Beijing Olympic Games 2008

A series of injuries derailed Stacy Dragila’s pole vaulting career, but the 36-year-old is back in Idaho with her focus on Beijing.
The 2000 Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion is on the comeback trail from her second Achilles surgery in two years, and her journey brings her to the Treasure Valley on Saturday.
The Blue & Orange Classic begins at 9 a.m. at the Jacksons Track at the Idaho Sports Center in Nampa and will feature college athletes from Boise State, Arizona, California and Stanford among others. The women’s pole vault is scheduled for 1 p.m.
“I’m kind of just getting the rust and the cobwebs out,” said Dragila, a 1995 Idaho State graduate who hopes to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “I think it’s feasible to jump 14 feet this weekend, maybe a little higher. I would be really happy with that.”
This coming from a two-time Olympian, the pioneer who once dominated the sport and still holds the American indoor record of 15 feet, 9 1/2 inches.
Dragila was the gold-medal favorite for the 2004 Athens Olympics, but failed to qualify for the finals when Achilles’ tendinitis in both heels grounded her. It happened again at the 2005 world championships in Finland.
Dragila didn’t throw in the towel, and in the summer of 2006, had surgery on her right Achilles. But after a strong comeback season last spring, Dragila again struggled with injuries and couldn’t compete at the U.S. outdoor championships.
In June, she had surgery on her left Achilles and spent the summer and fall rehabbing the injury. Dragila, who moved to Phoenix in 2003, moved back to her house in Pocatello earlier this month, where she’s training under Idaho State head track and field coach Dave Nielsen.
“I got the OK from my doctor to go full steam ahead and decided to come back to Idaho,” Dragila said. “Judging by the weather, I picked a bad time, but it’s nice to see the snow again.”
Dragila will compete against American outdoor record-holder Jenn Stuczynski, 25, at the Millrose Games in New York next week. Stuczynski bettered Dragila’s U.S. outdoor record by half an inch last May with a vault of 15-10› and later became the first American to clear 16-0.
“I think (qualifying for Beijing) is quite realistic for Stacy,” Nielsen said. “Not to say it’s easy, but frankly, watching what she does and what other gals have been doing, (Stuczynski) is the only one who can hold a candle to her in the U.S. She’s still very strong and athletic.”
Dragila vaulted 12-11 using a short approach at a meet in Pocatello last week.
“I wasn’t trying to make a huge height. I just wanted to make sure I was ready before I came up to Boise,” Dragila said. “I feel like (the Blue & Orange Classic) is a good, low-key way to prep for Millrose.”
After her trip to New York, Dragila said she plans to come back to Idaho for two meets. She’ll compete in Pocatello’s Mountain States Invitational on Feb. 8-9 and will do some exhibition vaults at the Simplot Games the following week.
The U.S. indoor championships, where Dragila is an eight-time champion, are Feb. 23-24 in Boston. To qualify for Beijing, the nine-time U.S. outdoor champion must finish in the top three at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., on June 27-July 6.

from: idahostatesman.com 

Kenyan-born American Bernard Lagat hopes to repeat his world championship 1,500-5,000 double at the Beijing Olympics this year.

Lagat, 33, became the first man to complete the world double in Osaka, Japan, last year and now wants to emulate Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, who won both events at the 2004 Athens Games.
“It is do-able,” Lagat told a news conference in Glasgow on Thursday. “If I keep the same mental focus I will be able to do both. After the first round of the 5,000 it hurt. After I did the 1,500 I was feeling fresh but then when I went to my first race in the 5,000 I realised I was tired. Thankfully, we had two days off.”
Lagat, who won silver in the 1,500 in Athens 0.12 of a second behind El Guerrouj, is competing in an international indoor meeting in the Scottish city on Saturday.
He said he did not plan to run at the world indoor championships in Valencia, Spain, in March. “I thought about doing the world indoors but decided not to do it because I want to concentrate on good training for the Olympics,” he said.
“I have to qualify in both so I will continue in my season for now and then around July or August I can make my decision. I do not have to make my decision now.
“When I ran the 1,500 and 5,000 in Osaka (Japan) it gave me a different look on how things are. It is not easy doing the double. “People may have thought that ‘it seems like he is winning so easy’ but the burn was hurting on the third day of competition.
“It is also a great challenge that I have come through and have to keep trying it again. Hopefully, I will not be tired.”

