Beijing 2022 aims to offer great services for athletes, say organizers

BEIJING - Athletes have always been at the center of the Olympic games, and the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games is sparing no efforts to ensure that all athletes can bring about their best performance, said Shen Qianfan, the director-general of the village planning and operation department of Beijing 2022 organizers BOCOG.

The 24-hour restaurant is one of the most popular spots in the Olympic Village, with athletes posting on social media as they enjoy traditional Chinese dishes.

"The most popular dishes are dumplings and Beijing roast duck. At the peak hour, we offered 80 roast ducks in maximum," said Shen.

Food and catering service for an Olympic Games is very complex. It took the organizers nearly two years to finalize the menu for athletes after cooperation and consultation with nutrition experts from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"Athletes and the experts pay more attention to the nutrition of the food, for example, how many calories per 1,000 grams, how much fat, what are the potential allergens in the food, particularly for top athletes. They follow very strict diets. Sometimes we joke amongst ourselves that they eat with calculators in their hands," Shen explained.

"For athletes who have special dietary needs, we follow the requirements of the IOC food and beverage experts," he continued.

Besides catering, the BOCOG has also taken the needs of entertainment into consideration. "The entertainment center is over 1,000 square meters. There are foosball tables and billiards. We also have very high-tech entertainment facilities, for example a 4D deep sea simulator and a spaceship cabin simulator, so the choice is very rich," Shen introduced.

In the village, there is a Chinese traditional cultural demonstration area and also a corner for athletes to experience traditional Chinese medicine. "We hope the village could be a place where everybody can share and enjoy each other's culture," the director added.

There is also a comprehensive outpatient clinic with 18 departments including treatments, dentistry and psychological counseling. The medical-aid emergency services are available round-the-clock.

Athletes can also find laundry, convenience stores and cafeterias on the plaza of the Olympic Village.