The completion of the national stadium, the main structure where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics will be held, is being postponed to March next year, the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee said today.

 

Work to finish the stadium, which is known as "Bird's Nest", will be postponed because the builders need to do some extra work to prepare for the opening ceremony, Jiang Xiaoyu, vice chairman of the committee said, the Beijing Times reported today.

 

The stadium was scheduled to have been completed by the end of this year.

 

"The postponment will not affect the timing of the warm-up matches planned at the stadium for early next year," Jiang said. "And the Games will be held as scheduled."

 

The "Bird's Nest" is scheduled to host the International Track & Field Open around the beginning of May next year, which will be the first real of the stadium.

 

Hein Verbruggen, Chairman of the Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, said the commission was not worried about the postponement because an earlier completion may lead to more maintenance costs, which would contradict the aim of holding a "thrifty Olympics".

 

The commission is the body under the International Olympic Committee which supervises all preparation work for the Games.

 

In other news about the Games, the design of the Olympic torch and its relay route will be released by the end of this month, Jiang said.

 

(Shanghai Daily April 20, 2007)