BEIJING, February 2, 2008 -- On February 1, officials of the Volunteer Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) went to the National Aquatics Center, nicknamed the "Water Cube," to study the volunteer work there and visited the volunteers on duty.

Liu Jian, chief of the office of the Beijing Olympic Volunteer Work Coordination Group and director of the Volunteer Department of BOCOG, and other officials talked with Shang Heshun, venue director of the Water Cube, about the volunteer work for the January 31-February 5 Swimming China Open and heard suggestions and proposals for the volunteer work.

Accompanied by directors and managers of the venue, Liu visited the volunteers on duty and thanked them for their excellent services at the Good Luck Beijing sport event.

The officials presented the volunteers with a set of three cold-weather accessories -- hat, scarf and gloves -- and toured their dining room. The visit greatly boosted the volunteers' enthusiasm.

The National Aquatics Center is an Olympic venue for the swimming, diving and synchronized swimming events in August. To test the venue's readiness, two Good Luck Beijing sport events, namely the China Open and the February 19-25 FINA Diving World Cup, have been arranged around the traditional Spring Festival. The events will examine the managers' skills and the volunteers' determination and will provide experience for the forthcoming games.