Beijing Olympics 2008

Former All England champion Hafiz Hashim, struggling to live on $170 a month, has been offered a financial lifeline by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), media reports said on Saturday.
The 26-year-old had recently quit his club of nine years Nusa because he was unhappy with his monthly allowance, paid by BAM as part of his Olympic preparations.
“Initially, I had no plan to join the BAM. I wanted to jump from one club to another. Now, the offer made by BAM is good. I will take it into consideration,” Hafiz said in The Star newspaper.
“There are a lot of benefits as a national player.”
Hafiz’s poor recent form forced the BAM to cut his monthly allowance by more than 70 per cent in October.
Nusa, which traditionally nurtures players in partnership with BAM, was unable to add to his allowance, prompting Hafiz to look for another club.
He was poised to join independent side KLRC Bhd but the governing body now wants him to stay with its programme.
“Hafiz is a talented player and we want to help him,” BAM president Nadzmi Mohd Salleh said. “If he works his way up again, he will enjoy better remuneration from the BAM. It will solve his financial worries.”
Since winning the All England men’s singles title in 2003, Hafiz has struggled and has not reached a major international semi-final in more than a year.

from: chinadaily.com.cn 

At the national mountain-climbing training base in the suburbs of Beijing, Zeng Ji gets up every morning at seven, eats breakfast at eight and is in English class by nine.
Zeng is one of some 4,000 2008 Beijing Olympic National Technical Officials (NTOs) trying to polish their English-language skills heading into the Olympics this summer.
Due to a lack of proper language training and little exposure to international tournaments, most Chinese NTOs are not confident with their English skills.
“It is a big challenge for many Chinese technical officials to conduct an effective communication in English,” Zeng, a swimming NTO, said. “Chinese referees have no problem with the technical stuff written in English, but we really need to improve our spoken English to make a better impression in front of the world.”
Zeng does six hours of English lessons and another two hours of homework every day. He takes weekly written tests and an extra course on Wednesday nights. He is only allowed to speak Chinese on Sundays.
He and his classmates will have to pass an oral exam to finish the 10-week language crash course for the big event in August.
The 2008 Olympics will see more Chinese technical officials since it is common practice for the host country to provide local staff for event operation. These “technical officials” typically include judges, referees and other sport-specific officials.
An event may have both international and national technical officials, depending on the rules and regulations of each particular sport.
Zeng said many NTOs need to deal not only with athletes and coaches, but with other referees and officials if controversies occur.
In order to help the NTOs clearly communicate with people on and off the court, Beijing Games organizers last year hired a language company to run intensive training camps for 120 NTOs.
At the training camps, NTOs are divided into three groups according to their language levels. They first work on pronunciation and study basic sentence structures. Then they practice listening and oral skills in Games-related situations. In the final phase, they focus on technical terms and vocabulary.
The language training will continue after the 10-week camp as each student is required to take monthly online tests in listening, oral, reading and writing.
“My goal is to pronounce the names of swimmers properly and announce the results correctly at the Olympics,” Zeng said.

from: chinadaily.com.cn 

The Water Cube’s debut event was not all about competition: it’s about getting familiar with the water and try out hands six months before the big-time Olympics in the Chinese capital.
The Swimming China Open ended its six-day competitions on Tuesday in the bubble-wrapped Olympic venue, with 32 golds bagged by teams including host China, Germany and Japan, the top three on the medal tally.
A sizable competition force of more than 200 swimmers came to Beijing. Only a few top swimming powers such as the United States and Australia were absent.
But the meet was not short of top-notch swimmers. German sent in the world 100m freestyle record-holder Britta Steffen and world championship silver winner Annika Lurz. Steffen won two gold medals in women’s 50 and 100 meters freestyle, while Lurz was crowned in the women’s 400 meters freestyle and 100 meters freestyle relay.
World No. 2 butterfly specialist Pawel Korzeniowski of Poland and Sweden’s sprinter Stefan Nystrand were also among the few leading swimmers who impressed the spectators in Beijing.

