Ruffolo
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Jeff Ruffolo is the only American in a senior management position with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG)—a job he has held since March 2007. With just weeks to go before the start of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, Ruffolo offered this unique perspective on the games in an exclusive interview with
TravelAge West.
Q: With less that a month to go before the opening ceremonies on Aug. 8, are all the Olympic venues ready?
A: Yes. I remember four years ago in Athens driving up to the beach volleyball venue for the first time and they were still painting the sidewalks and planting trees. But here in Beijing, everything is done and it’s been done for months. The Chinese are ready for the world in an unprecedented effort to showcase their country on the global stage. The venues are glorious and the city is sparkling, as people around the world will see on television.
Q: How were the venues tested?
A: Each of the 31 competition venues was fully tested in a series of pre-Olympic events called Good Luck Beijing. [The event] occurred over a 14-month period that started in the summer of 2007. From motocross BMX to baseball and tennis, every venue was thoroughly put through its paces. After many test events, several venues received additional work based upon comments from fans and international federations. For example, at the archery venue, a new canopy roof was installed to shield spectators and media from the glaring afternoon sun. And at the tennis center, a brand new center court was installed to meet stringent international specifications.
Q: How long have your worked for BOCOG? What are your duties?
A: I joined the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad on March 15, 2007 after two years of applying and 12 individual interviews. During the past year I’ve been editing and writing English speeches for senior leaders of the Beijing Olympic Committee as well as the Chinese Communist Party. I’ve also written hundreds of news releases, web articles and documents for BOCOG and the International Olympic Committee. I am the English editor for the Beijing 2008 Magazine, published monthly by BOCOG and involved with every facet of presenting the Olympics to the international community. Right now, I’m spending 14 hours a day in the main press center and I work every day with the global news media.
Q: In a previous life, you worked as a broadcaster for women’s volleyball at the Summer Games in Sydney. How, in your view, will these games be different from those that have come before?
A: Well, one of the glaring differences between these Beijing Olympic Games and the 2000 Sydney Games is there is no Bondi Beach for women’s beach volleyball! No, seriously, the Chinese have dropped the most massive Olympics in the history of modern era in the middle of a city of 13 million and an economy that is growing at an annual rate of more than 11 percent a year.
In the last five years, the Chinese have built the world’s largest airport terminal, made dramatic positive improvements in the quality of life for all Beijing residents with more than 60 miles of new subways and upgraded the entire road system; spent millions on the preservation of its ancient heritage and hutongs. They’ve substantially improved the environment and built massive iconic venues such as the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube.
Q: Let’s address the environment. Will pollution be a problem, or will the air be clear for the athletes?
A: Pollution is sure to be a topic regarding these games but Beijing is much like Los Angeles in the run up to the 1984 games. Both Beijing and Los Angeles are in a flat basin, surrounded on three sides by mountains which trap in the air pollution. In Beijing, air pollution comes from three sources: sand from the northern Gobi Desert, dust from construction industry and pollution from cars.
Q: So what has the city done to clean it up?
A: In the last five years, Beijing has picked up and moved whole steel factories out of the
province and planted tens of thousands of trees in inner Mongolia to act as a natural barrier between the Gobi and the city. Before these games begin, all construction will stop, freight traffic will be curtailed and more than 1.23 million cars will be parked three weeks before the games and for one month afterward during the Paralympics from Sept. 6-17.
Q: What’s the mood in Beijing as the games draw near?
A: For the first time, we are seeing the multi-colored Olympic signage now decorating lamp posts throughout the downtown area and you can get a sense that the games are drawing near. The massive main press center and international broadcast center have opened for business 24/7. Athletes from around the world will arrive by the end of the month and the adrenaline factor will kick in throughout China.
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
www.en.beijing2008.cn
