China's National Stadium, the main venue for the Beijing Olympics, will finally host its first event.
Nicknamed the "bird's nest", the stadium will hold the International Race Walking Challenge on Friday. 33 athletes from 10 countries are expected to participate. The event is a test of the stadium's facilities, contingency plan systems, and volunteer teams. Officials say they have run tests of the lighting and power systems, and they will put the final touches on the facility after this event.
The stadium, with a price tag in the 500 million US dollars range, will host the opening and closing ceremonies, and major track and field competitions of the Summer Olympics.
