2008 Summer Olympics: Difference between revisions
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The '''2008 Summer Olympics''', officially known as the '''Games of the XXIX Olympiad''', [[2008 Summer Olympics bids|were awarded]] to [[Beijing]], [[People's Republic of China|China]] after an [[exhaustive ballot]] of the [[International Olympic Committee]] (IOC) on [[July 13]], [[2001]]. The games will be celebrated from [[August 8]], [[2008]] to [[August 24]], [[2008]], with the opening ceremony commencing at 08:08pm and 08 seconds.{{Ref_label|A|a|none}} |
The '''2008 Summer Olympics''', officially known as the '''Games of the XXIX Olympiad''', [[2008 Summer Olympics bids|were awarded]] to [[Beijing]], [[People's Republic of China|China]] after an [[exhaustive ballot]] of the [[International Olympic Committee]] (IOC) on [[July 13]], [[2001]]. The games will be celebrated from [[August 8]], [[2008]] to [[August 24]], [[2008]], with the opening ceremony commencing at 08:08pm and 08 seconds.{{Ref_label|A|a|none}}. Some events, including [[Football at the Summer Olympics|football (soccer)]], [[Sailing at the 2008 Summer Olympics|sailing]], and new 10 km [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|swimming]] marathon events will be held in other cities of China. With the [[Equestrian at the Summer Olympics|equestrian]] events being held in [[Hong Kong]], this marks the [[1956 Summer Olympics|second time]] the same edition of Olympic Games has been hosted by two [[National Olympic Committee]]s (NOCs).{{Ref_label|B|b|none}} |
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The official logo of the games, titled "[[Dancing Beijing]]," features a stylized calligraphic character ''jīng'' ([[wikt:京|京]], meaning ''capital''), referencing the host city. The mascots of '''Beijing 2008''' are the five [[Fuwa]] (formerly known as the "friendlies"), each representing one color of the [[Olympic symbols#Flag|Olympic rings]]. The motto of the Games is "One World, One Dream." The games will consist of 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than the [[Athens]] [[2004 Summer Olympics|games of 2004]]. In addition to new events, several new NOCs that may compete at the games have been recognized by the IOC. |
The official logo of the games, titled "[[Dancing Beijing]]," features a stylized calligraphic character ''jīng'' ([[wikt:京|京]], meaning ''capital''), referencing the host city. The mascots of '''Beijing 2008''' are the five [[Fuwa]] (formerly known as the "friendlies"), each representing one color of the [[Olympic symbols#Flag|Olympic rings]]. The motto of the Games is "One World, One Dream." The games will consist of 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than the [[Athens]] [[2004 Summer Olympics|games of 2004]]. In addition to new events, several new NOCs that may compete at the games have been recognized by the IOC. |
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Revision as of 18:45, 5 July 2007
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were awarded to Beijing, China after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The games will be celebrated from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony commencing at 08:08pm and 08 seconds.[a]. Some events, including football (soccer), sailing, and new 10 km swimming marathon events will be held in other cities of China. With the equestrian events being held in Hong Kong, this marks the second time the same edition of Olympic Games has been hosted by two National Olympic Committees (NOCs).[b]
The official logo of the games, titled "Dancing Beijing," features a stylized calligraphic character jīng (京, meaning capital), referencing the host city. The mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa (formerly known as the "friendlies"), each representing one color of the Olympic rings. The motto of the Games is "One World, One Dream." The games will consist of 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than the Athens games of 2004. In addition to new events, several new NOCs that may compete at the games have been recognized by the IOC.
Host selection process
Beijing was elected host city on July 13, 2001, during the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, beating Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka. Prior to the session, five other cities—Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and Seville—submitted bids to the IOC but failed to make the shortlist in 2000.
After the first round of voting Beijing held a significant lead over the other four candidates. Osaka received only six votes and was eliminated. In the second round Beijing was supported by an absolute majority of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds.[2]
Beijing had previously bid to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. It led the voting over the first three rounds, but ultimately lost to Sydney in the final round in 1993.
Development and preparation
Venues
By May 2007, construction of all thirty-one of the Beijing-based Olympic Games venues had begun.[3] The Chinese government is also investing in the renovation and construction of six venues outside Beijing as well as fifty-nine training centers. Its largest architectural pieces will be the Beijing National Stadium, Beijing National Indoor Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Centre, Olympic Green Convention Centre, Olympic Green, and Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center. Almost 85 percent of the construction budget for the six main venues is being funded by US$2.1 billion (RMB¥17.4 billion) in corporate bids and tenders. Investments are expected from corporations seeking ownership rights after the 2008 Summer Olympics. Some venues will be owned and governed by the State General Administration of Sports, which will use them after the Olympics as facilities for all future national sports teams and events.
It was announced on July 8, 2005 that the equestrian events are to be held in Hong Kong because of "uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone." The five venues outside of Beijing will be located in Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Qinhuangdao.[4]
Beijing National Stadium
The centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics will be the Beijing National Stadium, construction of which began on December 24, 2003. The Guangdong Olympic Stadium was originally planned, constructed, and completed in 2001 for the Games, but a decision was made to construct the new Beijing stadium. Government officials engaged architects worldwide in a design competition. A Swiss firm, Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG, collaborated with China Architecture Design & Research Group to win the competition. The National Stadium will feature a lattice-like concrete skeleton forming the stadium bowl and will seat 80,000 people. Architects originally described the overall design as resembling a bird's nest with an immense ocular—an opening with a retractable roof over the stadium. However, in 2004 the roof part of the design was abandoned for cost and safety reasons. The Beijing National Stadium will be the site of the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletics events and soccer finals.
Marketing
Emblem
The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem entitled "Dancing Beijing" was unveiled in August 2003 in a ceremony attended by 2,008 people at Qin Nian Dian (祈年殿)—the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in Beijing's Temple of Heaven (天壇 or 天坛). The emblem combines elements of traditional Chinese society—a red seal and a calligraphic word for jing (京) ("national capital") with athletic features. The open arms of the calligraphic word symbolizes the invitation of China to the world to share in its culture. IOC president Jacques Rogge was very happy with the emblem, saying, "Your new emblem immediately conveys the awesome beauty and power of China which are embodied in your heritage and your people."[5]
Mascots
The Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃; pinyin: Fúwá) were unveiled as the mascots of the games by the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on November 11, 2005, at an event marking the 1000th day before the opening of the games.
