"In the beginning, it took us a couple of months, now 20 days will suffice," said Yang Qiyong, general manager of the Beijing National Aquatics Center on Tuesday, making room for reporters to gasp in awe. The soft-spoken veteran, who has overseen the iconic 2008 Olympic venue for more than a decade, was merrily opening up about the amount of time needed to convert the center's flawless swimming pool to a stellar ice rink.