(Beijing, November 16) On the closing day of the "Good Luck Beijing" 2007 Beijing Judo Open, French judoka Virginie Henry warmly praised the volunteers for their friendliness after she had won her preliminary match in the women's 63kg category this afternoon.

Virginie Henry beat China's Shen Xuelin with an "ippon". She was very satisfied with her performance today. Commenting on her opponent, she said, "She is special. It was a tough match, with many comes and goes."  When asked about her impressions of the volunteers' work and the venue facilities, she answered with a smile, "It is great and beautiful, just a little cold. I can find volunteers everywhere; they are very friendly, pity that few of them speak French."

The French judoka also talked about her impressions of Beijing, the host city of the 2008 Olympic Games. "I know there are many places of interest in China, but I have only been to the Great Wall. We are very close to the Tian'anmen, but couldn't go to see it, because I have given all my time to the competition," she said with regret.