The Fuwa consist of five members according to the five elements of Chinese philosophy: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. The five mascots incorporate fish, giant panda, fire, Tibetan antelope, and swallow designs respectively, and each also represents one of the five Olympic Rings. When the first syllable of each of the five names are said together, the result sounds like the phrase 北京欢迎你 (Běijīng huānyíng nǐ) which means "Beijing welcomes you". [6]
Tickets
The Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee publicized in early August 2006 that it will sell over 7 million tickets for various sporting events and ceremonies to the general public.[7] The chief of the committee expressed her hopes that all the Chinese have a chance to come to the games. The committee has, therefore, set the admission prices for events "very, very cheap" to encourage the Chinese to become involved in the Olympics.
On April 14 2007, tickets to the general public went on sale through the Beijing Organizing Committee for domestic tickets (which will account for 75% of the sales) and through each nation's NOC for overseas ticket sales.[8] By June 2007, 2.2 million tickets—about a third of the supply volume—had already been sold.[9]
Slogan
On June 26, 2005, The Beijing Olympic Committee announced that the slogan for the 2008 Olympics will be "One World, One Dream." (simplified Chinese: 同一个世界 同一个梦想; traditional Chinese: 同一個世界 同一個夢想; pinyin: Tóng Yíge Shìjiè Tóng Yíge Mèngxiǎng.)[10]
Olympic lawmaking
The Beijing municipal authority declared on April 10, 2006, that more than 70 local laws and decrees would be made before the 2008 Summer Olympics that would banish local people who don't have hukou of Beijing; banish vagrants, beggars, and people with mental illness from the city; strengthen border control; call for a "special holiday", or forcible shutout, to make Beijing citizens stay at home during the Olympics; strengthen controls over Chinese and foreign NGOs; and forbid any protests. The government has also strengthened laws relating to prosecution of those deemed to be disseminating material not beneficial to the state.[11]
The Geneva-based group Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions has claimed that 1.5 million Beijing residents will be displaced from their homes by development for the Olympics. Beijing's Olympic organizing committee and China's Foreign Ministry have put the number at 6,037.[12] As of May 2005, 300,000 residents had been moved in preparation for the games. Police in Beijing placed many people under arrest for protesting against the evictions.[13]
The Beijing government has issued new mandates that require police officers in the city to act more appropriately. The circulating pamphlets are urging officers to clean up foul language, lose their arrogance, and not hang up on people who report crimes. They are told that violators will be reprimanded. By doing this, Beijing hopes to clean up its image in time for the games.[14]
A drive has also been launched to improve the poor English translations common on Chinese signage, labeling etc. in readiness for the Olympics.[15]
Public transport
In preparation for the games, Beijing's subway system is currently undergoing a major expansion that will more than double its existing size. The system currently is composed of three lines and 64 stations. An additional seven lines and more than eighty new stations are being constructed, including a direct link to Beijing Capital International Airport. In the airport itself, eleven unmanned trains, each transporting a maximum of 83 passengers, will expedite the movement of people throughout the new terminal building.[16] Most are set to open on July 30, 2008, just over one week prior to the beginning of the games.[17] Metro cars, the BOCOG announced in January 2007, will be fitted with video screens showing the latest news and event during the games. Additionally, handset signals will be available so that people can use their communication devices in the metro stations or underground.[18]
Also in the airport, a new five-level emergency alert system for extreme weather and security threats will be implemented, according to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China. This system is designed to ensure smooth and safe transportation for the estimated three million domestic and overseas visitors who will flock to Beijing for the games in August 2008.[19]
On the ground, Beijing is set to designate thirty-eight official public transit routes that will link the Olympic venues. During the games, 2,500 large-size buses and 4,500 minibuses will be operated by a total of 8,000 drivers to transport people to and from various venues. Prior to the games, public transport will be optimized in order to reduce the existing 110 overlapped routes.[20]
Sports
The events programme for the Beijing 2008 Games is quite similar to that of the Athens Games held in 2004. The 2008 Olympics will see the return of 28 sports, and will hold 302 events (165 men’s events, 127 women’s events, and 10 mixed events), one more event in total than in Athens.
Nine new events will be held overall, including two from the new cycling discipline of BMX. Women will compete in the 3000m steeplechase for the first time. In addition, marathon swimming events for men and women, over the distance of 10 kilometers, will be added to the swimming discipline. Team events (men and women) in table tennis will replace the doubles events. In fencing, women's team foil and women's team sabre will replace men's team foil and women's team epee.[c][21][22]
In mid-2006, video gamers spoke with the Chinese government in hopes of allowing video games to be a demonstration sport at these games. Demonstration events have not been held at any Olympic Games (Summer or Winter) since 1992.[23]
On August 7, 2006, the day before the 2-year countdown to the Beijing Games, the Beijing Organizing Committee released pictograms of the 35 Olympic disciplines. Each pictogram is designed so that people of nations around the world can recognize the different sports played at the Olympic Games. This set of sport icons is named the beauty of seal characters, so called because of each pictogram's likeness to Chinese seal script.[24]
The following are the sports to be contested at the games. The Olympic sport of aquatics has been split into its constituent disciplines of diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, and water polo. The number of events to be contested in each sport is indicated in parentheses.
Torch relay
The IOC-accepted plans for the Olympic torch relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing.[25] The relay, with the theme "Journey of Harmony", will last 130 days, carrying the torch 137,000 km (85,100 mi.) – the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay. The relay will begin on March 25, 2008, in Olympia, Greece. From there, it will travel across Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, and then to Beijing, arriving on March 31. From Beijing, the torch will follow a route passing through five continents. The torch will visit cities on the Silk Road, symbolizing ancient links between China and the rest of the world.[26]
The BOCOG also plans to carry the flame to the top of Mount Everest.[26] In June 2007, a 108 km (67 mi) long "highway" scaling the Tibetan side of the mountain begun construction. The $19.7 million blacktop project will span from Tingri County of Xigazê Prefecture to the Everest Base Camp. Environmental concerns about the effects of the road on the fragile Himalayan region have been expressed by the media, but denied by the Chinese government.[27]
The announced route includes a stop in Taipei; however, the pan-green coalition of Taiwan does not support this proposal. The Beijing Organizing Committee has stated that negotiations on the issue will continue.[28]
The Olympic Torch is based on traditional scrolls and uses a traditional Chinese design known as "Lucky Cloud". The torch is designed to remain lit in 65 kilometer-an-hour winds, and in rain of up to 50 millimeters-an-hour.
