Beijing Olympics 2008

Some of the biggest and richest names in world sport will be at the Beijing Olympics, with the superstar mega-list headed by Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Lionel Messi, Yao Ming, LeBron James, and Michael Phelps.
Some will be mucking in with their teammates at the Olympic Village although others are expected to stay in hotel suites more becoming of their status and financial clout.
While the Olympics will attract more than 10,000 athletes, only a handful can claim to be truely global household names, and even fewer can boost of multi-million dollar bank accounts to boot.
Perhaps the most recognisable face is Federer, the Swiss tennis machine who has dominated the sport for five years, although in China, home to 1.3 billion people, Houston Rockets centre Yao Ming and 110m hurdler Liu Xiang are bigger.
When it comes to money, the American basketball team carries perhaps the most clout.
Players like James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade are heavyweights of the game who have multi-million dollar salaries and all will be in Beijing.
James, or ‘King James’ as he is known, is one of the richest sportsman on the planet, and, if you believe the reports, is well on his way to becoming the first billionaire athlete.
Once the Cleveland Cavaliers star made it in the NBA, he reportedly bought all of his high school basketball team a new car. And his house just outside Cleveland includes a bowling alley, a barbershop, and casino.
Bryant and his teammates are equally flush, but it will be about face in Beijing after the Americans suffered the most humbling moment in their basketball history when they lost in the semi-finals in Athens.
It ended their three-Olympics reign as champions and they are desperate to reclaim the mantle.
“We will be Olympic champions this year,” James said.
“We have guys who don’t want to lose - Kobe (Bryant), Carmelo (Anthony), Dwyane (Wade) — and the guys off the bench are very good. We’ve got so many great players.”
Federer has reigned as the number one tennis player since 2004 - although his position is now under threat from Rafael Nadal - which makes him not only seriously rich, but a top draw in August.
But he has indicated he will be one of those forgoing the Olympic village.
While the overall experience, including bonding with teammates from more traditional Olympic sports, is part of the attraction of the Games, being a celebrity means autograph hunters badgering you even among fellow athletes.
Federer doesn’t want distractions in his quest for a first-ever Olympic gold.
“It was quite difficult in Athens,” he said. “Taking the bus and not being in control of my own schedule, and many people recognising me in the village.
“Every time I go to eat everyone taps on your shoulder.”
Maria Sharapova will also be in town, and is certain to be one of the most photographed competitors.
“One of the things I’m really looking forward to is the opening ceremony and walking with athletes from my country in front of thousands of people,” said the Russian, adding that she would love to watch some gymnastics.
“When I was younger I wanted to be a rhythmic gymnast,” she said.
Barcelona’s star striker Lionel Messi, considered by many to be the best young player in the world, hopes to be in Beijing, although his club Barcelona are dead set against it.
Many clubs have barred players competing, but Barcelona have little choice. Messi is 21 and clubs are obliged to release players under 23 years of age.
Yao, another from the mega-rich basketball fraternity, is huge in China and is sure to be a major focus of attention.
China’s richest celebrity earned some 55 million dollars from basketball and sponsorship activities last year alone and is perhaps the most recognisable Chinese face in the world, alongside President Hu Jintao.
Phelps isn’t on the same pay scale although he will reportedly receive one million dollars from Speedo if he matches Mark Spitz’ record of seven swimming golds this summer.
Regardless of his earnings power, Phelps could become the star of the show, with few other athletes in a position to win so many medals.
Another major attraction will be Athens gold medallist Liu Xiang, whose rock-star following in China and sponsorships by Nike, Coca-Cola, Visa and a host of Chinese brands have made him not only rich but very popular.
The world’s fastest sprinters, Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay, will also be top draws, with their 100m showdown set to be one of the great moments of the Games.