Ceremony girls hold flower bouquets at a medal ceremony during the Good Luck Beijing 2008 Swimming China Open
at the National Aquatics Centre, nicknamed “Water Cube”, in Beijing February 4, 2008.
China Open is the first event held in the center, which will host the Olympic swimming and diving events in August. [Xinhua]

Korzeniowski won his best event in men’s 200 meters butterfly and sprint specialist Nystrand claimed the men’s 50 meters and 100 meters freestyle titles.
However, Olympic 200m butterfly champion and multiple-medalist Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland did not think too much about winning golds at the event. “I’ve been doing intense training,” she said.
The Chinese team, headed by top breaststroker Qi Hui and long-distance swimmer Zhang Lin, indeed shared some of the limelight. With two golds and three results under the Olympic qualifying A standards, Qi declared a comeback from being bogged down by failed trainings.
Zhang in turn impressed the home crowd with a new national record in men’s 400 meters freestyle, and brought himself closer to world’s first-ranking South Korea’s Park Tae-Hwan.
But the Chinese team may have to make another few leaps to realize its Olympic ambitions after the retirement of Olympic women ’s 100 meters breaststroke gold medalist Luo Xuejuan.
China’s No.1 male swimmer and butterfly specialist Wu Peng appeared in the stadium but didn’t compete. Wu and some other Chinese swimmers are not in winter training.

The Pool in the Bubble
Water Cube is one of the flagship Olympic facilities, neighboring the Birds Nest, the main stadium.
The facility, which will host swimming, diving, synchronized swimming competitions during this summer’s Olympics, offers a huge slice of gold, silver and bronze medals in the Olympics. By then, swimming sensations like Michael Phelps, Australian stars Leisel Jones, Libby Lenton and Laure Manaudou of France, are all poised for the gold rush.
Its debut event has drawn accolades from officials and the athletes. A high-ranking IOC member Kevan Gosper called it “out of this world” and “breathtaking“.
Mongolia’s Tsogjargal Narantsog, who swam in the men’s 100 meters butterfly heat, was officially the first swimmer in the pool.He won cheering applause despite a slow performance. China’s Shi Feng also made a few headlines when he won the venue’s first gold on offer in men’s 100 meters butterfly.
As praises were piled on the center, glitches were also discovered in the test event: mixed zone is too small, change room is too hot and air is too dry. But venue officials assured these problems would be addressed. “The operation teams and other relevant parties will brainstorm on making necessary changes to the facility,” said Shang Heshun, director of the venue.
“So far, all operations have gone well and we have gathered valuable experience for the August Olympics,” he added.

from: chinadaily.com.cn 

The “Bird’s Nest“, as the Beijing National Stadium is also known because of its very distinct structure, has its 80,000 seats been installed on the stands.
The National Stadium will host the main track and field competitions for the 2008 Summer Olympics as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. It is located right next to the Beijing National Aquatics Centre.
In 2002, Government officials engaged architects worldwide in a design competition. Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron collaborated with ArupSport and China Architecture Design & Research Group to win the competition.
Made of modified polypropylene, the seats have shown excellent performance in flexural strength and impact strength tests, and the colors of the seats will remain fade-resistant for three years under ultraviolet radiation, according to the construction company.

RobLadin.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 

China is aiming to cut its air and water pollution by at least 5 percent in 2008 comparing with 2005 figures to ensure a green Olympics, said Zhou Shengxian, head of the country’s environmental watchdog.
Zhou said Tuesday on a work conference of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) that the country plans to cut its sulfur dioxide and chemical oxygen demand (COD), two major pollutants emissions in China, by 6 and 5 percent respectively in 2008 from 2005 levels.
The plan means the country will cut up to 2.3 million tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and 1.3 million tons of chemical oxygen demand (COD) this year.
By 2010, the plan is to reduce both levels by 10 percent based on 2005 levels. “Industrial restructuring will play a fundamental role in curbing pollution,” China Daily quoted Zhou.
Use of sulfur scrubbers to clean emissions will be emphasized to curb air pollution, according to the plan. New thermal power generation units with a combined capacity of 30 gigawatt will be installed with sulfur removal capabilities, which is expected to reduce SO2 emissions by 1.5 million tons.
Zhou also revealed that more high energy consuming and high polluting power plants will be shut down this year.
The shut-down plan includes a number of small thermal power plants with a combined output of 13 gigawatt, steel plants with a total capacity of 6 million tons, cement plants with a combined output of 50 million tons, iron production facilities with a total capacity of 14 million tons, and paper making factories producing a combined 1 million tons.
“If achieved by the end of this year, the plan will help China reduce its emissions of SO2 by 600,000 tons and cut the COD by 400,000 tons,” Zhou said.
Key eco-friendly projects will also be implemented, Zhou said.
The country’s urban wastewater treatment capacity is to be increased by 12 million tons a day, which will cut COD by 600,000 tons.
In addition, industries will be required to strengthen their wastewater treatment capacities and will be expected to decrease COD by 200,000 tons a year.
Measures taken by the central government and environmental agencies last year also saw progress being made in the green battle.
The density of COD in water resources was 6.5 milligram per liter, down 7 percent on 2006.
A reduction in SO2 emissions also saw the area of land affected by acid rain shrink by 100,000 square kilometers. The number of blue-sky days with good air quality was also up on the previous year. However, China’s fight against pollution is far from over, Zhou said.
The country ranked first in sulfur dioxide emission in the world in 2005.
SEPA figures also showed that last year, the quality of more than 26 percent of water runoff was worse than grade V - a level unfit for human contact.