Participating NOCs
With the Games well over a year away, it is not yet completely certain which National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will participate. While most NOCs participate regularly, various circumstances could cause a nation to be absent from the games, as was the case for six NOCs at the 2006 Winter Olympics. New NOCs, including the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu, will have been accepted by the time the 2008 Games start.
North Korea and South Korea are considering sending a united team to the 2008 Olympics.[29][30] In the past, the two nations have walked together in the parade of nations during the opening ceremonies, but have never competed as one team. The two NOCs met with IOC president Jacques Rogge on September 5, 2006, to discuss the possibility of creating such a combined team.[31] In early 2007, Korean Olympic Committee President Kim Jung-kil and North Korean Olympic Committee President Mun Jae-duk met to further discuss the logistics of sending a unified team.[30] South Korea advocates selection of athletes based on performance, while North Korea hopes for equal representation of athletes if the two indeed send a joint team.[32] The NOCs failed to reach agreement on representation, but said they would have further discussions with different proposals in the future.[33]
The Marshall Islands gained NOC status in February of 2006, and is expected to participate in the Games.[34] The acceptance of Tuvalu is an open possibility provided that the country establishes a National Olympic Committee prior to IOC deadlines. Tuvalu representatives have met with IOC president Jacques Rogge, who indicated that Tuvalu is likely to be voted a full Olympic member at the IOC meeting in 2007.[35]
In May 2006 (just after the 2006 Winter Olympics), the citizens of Montenegro voted in a referendum to sever their political union with Serbia. The states of Serbia and Montenegro, which participated at the 2004 Games jointly as Serbia and Montenegro, will compete separately from 2008. The Netherlands Antilles were to have been dissolved in July 2007,[36] giving Curaçao and Sint Maarten—like Aruba—a Status Aparte. This status would have permitted the new nations to create NOCs, allowing them to compete separately at the games. However, dissolution was postponed until December 2008, four months after the scheduled 2008 Olympics.[37][38] If the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles does in fact take place in December 2008, not until the 2012 Olympics in London would any newly formed NOCs be able to participate in the Summer Games. Template:Future sport
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were awarded to Beijing, China after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The games will be celebrated from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony commencing at 08:08pm and 08 seconds.[a]. Some events, including football (soccer), sailing, and new 10 km swimming marathon events will be held in other cities of China. With the equestrian events being held in Hong Kong, this marks the second time the same edition of Olympic Games has been hosted by two National Olympic Committees (NOCs).[b]
The official logo of the games, titled "Dancing Beijing," features a stylized calligraphic character jīng (京, meaning capital), referencing the host city. The mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa (formerly known as the "friendlies"), each representing one color of the Olympic rings. The motto of the Games is "One World, One Dream." The games will consist of 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than the Athens games of 2004. In addition to new events, several new NOCs that may compete at the games have been recognized by the IOC.
Host selection process
Beijing was elected host city on July 13, 2001, during the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, beating Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka. Prior to the session, five other cities—Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and Seville—submitted bids to the IOC but failed to make the shortlist in 2000.
After the first round of voting Beijing held a significant lead over the other four candidates. Osaka received only six votes and was eliminated. In the second round Beijing was supported by an absolute majority of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds.[2]
Beijing had previously bid to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. It led the voting over the first three rounds, but ultimately lost to Sydney in the final round in 1993.
Development and preparation
Venues
By May 2007, construction of all thirty-one of the Beijing-based Olympic Games venues had begun.[3] The Chinese government is also investing in the renovation and construction of six venues outside Beijing as well as fifty-nine training centers. Its largest architectural pieces will be the Beijing National Stadium, Beijing National Indoor Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Centre, Olympic Green Convention Centre, Olympic Green, and Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center. Almost 85 percent of the construction budget for the six main venues is being funded by US$2.1 billion (RMB¥17.4 billion) in corporate bids and tenders. Investments are expected from corporations seeking ownership rights after the 2008 Summer Olympics. Some venues will be owned and governed by the State General Administration of Sports, which will use them after the Olympics as facilities for all future national sports teams and events.
It was announced on July 8, 2005 that the equestrian events are to be held in Hong Kong because of "uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone." The five venues outside of Beijing will be located in Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Qinhuangdao.[40]
Beijing National Stadium
The centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics will be the Beijing National Stadium, construction of which began on December 24, 2003. The Guangdong Olympic Stadium was originally planned, constructed, and completed in 2001 for the Games, but a decision was made to construct the new Beijing stadium. Government officials engaged architects worldwide in a design competition. A Swiss firm, Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG, collaborated with China Architecture Design & Research Group to win the competition. The National Stadium will feature a lattice-like concrete skeleton forming the stadium bowl and will seat 80,000 people. Architects originally described the overall design as resembling a bird's nest with an immense ocular—an opening with a retractable roof over the stadium. However, in 2004 the roof part of the design was abandoned for cost and safety reasons. The Beijing National Stadium will be the site of the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletics events and soccer finals.
Marketing
Emblem
The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem entitled "Dancing Beijing" was unveiled in August 2003 in a ceremony attended by 2,008 people at Qin Nian Dian (祈年殿)—the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in Beijing's Temple of Heaven (天壇 or 天坛). The emblem combines elements of traditional Chinese society—a red seal and a calligraphic word for jing (京) ("national capital") with athletic features. The open arms of the calligraphic word symbolizes the invitation of China to the world to share in its culture. IOC president Jacques Rogge was very happy with the emblem, saying, "Your new emblem immediately conveys the awesome beauty and power of China which are embodied in your heritage and your people."[5]
Mascots
The Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃; pinyin: Fúwá) were unveiled as the mascots of the games by the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on November 11, 2005, at an event marking the 1000th day before the opening of the games.
