Special report:   2008 Olympic Games 

    LISSE, Netherlands, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Dutch Olympic Committee chairwoman Erica Terpstra said Wednesday that Dutch athletes have high ambitions for the summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 59th edition of the Keukenhof bulb flower show in Lisse, Terpstra said that she was glad that the Keukenhof management made "China and the Olympics" the theme of this year's show.

    She said she believes Chinese hosts are trying their best to make the Games a success.

    With only 142 days to go, Dutch athletes are focused on training and they will try to give their best performance at the Games, Terpstra said.

    "Our sport ambitions are very high. We want to shine out in Beijing like the most beautiful orange tulips here," said Terpstra,who competed in two Olympic Games in the 1960s and won two medals as a swimmer.

    Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, Vice-Mayor of Beijing Niu Youcheng, and Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Xue Hanqin also attended the opening ceremony of Keukenhof, which is well-known for its tulips, hyacinths and narcissus.

    Niu said that since Beijing won the bid to host the 2008 Olympics, the Games organizers have put the concept of Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics and People's Olympics into practice.

    He said smooth progress has been achieved in venue construction, events organization and city operation.

    Niu said Beijing is making every effort to ensure comfortable circumstances for athletes, coaches and spectators from all over the world.

    "We want to make sure that we successfully stage a unique and top-class Olympics and Paralympics," he said.