Olympic villages lay on varied menus, fun leisure facilities for competitors

The Winter Olympic Village in Beijing welcomes the participants from around the world with an exhibition featuring artworks and intangible heritage items. (PHOTO BY YANG FEIYUE / CHINA DAILY)

The principle of being centered on the athletes has enabled the Olympic villages of the Beijing Games to provide world-class services for them in terms of facilities, catering and entertainment, a senior official from the Beijing organizing committee said on Saturday.

Food and catering for the athletes involves a very complex system, and the Beijing organizers worked with nutrition experts from the International Olympic Committee to design the menus in the villages, which took about two years

"We hoped that our well-arranged services and high-tech operations could provide the best experiences for the athletes so they can enjoy the Beijing Games and bring about their best performances," said Shen Qianfan, director-general of the village planning and operation department of the Beijing organizing committee.

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As introduced by Shen, besides providing warm and comfortable apartments for the athletes to live in, carefully designed menus and the arrangement of entertainment are also athlete centered.

Food and catering for the athletes involves a very complex system, and the Beijing organizers worked with nutrition experts from the International Olympic Committee to design the menus in the villages, which took about two years, Shen said.

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"Athletes pay a lot of attention to nutrition and food, for example, how many calories per 1,000 grams, how much fat, and what are the potential allergens in the food," Shen said.

According to Shen, the dining halls of the Olympic villages operate 24 hours a day, providing hundreds of dishes with the menus rotating every eight days.

"We provide international, Asian, Chinese and halal cuisines and food safety is guaranteed," he said.

With the Beijing Winter Games being held in the same period as Spring Festival, the villages also provide traditional Chinese food, including dumplings and Peking duck, which are among the most popular dishes among athletes.

As many as 80 Peking ducks are served an hour during peak evening dining times, according to Shen. "After the athletes taste the roast ducks, they post on social media with videos and photos, showing that they all love the service and food we provide."

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Special food requirements, such as halal and kosher diets, have also been taken into consideration.

"For athletes who have special dietary needs, we've followed the requirements of the IOC food and beverage experts,"Shen said.

Shen said that the organizers have found special providers for halal and kosher food who strictly follow the procedures of making such foods. The providers were only allowed to provide such foods to the athletes after being evaluated and certified by experts.

Shen also said that athletes who have downtime and wish to relax can play games such as billiards or table football in the entertainment centers, and even enjoy some 4D space and sea simulators.