from: chinadaily.com.cn 

The Presidents of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, and of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Hon. John Fahey, met today at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, to discuss cooperation between the two organizations and enhanced strategies in the fight against doping in sport. This was the first official meeting between the two leaders since the commencement of Mr Fahey’s term as WADA President on 1 January 2008. The meeting took place in the presence of the Presidents of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) as well as the Chairmen of the IOC Athletes’ and Medical Commissions.
“The IOC has been wholeheartedly supporting WADA and will continue to do so in the future. Mr Fahey can count on the total commitment of the Olympic Movement in the fight against doping,” said the IOC President. “WADA has come a long way with the establishment of the WADA Anti-Doping Code, for example, but challenges remain. Efforts are still needed to allow the full implementation of the Code by the Olympic Movement by 1 January 2009 and the adhesion by governments to the UNESCO Convention. I am confident that Mr Fahey will significantly help to move things forward”, he continued.
“The IOC itself continues to enforce its zero-tolerance policy against doping through a comprehensive program of testing during each edition of the Olympic Games — 4,500 in- and out-of-competition tests will be carried out next summer in Beijing — by calling upon the cooperation of governments, by imposing financial penalties on NOCs and athletes, and by denying participation in the next Olympic Games for athletes and their entourage who have been sanctioned for more than six months”, Rogge added.
“The IOC President and I had a very productive meeting that focused on the next steps to be taken to further strengthen the fight against doping in sport,” said the WADA President. “The IOC was instrumental in WADA’s inception in 1999 and, under President Rogge’s leadership, has always shown tremendous support to WADA and an unwavering commitment to the fight against doping in sport. President Rogge assured me of his full and continued support to WADA’s work.”
“WADA is a unique partnership between the sports movement and governments of the world,” continued Fahey. “As the first government representative to serve at the helm of WADA, it is important for me to meet with the leader of the Olympic Movement to discuss several areas in which the fight against doping can be advanced. For one, I will be focusing much attention on maximizing the role of governments for enhanced cooperation and sharing of information between governmental and law enforcement agencies and sports authorities. High-profile doping cases and investigations underscore the fact that no sport and no country are immune to the threat of doping, as well as the critical need for strong collaborative sport-government efforts in confronting doping.”
WADA is funded by and composed in equal parts of the Olympic Movement and governments of the world. Under the Agency’s Statutes, the WADA Presidency and Vice-Presidency alternate between the sports movement and governments.

source: beijing2008.cn 

Tourism authorities here are looking for welcoming households to provide rooms for foreign visitors during the summer Olympics.
Xiong Yumei, deputy director of the Beijing Tourist Bureau, said that the bureau would recruit about 1,000 households as “Olympic Family Hotels” to increase the city’s guest room supply for the event. More than 500,000 overseas visitors are expected during the summer Games, with the largest daily inflow estimated at 300,000.
Xiong said that Beijing has 806 star-ranked hotels that have 130,000 rooms with 220,000 beds. Other lodging houses and inns have another 646,000 beds.
“The guest room supply may still fall short of demand, especially for hotels close to the sports venues,” said Xiong.
She said that the bureau would choose among households’ applications in March. “Families should own the apartments that they plan to offer and be able to provide foreign guests with spare rooms, good ventilation and sanitary conditions,” said Xiong. She added that at least one person in each household should be able to communicate in English.
Homestays are popular in Western countries but relatively new to China. Other requirements set by the Beijing Tourist Bureau include changing of bedding, appropriate dressing by household members and a willingness to help guests find their way around the city and the Games.
The charge for homestays will be US$50 to 80 per day, less than most hotels. Xiong said that the price might be adjusted to reflect market fluctuations.
The cost of a five-star hotel room during the Games is forecast to be about 2,960 yuan (US$411) per night. For four-star hotels, it is forecast at 2,320 yuan; for three-star rooms, 1,600 yuan and for two-star accommodations, 1,200 yuan.

