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BEIJING: Britain’s Gordon Brown toured China’s new Olympic
stadium on Saturday—a first for a foreign dignitary—as
preparations for this year’s summer Games gather pace.
The prime minister spent about 20 minutes being
shown around the arena of the 80,000-seat National Stadium in
Beijing—nicknamed the Bird’s Nest because of the intricate
latticework on its outer core.
A British official told reporters: “He’s the
first foreign VIP visitor to be allowed inside the stadium.”
British engineering and design firm Arup Sport
was part of a consortium involved in the development of the stadium,
which Time magazine last year described as one of the top 10
architectural wonders of the world in 2007.
Brown, who is in China to boost bilateral trade
and investment links, plus cooperation on climate change, said:
“This is going to be one of the greatest Olympic games ever.”
“I am flattered that British design has been
involved in this and I congratulate everybody who has been
responsible for this.”
“For the athletes it’s going to be great.
For the public it’s going to be wonderful.”
Britain’s double Olympic gold-medal winning
athlete Kelly Holmes, accompanying Brown, added: “I think that
it’s a fantastic stadium. It certainly deserves a gold medal for
innovation.”
London is watching this year’s Games closely
as the Olympics moves to Britain in four years’ time. The Beijing
Games start in August.
-- AFP
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