Games' villages start receiving athletes

The Beijing Winter Olympics' villages began to receive athletes on Sunday, the operation team said.

Before the official opening on Thursday, the villages in downtown Beijing, the capital's Yanqing district and Hebei province's Zhangjiakou will welcome delegations that arrive in advance for warming-up, the team said.

Once athletes arrive, the villages' staff members will confirm their registration eligibility and write down their accommodation locations, access rights, demands for vehicle and other materials.

Shen Qianfan, director of the Beijing downtown village's operation team, said the opening of villages should be "precise and refined" to create a safe, warm and comfortable home for athletes.

On Jan 18, the villages launched closed-loop management. Since then, the team members have carried out drills and made improvements to prepare every aspect of service in the villages.

"All the preparations are to ensure that the operation team members can flexibly deal with the various complex situations in the villages," the team said.