The Fuwa consist of five members according to the five elements of Chinese philosophy: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. The five mascots incorporate fish, giant panda, fire, Tibetan antelope, and swallow designs respectively, and each also represents one of the five Olympic Rings. When the first syllable of each of the five names are said together, the result sounds like the phrase 北京欢迎你 (Běijīng huānyíng nǐ) which means "Beijing welcomes you". [6]
Tickets
The Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee publicized in early August 2006 that it will sell over 7 million tickets for various sporting events and ceremonies to the general public.[7] The chief of the committee expressed her hopes that all the Chinese have a chance to come to the games. The committee has, therefore, set the admission prices for events "very, very cheap" to encourage the Chinese to become involved in the Olympics.
On April 14 2007, tickets to the general public went on sale through the Beijing Organizing Committee for domestic tickets (which will account for 75% of the sales) and through each nation's NOC for overseas ticket sales.[8] By June 2007, 2.2 million tickets—about a third of the supply volume—had already been sold.[9]
Slogan
On June 26, 2005, The Beijing Olympic Committee announced that the slogan for the 2008 Olympics will be "One World, One Dream." (simplified Chinese: 同一个世界 同一个梦想; traditional Chinese: 同一個世界 同一個夢想; pinyin: Tóng Yíge Shìjiè Tóng Yíge Mèngxiǎng.)[10]
Olympic lawmaking
The Beijing municipal authority declared on April 10, 2006, that more than 70 local laws and decrees would be made before the 2008 Summer Olympics that would banish local people who don't have hukou of Beijing; banish vagrants, beggars, and people with mental illness from the city; strengthen border control; call for a "special holiday", or forcible shutout, to make Beijing citizens stay at home during the Olympics; strengthen controls over Chinese and foreign NGOs; and forbid any protests. The government has also strengthened laws relating to prosecution of those deemed to be disseminating material not beneficial to the state.[41]
The Geneva-based group Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions has claimed that 1.5 million Beijing residents will be displaced from their homes by development for the Olympics. Beijing's Olympic organizing committee and China's Foreign Ministry have put the number at 6,037.[42] As of May 2005, 300,000 residents had been moved in preparation for the games. Police in Beijing placed many people under arrest for protesting against the evictions.[13]
The Beijing government has issued new mandates that require police officers in the city to act more appropriately. The circulating pamphlets are urging officers to clean up foul language, lose their arrogance, and not hang up on people who report crimes. They are told that violators will be reprimanded. By doing this, Beijing hopes to clean up its image in time for the games.[14]
A drive has also been launched to improve the poor English translations common on Chinese signage, labeling etc. in readiness for the Olympics.[43]
Public transport
In preparation for the games, Beijing's subway system is currently undergoing a major expansion that will more than double its existing size. The system currently is composed of three lines and 64 stations. An additional seven lines and more than eighty new stations are being constructed, including a direct link to Beijing Capital International Airport. In the airport itself, eleven unmanned trains, each transporting a maximum of 83 passengers, will expedite the movement of people throughout the new terminal building.[16] Most are set to open on July 30, 2008, just over one week prior to the beginning of the games.[17] Metro cars, the BOCOG announced in January 2007, will be fitted with video screens showing the latest news and event during the games. Additionally, handset signals will be available so that people can use their communication devices in the metro stations or underground.[18]
Also in the airport, a new five-level emergency alert system for extreme weather and security threats will be implemented, according to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China. This system is designed to ensure smooth and safe transportation for the estimated three million domestic and overseas visitors who will flock to Beijing for the games in August 2008.[19]
On the ground, Beijing is set to designate thirty-eight official public transit routes that will link the Olympic venues. During the games, 2,500 large-size buses and 4,500 minibuses will be operated by a total of 8,000 drivers to transport people to and from various venues. Prior to the games, public transport will be optimized in order to reduce the existing 110 overlapped routes.[20]
Sports
The events programme for the Beijing 2008 Games is quite similar to that of the Athens Games held in 2004. The 2008 Olympics will see the return of 28 sports, and will hold 302 events (165 men’s events, 127 women’s events, and 10 mixed events), one more event in total than in Athens.
Nine new events will be held overall, including two from the new cycling discipline of BMX. Women will compete in the 3000m steeplechase for the first time. In addition, marathon swimming events for men and women, over the distance of 10 kilometers, will be added to the swimming discipline. Team events (men and women) in table tennis will replace the doubles events. In fencing, women's team foil and women's team sabre will replace men's team foil and women's team epee.[c][21][44]
In mid-2006, video gamers spoke with the Chinese government in hopes of allowing video games to be a demonstration sport at these games. Demonstration events have not been held at any Olympic Games (Summer or Winter) since 1992.[45]
On August 7, 2006, the day before the 2-year countdown to the Beijing Games, the Beijing Organizing Committee released pictograms of the 35 Olympic disciplines. Each pictogram is designed so that people of nations around the world can recognize the different sports played at the Olympic Games. This set of sport icons is named the beauty of seal characters, so called because of each pictogram's likeness to Chinese seal script.[24]
The following are the sports to be contested at the games. The Olympic sport of aquatics has been split into its constituent disciplines of diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, and water polo. The number of events to be contested in each sport is indicated in parentheses.
Torch relay
The IOC-accepted plans for the Olympic torch relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing.[25] The relay, with the theme "Journey of Harmony", will last 130 days, carrying the torch 137,000 km (85,100 mi.) – the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay. The relay will begin on March 25, 2008, in Olympia, Greece. From there, it will travel across Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, and then to Beijing, arriving on March 31. From Beijing, the torch will follow a route passing through five continents. The torch will visit cities on the Silk Road, symbolizing ancient links between China and the rest of the world.[26]
The BOCOG also plans to carry the flame to the top of Mount Everest.[26] In June 2007, a 108 km (67 mi) long "highway" scaling the Tibetan side of the mountain begun construction. The $19.7 million blacktop project will span from Tingri County of Xigazê Prefecture to the Everest Base Camp. Environmental concerns about the effects of the road on the fragile Himalayan region have been expressed by the media, but denied by the Chinese government.[27]
The announced route includes a stop in Taipei; however, the pan-green coalition of Taiwan does not support this proposal. The Beijing Organizing Committee has stated that negotiations on the issue will continue.[28]
The Olympic Torch is based on traditional scrolls and uses a traditional Chinese design known as "Lucky Cloud". The torch is designed to remain lit in 65 kilometer-an-hour winds, and in rain of up to 50 millimeters-an-hour.
