"I have seen the Bird's Nest start from scratch and grow day by day," said Wu Xiaonan, the stadium's general manager, who has had a long association with the Olympics.

He first took part in the preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games back in 2002, when the Beijing State-owned Assets Management Co, where he worked, was selected by the capital to manage and operate the Bird's Nest, also known as the National Stadium, and the Water Cube, or the National Aquatics Center.

Wu witnessed the birth of both venues, from the design bidding process to the ceremony marking the start of construction.

Apart from his work at the Bird's Nest, Wu also headed the operations and service teams at the tennis, hockey and archery venues during the 2008 Games.

His proudest moment came when he and his colleagues had to collect returned tickets from thousands of spectators who had paid to see a tennis match that was postponed because of heavy rain the day after the opening ceremony.

"More than 10,000 spectators needed to return their tickets before leaving the venue, and at the same time thousands of spectators for the next match were standing outside, waiting to come in," Wu said. He added that it was quite an emergency with so many people at the scene.

Fortunately, Wu and his colleagues had an emergency plan, and managed to return the tickets and disperse the spectators successfully without anyone being hurt.

"It was a great relief for us," he said.

The matches that followed proceeded smoothly and the last one ended at around 4 am the next day.

Wu and his colleagues, together with Games volunteers, continued working until all the spectators left after the last match.

"It was a satisfying time. We were serving the public and making a contribution wholeheartedly," Wu said.

After the 2008 Games, Wu explored ways to make full use of the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube in a sustainable manner, trying to balance the social and economic benefits.

As a result of his efforts, a series of activities and events, including the opera Turandot and the national swimming championships, have been held at the venues.

Now, Wu is hoping Beijing and Zhangjiakou's bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics is successful so he can continue his involvement with the Olympics.

"I'm excited about the bid, because I will be able to continue making a contribution to the Olympic Games if the two cities succeed," Wu said.

"I would love to see the opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Games being held at the Bird's Nest, just as it was for the 2008 Games."

(China Daily 02/26/2015 page6)