CRI听力： Olympic Water Cube Unveiled

Beijing Olympic organizers have unveiled the "Water Cube" swimming venue, one of the more stunning structures built for the 2008 Games.

After a little more than three years of construction, the facility has been officially handed over to the Beijing Olympic organizing committee.

Known officially as the National Aquatics Centre, the Water Cube has been dubbed the "cool" building of the Olympic Games. The building's design and its translucent, blue-toned outside skin make it look like a cube of bubbles.

Participants will compete for forty-two gold medals at the Water Cube during the Olympics, which start on August 8.

The venue has 6-thousand permanent and 11-thousand temporary seats.

Li Aiqing is the president of Beijing State-owned Assets Management.

"I am very excited now and also very proud. However, we still have a lot of work to do, for instance, we need to prepare for the swimming test events as well as the Olympics. We will try to do our best to make all the facilities in the venue to the best standard for the Olympics."

Organizers will stage a swim meet in the Water Cube on Friday to test the facilities. Thomas Jansson, head coach of Swedish Swimming team for the Good Luck Beijing Swimming Test Event is quite charmed with the venue.

"It's a world class venue; it's really a world class venue. It's fantastic, it's very good. We are looking very forward to the Olympic Games in August."