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No air conditioner, no problem — Paris' eco-friendly Olympic Village has plenty more to offer than just a home away from home as Chinese athletes settle down in high spirits for a successful campaign. With the most important competitions of their careers just about to kick off, Olympians from around the world, including hundreds of Chinese athletes, have been enjoying quite a fun experience, and perhaps the best mental tuneup, since checking in at the unique riverside Olympic Village in the northern Paris suburbs, a temporary home for up to 15,000 athletes and staff members during the fortnight. Enjoying a baguette-making workshop, free arcade games, French cuisine at the dining hall and reviews of the much talked about cardboard beds, Chinese athletes, just like their peers from the rest of the world, have tried to live their lives to the fullest in the international neighborhood while gearing up for the battle of glory on the Olympic stage. Vice-President Han Zheng, who attended Friday's opening ceremony as President Xi Jinping's special representative, also visited the village on Thursday and cheered Chinese athletes up during a meet-and-greet with the Chinese delegation. Han conveyed the cordial greetings and best wishes of President Xi to the whole delegation, talked with athletes about their lives in the village and urged them to serve as good ambassadors of cultural exchanges during the Games. Han said that he was delighted to see the whole delegation settle down smoothly and in high spirits, and he was confident about their performances at the Games. The majority of Team China's 405-athlete squad had arrived in the village by the eve of the opening ceremony and had made quite positive feedback on the facilities, services and particularly the variety of relaxing activities across the area, according to Zhang Xin, secretary-general of the Chinese delegation. "Compared to previous Games, the Paris Olympic Village offers accommodation, catering, training and transport services with unique characteristics but stays in line with Olympic standards consistently," Zhang said during an online briefing with Chinese media. "Overall, the athletes are satisfied with the environment at the village. They've been used to acclimatizing to different conditions. They are fully focusing on the final preparations and are primed to deliver their best." Decorated with national flags, red banners reading "Come on, China!" in Chinese, English and French and a giant cartoon panda image, the apartment building of the Chinese delegation stands out in a compound just beside the River Seine. With most of the village's 82 buildings covered by the watercycle cooling system, the challenge of what had been perceived as a scorching "heat wave" without air conditioning units in the village has turned out to be the least concern of the athletes, thanks to the cool summer in Paris. "Not a problem so far. We even have to wear a coat in the morning and evening when the summer breeze feels quite cool," women's world champion gymnast Qiu Qiyuan said of the lack of air conditioning. "The food at the canteen is fresh and healthy and we have enough space in our rooms. It feels quite good living in such an international community," she said. The village's main dining hall, refurbished from an old film studio, features six food courts with offerings from around the world, including European, Asian and Halal options. Four Michelin-starred chefs work on-site to prepare protein-heavy French cuisine for the athletes, such as poached eggs, artichoke cream and shavings of sheep's cheese topped with truffle, while more than half of offerings on the menu are vegetarian items. As part of the French organizers' effort to significantly cut carbon emissions and promote sustainability, new buildings in the village were constructed from wood and recycled materials. The light, yet firm, beds made of cardboard, covered by mattresses stuffed with recycled foam, have continued to be used in Paris after making a debut at the Tokyo Games. One-third of the apartments' rooftops feature solar panels and another third are equipped with gardens, which are intended to provide ecofriendly energy and cool the buildings with greenery. "I was first impressed by the colorful visual designs everywhere at the village and then the warm hospitality of staff members and volunteers here," said gymnast Zou Jingyuan, defending Olympic champion in men's parallel bars. "After settling in, we've felt the excitement for the Olympic Games. We are all set and ready to go," he said. |
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