Beijing Olympic venues all ready

After years of construction, the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, opened by hosting its first Olympic test event. This also meant workers finished all 37 Olympic venues on time.

This is the Olympic Green, the centerpiece of the Beijing Olympic Games.

The leading actor and actress in the compound are of course, the "Bird's Nest", and the "Water Cube", a combination of strength and elegance.

42,000 tons of twisted steel beams wrap around the exterior silver twigs binding a nest together.

Its neighbor, the "water cube" plays on the geometry of water bubbles in an irregular polygon form.

Race walkers put the Bird's Nest to its very first test.