Canada’s medal drought at the Olympics was a fingertip away from coming to an end, a mere 0.09 seconds the difference between glory and agony for swimmer Mike Brown.

The building pressure on the Canadian team in Beijing was just that close to being lifted, but instead Day 6 of competition came and went without a trip to the podium at the Summer Games.

Brown’s near-miss Thursday was the latest in a recent run of disappointing performances that has fed a growing unease among fans back home.

The athletes in China are feeling it, too, prompting Michael Chambers, the Canadian Olympic Committee’s president, to try and soothe the pessimists.

“We’re not even halfway into the Games right now and we’re a second-half team, we’ve always been a second-half team,” said Chambers. “I’m not modifying any predictions now.”

The slow start at these Games is reminiscent of the 2004 Athens Olympics, when Canadians won just one medal in the first seven days before claiming 11 medals over the final nine days.

Five of the medals came on the final three days in Greece, so panicky fans need to step back from the ledge and take a few deep breaths.

Yes, things haven’t gone to plan. No, all is not lost.

“I would have loved the medal. The first medal for Canada would have been awesome to have,” said Brown, who clocked in two minutes 9.03 seconds. “I couldn’t pull it through but that doesn’t mean we won’t be having one soon.”

Until someone does break the ice, which might not happen until the weekend, the medal standings will continue to look real ugly. Countries ahead of Canada include Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Algeria, Togo and Armenia – not exactly a who’s who of international sporting powers.

Still, Brown’s close call was the highlight for Canada on a rainy Beijing day that washed away many of the day’s scheduled events.

Ari Taub of Calgary bore the fruit of 16 years of perseverance when the 37-year-old lawyer became Canada’s first Greco-Roman wrestler since the 1996 Games.

He was eliminated after losing his first bout 2-1, 4-1 to Mihaly Deak-Bardos of Hungary in the 120-kilogram category.

The women’s softball team scored the first run the mighty United States has allowed since 2004 but will have to wait until Friday to try and complete the upset win.

The teams will pick up the action with Canada up 1-0 through three innings.

And heavy rain also thwarted Canada’s lightweight women’s and men’s doubles and the lightweight men’s four, who will now race their semifinals Friday.

“We’re just rolling with it,” said Tracy Cameron of Shubenacadie, N.S., of the lightweight women’s double team. “We have talked about this scenario many times before and it has not phased us in the slightest.

“We are ready to go – same time, same channel, but (Friday).”

Elsewhere, the Canadian men’s baseball team was handed its first loss of the preliminary round by the defending Olympic champions.

Alfredo Despaigne’s two-run homer in the sixth inning was the difference as Cuba hung on for a 7-6 win over Canada at the Wukesong Baseball Field.

Brown’s performance at the Water Cube was Canada’s second fourth-place finish at the Games.

Adding salt to the wound for him was that his semifinal time of 2:08.84 from Wednesday would have been good enough to win a silver in the final. A Canadian swimmer hasn’t won an Olympic medal since the 2000 Games in Sydney.

“That’s about as frustrating as it gets,” said Brown. “Fourth place is probably the worst spot you can get at the Olympic Games. …

“We still have 10 days to go at the Olympics and there are going to be lots of medals coming from Canadian athletes.”

Two other Canadians qualified for Friday’s swim finals.

Annamay Pierse of Edmonton swam a Canadian record of 2:23.94, fifth fastest in the semifinals, to advance in the women’s 200 breaststroke.

Keith Beavers of Orangeville, Ont., moved onto the 200-metre individual medley final with a time of 1:59.43, which placed him eighth. Earlier, he and Montreal’s Tobias Oriwol missed qualifying in the 200-metre backstroke.

And Calgary’s Erica Morningstar failed to move on in the women’s 100-metre freestyle, finishing seventh in her heat in 55.36.

Thursday’s evening preliminaries weren’t any kinder to Canadian swimmers, none of whom advanced past their respective heats.

Richard Hortness of Medicine Hat, Alta., placed 27th in the men’s 50 freestyle qualifying. Tanya Hunks of Brantford, Ont., was 23rd in qualifying for the women’s 800 freestyle. Joe Bartoch of London, Ont., and Adam Sioui of Trenton, Ont., were 34th and 39th, respectively, in the men’s 100 butterfly. Lindsay Seeman of Newmarket, Ont., was 30th in the women’s 200 backstroke.

Taub, meanwhile, reminded fans that sometimes just getting to the Olympics is as important as the result once there.

