Dragon’s welcome for Chinese Olympic team

Chinese Studies student Marie Tulloch, from the University of Leeds, co-presented the event yesterday in both English and Mandarin, as it was broadcast live on the internet to channels both in China and around the world.

Having one of the Olympics’s largest teams base themselves in Yorkshire to prepare for the London 2012 games is seen as a major coup for the region, and a Leeds University spokeswoman said yesterday the city had every right to be proud.

“Chinese Olympic officials chose to place athletes at the University of Leeds because of its superb facilities,” she said.

Yesterday’s event was broadcast from the Refectory of the University of Leeds and aimed to explore the city’s preparations and expectations from its Chinese Olympic connection.

Chinese Studies student Ms Tulloch, who spent last year developing her language skills in Beijing as part of her BA in Mandarin, said: “This is a real coup for the university, and for me personally.

“We have more than 1,100 staff and students from China, and our Chinese Studies graduates have gone on to do amazing things in China and all over the world.

“Leeds also has a large Chinese community, and it’s great that we can welcome so many on to campus for what should be a really fun event.”

Guests at yesterday’s event included the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Alan Taylor; the former Chinese diving Olympic Gold medallist, Li Na; the University of Leeds Olympic Ambassador and British Olympic team’s diver, Rebecca Gallantree; the coach of the British Olympic table-tennis team, Liu Jiayi; and the coach of the British Paralympics table-tennis team, Huang Shu.