MILAN (AP) — International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry hailed the progress being made in the construction of key venues for next year’s Winter Games after visiting sites in Milan on Thursday.

Coventry, along with members of the IOC executive board and local organizers, toured the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in the south of the city as well as the Olympic Village in Milan.

“We’re here in this beautiful venue that is making me want to become a winter athlete,” joked Coventry, who competed at six Summer Olympics as a swimmer — winning seven medals, including two golds.

The Zimbabwean added: “We’ve had a wonderful tour this morning. We were earlier at what will be the home of ice hockey and it was really wonderful to see the fast pace and the progression.”

The Olympic Village was completed in July, a month ahead of schedule after 900 days of work.

However, the 1,200 bedrooms — which will house up to 1,700 athletes — are yet to be furnished and the gym and the canteen are still empty shells.

The facility will be converted into student housing after the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

“It really is a stunning venue,” Coventry said. “And even more importantly the legacy of the venue for student housing which I know is so important for Milano, it’s incredible.

“So we’re really truly grateful to have been here and to be visiting and looking forward to walking back in in a few months seeing all the country’s flags out the windows.”

Former Olympians were also among the delegation, including former swimmer Federica Pellegrini, who won gold in 2008 and silver four years earlier and also competed at three other Olympics.

“They all said that in their life, in their experience, they have never seen such a beautiful, high-quality village,” Milan-Cortina organizing committee president Giovanni Malagò said.

The Milan-Cortina Games will take place across a large swath of northern Italy. The opening ceremony will be at San Siro on Feb. 6.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics