Deng Yaping is now 35 years of age, but once dominated table tennis and won 18 world champion titles and four Olympic gold medals during her sporting career. She has so far been the only women’s single player to win Olympic gold medals in table tennis in two consecutive games.

Now she has another role. As it were she is the mayor of the Olympic Village. In January 2007, Deng Yaping was appointed Deputy Director of the Olympic Village Department by BOCOG and she is often referred to as the ‘village head.’

Deng Yaping said, ‘The difficulty of managing the Olympic Village well and winning an Olympic title is roughly the same.’

She explained that both missions require a strong sense of responsibility and leave little room for any mistake. She said, ‘The Olympic Village Department has to work as a team in managing the Olympic Village.’

Deng believes that her experience of living in several Olympic Villages has provided her with good experience for her current job. She said, ‘Being an athlete for many years, I know exactly what kind of Olympic Village an athlete needs. When I worked as a member of the Athletes’ Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), we had to take turns to be stationed at the Olympic Village during the Olympic Games. I spent a great deal of time at different Olympic Village during that period.

‘The Olympic Village should be first and foremost a home for the athletes.’

To ensure that athletes give their best performances at the Beijing Games, village administrators should make them feel at home with the most considerate service. When receiving visiting officials from Olympic committees of other countries and regions, she always asks for their suggestions to improve the operation of the Beijing Olympic Village.
Deng said facilities in the Beijing Olympic Village will not be significantly different from those of previous Olympic Games since it has to meet IOC standards. Decoration of the Beijing Olympic Village, according to Deng, will not be luxurious but will include elements of Chinese culture.

After she retired from sport in 1997 she went to Tsinghua University to study for a Bachelor’s degree in the English language. Once she had her degree she was admitted by the Business School of the University of Nottingham in Britain for her Master’s degree. Then she went on to get her doctorate in economics at Cambridge University.

It is difficult to think of anyone better qualified or more appropriate to run the Olympics village.
Source: Beijng Review