With fantastic facilities at its venue, Qingdao is a perfect choice for the 2008 Olympic sailing competition, said Goran Petersson, president of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

"Through playing host to a series of international yachting events, the city has won a worldwide reputation," he noted.

"It is quite competitive to win the bid to host big sailing events that ISAF plans to launch after this year's Olympics," he said.

Petersson made the remarks during the 2008 ISAF mid-year meeting that was held in Qingdao from May 8 to 12 with 95 delegates from around the world in attendance.

Delegates visited the Olympic village, the media center, the spectator jetty and other facilities in the Olympic Sailing Center in the company of Zang Aimin, vice-mayor of the city and vice-chairperson of the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Committee.

They were impressed with Qingdao's favorable climate, sports facilities and the performance of volunteers.

"The host city's preparation for the Olympic sailing competition is outstanding and I am sure that all the involved athletes will be satisfied," said Constantine from Greece, ISAF president of honor and honorary chairman of the ISAF Sailing Hall of Fame.

"Why do we need to give further advice since everything here is so perfect?" he added.

Pointing with interest at the street lights lining the spectator jetty that use wind energy, he noted they "are convincing evidence for the favorable wind condition here in Qingdao, which is very important for sailing".

Constantine himself was Olympic athlete. At the age of 20 he competed in the 1960 Olympics in Rome and won a gold medal in sailing, the first gold medal Greece won in 50 years of participation in the modern Olympics.

Adrienne Greenwood from New Zealand used three "amazings" to express her high praise to the Olymic village. "I have been to Barcelona, Sydney and some other host cities for the Olympic sailing competition, and Qingdao's venue facilities can be regarded as the best of the best."

(China Daily May 16, 2008)