from: xinhuanet.com 

Just 200 days away, the Beijing Olympics is poised to be the most memorable Games in history.

China has waited almost 100 years for the Olympic Games and sees the Aug. 8-24 sports spectacle as an opportunity to showcase itself to the world.
“The Olympic Games is not simply a sports event and its meaning is beyond sports itself,” said Wei Jizhong, a former vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee and currently a senior consultant with the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG).

Nothing shows the ambitions better than the large scale of infrastructure construction. China has spent billions of dollars on a makeover of the capital city that includes new highways, an extended subway system and a new airport terminal as well as massive construction on sports facilities.

After seven years’ preparations, the hour of reckoning is soon to come.

“Under the full support of our government and people, all types of preparation work for the Games are going smoothly, according to schedule,” said BOCOG executive vice president Liu Jingmin. “The conditions for Beijing holding a successful Olympics are almost mature.”
Work on the 37 competition venues is coming to an end with 36 already inaugurated and the showpiece National Stadium, known as the “Bird’s Nest” for its giant latticework structure of metal girders, is expected to be put into operation next March.
The public are obsessed with a massive hunt for a chance to be part of the greatest show on Earth.
More than 800,000 people have applied for a volunteer’s post, while hundreds of thousands of candidates chased the 19,400 domestic torchbearer berths available, all keen to join in a historical relay that will see the flame travel an unprecedented 137,000 kilometers around the world, including in an awe-inspiring ascent of Mount Qomolangma.

Three construction worker walked past the the National Stadium, nicknamed “Bird’s Nest,” in Beijing, Jan. 17, 2008. (Xinhuanet Photo)

Old habits are also being demolished.

Etiquette campaigns were launched to stamp out bad manners like queue-jumping, spitting, littering and cursing in public. Millions of brochures were sent out to individuals to introduce a new code of conduct, while polishing courses are being offered to all civil servants and the people working in the service sector, such as cabdrivers, shopping assistants, waiters and waitresses, and bus conductors.
English translations popularly known as “Chinglish” is also out. Hotlines have been set up for citizens who spot an English-language-related mistake on a public sign to call and notify the authorities.
China’s financial goals have also been met with revenue from the Games expected to exceed original target. The Beijing Olympics has 60 sponsors and suppliers, almost 50 percent more than Athens in 2004.
However, despite the enormous efforts that Beijing has made, some preparations for the Olympics are proving harder to control.
There are persistent concerns about the level of air pollution in Beijing and International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said twice publicly last year that some endurance events might be rescheduled if the air is too dirty during next August. But local officials believe it will improve significantly by the time the games start.
Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the municipal bureau of environmental protection, said the city will order at least one third of 3.3 million vehicles off the road during the 16-day Olympics and close dust-spewing construction sites and polluting factories.
“I am confident that Beijing’s air quality in August will meet the World Health Organization’s standards,” he said.

Almost a year out, at least one verdict is there.

“For many reasons, political, social, historical, there will be more focus on these Olympic Games in China than there has been on any others for many, many years,” Steve Roush, head of sports performance for the U.S. Olympic Committee, said during his visit last August.

“It will be a spectacle that will grip the world.”

