Chinese athletes welcomed at Armory and Gymnasium

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is planning a welcome ceremony for a group of 16 elite Chinese athletes arriving in Madison this evening (March 31) for a nine-month exchange.

Campus administrators, Bucky Badger and members of Madison’s Chinese community will greet members of the Chinese Champions Program, the second such delegation since the program began last year. The 16 athletes, including one coach, will arrive in Madison via chartered bus at approximately 9 p.m., following their arrival at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

A brief, festive ceremony is planned in the On Wisconsin Room of the Armory and Gymnasium (Red Gym), located at 716 Langdon St. Members of the public and the media are welcome to attend. The athletes will then travel on to their new Madison homes in the Eagle Heights Apartments.

For updated information on the athletes’ arrival time, watch the @UWMadison Twitter account or contact Marianne Bird Bear, assistant dean in the Division of International Studies, via cell phone at 608-886-3210.