While the Greco-Roman wrestler didn’t stick around long, he says the experience after such a long wait didn’t disappoint.

“All the hard work and stuff that I’ve done over the last 23 years is what allowed me to get here,” he said. “This is really the show, this is where we get to have a good time.

“I got to stand on that mat.”

In other Canadian results Thursday:

-Adam Wong was 15th while fellow Calgarian Nathan Gafuik was 17th in all-around men’s gymnastics.

-Canada finished seventh in women’s team sabre. The Canadians lost to France in the quarter-finals 45-22, then lost to Poland 45-44 in the fifth-place match, but rebounded to defeat South Africa 45-16 to clinch seventh spot.

-In judo, Marylise Levesque of St-Pacome, Que., lost to Yang Xiuli of China in the quarter-final. Keith Morgan of Calgary lost to Daniel Barta of Romania in the round of 16.

-Ottawa trio Peng Zhang, Pradeeban Peter-Paul and Qiang Shen dropped to 0-3 in men’s team table tennis with 3-0 losses to Germany and Croatia.

-In team dressage, Canada’s team of Jacqueline Brooks of Edmonton, Leslie Reid of Langley, B.C., and Ashley Holzer of Toronto placed eighth.

form: canadianpress.google.com

Sports fans from the U.S. and China had cause to celebrate Tuesday, with both sides able to claim that the day’s results left them firmly atop the Olympic medals tables.
And the interesting thing is that both sides were right. Despite all the high-tech clocks, cameras and sensors, the Olympics still can’t give a definitive answer to one basic question: Who is winning the medals race?

The reason is due to a divide between the U.S. and the rest of the world. The U.S. — actually its media, including The Wall Street Journal — ranks countries by all the medals a team wins. At the end of Tuesday’s competition in Beijing, the U.S. tops that table with 22, versus 20 for China. The rest of the world ranks countries by golds. Silver and bronze are used only as tie-breakers. By that tally, China sat atop the rankings, with 13 gold medals, compared with seven for the U.S. (Wednesday’s medal events will have added to all these numbers.)

The split has its roots in the early days of the Olympics and reflects the movement’s evolution, from an organization that sought to eliminate nations’ victories over one another to one that celebrates them. And while it’s primarily a quirky point for most people, the difference in the medal tables arguably has its serious side too. Some see in the gold-first ranking — which is unofficially endorsed by the International Olympic Committee — one reason why countries have become increasingly ruthless in cutting funding for sports where they don’t have a clear shot at a gold.

“The message is that winning is everything,” says James Riordan, emeritus professor of sports history at Surrey University in Britain. “That’s not the message the Games are supposed to convey. Why have silvers and bronzes?”
Strictly speaking, medal tables aren’t supposed to exist. According to the Olympic Charter, “The IOC and the OCOG (the local Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games) shall not draw up any global ranking per country.” Instead, the host stadium is supposed to display a “roll of honor” of the individual winners.

Read the rest of this entry…

Leisel Jones claimed her first individual Olympic gold medal and Australia’s third in Beijing with a thumping victory in the women’s 100 metres breaststroke final at the Water Cube.

Jones went into the final as a red-hot favourite after swimming more than a second faster than her nearest rival in the semi-final, and comfortably took gold in an Olympic record time of 1:05.17.

Leisel Jones says all that mattered today was to hit the wall first, something she could not manage as an individual in an Olympic event at either the Sydney or Athens Games.

“A little bit of shock, and probably more relief I guess,” she said.

“It has been a long journey. It’s been a long eight years.

“And I think just a lot of relief that the training was definitely worth it. I couldn’t care less about the time.

“An Olympic gold is an Olympic gold. It really didn’t matter how it went, how I raced I couldn’t care less.”

Jones says she was excited before the race.

“I had a pretty bad sleep last night,” she said.

“I woke up and I was just so excited. I think I was excited about racing.

“I was almost skipping out there I was so excited. I really enjoyed it.”

Aiming for London

Jones suggested she would keep swimming with London in 2012 in mind.

“I think I’ve enjoyed it so much, I think I would hate to finish and know there was still a flame burning inside,” she said.

“I think I’ve still got so much more growing to do, and so much more learning.

“Amanda Beard’s on her fourth Olympics, so it’s certainly not out of the question.”

Jones emerged from the blocks at the head of the field slightly in front of compatriot Tarnee White, and split the 50m inside world record time.