from: xinhuanet.com

The Beijing Electric Power Corporation has invested 221 million yuan to support 18 months of electric augmentation in its “0811″ electric network program. The company is currently examining its facilities and capabilities to ensure a smooth supply of electricity during the Olympic Games.
As the Beijing Games will begin in August, this coincides with the busy summer season, when city residents use the most electricity. The “0811″ program not only deals with this doubled responsibility, the modernized technology also helps to patch up leaks in the electric network. In 2005, the health of wire circuitry used to transfer electricity reached only 43.6 percent. Today, that number is 71 percent. Currently, Beijing’s electricity network is in the process of trying to keep up to speed with the needs of the city’s rapid development.
A representative from the Beijing Electric Power Corporation explained that the “0811″ program is geared towards satisfying the electricity needs of the Olympics, assuring a safe supply of electricity, and boosting the company’s capabilities of handling electric emergencies. The program has increased the life of Beijing’s energy circuits and greatly improved transference ability.
The “0811″ engineering project involves methods of directly transferring electricity to buildings, sites, competition venues, roads, and bridges that will be used for the Olympic Games.
The National Stadium (”Bird’s Nest”) and the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) have four avenues for electric delivery, while the “Water Cube” has three. All other important Olympic sites have at least two different sources for electricity. In the case that one path fails, the other will automatically kick in.
The electric grid running through the city has also been strengthened so as to ensure that even at very high temperatures, electricity will be delivered in a safe manner. With the improvements, when strong electric storms hit the city, there is a very small chance of electricity delivery disruption.
Currently, the city’s urban and rural electric reliability rates are 99.9382 percent and 99.79 percent, respectively. Obvious improvements have been made regarding electric service, as the average time for electric recovery within the city has dropped from around 8 hours to 5, and from 26 to 16 outside the urban areas.

from: beijing2008.cn 

With the Beijing Olympic Games only 200 days away, police in the capital city are maintaining high alert and preparing for a safe Olympics.

Emergency response comes to normal status
On January 1, 2008, a team of civil police officers employed eight police dogs to seek inflammable and explosive hazardous articles at a section of the subway in Beijing as part of a new antiterrorist and antiriot move in the Olympic year.
On the scene of a police drive recently, 12 international security experts applauded when they saw the Beijing special police force rescue a hostage in just seven minutes. The policemen also demonstrated their skills in driving, fighting without using arms, cleaning the scene of an explosion, and controlling the turbulence of sports fans …
“Since 2004, we have taken the enhancement of anti terrorist and anti riot capacity as our first priority, by training special personnel and conducting citywide antiterrorist drives to bring the task of anti-terrorism and emergency response to the normal track,” said Ma Zhenchuan, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Public Security and commander of Olympic Security.
“We noticed that the Beijing police have made due plans and preparations, taking efficient measures to guard against any emergencies,” said an official of the U.N. Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.
As early as 2005, Beijing set up the main detachment of the special police to take precautions against terrorist attacks and explosions that were rampant in some areas of the world. Beijing’s subway lines have been among the key public places to receive special attention.
The new detachment, equipped with different types of guns, wolf-eye flashlights and a series of special vehicles, has met the demands of rapid-response, swift treatment, and mobile combat and has enhanced the capital city’s antiterrorist and emergency-response capacities and levels. Its members have undergone special training and accumulated experience in dealing with kidnapping, hostage-taking, explosions and other terrorist incidents.
“Although Beijing has not seen any terrorist incident so far, it has an anti-terrorist force of high combat effectiveness which can deal with any emergencies,” said Liu Shaowu, director of BOCOG’s Security Department.
Indeed, the rapid response capability of the Beijing police has increased. The 110 police can emerge on the spot in an average of 4.5 minutes upon receiving an incident report. The rate of arrest in five minutes has reached 58 percent in case of feasible conditions.
An antiterrorist squad comprising 33 members from 16 key departments is monitoring the city’s water, power, and gas stations and is ready to respond to any emergency as fast as possible.
Currently, the Olympic security system has passed test runs. During the Olympic Games, security forces will be assigned to different posts according to the needs. Beijing police have made 52 general plans, which will be updated and supplemented along with the situations in China and elsewhere. To make the plans more thorough and well-knit, over 70 Chinese and foreign experts have been appointed.

from: beijing2008.cn 

Under the theme of “Chinese seal, Olympic year, Chinese fortune,” models standing on the red carpet gracefully show off bright, eye-catching Olympic souvenirs. In order to celebrate the 200 day countdown to the Olympic Games, a grand ceremony was held featuring new products representing the Olympic spirit.
Chinese seals, longevity locks, red lanterns, Chinese knots…over 70 Olympic articles were promoted by BOCOG to represent the Games within the Chinese context. Recently, the price of gold has been steadily increasing. These souvenirs, made with high-quality gold and silver metals, shaped in forms representing Chinese and Olympic characteristics, are invaluable.
The most eye-catching of the recently displayed souvenirs are the gold and silver seals marking the 200 day countdown. The special seals are made of pure silver, gold, and other elements.
Olympic athletes were on hand to pose for pictures and sign autographs, showing their support for the Olympics, and at the same time, absorbing the highly electric shopping atmosphere.

A model holds up an Olympic souvenir for admirers.

from: beijing2008.cn