District running tests to ensure smooth and better management

With all facilities, equipment and health plans in place, authorities in Beijing's Chaoyang district have switched their attention to streamlining procedures to ensure the safe and smooth running of international test events for next year's Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Starting from Oct 5, 10 international events, three training weeks and two domestic test activities will take place through the end of the year at eight Beijing 2022 venues across three zone: downtown Beijing, Yanqing district and the co-host Zhangjiakou in Hebei province.

Chaoyang is responsible for two international competitions and two domestic test activities.

The district is also home to three Beijing 2022 venues and several hotels to accommodate athletes and officials.

Joint efforts have been made by the district's government agencies to provide comfortable, convenient and safe services in food, accommodation and transportation sectors.

Accuracy is a key element of the services so as to ensure that time schedules for accommodation, catering and traveling allow athletes and staff members to devote themselves to the competition with ease, said local officials.

An ice hockey domestic testing activity is being held at the National Indoor Stadium, near the Bird's Nest. As a main stadium for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, this stadium will see athletes compete in five competitions and take part in 15 training sessions from today to Nov 14. Beijing has sent four teams to attend the event.

To host the activity, Chaoyang has reconfigured the national stadium and built related temporary indoor and outdoor facilities.

The stadium has also been divided into two parts, including a closed-loop and an area outside the loop, to efficiently control the flow of people.

At the stadium, staff have complied 15 epidemic prevention and control plans covering such aspects as catering, transport, accommodation, garbage cleanup, and logistics.

High-tech products are being used to help prevent risks from the pandemic during the activity. In addition, They include a maxillofacial trauma treatment vehicle that can complete an imaging examination and an artificial intelligence diagnosis within five minutes; a geomagnetic navigation system to locate people in real time at the stadium; and technologies realizing multiscene three-dimensional elimination of pathogenic microorganisms.

Chaoyang held the first international competition of the Beijing 2022 test series, the Speed Skating China Open, at the newly built National Speed Skating Oval, known as the Ice Ribbon, from Oct 8 to 10.

The winner of women's 500-meter speed skating said it was a great honor to compete in an Olympic venue, which is big and beautiful. The pandemic prevention measures also made her feel particularly safe.

Speaking of facilities, three foreign experts led by experienced Canadian technician Mark Messer, and eight Chinese ice makers worked together to make ice on the oval's 400-meter track.

In addition, two foreign sports experts were engaged to create a more dazzling atmosphere with the Chinese team by creating ice projections and special lighting.

"The test event has accumulated valuable experience for us. Next, we will summarize problems and improve our capacities to better prepare for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games," a spokesperson at the oval said.

Chaoyang also hosted the world wheelchair curling championship from Oct 23 to 30 at the National Aquatics Center, also known as the Ice Cube.

A Chinese team competed with 11 overseas teams from Canada, Russia, Latvia and other countries and regions in 72 events.