from: afp.google.com

“This is going to be the greatest Olympic Games ever,” British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Saturday morning when visiting the National Stadium, the main venue of the Beijing Olympic Games.
“This is going to be the greatest Olympic Games ever,” Brown said after coming out of the stadium, “I’m flattered that British design has been involved in it… for the athletes, it’s going to be great, for the public, it’s going to be wonderful.”
“A great stadium, a huge project by the people of Beijing, a great contribution by China to world peace and prosperity, because the theme of the Games is ‘one world, one dream’,” Brown told reporters.
Brown is the first foreigner to be allowed into the National Stadium, nicked-named the “Bird’s Nest” due to its shape, according to Henry Zhang, deputy general manager of the National Stadium Co., Ltd.
Zhang said Brown walked down the bleachers to the running tracks to the southeastern side of the stadium. He also watched a miniature exhibition on the stadium that includes contents such as its energy-saving designs and uses after the Games.
Brown’s Bird’s Nest visit lasted some 20 minutes. He was given a gift, a model of the Bird’s Nest, by Vice Mayor of Beijing Chen Gang.
“Young British athletes and young Chinese athletes are going to work together for the next few years… we are going to have deep cooperation that has ever been seen… and I hope as we will win some medals in Beijing in 2008, we will be prepared to win even more medals in London in 2012,” said Brown.
“When people come to Beijing and when they see this Olympics stadium, they see this magnificent effort by the Chinese people at making one of the greatest games in history,” said Brown, “and I also believed that young British athletes who come here will be inspired, so that we can do even better in London in 2012,”
Brown’s accompany included his wife Sarah Brown and a retired British middle-distance athlete, Kelly Holmes, who won gold medals in the 800 meters and the 1500 meters at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.
Holmes said the Bird’s Nest is a fantastic stadium and the Beijing Olympic Games is going to be a fantastic games.
“I’m sure China will do their utmost to make it as comfortable as they possibly can for the athletes involved… I think people are going to be here to achieve their own dreams,” said Holmes.
When asked whether he will attend the games, Brown said, “Yes, I’m looking forward to being here at the games in August, to again congratulate China’s achievements… the bonds between our two cities are going to grow, London and Beijing, over the next few years,”
Brown arrived here Friday morning for a three-day official visit to China, his first China tour since assuming office last June. He will also Shanghai after Beijing.
Brown had held meetings and talks with Chinese leaders on Friday. The two sides reached broad consensus, including on the Olympic Games.

from: xinhuanet.com

Japanese Media comment on Olympics Impact on Economy.

Japanese Industry News predicts China’s economy will realize soft landing after 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It is predicted that the overall direct and indirect investment will have mounted up to 4000 million dollars by then. Half of the investment came from field and building constructions.
According to the China National Information Center, Olympics have contributed a two percent raise annually from 2002 to 2007. Experts say Beijing Olympics won’t result in economic downturn, as opposed to Japan’s 1964 Olympic Games, according to the magazine.
East Asia Economy, on the other hand, predicted China’s economy will confront side effects of hot economy after 2008. According to its analyzes, Olympics will bring in too much currency trading, which will result in hot economy and essentially—inflation. The current economic growth of 12 per cent is exceeding China’s potential capacity of economic growth. Therefore, economic adjustment is necessary after year 2008. If the central government is unable to control the tendency of “over-heating”, then the economic growth rate will be even higher. And there will appear economy bubble in real estate industry.
Take Japan for example. Japan experienced severe economic depression and security crisis after holding 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. But Japan have successfully recovered from it and achieved jack-ups after a short period of time. Japan’s success is as a result of the common use of high technology, improved ability of exporting, high needs of national commodities.
But China’s situation is fairly different. China doesn’t possess some of the key elements under the current situation, which are needed for economic recovery. Some of the concerns are the raising price of oil and rice and the high fluid of currency, which never happened in Japan.

from: jappone.blogspot.com

Beijing Olympics organizers Wednesday unveiled the image and look of the torch relay that are full of Chinese feature.
The design of the image and look of the torch relay includes five components - the torch and collaterals; the torch relay uniforms; the convoy and chartered aircraft; the backdrop; and the city look.
“Blue and red dominate the backdrops for the Beijing Olympic torch relay, which adapt to the characteristics of different scenes, with the aim of transmitting the excitement of the torch relay,” Qu Yingpu, spokesman for the Beijing Organizing Committee’s Torch Relay Center, told reporters at the unveiling ceremony.
The inspiration for the original design of the torch relay lantern comes from the traditional lanterns used inside ancient Chinese palaces. The silver luster of the lantern coupled with crystal-clear glass serves as a foil to the flame and communicates the Olympic flame’s sanctity and purity.
The torch stand’s design borrows from the architectural styles of the Han and Tang dynasties, with its base showcasing “lucky clouds” drifting away, as if gently calling out to the torch.
The Beijing Olympic cauldron is based on the concept of a “round heaven and square earth” and uses a typical cauldron in the Chinese Bronze Age as well as the “lucky clouds” as its creative elements.
The 56 “lucky clouds” hollowed out of the curved plate of the Olympic cauldron symbolize well wishes to the world from the 56 ethnic groups in China, while the base of the cauldron has four legs with eight faces, symbolizing that the Beijing Olympic Games welcomes friends from all directions across the world, said Qu.

