Hein Verbruggen visits will-be Qingdao sailing marine

The foundations were laid Tuesday afternoon for the Qingdao International Sailing Centre for the 29th Olympics in 2008 at the former location of the Qingdao Beihai Shipyard.

The move marked the beginning of a new phase in the city's Olympics preparations.

Qingdao will host the 2008 Olympics Sailing Regatta.

The international sailing centre covers a total area of 45 hectares, said Qingdao Mayor Xia Geng.

It includes an Olympic village, and spots for administration, athletes, media, logistics and security. The overall construction area will reach 77,000 square metres.

The final blueprint is the result of more than two years of research and design by experts at home and abroad. Construction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2006.

Construction of Beijing 2008 Olympic sailing marina starts

The international sailing centre will not only host the sailing events in 2008, but will also become a national marine sports training centre for both athletes and enthusiasts.

To date, preparation for the construction has been going smoothly.

The preparations include a huge "green Olympic" move from 2001-05 with a total investment of 3.4 billion yuan (US$411 million).

Chairman of the Co-ordinating Committee of International Olympics Committee Hein Verbruggen,vice-mayor of Beijing and vice-chairman of the Beijing Olympics Committee Liu Jingmin, and senior Qingdao officials participated in Tuesday's ceremony.