The BOCOG announced the timetable yesterday at an assembly conference, where it also unveiled that the construction of all Olympic venues will be completed by that same date.

The details of other emergency plans for the Games, such as those for environmental protection, will also be ironed out by then, including those pertaining to trial operations, local newspaper The Beijing News reported.

The organizing committee will conduct their work in four phases this year. Besides the first period to make plans and complete construction of all basic facilities, preparations will be in final sprint between May 1 and July 27, as reception work for the Games and the plans for post-Olympics utilization of the venues increase in priority, the report said.

The command system for the Olympics will be operational beginning May 1, and staff members at the Games venues are to be in place before July 27, when the Olympic village opens to the Olympic participants.

Preparations for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games are well underway, the organizers said, and the registration of all performers will soon close.

The BOCOG said it will further cooperate with international sports organizations to wrap up the organizing work as early as possible, in terms of fixing competitions dates, registering athletes and making participants' cards.

The 29th Olympic Games is scheduled to open at 8:00 p.m. on August 8, a date representing auspice and fortune in Chinese tradition.