For nearly six hours on Wednesday, play at the Rogers Cup was disrupted by pounding rain, lightning and thunder. Then Gilles Simon went out and made more noise than all of it combined.

France’s Simon eliminated world No. 1 Roger Federer 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 at the $2.6-million tournament on Wednesday. “That’s just unbelievable for me to win against him,” Simon said. Federer, who won the tournament in 2004 and ‘06, became the first top seed to lose in his first match at the Rogers Cup since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.

OAKVILLE, Ont. - Somebody carrying a Canadian passport is bound to win the country’s national golf championship eventually.

Only two men have accomplished that feat since 1914 and neither of them is still alive to tell the players of today how they did it.

LOS ANGELES - Swimmer Jessica Hardy’s trip to the Beijing Olympics could be in jeopardy after testing positive for a banned substance, according to a person familiar with the test results.

Hardy’s “A” sample from the recent U.S. Olympic trials tested positive, the person told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The person, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said the banned substance was a stimulant but did not provide any other details.

MONTREAL - He’s by no means a superstitious guy, so star Canadian kayaker Adam van Koeverden doesn’t believe in the so-called “flag-bearer jinx” that supposedly casts a dark cloud over the athlete chosen to lead his country into the Olympic Games.

“Alex Baumann carried the flag in 1984 and he won two golds, so I can deal with that jinx,” van Koeverden said Wednesday during a news conference to announce he would be Canada’s flag-bearer for the Beijing Olympics.

BALTIMORE - A pitching duel between A.J. Burnett and Jeremy Guthrie ended without a clear winner.

The game between Toronto and the Baltimore Orioles was suspended by rain Wednesday night with the Blue Jays leading 2-1 in the sixth inning.

The Detroit Tigers were nearly perfect, from the pitching of Armando Galarraga right down to the torrid offence.

Galarraga carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, Miguel Cabrera drove in three runs and the Tigers beat Kansas City 7-1 Wednesday, capping off a series in which they hit .355 and outscored their opponent 33-6.

TORONTO - It’s been almost a year since David Beckham sat in his tailored suit on the sidelines of BMO Field, watching as his Los Angeles Galaxy played Toronto FC to a scoreless draw.

The buzz of anticipation in the air that night fizzled into disappointment for Becks fans as the former England captain sat out the game with an ankle injury.

CARSON, Calif. - Jelena Jankovic opened her bid to gain the No. 1 ranking with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over American Vania King in the East West Bank Classic on Wednesday night.

The top-seeded Serbian could knock countrywoman Ana Ivanovic from the top spot by winning the tournament, her first since injuring her right knee at Wimbledon. King pressed Jankovic throughout the first set before the Serb took control in the second.

EDMONTON - Canadian auto racing legend Paul Tracy will run his first practice lap Thursday in a car he’s never been in before in his first open-wheel race in almost four months as part of a one-shot attempt to determine his IndyCar future.

In other words, Tracy said Wednesday, no pressure. “We all want to do well, our expectations are to do well, but I haven’t set any type of goal on myself that we have to win the race,” Tracy told a news conference in advance of Saturday’s Rexall Edmonton Indy (5 p.m. ET) at the City Centre Airport. “We’re just going to take it step by step every day. From my standpoint, this is my opportunity to get back in the (IndyCar) series.”

SALTILLO, Mexico - The Dominican Republic defeated Canada 3-1 Wednesday at the NORCECA junior women’s volleyball championship.

Set scores were 27-29, 25-16, 25-15, 25-17. Canada fell to 1-1 in the preliminary round.

ALPE D’HUEZ, France - Carlos Sastre won Wednesday’s 17th stage of the Tour de France, the hardest ride this year up three huge Alpine climbs, to take the overall lead from CSC teammate Franck Schleck.

Sastre took the yellow jersey by speeding ahead of the main title contenders in the final ascent of the 210.5-kilometre ride from Embrun to L’Alpe d’Huez. “I suffered a lot on the way to the summit, but I take great pleasure in capturing the jersey,” Sastre said through a translator. “A pure climber has to take advantage of his opportunities, and this was mine.”

ALPE D’HUEZ, France - The King of the Mountains and white jersey for best young rider at the Tour de France were probably determined Wednesday.

Bernhard Kohl kept the polka dot jersey given to the best climber after the final stage in the Alps and Andy Schleck increased his lead in the white jersey standings to one minute 58 seconds over Roman Kreuziger.

TORONTO - Time is running out for the federal government to indicate whether it supports Ontario’s bid for Toronto to host the 2015 Pan Am Games, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday.

The formal deadline for bids is Jan. 31, 2009, and the Pan American Sports Organization says it wants informal presentations in October. However, McGuinty said the “real” deadline is much sooner. “It’s time for the feds to make up their mind,” he said.

TROON, Scotland - Greg Norman used last week’s British Open as a warmup and almost made history. The warmup over, he is now setting his sights on the Senior British Open.

Leading the tournament at Royal Birkdale with nine holes to play, the 53-year-old Australian was on course to become the oldest winner of a major, but finished six shots behind Padraig Harrington in a tie for third.

CALGARY - There are many moments of truth for Kyle Shewfelt these days.

Like the kid playing street hockey thinking “Game 7, Stanley Cup final, this goal wins it,” Shewfelt often imagines himself in Beijing on the mat for the men’s Olympic gymnastics floor final. “In training, I have to simulate the competition, so I call my coach over and say to myself ‘this is the one. It counts. It matters,”‘ he said.

VANCOUVER - The seats were empty and the ice wasn’t up to par but members of Canada’s short-track speedskating team liked what they saw as they held their first training camp at the venue where they will compete during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Besides spending time on the ice at the Pacific Coliseum, the skaters checked out the building’s facilities and got a chance to find their way around Vancouver.

LINZ/OTTENSHEIM, Austria - Two Canadian crews advanced after their repechage races Wednesday at the World Rowing Championships.

Poland won the race in 5:53.94, but Canada’s lightweight men’s eight (5:55.32) overtook Australia (5:57.37) in the final 500 metres to take the next qualifying spot in the 2000-metre race.

from: ckwstv.com

Fireworks will be set off during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on August 8 to create a joyous and festive atmosphere, an official said on Wednesday.

Wang Ning, deputy director of the Opening & Closing Ceremonies Department of BOCOG, said fireworks of different shapes will be displayed above the main stadium of the Games, Olympic Forest Park and the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall.
“For the first time, the shape of the Olympic Rings will be formed in the sky,” said Wang, adding that Olympic symbols and elements will be a part of fireworks’ designs with an aim to promote Olympic ideals.

Firing skills will feature compressive air launches, chamber pressure launches and computerized ignition technologies, employed for the first time in the display of fireworks, he told the media attending a press conference in Beijing.

To reflect the “Green Olympics” concept, some of the fireworks will use less smoking powder to minimize smoke and dust pollution, Wang said.

The designers intend to highlight the fireworks’ effect both on the ceremony’s stadium and larger areas around the facility so that the Olympic central zone will be an extension of the ceremony owing to the splendid fireworks.

Cai Guoqiang, a member of the core creative team in charge of visual & special effects of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, updated the press on the implementation of a comprehensive design and production project.

He said he joined the team in 2005 and it took him 2 to 3 years to do preparatory work. “Gunpowder is one of the inventions of China, but the fireworks this time are not only for the sake of pumping up the atmosphere, but also have a goal to achieve - playing the role of storyteller,” he said.

Cai gave an example: Along the dragon-shaped landscape water system of the Olympic Green, the fireworks will be fired up into yellow and red peonies. The computer ignition system will control the fireworks, and within seconds, the fireworks will span 2 to 3 kilometers following the flag raising process.

During the climax of the art performances, the firing squad will display thousands of pictures of smiling faces collected from around the world, according to Cai’s design. At that moment, fireworks will mimic 2008 smiling faces in the sky, said Cai.

from: beijing2008.cn

With less than three weeks before the Olympics begin, host city Beijing launched a traffic plan Sunday to cut its high levels of air pollution.
For the next two months, half of the Chinese capital’s 3.3 million cars will be removed from the streets on alternate days.
The flow of cars was lighter than usual as motorists followed the rules on the first day of efforts to clear smog-choked skies for the Games, which begin Aug. 8.
Cars with licence plates ending in an even number took to Beijing’s roads as the plan took effect. On Monday, even-numbered cars will be banned.
Other restrictions went into effect earlier in the week. Security checkpoints were set up at several roads leading into the city, causing major delays. All drivers with out-of-town registrations are being stopped and sniffer dogs are checking the contents of their vehicles.
One commuter told CBC News the extra time it takes to pass through security checkpoints is adding two to three hours to his drive into the city.
To further ease traffic, employers have been asked to stagger work schedules and public institutions will open an hour later than normal.
Two new subway lines and an airport rail link should also bring relief to clogged streets. All three lines opened Saturday, a month behind schedule.
Besides the traffic plan, chemical plants, power stations and foundries have to cut emissions by 30 per cent beginning Sunday. Dust-spewing construction in the capital was to stop entirely.

source: cbc.ca

Croatia upset Canada in a blow-out quarterfinal clash on July 18 in the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men in Athens.

Canada ranks three places higher than 20th place Croatia. However, what was predicted to be a tight game turned out to be a slaughter that went to the underdogs.

In the first half both teams struggled in scoring but made a strong showing on defense. Croatia scored 18 points in each quarter, while Canada only trailed seven points at the end of the second.

In the second half, Croatia made it a totally different game as they found their shooting touch and suffocated their opponents’ offense at the same time. In the third quarter Canada essentially lost the game, underscoring 13-26. Although they came back with 20 points in the fourth, it was too little too late to stop the Croatians taking the game 83-62.

Marko Popovic scored 17 points for the winners but he was not the best shooter of the night. Croatian shot an astonishing 62% within the 3-point line and an excellent 39% behind the arc. They had five players with 10 more points, three of which didn’t miss a single shot.

Olu Famutimi was the best player on the Canadian team, netting 14 points. However, he shot only 25% from field, worse than the team’s miserable overall 27.11%. Canada grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, 10 more than their opponents, but they underperformed on offense, dishing out only seven assists the whole game, while Croatia doubled that.

Croatia becomes the first team to enter the semifinals, and will face Germany on Saturday.

from: beijing2008.cn

From sweatbands to secret hand signals and even peeling oranges — human rights and other activists are seeking novel ways to circumvent tight security at the Beijing Olympics and pressure China.

Faced with a barrage of campaigns on issues such as Tibet, press freedom and Darfur, China’s communist rulers are mounting a massive security clampdown ahead of next month’s Games, saying they will tolerate no dissent of any kind.

Organisers have invoked the Olympic Charter, the rulebook drawn up by the International Olympic Committee, for overseeing the Games, which forbids any form of “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda”.

However groups are coming up with an array of ways to get around the rules in the hope of creating a moment similar to when black American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos famously raised their black glove covered fists at the 1968 Mexico Games.

Pro-Tibetan activists are urging athletes at the Olympics to make a simple T hand signal to indicate support for the Tibetan cause.

European activists are planning to wear orange as a human rights protest while other groups say they will sport wristbands or find different ways to express their political positions at the Games.

The T sign, similar to the coach’s time-out signal in a basketball game, is an easy-to-perform gesture that could become an effective symbol of protest at the Games, according to the London-based Free Tibet Campaign.

“Now all we need are some brave athletes who are willing to show they care about human rights by making the T sign in Beijing,” said Anne Holmes, acting director of the group, on the campaign’s website.

The Free Tibet Campaign launched the T for Tibet drive this week.

from: mg.co.za

Remain calm, don’t fight back and try to send a text message to the police. That’s how Chinese police have advised people to respond if captured by terrorists during next month’s Olympic Games, the official Xinhua News Agency said Friday.

The new “anti-terrorism manual” is the latest in a string of warnings issued by an increasingly jittery Chinese government in the run-up to the Aug. 8-24 Olympics. In addition to worries over foreign terrorist plots, Beijing is also concerned about political protests from domestic critics.

China says it fears an attack by Islamic insurgents in the restive western province of Xinjiang, as well as from Tibetans it says who want to split China — fears brought to the fore by violent riots that erupted in Tibet’s capital of Lhasa in March.

A vast security apparatus has been charged with guarding Beijing during the games, including thousands of soldiers, police and anti-terrorist squads. The government has also declared a “people’s war” against those who could disrupt the games, enlisting the help of neighborhood watch groups to root out threats.

Xinhua said the manual described potential terrorism threats, including explosions, shootings, hijacking and even chemical or nuclear attacks. It was not clear when the manual, written in Chinese, would be published, or how it would be distributed. China has already repeatedly said that a terrorist attack is one of the biggest worries for the games.

The manual follows a series guides China has published to tell its people how to behave during the games. A training manual for thousands of volunteers working the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics was released in May, on everything from handling visitors to sitting, standing and shaking hands. Campaigns have also been launched to get citizens to form lines in public places stop spitting and improve their driving habits.

China has already installed checkpoints on roads and subway stations around the capital, as well as areas which border Hebei province.

Reflecting China’s fears that an attack is possible, Chinese authorities will close Beijing’s airport for about five hours during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, affecting dozens of flights, local media and airlines said Friday.

But a spokesman from the airport denied the reports, saying they welcomed all flights to Beijing. He didn’t give his name, as is customary among Chinese officials.

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific said it would postpone one flight after receiving word that the airport would be closed during the ceremony, set to begin at the auspicious time of 8 p.m. on Aug. 8.

Cathay Pacific spokeswoman Carolyn Leung in Hong Kong said she was informed that Beijing Capital International Airport would be closed from 7 p.m. to midnight on Aug. 8.

A customer service spokesman of Olympic sponsor, Air China, said the airline had also received a notice that the airport would be closed.

Separately, authorities arrested over 1,600 people in Hong Kong, Macau and the southern province of Guangdong over a six-week joint operation targeting Chinese organized crime syndicates active in prostitution and drug trafficking, Hong Kong police said in statement.

Police carried out similar sweeps annually, but they extended this year’s by two weeks because of the games, said government-run broadcaster RTHK. Hong Kong is hosting the equestrian events.

On the mainland, authorities have also cracked down on bars and performers. A warning for entertainers, which were first introduced in 2005, was reissued Thursday cautioning against acts that could tarnish the country’s carefully cultivated image of order and control. Authorities were alarmed in March after Icelandic singer Bjork shouted “Tibet! Tibet!” at the end of her concert in Shanghai.

“The content of the performance should not violate the country’s law, including situations that harm the sovereignty of the country,” the notice said, adding that entertainers also should not harm “national security, or incite racial hatred and ruin ethnic unity.”

Live music performances have waned in bars since clubs were told they need a license for live performances.

Will Bernholz, a manager with Kro’s Nest, a chain of popular pizza restaurants, said some bars and restaurants were forced to close in the lead-up to the Olympics.

“We’ve all felt the impact of the Olympics really hurting the social scene … but people are going to make do, people are going to go where they can,” he said.

Associated Press Writers Jeremiah Marquez and Dikky Sinn in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

from: ap.google.com

More than 10,000 athletes from over 200 countries will be competing in the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing which is scheduled to begin in August 2008. As the sole official vehicle partner of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Volkswagen Group is supplying the Organisation Committee with a fleet of 5,000 vehicles to transport athletes, officials and VIPs during the Olympic Games.
To support a fleet of this magnitude, Volkswagen will provide a dedicated team of more than 140 technical specialists for daily vehicle checks and professional maintenance. In addition, Volkswagen will appoint more than 40 dealers in Beijing among the Audi, FAW-Volkswagen, Shanghai Volkswagen and Skoda dealers to provide 24/7 maintenance for the official Olympic cars.

Volkswagen Group Olympic Showcasing
In addition to the official Olympic fleet vehicles, Volkswagen will also have a large exhibition area set up in the Beijing Green Common Domain to present the ‘Volkswagen Group Olympic Showcasing’ which will carry the theme of the “Past, Present and Future”. This will feature the hundred year history of the automotive industry, the establishment and development of China’s motoring industry and China’s thirty years of reform. The seven Olympic torches from previous Olympics Games will also be featured to remind visitors of the history of the Olympic Games.
The utilisation of modern and water elements in the design of the Volkswagen Group Olympic Showcasing coincides with that of the “Bird’s Nest” and the “Water Cube” stadiums. The “outdoor” design brings visitors closer to the environment and enables them to experience the harmony between humankind and Mother Nature. The three sites synchronise with each other to form a unity. In the exhibition area, Volkswagen will also set up a 78-metre long screen wall with 9 movable display panels to showcase the competition of the Olympic Games at that particular time.
Among those expected to partake in the experience and delight that comes with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are distinguished guests and customers of Volkswagen, business partners as well as rewarded outstanding employees from Volkswagen.

Green Olympics
One of the most prominent features of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is its long standing pledge to stage a “Green Olympics”. To endorse this concept Volkswagen will illustrate their achievements in research and development including the evolution of new energy-conserving and environmentally friendly fuels, such as the Sun Fuel technology and other green energy resources.

The Olympic spirit of “faster, higher and stronger” is a long-term pursuit of Volkswagen; in retrospect, the “Green Olympics, High-Tech Olympics and People’s Olympics” concept of the 2008 Olympic Games is closely aligned with the long-term quest and practice of Volkswagen in such fields as environmental protection, sci-tech advancement and social responsibilities.

