A month before the opening of the Asian Games in Guangzhou, the world s most populous nation has already set its sights on a bigger prize hosting its second Olympic Games.
Officials and residents in Guangzhou say they are ready for a Guangzhou Olympics in the not-so-distant future.
In my personal opinion, in 10 years time, Guangzhou may have the opportunity to bid for the Olympic Games, AFP quoted Gu Shiyang, vice secretary general of the Guangzhou Organizing Committee for the Asian Games, as saying yesterday.
In 10 or 20 years time, it [will be] time for China to have the Olympic Games again, Gu said.
Beijing hosted China s first Olympics in 2008, wowing the world with sparkling new facilities, seamless organization and Chinese athletes that topped the medal table over perennial powerhouses the United States and Russia.
In preparation for the Nov. 12-27 Asian Games, Guangzhou has followed in Beijing s footsteps, building new roads, bridges, housing complexes, railway stations and subway lines.
The city has also worked to clean up its water and air and undertook massive urban renewal projects, all while building or refurbishing dozens of modern sports facilities.
To host international events like the Olympic Games or the Asian Games, I think Guangzhou is next to Beijing in terms of venues, in terms of experience of organizing such big events and also in terms of talent, Gu said.
For the Olympic Games, you need to have sufficient venues and sports facilities. Guangzhou has these kinds of facilities. We don t need to build more venues for the Olympic Games.
Hosting a second Olympics within a relatively short time span would not be unprecedented.
After staging the Winter Games in Lake Placid in 1980, the United States hosted the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 1984, and again in Atlanta in 1996. The Winter Games came back to the United States in Salt Lake City in 2002.