She powered away in the final 50m to finish well ahead of American Rebecca Soni (1:06.73) and Austrian Mirna Jukic (1:07.34).

White faded towards the back end of the race to finish in sixth position in a time of 1:07.63.

While she was happy with the gold, Jones says it was her win at the World Championships in Canada in 2005 that remains her proudest achievement.

“Olympic golds are important, but in terms of personal experience and in terms of personal growth I think that was my most important swim.

“Olympic gold is really nice, it’s what we all come here for.

“But certainly Montreal was more about my personal experience.

“And I think that will still reign over this Olympic gold, because I found out so much of myself.

“After Athens I learned so much. And that was my first individual World Championship [gold].

“I think that one probably still is more important to me than this.”

Jones says she managed to stay composed after the race until she saw her coach Rohan Taylor.

“I certainly wasn’t composed once I got through the media and I pretty much lost it when I saw Rohan and then when I saw my mum I just lost it,” she said.

After bursting onto the scene with a silver medal in the 100m in Sydney as a 14-year-old, Jones could not crack gold in the 100m or 200m in Athens, but she says that experience has helped her enjoy her time in Beijing.

“It’s hard at the time to deal with criticism, and I copped a lot of it in Athens,” she said.

“It’s really difficult but it’s made me a much stronger person and has made this performance much sweeter.”

Jones swam 1:05.80 to comfortably win the second semi, ahead of second-fastest qualifier Soni. Jukic started from lane three after recording 1:07.27 in the semis.

from: abc.net.au

US swimmer Michael Phelps joined an elite list of Olympic greats Tuesday becoming only the fifth competitor in history to win nine gold medals.

Phelps added his name to the prestigious group of Paavo Nurmi, Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz and Larysa Latynina when he won the men’s 200m freestyle with a world record swim for his third Gold medal in Beijing.

He appears destined to become the greatest Olympian as he continues his quest for an unequalled eight gold medals in one Games here and he said the toughest three races were behind him.

Phelps won six gold medals in Athens four years ago and has already won gold in the 400m individual medley and 4x100m freestyle relay, both in world record time, at Beijing’s futuristic Water Cube pool.

Ahead lie the 200m individual medley, 200m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 4x200m free relay and 4x100m medley relay.

“That’s great,” said Phelps as he emerged from the water after leading all the way in the 200m freestyle final to post a new world record of one minute 42.96.

“I just wanted to be out on my own which I had done by the 100 metres mark, that was my goal,” Phelps said.

“I was out in open water and I was in the middle, which makes it difficult for the other guys to see me.”

Phelps freestyle victory launched a dominant morning for the United States in the pool.

Aaron Peirsol lowered his own world record in winning the men’s 100m backstroke, setting a new mark of 52.54sec, and Natalie Coughlin defended her women’s 100m backstroke crown.

Australian Liesel Jones broke the US stranglehold when she won the women’s 100m breaststroke title.

There are 15 other gold medals on offer Tuesday, and hosts China will be looking to strengthen their grip at the head of the table.

They have nine golds, ahead of the US on six, and are leading contenders in the women’s synchronised 10m diving where Chen Ruolin and Wang Xin start as clear favourites in a sport dominated by China.

China added to its haul Tuesday with the hosts winning the men’s team gymnastics title, and there was joy for shooter Tan Zongliang who grabbed bronze after 12 years of trying.

China bounced back with their gymnasts snuffing out challenges from defending champions Japan and the United States to spark wild celebrations among the cheering home crowd.

It was their second Olympic title following victory in Sydney in 2000 and made amends for a disappointing fifth place in Athens.

China finished on 286.125 points, 7.25 points ahead of Japan on 278.875, while an injury-weakened US team put in a gutsy effort to take bronze.

On the ranges Tan settled for third in the men’s 50m Pistol despite starting the 10-shot final with a seemingly comfortable two-point lead.

But he blew his chance, opening the door to Jin Jong-Oh of South Korea who survived a last-minute scare to win by just 0.2 points ahead of second-placed North Korean Kim Jong-Su.

Nevertheless, it was Tan’s first medal in four Olympics, and coach Wang Yifu was content.

“I think he performed well today, though he didn’t get a gold medal,” said Wang. “Since he has participated in four Games a bronze medal is an historical breakthrough for him.”

South Korea were third in the medals table, picking up a fifth gold Tuesday with Jin’s win.

Germany are vying for their first gold at the Games in Hong Kong where they are leading contenders on the closing day of the team and individual sections of the three-day eventing competition.