Photo released on Jan. 16, 2008 at a press conference shows the design of the Beijing Olympics chartered aircraft. (Xinhua Photo)

The Olympic cauldron stands 130 centimeters high, symbolizing the 130-day duration of the torch relay. The cauldron plate is 29 centimeters deep, symbolizing the 29th Olympiad. The cauldron post is 112 meters tall, symbolizing the 112 years that have passed between the staging of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and the 2008 Olympic Games.
The look of the convoy for the torch relay takes red and yellow as its basic colors, echoing the colors of the sacred flame and the torch, creating an exciting and dynamic visual effect and making the convoy a true mobile carrier of the Olympic spirit and the concepts of the Beijing Olympics.
The convoy consists of 13 automobiles and six motorcycles. Except for the police car and the ambulance, every other type of vehicle has a unique look but shares integral components with the rest of the convoy.
The design of the chartered aircraft highlight the message of the Beijing 2008 Olympic torch relay and the slogan of “Light the Passion Share the Dream“.
The uniforms for the Beijing Olympic torch relay include those for torchbearers, escort runners and staff members. As required by the IOC, white should be the basic color of the torchbearers’ uniforms. The basic elements of the escort runners’ uniforms are similar to those of the torchbearers, but their basic color is blue.

from: xinhuanet.com 

The metals that will be used to produce the medals for the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics were delivered to the organizers Tuesday, marking an important milestone in the countdown to the Games.
About 13 kg of gold, 1.34 tons of silver and 6.93 tons of copper cathode, were sourced from Australia and Chile through BHP Billiton, the diversified minerals and medals sponsor for both Games.
Over the next five months, the Shanghai Mint, under the China Banknote Printing and Minting Corp, will create 1,000 medals for each of the three medal categories, as well as tens of thousands of commemorative medals for the two events.
The raw materials for the medals, sourced and shipped from BHP Billiton’s Cannington mine in Queensland, Australia, and its Escondida and Spence operations in Chile, have been refined in China at the smelter of Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group and Henan Yuguang Gold and Lead Group.
Kunlun jade, a precious stone that will also be used in the medals, was delivered earlier to the Shanghai Mint.
Zhao Dongming, director of the cultural activity department of Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, said: “The handover ceremony is a milestone in our partnership with BHP Billiton that began nearly two years ago when we prepared to launch the inaugural medal design contest“.
For the first time in Olympic history, the medals for the Beijing Games will blend metal and gemstone. On the reverse side of each medal will be a jade ring with a metal centerpiece engraved with the emblem of the event.
Tong Weina, the mint’s managing director, told China Daily Tuesday: “In line with Olympic standards, a gold medal contains at least 6 g of gold with the remainder being pure silver. We promise our practice strictly abides by these requirements and all the medals will be delivered on time.”
Clinton Dines, BHP Billiton China President, said the company’s charter values “converge completely” with Olympic ideals.
“The Beijing Olympics and Paralympics offer us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to China’s development and its importance to us as a market,” Dines said.

from: chinadaily.com.cn 

The Athletes Village at the Beijing Olympics will be as good as any at previous Games and give guests a real taste of China, table tennis great Deng Yaping said on Tuesday.
The four-times Olympic champion, now deputy director of the Village, said organizers hoped to give the 16,000 athletes and officials a feel of China’s “long history and rich culture“, without disrupting their preparations.
“We want all the athletes and officials to know they are living in the Beijing Olympic Village and not anywhere else,” said Deng, who won two gold medals at both the Barcelona and Atlanta Games.
“We hope they will be impressed by the Chinese characteristics of the Village. It is a bit difficult because the Village is a place for the athletes to rest. We will try our best to provide cultural activities but to retain a balance between the activities and the athletes’ needs.”
With such a long history, officials are having some difficulty in deciding what to include in the cultural program, but exposing their guests to genuine Chinese cuisine would definitely be part of the plan, Deng said.
“Chinese food is popular around the world but if you have Chinese food in the UK, for example, the flavor is slightly different,” she said.
“Beijing duck in London and Beijing duck in Beijing is totally different. I don’t know which one is better, we’ll let the athletes and officials decide.”

Security
Deng, who is working with the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG) and studying for a PhD at Britain’s Cambridge University, said the desire for exposure to other cultures was not all one way.
“A lot of Chinese people want to take advantage of the Olympic Games to learn more about the world,” she said.
Deng said security was not the responsibility of her department but she was certain it would be tight. “For sure, the Athletes Village will be heavily protected,” she said. “We don’t want anything to happen in our village.”
The Village will open on July 27, two weeks before the Games officially open on August 8.

from: chinadaily.com.cn