Games will be held in April next year. By then all preparations will be largely completed.

Source: IOC