Participating NOCs
With the Games well over a year away, it is not yet completely certain which National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will participate. While most NOCs participate regularly, various circumstances could cause a nation to be absent from the games, as was the case for six NOCs at the 2006 Winter Olympics. New NOCs, including the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu, will have been accepted by the time the 2008 Games start.
North Korea and South Korea are considering sending a united team to the 2008 Olympics.[29][30] In the past, the two nations have walked together in the parade of nations during the opening ceremonies, but have never competed as one team. The two NOCs met with IOC president Jacques Rogge on September 5, 2006, to discuss the possibility of creating such a combined team.[31] In early 2007, Korean Olympic Committee President Kim Jung-kil and North Korean Olympic Committee President Mun Jae-duk met to further discuss the logistics of sending a unified team.[30] South Korea advocates selection of athletes based on performance, while North Korea hopes for equal representation of athletes if the two indeed send a joint team.[32] The NOCs failed to reach agreement on representation, but said they would have further discussions with different proposals in the future.[46]
The Marshall Islands gained NOC status in February of 2006, and is expected to participate in the Games.[34] The acceptance of Tuvalu is an open possibility provided that the country establishes a National Olympic Committee prior to IOC deadlines. Tuvalu representatives have met with IOC president Jacques Rogge, who indicated that Tuvalu is likely to be voted a full Olympic member at the IOC meeting in 2007.[35]
In May 2006 (just after the 2006 Winter Olympics), the citizens of Montenegro voted in a referendum to sever their political union with Serbia. The states of Serbia and Montenegro, which participated at the 2004 Games jointly as Serbia and Montenegro, will compete separately from 2008. The Netherlands Antilles were to have been dissolved in July 2007,[36] giving Curaçao and Sint Maarten—like Aruba—a Status Aparte. This status would have permitted the new nations to create NOCs, allowing them to compete separately at the games. However, dissolution was postponed until December 2008, four months after the scheduled 2008 Olympics.[37][38] If the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles does in fact take place in December 2008, not until the 2012 Olympics in London would any newly formed NOCs be able to participate in the Summer Games. Template loop detected: 2008 Summer Olympics calendar
Concerns
Concerns over the games include the potential for boycotts from pro-Tibetan organizations. China has also been battling problems with air pollution both in the city of Beijing and in neighboring areas, which the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG) says it hopes to remedy before the games. Despite this, however, former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch has asserted that 2008 Olympics in Beijing will be "the best in Olympic history."[47]
Protests and potential boycotts
While no state has indicated a willingness to boycott the 2008 games, some groups are initiating independent campaigns to do so and other notable groups have called for protests
Pro-Tibetan independence groups, such as the group Students for a Free Tibet, have initiated a campaign to protest the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.[48][49] The group plans to protest for Tibetan independence and objects to the Chinese government's use of the Tibetan antelope (chiru) as one of its five mascots.[50]
The press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders was advocating a boycott of the 2008 games in Beijing, citing its abridgment of press and personal freedoms and the positive effects of earlier Olympic boycotts. After its first official visit to China in January of 2007, news media reported that it had ended its call for boycott after meeting with the Chinese authorities.[51] However, it still expresses concerns for what the organisation sees as violations of free speech and human rights in China.[52]
Activists working to address the ongoing violence in Darfur, Sudan, have called for pressure to be exerted on China because of their financial and diplomatic support for Omar al-Bashir, who is responsible for the Sudanese government's proxy militias in Darfur. Some Activists in Taiwan have begun to refer to the Beijing Olympics as the "Genocide Olympics" in The China Post as a way of connecting Beijing's close political and economic ties to the Sudanese regime. The Chinese government, in turn, has criticised the activists for "politicising" the Olympics and outlined it's plans to help the Sudanese economy.[53][54] Calls for sustained pressure and possible boycotts of the Olympics have come from former French presidential candidates François Bayrou[55] and Ségolène Royal,[56] actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow,[57] Genocide Intervention Network Representative Ronan Farrow,[57] author and Sudan scholar Eric Reeves[58] and The Washington Post editorial board.[59] Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, founder of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, sent a letter to Hu Jintao on April 2 2007 to discuss and possibly end China's involvement.[60] Additionally, a group of 106 lawmakers in the United States have circulated a letter calling for the US to boycott the coming Olympics because of China's support of the Sudanese regime and the alleged forced relocation of the Chinese poor to make room for the games.[61]
Environmental issues
Some concern has been raised over the air quality of Beijing and its potential effect on athletes. While Beijing, in its bid file in 2001, pledged to lower air pollution, data is showing that even if the city dramatically cut down on its emissions, pollution would drift over from neighboring provinces. At current levels, air pollution is at least 2 or 3 times higher than levels deemed safe by the World Health Organization. Marco Cardinale of the British Olympic Association has stated that air pollution coupled with heat and humidity makes it "very unlikely we'll see outstanding performances in endurance sports." Despite this, Beijing has pointed to the relocation of a prominent steel maker as an example of its commitment to improving air quality.[62] The Chinese government has made assurances that "blue skies are a requirement not only for Beijing, but also for the places around it."[63]
Meteorological findings in April 2007 also have suggested that, based on rainfall data from the past 30 years, there is a 50% chance of rain for the opening and closing ceremonies of the games.[64][65] To combat this chance of rain, Beijing officials plan to seed clouds to induce rain several days before the games begin by spraying thousands of silver-iodine pellets into the air.[66] While the effectiveness of this method is questioned, Beijing is optimistic that it will reduce the chance of rainfall during the games.[67] Officials have also stated that by inducing rain, they hope to clean some of the pollution out of the air.[65]
A high-ranking Beijing official has also stated that the tap water in the city should be avoided. The water coming out of the water plants is safe, according to Bi Xiaogang of the Beijing Water Management Bureau; the process of transporting the water throughout the city is what contaminates it. Beijing is suffering from a drought of 15 years as well as a lack of major fresh water sources elsewhere, so many locals drink bottled water instead of that from the tap. Regardless of whether the water transportation problem is fixed or not, officials have ensured that fresh tap water will be available in the Olympic Village.[68]
Broadcasting
Some athletes, especially swimmers, have voiced dissatisfaction with the IOC's decision to schedule some events to meet the requests of NBC, which paid US$3.5 billion for exclusive United States broadcasting rights to the Summer and Winter Games from 2000 through 2008.[69] NBC requested that popular events, such as swimming, athletics, basketball, and gymnastics, be broadcast live and during television primetime in the U.S. (i.e., 7:00 or 8:00 to 11:00 p.m.) for maximum advertising revenue. This would require events to be held in the early morning, Beijing time. The IOC granted the request concerning swimming and gymnastics but denied it for athletics and basketball.[70] The IOC has precedent for its decision: at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, some swimming, gymnastics, and athletics finals were held in the morning. Also, at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, gymnastics finals were held in the afternoon which allowed most of Europe to view gymastics during their primetime.