Neither Brazil nor France have gold yet either but that could change on Tuesday.

France’s Lucie Decosse is a leading contender in the women’s -63kg as is Brazil’s Tiago Camilo in the men’s -81kg division.

Meanwhile celebrations continued in India after Abhinav Bindra won their first ever individual gold medal on Monday in the men’s 10m Air Rifle event, a performance being rated by cricket legend Kapil Dev as arguably India’s finest sporting achievement.

“This is much, much bigger than the World Cup,” said Dev who captained India to their lone World Cup win in 1983.

Further overnight rain improved conditions for outdoor Olympians, easing the smog over Beijing, patches of blue sky were visible and the midday temperature was an acceptable 27 degrees Celsius (81 Farenheit).

At the tennis venue, Serena Williams took just 44 minutes to dispatch Australia’s Samantha Stosur in her second round singles match with an impressive display that shortened the odds on her making the final.

Incoming men’s number one Rafael Nadal will later face Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt, who last occupied the top ranking in June 2003.

Kobe Bryant and the US all-star basketballers are back in action as well hoping to follow up their big win over China with a victory over Angola.

source: afp.google.com

Italian Valentina Vezzali made Olympic Fencing history at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with her third Olympic Gold medal in Women’s Individual Foil.

Vezzali’s medal set a new Olympic record as the first fencer in Olympic history to win three Individual Foil gold medals at three consecutive Olympics – Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

Vezzali, Giovanna Trillini and Margherita Granbassi kept Italy’s dream of a podium sweep alive by advancing to three of the four available semifinal placings, only to have them crushed by Nam Hyun-hee in the second semifinal.

Vezzali’s final with Nam Hyun-hee of the Republic of Korea was a dramatic bout in which Vezzali led 3-0 after the first round only to have Hyun-hee come back in the second (4-3). In the third round the result was tied at 5-5, 29 seconds out from the finish.

With four seconds to go, Vezzali attacked her opponent directly to bring the score to 6-5 and secure the gold medal. Vezzali was carried off the piste by the jubilant head coach of Italy’s Women’s Foil team, Andrea Magro.

“In the beginning I was extremely nervous. I kept thinking, ‘this is such a good chance and I have to grasp it’. In the third round, when there was only 27 seconds left, I had a perfect chance to score but I didn’t. I failed to initiate attacks when I should have,” Hyun-hee said after the bout.

Granbassi led in the bronze medal bout against Trillini from the first touch to close the first round at 5-3. Trillini was determined to make up the point difference and fought against Granbassi to draw level at 5-5. However, Granbassi was not to be denied and secured victory at 15-12 to win her first Olympic medal.

Ten years Granbassi’s senior, Trillini’s fourth place finish is a slide down the ladder after winning four consecutive Olympic medals in Individual Foil from 1992 to 2004. To date, Trillini’s best Olympic result is her Barcelona 1992 gold medal.

Vezzali’s opponents were only able to pull off a total of 13 hits from a possible 42 touches against the Italian, who sacrificed only three points to Magdalena Mroczkiewicz of Poland to finish 15-3 in her round of 32 bout. She then defeated Zhang Lei of China 10-7 and Hungarian fencer Edina Knapek 15-3.

Seven-time Olympic medalist Trillini needed less than 16 minutes of the 27 at her disposal to win three assaults and book a place in the final four.

Before the finals, Granbassi expressed her delight at the prospect of an all Italian podium, saying, “It is one of our dreams.” The young Hun-hee put paid to that after all.

The final of the Team Foil event will take place at the Fencing Hall on August 16.

source: beijing2008.cn

Twelve canoeists and fifteen kayakers advanced from the August 11 heats to the following day’s semifinals in the Men’s Slalom Canoe Single and Kayak Single competitions.

With the fastest combined time from both heats, Atlanta Games gold medalist and two-time silver winner Michal Martikan of Slovakia finished first in 170.15 seconds, .35 seconds ahead of German Jan Benzien with 170.50 seconds. David Florence of Great Britain trailed Martikan 1.48 seconds for a total time of 171.63 in third place.

Other top paddlers finished in the top half of the ranking, with Czech Republic’s Stanislav Jezek coming in fourth at 172.09 seconds and two-time defending Olympic champion Tony Estanguet finishing sixth with 176.08 seconds.

Australian Robin Bell, ranked first in the world, played low with a seventh place finish of 176.45 seconds in the heats.

