March 5, 2008

By Tracy Quek, China Correspondent

A scale model of the Olympic Village, named 'Dream World', where celebrity athletes can expect no special treatment. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

IN BEIJING - IT COULD have been a scene at the launch of a hot property - curious viewers ducking in and out of rooms, firing questions about floor size and the number of toilets.

For the first time on Wednesday, about 270 journalists were given a sneak peek inside the almost completed Olympic Village in Beijing.

It is the place where 16,000 elite athletes and officials including the likes of American swimming star Michael Phelps will call home during the Games, which open on Aug 8.

The Village will also be home base for 7,000 athletes and officials here for the Paralympics from Sept 6 to 17.

'This is where athletes will have access to a range of services for living, training, leisure and entertainment,' said Mr Mr Yu Debing, an official in charge of accommodation.

'We've done everything to ensure they feel as if they are coming back to their own homes,' he told reporters at a press conference before a site visit on Wednesday afternoon.