NBC Universal's Spanish-language network, Telemundo, will also broadcast the games from Beijing.[1]
See also
- 2008 Summer Olympics bids
- 2008 Summer Paralympics
- 2008 Summer Olympic venues
- 2008 Olympic Torch Relay
- Zhang Jigang (co-directing 2008 Opening and Closing Ceremonies)
- Zhang Yimou (co-directing 2008 Opening Ceremonies)
- China Olympic Total Solar Eclipse
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
References
Citations
- ^ 6th Coordination Commission Visit To Begin Tomorrow, International Olympic Committee. Retrieved on May 20, 2006.
- ^ a b "Beijing 2008: Election". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2006-12-18.
- ^ a b "All Beijing-based Olympic venues under construction". BOCOG. 2007-05-11. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Olympic Venues, Beijing 2008. Retrieved on May 15, 2006.
- ^ a b "Rogge's Message for Beijing Olympics Emblem Unveiling". People's Daily Online. 2003-08-03. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games". BOCOG. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
- ^ a b "China to sell over 7mn tickets". Gulf Times Newspaper. 2006-08-07. Retrieved 2006-08-14.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); External link in|publisher= - ^ a b "Beijing 2008 tickets go on sale". BOCOG. 2007-04-15. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Olympic Opening ceremony tickets getting hot". BOCOG. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "'One World One Dream' selected as the Theme Slogan for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games". BOCOG. 2005-12-25. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ 法制晚报 (Fazhi Wanbao, or Evening Paper of Legal System), April 10 2006, A05
- ^ "Beijing to evict 1.5 million for Olympics: group". Reuters. 2007-06-05. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
- ^ a b Macartney, Jane (2005-05-26). "Thousands of homes destroyed to make way for Olympic tourists". TimesOnline. Retrieved 2006-05-14.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "New Guidelines For Beijing Police Ahead Of 2008 Games". GamesBids. 2007-05-11. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Beijing stamps out poor English", BBC News, 15 October 2006
- ^ a b "Un-manned trains to operate at new airport terminal building". BOCOG. 2007-06-13. Retrieved 2007-06-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Robert Schwandl (2004). "Beijing Subway". UrbanRail.Net. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Official: passengers can watch the Games in Beijing metro". BOCOG. 2007-01-31. Retrieved 2006-02-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Beijing airport to launch emergency alert mechanism for Olympics". BOCOG. 2007-06-25. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "38 public transit routes to the Olympic venues". BOCOG. 2007-01-22. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Beijing 2008: Games Programme Finalised". International Olympic Committee. 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2006-05-10.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Programme of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Beijing 2008, International Olympic Committee. Retrieved on May 15, 2006.
- ^ Morris, Chris (2006-05-31). "Competitive gaming trying to earn a berth in the Olympics". Game Over. Cable News Network. Retrieved 2006-06-03.
{{cite news}}: External link in|publisher=and|work=|author=and|last=specified (help) - ^ a b "Pictograms of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games unveiled". BOCOG. 2006-08-07. Retrieved 2006-08-09.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Beijing 2008: BOCOG Announces Olympic Torch Relay Route". International Olympic Committee. 2007-04-26. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d "Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay Planned Route and Torch Design unveiled". BOCOG. 2007-04-26. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "China to build highway on Mt Everest for 2008 Olympics". The Hindu. 2007-06-20. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Taiwan rejects China's torch relay plans". USA Today. 2007-04-26. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Koreas 'to unify Olympics teams'". BBC. 2006-05-14. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d "Two Koreas to meet on unified team in Beijing Olympics". BOCOG. 2007-02-08. Retrieved 2006-02-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Two Koreas Make Progress in Creation of Unified Team". International Olympic Committee. 2006-09-05. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "North, South Korea discuss joint team in 2008". NBC Sports. 2007-02-12. Retrieved 2007-02-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Koreas fail to agree on fielding joint team for Beijing Olympics". AP. 2007-02-13. Retrieved 2007-02-28.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Marshall Islands joins Olympic Family". ONOC. 2006-02-10. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Robert Meets IOC President". ONOC. 2005-04-02. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Regions and territories: Netherlands Antilles". BBC News. 2007-12-12. Archived from the original on 2006-01-04. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=and|archivedate=(help) - ^ a b http://www.government.nl/actueel/nieuwsarchief/2007/02February/13/0-42-1_42-92711.jsp
- ^ a b "Regions and territories: Netherlands Antilles". BBC. 2006-12-12. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ 6th Coordination Commission Visit To Begin Tomorrow, International Olympic Committee. Retrieved on May 20, 2006.
- ^ Olympic Venues, Beijing 2008. Retrieved on May 15, 2006.
- ^ 法制晚报 (Fazhi Wanbao, or Evening Paper of Legal System), April 10 2006, A05
- ^ "Beijing to evict 1.5 million for Olympics: group". Reuters. 2007-06-05. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
- ^ "Beijing stamps out poor English", BBC News, 15 October 2006
- ^ Programme of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Beijing 2008, International Olympic Committee. Retrieved on May 15, 2006.
- ^ Morris, Chris (2006-05-31). "Competitive gaming trying to earn a berth in the Olympics". Game Over. Cable News Network. Retrieved 2006-06-03.