from: chinadaily.com.cn 

Suspended Olympic 100 meters champion Justin Gatlin has appealed his four-year doping ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), his attorney said on Tuesday.
“With these filings, Mr. Gatlin is taking the next steps in recovering his right to defend his gold medal in the 100 meters, silver medal in the 400 meters relay and bronze in the 200 meters at the Beijing Olympics,” Maurice Suh said in a statement.
The appeal was filed on Monday to Lausanne-based CAS.
“While there are many possible avenues that we are currently exploring, the appeal of the arbitration panel decisions are a critical component of his defense,” Suh’s statement added.
A three-member American Arbitration Association (AAA) panel banned Gatlin for a 2006 positive test for the banned male sex hormone testosterone and its precursors, ruling it was Gatlin’s second positive.
Gatlin tested positive in 2001 for an amphetamine contained in a medication he took for 10 years for Attention Deficit Disorder. He was suspended for two years but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) later found Gatlin had not intentionally committed a doping violation and reinstated him after one year.
The IAAF also said any repetition of Gatlin’s 2001 positive test would result in a life ban.
But Suh, who also represents banned cyclist Floyd Landis, said in his appeal the 2001 case should not be considered a first offense.
If CAS were to agree, Gatlin’s 2006 positive test would be considered his first and he would be eligible for a two-year ban. That would allow him to return to competition in May, a month ahead of the U.S. Olympic trials.
“To use this (2001) sanction to bar him from participating in the Olympics is a prime example of unfairness to an athlete, and a grossly inappropriate balance of anti-doping efforts against the right of individuals to pursue their careers and their dreams,” Suh said.
“Most troubling, it constitutes a discrimination against a person with a diagnosed disability.”

from: chinadaily.com.cn 

China said here Thursday it strongly opposes the practice of using the Olympic Games to hype political issues such as Darfur, saying it is in fact destroying and disturbing the preparation works of Olympic Games.
“It is of apparent political intention and purpose to link the Darfur issue with the Olympics,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told a routine press conference. “Such practice violates the Olympic spirit and principle, and will never succeed.”
China is firmly opposed to those persons or organizations who hype particular issues in the name of the Olympics, said Jiang in response to the question that whether China would put more pressure on Sudan as someone considered China’s continued support for the regime in Sudan could tarnish the Olympics.
China will never, ever accept those accusations, said Jiang, adding that international society knows very well that China has exerted a positive and constructive influence on the Darfur issue.
“I don’t know whether those organizations know China’s role on the issue and the current situation in the Darfur region,” she said.
China has been the first country to promise and then to dispatch soldiers to participate in peacekeeping missions in Darfur.
A 140-strong advance troop of a Chinese engineering unit has arrived in Darfur, and the unit is gradually being deployed.
The political process and peacekeeping deployment in Darfur has achieved progress under the joint efforts of all concerned parties, Jiang said.
China always maintains that a “double track” strategy — a balanced combination of political process and the peacekeeping mission should be applied in resolving the Darfur issue, she said.
China also supports taking advantage of the leading role of the Sudanese government, UN and AU (African Union) negotiation mechanism.
Meanwhile, various difficulties may arise during the process of the deployment of any UN-AU hybrid-mission peacekeeping missions.
Jiang called for all concerned parties to increase cooperation so as to resolve related issues through coordination.
“China will continue to play a constructive role in pushing forward a proper settlement of the Darfur issue,” Jiang said.

