Typhoon Krosa may force changes to the competition schedule for
the 11 outdoor sports events of the 2007 Special Olympics World
Summer Games, the steering committee said yesterday.
Some outdoor events such as tennis will be moved to indoor
courts if rain hits Shanghai.
Events such as baseball, track and field and football will go on
if the rain is not too heavy, otherwise the games will be delayed
or canceled, according to the committee's competition
department.
The committee will arrange entertainment for athletes who don't
compete because of the typhoon's effect.
Typhoon Krosa, the 16th of the season, weakened after reaching
land in the north-east of Taiwan yesterday afternoon, but the
outskirts of the cloud system are still expected to bring rain or
storms to Shanghai today and tomorrow.
Shanghai Meteorological Bureau has forecast strong winds and
lower temperatures.
Winds at 50 to 74 kilometers an hour are expected in the
downtown, with gusts in the coastal area up to 88 kilometers an
hour.
A maximum temperature of 26 degrees Celsius is forecast for the
city today and 23 degrees tomorrow, after lows ranging from 20 to
23 degrees.
Sixty-seven of the 406 Games events have been completed,
including all the swimming and weightlifting.
The steering committee said spectator numbers have been much
higher than expected.
"At first we had organized some cheer squads, being afraid that
few people were willing to watch the events, but now we have had to
dismiss the squads to vacate more seats for spectators," said Li
Weiting, director of the competition department.
More than 200,000 spectators have been to the 30 Games venues to
cheer the athletes, some from other parts of China and abroad,
according to the department.
Games referees not only judge the competition, but also
encourage athletes to finish their games sometimes when they are
suffering stage-fright, or comfort those who fail to perform
well.
Wang Xiaogu, a referee for the judo competition in Nanhui
District, gave birth four months ago. She asked her husband to stay
in a hotel near the venue with the baby, and bring the baby to the
venue for breastfeeding.
"We thought it's too hard for her and her family, and decided to
give her a break, but she declined," Li said.
(Shanghai Daily October 7, 2007)