{{cite news}}: External link in|publisher=and|work=|author=and|last=specified (help) - ^ "Koreas fail to agree on fielding joint team for Beijing Olympics". AP. 2007-02-13. Retrieved 2007-02-28.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Beijing 2008 will be best-ever Games: Samaranch". BOCOG. 2007-06-25. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Denyer, Simon. "Tibetan Protesters train hard for Beijing Olympics". Retrieved 2007-05-30.
- ^ August, Oliver (2004-08-31). "Tibet activists begin Beijing Games protest". Times Online. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Students for a Free Tibet, 2008 Olympics Campaign, blog.studentsforafreetibet.org. Retrieved on January 8, 2007.
- ^ "Media group ends Olympic boycott", The Manila Times, 2007-01-26. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
- ^ Boycott Beijing 2008, Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
- ^ Bloomberg, Frederick Kempe (2007-05-26). "China hopes to avoid 'genocide Olympics'". China Post. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "China's Games". Washington Post. 2007-05-29. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Call for Olympic boycott stirs up pre-poll France, Reuters. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
- ^ Olympics-China says boycott calls against goodwill, Reuters. Retrieved on 2007-04-27.
- ^ a b The 'Genocide Olympics', The Wall Street Journal, 2007-03-28. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
- ^ On Darfur, China and the 2008 Olympic Games, Sudan Tribune, 2007-02-11. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
- ^ China and Darfur: The Genocide Olympics?, The Washington Post, 2006-12-14. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
- ^ Steven Spielberg (2007-05-11). "Steven Spielberg on Darfur/China situation". Spielbergfilms. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "China defends Darfur role, deflects Olympic warning", Reuters AlertNet, 10 May 2007
- ^ Oster, Shai (2007-02-15). "Will Beijing's Air Cast Pall Over Olympics?". The Wall Street Journal.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Promise of clean air during Olympics". BOCOG. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Beijing to keep skies clear on Games' opening day". BOCOG. 2007-04-26. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Tandan, Marc (2007-04-27). "The Buzz: Is China's weather plan for the Olympics all wet?". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Watts, Jonathan (2007-05-12). "Organisers to give Olympic clouds a silver lining". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Robertson, Laura (2007-04-27). "Beijing Fights Olympic Rain, But Can it Prevent the Protestors' Storm?". CBN News. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Beijing 2008 advice: Don't drink the water". Associated Press. 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Are the IOC and NBC Unfairly Prohibiting Internet Coverage of the Sydney Olympics?". 2001-01-09. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "2008 Beijing Olympic Swimming Finals in the Morning Looks to be a Reality". About, Inc. 2006-10-26. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
Notes
- ^ The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture.[1]
- ^ Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, whereby it is controls its own political system and economy. Under the principle of "one country, two systems," China agreed to allow Hong Kong to compete in sporting events separately from Mainland China. Thus, Hong Kong has its own National Olympic Committee, the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, which is distinct from the Chinese Olympic Committee.
- ^ The fencing programme will again include all six individual events and four team events, though the team events will be a different set than were held in 2004. The International Fencing Federation's rules call for events not held in the previous Games to receive automatic selection and for at least one team event in each weapon to be held. Voting is conducted to determine the fourth event. In 2004, the three men's team events and the women's épée were held. Thus, in 2008, the women's foil and sabre events and men's épée were automatically selected. Men's sabre was chosen over foil by a 45–20 vote.[2]
External links
- Official Website of the 2008 Summer Olympics
- IOC Official 2008 Summer Olympics Website
- All venues on Interactive Google Map Beijing
Concerns
Concerns over the games include the potential for boycotts from pro-Tibetan organizations. China has also been battling problems with air pollution both in the city of Beijing and in neighboring areas, which the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG) says it hopes to remedy before the games. Despite this, however, former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch has asserted that 2008 Olympics in Beijing will be "the best in Olympic history."[3]
Protests and potential boycotts
While no state has indicated a willingness to boycott the 2008 games, some groups are initiating independent campaigns to do so and other notable groups have called for protests
Pro-Tibetan independence groups, such as the group Students for a Free Tibet, have initiated a campaign to protest the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.[4][5] The group plans to protest for Tibetan independence and objects to the Chinese government's use of the Tibetan antelope (chiru) as one of its five mascots.[6]
The press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders was advocating a boycott of the 2008 games in Beijing, citing its abridgment of press and personal freedoms and the positive effects of earlier Olympic boycotts. After its first official visit to China in January of 2007, news media reported that it had ended its call for boycott after meeting with the Chinese authorities.[7] However, it still expresses concerns for what the organisation sees as violations of free speech and human rights in China.[8]
Activists working to address the ongoing violence in Darfur, Sudan, have called for pressure to be exerted on China because of their financial and diplomatic support for Omar al-Bashir, who is responsible for the Sudanese government's proxy militias in Darfur. Some Activists in Taiwan have begun to refer to the Beijing Olympics as the "Genocide Olympics" in The China Post as a way of connecting Beijing's close political and economic ties to the Sudanese regime. The Chinese government, in turn, has criticised the activists for "politicising" the Olympics and outlined it's plans to help the Sudanese economy.[9][10] Calls for sustained pressure and possible boycotts of the Olympics have come from former French presidential candidates François Bayrou[11] and Ségolène Royal,[12] actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow,[13] Genocide Intervention Network Representative Ronan Farrow,[13] author and Sudan scholar Eric Reeves[14] and The Washington Post editorial board.[15] Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, founder of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, sent a letter to Hu Jintao on April 2 2007 to discuss and possibly end China's involvement.[16] Additionally, a group of 106 lawmakers in the United States have circulated a letter calling for the US to boycott the coming Olympics because of China's support of the Sudanese regime and the alleged forced relocation of the Chinese poor to make room for the games.[17]
Environmental issues
Some concern has been raised over the air quality of Beijing and its potential effect on athletes. While Beijing, in its bid file in 2001, pledged to lower air pollution, data is showing that even if the city dramatically cut down on its emissions, pollution would drift over from neighboring provinces. At current levels, air pollution is at least 2 or 3 times higher than levels deemed safe by the World Health Organization. Marco Cardinale of the British Olympic Association has stated that air pollution coupled with heat and humidity makes it "very unlikely we'll see outstanding performances in endurance sports." Despite this, Beijing has pointed to the relocation of a prominent steel maker as an example of its commitment to improving air quality.[18] The Chinese government has made assurances that "blue skies are a requirement not only for Beijing, but also for the places around it."[19]