from: xinhuanet.com 

Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), on Wednesday spoke highly of Beijing’s preparation for the 2008 Paralympic Games.
“I and my colleagues were shocked by the great National Indoor Stadium (NIS) and the brilliant work of creating a barrier-free city in Beijing here,” Sir Craven said on Wednesday when he attended the draw of the Paralympics‘ wheelchair basketball tournament, which is slated to open on September 6.
“I believe China will have a better Paralympics four years after the Athens Games,” he said.
“China will win many, many gold medals at home. But I would say it will not be easy as other countries are also well prepared for the Games,” Craven said.
The draw of the wheelchair basketball competition was the first of any Paralympic events.
“The draw is a symbol that the preparation of the Beijing Paralympics is entering a new era,” said the Paralympics chief.
“Beijing did great job in the past one year and was making a great relationship with IPC,” he added.
Sir Craven arrived in Beijing Tuesday afternoon and paid his first visit to the National Indoor Stadium hours later.
“I drove my wheelchair through the warmup court, the seats and the competition court,” he said. “The organizers paid great attention to the barrier-free facilities that make disabled people feel comfortable watching the games.”
“I also heard that not only the NIS and other sports complex, but all the visiting areas have been barrier-free designed for the Paralympics. It’s not just good to the disabled. It’s a symbol of a civilized society full of love and care,” Sir Craven said.

from: xinhuanet.com

The IOC opened the bidding process Wednesday for the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012.
Letters were sent to all national Olympic committees inviting them to consider entering a candidate for the event, which will feature about 1,000 athletes aged 14-18. The deadline is March 6, with bid files to be submitted by June 19.
A panel of experts will propose a short list of candidates in August, and the International Olympic Committee will vote on the host city by postal ballot in November. The winner will be announced in December.
The games will feature the seven sports on the Winter Olympic program, as well as a limited number of events and disciplines “of particular interest to the younger generation,” the IOC said.
On Monday, the IOC chose Moscow and Singapore as the finalists for the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics in 2010. The winner will be announced Feb. 21.
The summer and winter Youth Olympics are designed to encourage youngsters to get involved in sports and spend less time in front of computer and television screens.

from: usatoday.com

In the run-up to the Olympics, Beijing wants more smoke-free hotel rooms and is planning to raise the proportion in each hotel to at least 70 percent.
Public opinion is sought by the Legislative Affairs Office of Beijing’s municipal government. Citizens in Beijing can put forward their opinions and suggestions on the Internet from January 21 till February 1.
The smoking ban will build on 1996 regulations and could be expanded to more public places including fitness centers and cultural relics sites, offices, meeting rooms, dining halls, toilets, aisles and lifts in buildings belonging to government or private institutions.
In addition, the outdoor smoking area should not be where the public has to pass through, says the new regulation, posted on the official website of the legislative affairs office (www.bjfzb.gov.cn).
However, fines are only planned to be small - up to 50 yuan (US$6.9), says the regulation.
As the host city for the August 8-24 Games, Beijing wants smoking bans in all hotels that provide services for athletes and other Games workers, and all competition venues and restaurants in the Olympic Village by June.
The city has also banned smoking in hospitals, schools, restaurants and other places.
From October 1 last year, Beijing banned smoking in the city’s 66,000 cabs, and imposed a fine of 100 yuan to 200 yuan (US$14 to 28) on drivers if caught smoking in cabs.
China has pledged non-smoking Olympics and Green Olympics, and this year’s event will be the first non-smoking Olympic Games after the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), of which China is a signatory, went into effect in 2005.
About 350 million people in China smoke, statistics from the Ministry of Health show. That is about 26 percent of the country’s population and a third of the world’s smoking population. About 1 million people die from smoking-related diseases each year.

from: chinadaily.com.cn 

Beijing plans to take more than one and a half million cars off the roads during the Olympic Games 2008, said an official from the Beijing Traffic Management Department on Tuesday.
The official said, by the time the Games begins, there will be about 3.3 million vehicles running in the city, putting more pressure on the roads.
To restrict the use of vehicles, the government would cut the number of vehicles on the roads by exercising a ban on government vehicles, similar to the one used during the Beijing Summit of Sino-African Cooperation Forum in 2006, and last August’s 4-day test of alternating cars with license plate numbers ending in even and odd numbers.
During the Olympics, there is a plan to have more buses, including 173 shuttle bus lines and 34 lanes dedicated to Olympic traffic.

from: chinadaily.com.cn