Volkswagen will endeavor to support the Organisation Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (BOCOG) in its efforts to be an outstanding host during the Olympic Games and spread the Olympic Spirit in China.

source: albawaba.com

Thousands of local women took to the streets clad in traditional Manchu gege (princess) attire - 10-cm-long, healed “horse shoes”; mesh hair accessories; and high-collared cloaks with side slits - to greet the Olympic torch when it passed through Jilin province’s Songyuan and Jilin cities on Tuesday.
Because both cities were cradles of the Manchu nationality, they highlighted local tradition in their relay celebration.
The relay started at 7 am in Songyuan, which gained municipal status in 1992.
Three rivers - the Songhua, the Nenjiang and the Lalin - run through the city, which has long been called “an oil city, a grain store, a meat store, a sea of trees and a place of fish”.
Bordering the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Liaoning province, Songyuan is also a major hub for ethnic Mongolians.
In addition to a grand dance performance by 1,000 Manchu gege, the city’s relay ceremony featured a group performance by 2,008 Mongolian matouqin (a local two-stringed fiddle) players, aged from 10 to 65, setting a new Guinness World Record.
“The matouqin is a unique cultural symbol for us Mongolians,” 46-year-old performer Narisu said. “We wish that such traditional culture would be passed down from generation to generation, just like the torch’s flame is passed from one place to another.”
The first torchbearer of the relay’s Jilin leg was Songyuan’s first mayor Li Shu, from whom the city’s current mayor, Sun Hongzhi, took the flame. Sun said the order of the relay members demonstrated the city’s determination to pass on the Olympic spirit and its sense of hope for a better future.
In the afternoon, the relay began beneath a light drizzle in Jilin city. The route mostly snaked along the banks of the Songhua River, from which Jilin got the nickname Jiangcheng (River City).
The city is home to more Manchu than any other in China - 225,000, or about 5 percent of the total.
Today, the torch will travel through Yanji, which has more Koreans than any other city in the country.
Matouqin, a Mongolian stringed instrument with a horse’s head carved at the end of the neck, in this photo taken July 15, 2008 at the opening ceremony of the Songyuan leg of the Olympic torch relay in Jilin Province. A total of 2,008 matouqin players welcomed the arrival of the Olympic flame.

from: chinadaily.com.cn

Spectators will not be allowed to take banners, musical instruments and soft drink containers into Olympic venues, according to a set of rules released Monday.

The Olympic venue rules, promulgated by BOCOG, 25 days ahead of the Games, advise spectators not to bring into the venues support banners or leaflets of commercial publicity, religion, politics, military, human rights or environmental and animal protection.
Huang Keying, a BOCOG official, said the rules, including 22 restrictions and four prohibitions, are completely in line with the Olympic Charter.

“Each spectator is subject to the rules aimed at maintaining security and order of the venue,” he said.

Li Yong, a BOCOG volunteer, told the Xinhua News Agency people with banners will be stopped at the entrance security check.

Earlier last month, 800,000 Chinese volunteers began practicing routines to cheer on athletes - both Chinese and foreign - at the Games.

They were trained to do a four-step cheer in uniform sportswear, with easy-to-learn slogans.

These volunteers are required to stand up when national anthems are played and to remove trash at the end of an event.

The rules also ban taking photos with a flash, drunkenness, nudity and gambling, as well as whistles, long umbrellas, cigarette lighters, cameras and radios at venues.

Animals, except guide dogs, are not allowed in the venues.

Zhang Zhenliang, director of the Games’ inquiry center, said spectator rules were always one of the most difficult parts of the Games preparation as they must ensure an orderly, happy and harmonious environment.

The rule books have been delivered to spectators along with tickets. Overseas spectators can check the rules online or dial “12308″.

Zhang said the inquiry center is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm.

“Many overseas spectators have inquired about whether they can bring babies into the opening or closing ceremony venue.” It is not advised.

Li Bingshuang, a Beijing office worker, has tickets for the beach volleyball and rhythmic gymnastics events. She carefully read the rules book attached to the tickets.

“I know little about rules, but I’m sure I should clap after athletes completed their routines,” she said.

Zhang said the restrictions and prohibitions were roughly the same as those of the Athens and Sydney Games. The “spectator version” of the rules book features a simple and vivid language.

Huang said the Beijing Olympic venue rules are different from those of the previous Games as the national situation and local habits are different.

For example, Athens had banned large quantity of coins being taken into the venues. Beijing, however, did not follow this rule, she said.

“Beijing people like to use a parasol to block out the sunshine. But we have to remind people not to open umbrellas in the seating areas so as not to block others’ view,” she said, adding collapsible umbrellas were acceptable for being taken into venues.

from: chinadaily.com.cn

A spokesman for the Beijing Olympic Games Monday dismissed as “groundless” recent accusation by some overseas organizations and figures that China arrested so-called “dissidents” to ensure security of the August Games.
“In order to ensure the hosting of a successful Olympic Games, and to ensure the safety of foreign athletes and visitors, China has indeed taken a series of necessary, legitimate and reasonable security measures.

This falls in line with routines of previous Olympic Games and major international sports events,” the spokesman told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

“lt is unnecessary to arrest so-called ‘dissidents’ for the sake of the Olympic Games. The accusation is untrue,” he said.

from: chinadaily.com.cn