Meteorological findings in April 2007 also have suggested that, based on rainfall data from the past 30 years, there is a 50% chance of rain for the opening and closing ceremonies of the games.[20][21] To combat this chance of rain, Beijing officials plan to seed clouds to induce rain several days before the games begin by spraying thousands of silver-iodine pellets into the air.[22] While the effectiveness of this method is questioned, Beijing is optimistic that it will reduce the chance of rainfall during the games.[23] Officials have also stated that by inducing rain, they hope to clean some of the pollution out of the air.[21]
A high-ranking Beijing official has also stated that the tap water in the city should be avoided. The water coming out of the water plants is safe, according to Bi Xiaogang of the Beijing Water Management Bureau; the process of transporting the water throughout the city is what contaminates it. Beijing is suffering from a drought of 15 years as well as a lack of major fresh water sources elsewhere, so many locals drink bottled water instead of that from the tap. Regardless of whether the water transportation problem is fixed or not, officials have ensured that fresh tap water will be available in the Olympic Village.[24]
Broadcasting
Some athletes, especially swimmers, have voiced dissatisfaction with the IOC's decision to schedule some events to meet the requests of NBC, which paid US$3.5 billion for exclusive United States broadcasting rights to the Summer and Winter Games from 2000 through 2008.[25] NBC requested that popular events, such as swimming, athletics, basketball, and gymnastics, be broadcast live and during television primetime in the U.S. (i.e., 7:00 or 8:00 to 11:00 p.m.) for maximum advertising revenue. This would require events to be held in the early morning, Beijing time. The IOC granted the request concerning swimming and gymnastics but denied it for athletics and basketball.[26] The IOC has precedent for its decision: at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, some swimming, gymnastics, and athletics finals were held in the morning. Also, at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, gymnastics finals were held in the afternoon which allowed most of Europe to view gymastics during their primetime.
NBC Universal's Spanish-language network, Telemundo, will also broadcast the games from Beijing.[2]
See also
- 2008 Summer Olympics bids
- 2008 Summer Paralympics
- 2008 Summer Olympic venues
- 2008 Olympic Torch Relay
- Zhang Jigang (co-directing 2008 Opening and Closing Ceremonies)
- Zhang Yimou (co-directing 2008 Opening Ceremonies)
- China Olympic Total Solar Eclipse
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
References
Citations
- ^ "The Number Eight And The Chinese". Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ "List of decisions of the 2006 General Assembly" (PDF) (pdf). Federation Internationale d'Escrime. 2006-04-08. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Beijing 2008 will be best-ever Games: Samaranch". BOCOG. 2007-06-25. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Denyer, Simon. "Tibetan Protesters train hard for Beijing Olympics". Retrieved 2007-05-30.
- ^ August, Oliver (2004-08-31). "Tibet activists begin Beijing Games protest". Times Online. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Students for a Free Tibet, 2008 Olympics Campaign, blog.studentsforafreetibet.org. Retrieved on January 8, 2007.
- ^ "Media group ends Olympic boycott", The Manila Times, 2007-01-26. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
- ^ Boycott Beijing 2008, Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
- ^ Bloomberg, Frederick Kempe (2007-05-26). "China hopes to avoid 'genocide Olympics'". China Post. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "China's Games". Washington Post. 2007-05-29. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Call for Olympic boycott stirs up pre-poll France, Reuters. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
- ^ Olympics-China says boycott calls against goodwill, Reuters. Retrieved on 2007-04-27.
- ^ a b The 'Genocide Olympics', The Wall Street Journal, 2007-03-28. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
- ^ On Darfur, China and the 2008 Olympic Games, Sudan Tribune, 2007-02-11. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
- ^ China and Darfur: The Genocide Olympics?, The Washington Post, 2006-12-14. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
- ^ Steven Spielberg (2007-05-11). "Steven Spielberg on Darfur/China situation". Spielbergfilms. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "China defends Darfur role, deflects Olympic warning", Reuters AlertNet, 10 May 2007
- ^ Oster, Shai (2007-02-15). "Will Beijing's Air Cast Pall Over Olympics?". The Wall Street Journal.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Promise of clean air during Olympics". BOCOG. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Beijing to keep skies clear on Games' opening day". BOCOG. 2007-04-26. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Tandan, Marc (2007-04-27). "The Buzz: Is China's weather plan for the Olympics all wet?". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Watts, Jonathan (2007-05-12). "Organisers to give Olympic clouds a silver lining". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Robertson, Laura (2007-04-27). "Beijing Fights Olympic Rain, But Can it Prevent the Protestors' Storm?". CBN News. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Beijing 2008 advice: Don't drink the water". Associated Press. 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Are the IOC and NBC Unfairly Prohibiting Internet Coverage of the Sydney Olympics?". 2001-01-09. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "2008 Beijing Olympic Swimming Finals in the Morning Looks to be a Reality". About, Inc. 2006-10-26. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
Notes
- ^ The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture.[1]
- ^ Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, whereby it is controls its own political system and economy. Under the principle of "one country, two systems," China agreed to allow Hong Kong to compete in sporting events separately from Mainland China. Thus, Hong Kong has its own National Olympic Committee, the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, which is distinct from the Chinese Olympic Committee.
- ^ The fencing programme will again include all six individual events and four team events, though the team events will be a different set than were held in 2004. The International Fencing Federation's rules call for events not held in the previous Games to receive automatic selection and for at least one team event in each weapon to be held. Voting is conducted to determine the fourth event. In 2004, the three men's team events and the women's épée were held. Thus, in 2008, the women's foil and sabre events and men's épée were automatically selected. Men's sabre was chosen over foil by a 45–20 vote.[2]
External links
- Official Website of the 2008 Summer Olympics
- IOC Official 2008 Summer Olympics Website
- All venues on Interactive Google Map Beijing
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- ^ "The Number Eight And The Chinese". Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ "List of decisions of the 2006 General Assembly" (PDF) (pdf). Federation Internationale d'Escrime. 2006-04-08. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)