Young rowers and veteran officials have praised the Olympic venue for rowing, canoeing and marathon swimming.

Robert Treharne Jones, an Englishman working as a consultant for rowing’s world governing body, said, ‘It’s fantastic. The moment I walked in through the door I was very impressed by the sheer size and scale of the whole venture.

‘I’ve seen rowing courses all the way around the world — in both hemispheres — and this is so impressive. All credit to the Chinese for building a magnificent facility.’

The Shunyi water park is hosting the World Rowing Junior Championships — the first of 11 Olympic test events set for this month in Beijing. Tests will be held in sports as varied as baseball, beach volleyball and field hockey all staged to test Beijing’s readiness for the 2008 Games.

Shunyi is spread over 400 acres, with a grandstand for 5,000 perched alongside a 2,000-meter rowing course. The course features a warm-up lake, a white water venue, lots of green and shelter from the wind. The illustration shows part of the opening ceremony for the venue.

18-year-old Morgan Kloes, a South African competing in double sculls said, ‘From what I have heard, this is by far the best facility in the world.’

John Layng, manager for the British team, said, ‘Right from the word go, everything has worked perfectly. I think next year this is going to be absolutely fantastic for the Olympics.’
Source: EPSN