On March 5, the National Aquatics Center "Ice Cube" will usher in the first round of wheelchair curling competition at the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, and from March 3 onwards, delegations will come to the venue for pre-competition training. The reporter visited the venue on March 2 and saw that the "Ice Cube" image landscape logo was all converted, and the "Snow Rongrong" opened its arms to wait for athletes from all over the world.
Athlete streaming, media streaming, audience streaming all kinds of barrier-free facilities are readily available, warm and convenient.
On the east side of the venue, there is a zigzag-shaped, 80-meter-long barrier-free passage to the ice rink, which is wide enough to accommodate two wheelchairs in parallel. After the opening of the Winter Paralympic Games, this barrier-free access will be officially put into use. Since the curling arena is on the basement level, the venue has also deliberately added a temporary ramp of 1:20 slope at the entrance, with a total length of more than 140 meters, which can be used by athletes to pass through. It is worth mentioning that there are also wide-angle mirrors and anti-collision pads at the corners of the ramp.
In fact, 90% of the barrier-free facilities in the "Ice Cube" have been completed before the Winter Olympic Games, and the transition period from the Winter Olympic Games to the Winter Paralympic Games is mainly to optimize the details.
Athletes will enter the mixed mining area for media interviews after participating in the competition. Taking into account the needs of wheelchair athletes, the baffle in the mixed mining area has been reduced from the previous 1.2 meters to 60 centimeters, the microphone position has been reduced to the height suitable for wheelchair athletes, and the hard isolation has also been adjusted to the soft isolation of the courtesy line to facilitate the communication between athletes and journalists.
The barrier-free transformation and improvement of media streaming has also put a lot of effort into the details. Zhang Heng, deputy manager of the news operation of the Operation Team of the National Aquatics Center, introduced that during the conversion period, the ramp in the reporter's stand area on the west side of the venue was carpeted during the Winter Olympics, and this time it was all replaced by a rubber surface material with greater resistance and anti-slip.
During the competition, media friends from all over the world will complete the collection and editing work in the reporter's workshop and the press room. "The 262 press stations deliberately set aside 3 to 4 barrier-free seating areas and put up conspicuous barrier-free signs." Zhang Heng said that the release area also removed two rows of about 10 ordinary seats, set up wheelchair seats in the first row, and the ramp of the guest booth was gentle and smooth, which was convenient for wheelchair athletes to take the stage for the release activities.
In addition to barrier-free ramps, more than a dozen barrier-free toilets will also be fully operational during the Winter Paralympics. Reach out and press it, and the Chinese and English prompts of "Open the door, please note" will be heard, and then the door will open automatically. The bathroom is spacious and clean, wheelchair-bound athletes can enter and exit flat, toilets and sinks are equipped with armrests on both sides, low hooks, emergency buttons, etc. are also available. In order to facilitate the grooming of wheelchair athletes, the barrier-free toilet is also equipped with a coat and hat mirror with a tilting angle.
Due to the intensive wheelchair curling schedule, athletes often need to eat in the venue. In the athletes' rest area, the dining table has been modified at a low level to facilitate the athletes to take meals. The hand zone has also been lowered in height. In addition, the drinking water in the freezer has also been specially arranged for easy access by athletes.
According to the schedule, on the afternoon of March 5, the "Ice Cube" will usher in the first round of wheelchair curling, and the first round of the Chinese team will be played against Canada.
Source: Beijing Daily Client | Reporter Ren Shan Wu Yibin
Editor: Cai Wenqing
Process Editor: Dan Guo