“I didn’t paddle as hard as I would normally,” said Bell, who finished ninth in Sydney and came up with a respectable fourth place in Athens. His steady performance in this year’s World Cup series brought him to the top of the world rankings.

Kayaker Peter Kauzer of Slovenia filled the top slot in the Men’s K1 heats, with a combined time of 166.49 seconds to complete both runs. Fabian Lefevre of France came in second with a time of 168.06, and Italy’s Daniele Molmenti finished in 168.59 seconds. Fevre hopes to defend his country’s Athens gold finish in the absence of French Olympic champion Benoît Peschier.

World No. 3 Austrian Helmut Oblinger finished sixth with a time of 171.75 seconds, and European champion Campbell Walsh of Great Britain came in ninth with a time of 172.44 seconds.

The Men’s C1 and Men’s K1 semifinal races will commence on August 12, with a start order determined by reversing the finish order from the heats. Paddlers with top times in the heats will begin last in the semifinals.

source: beijing2008.cn

The Republic of Korea men beat Italy and set a 24-arrow Olympic record of 227 en route to their fourth Olympic Team gold medal. The Men’s semifinal and medal matches provided an incredible afternoon filled with nail-biting matches that came down to the very last arrow at the Olympic Green Archery Field on Monday, August 11.

In the gold medal match, the ROK and Italy were tied going into the last three arrows when Mauro Nespoli (ITA) shot a seven, handing the gold medal to the ROK (227-225). For Ilario Di Buo’ (ITA), the loss was a flashback to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games when the ROK defeated Italy in the gold medal match. Di Buo’ is the only remaining archer from either team.
In the bronze medal match, Ukraine was unable to defend the Team bronze medal they won in 2004. Ukraine climbed back from a six point deficit at the halfway point, only to lose to the crowd favorite, China, on the last arrow, 222-219.

The ROK beat China in an energy-filled semifinal. Halfway through the match, China was tied with the ROK, but the pressure eventually caught up with China and they were unable to deny the ROK’s a fourth shot at team Olympic gold, losing the match (221-218).

In the semifinals, Italy assured itself a Men’s Team medal by beating Ukraine, 223-221. To advance to the gold medal final, Italy needed to shoot a nine on the last arrow and it was Nespoli, the newcomer to the Italian team, who calmly nailed a 10 to the delight of the crowd.

En route to the semifinals, the ROK had a bye in the 1/8 Elimination Round and beat Poland in the 1/4 Elimination Round. Italy beat Canada in the 1/8 Elimination Round and Malaysia in the 1/4 Elimination Round. China beat Russia in the 1/4 Elimination round and Great Britain in the 1/8 Elimination Round. Ukraine had a bye in the 1/8 Elimination Round and then beat Chinese Taipei in the 1/4 Elimination Round.
The US lost to Chinese Taipei in the 1/8 Elimination Round.

source: beijing2008.cn

On a map, the city of Kashgar looks a world away, more than 4000km west of Beijing across China’s vast girth.

But yesterday, the oasis city in the fractious region of Xinjiang felt closer than the Great Wall, that enduring monument to China’s mighty dynasties which lies inside the Beijing Municipality.

News of the deadly terrorist attack on jogging policemen in Kashgar was a bloody reminder that security remains a pressing concern for the Olympics.

Trudging through Beijing’s security checkpoints (operated, it has to be said, far more efficiently than those of Sydney or Athens) it’s easy to become blase and cynical as the guards dig through your bag.

Is this just for show? How much is it about control and how much is it about protection?

Kashgar’s separatist guerrillas delivered the answer, even though they struck far from the birds nest-like National Stadium.

For those of us in Beijing, the threat has seemed undaunting. Rower Rob Waddell, back for his third Olympics, noted yesterday that the level of security was high, but only on a par with anything he had experienced before.
“You’re certainly not going to get anywhere without your accreditation,” he said. “It’s what you expect and you feel perfectly safe on the course and inside the village.”

In the co-host city of Shenyang, though, the men’s soccer team feel more oppressed.

Coach Stu Jacobs said yesterday that moving around the city was almost impossible and that the team were virtually confined to the team hotel and the grounds.

“They’re very adamant that if you go off-site, someone needs to accompany you,” he said. Players are biding their time watching movies downloaded to their i-Pods.

It’s understandable things are a little tenser in Shenyang. It’s far from the missile and fighter-jet enhanced protective cloak around Beijing and New Zealand’s Oly-Whites are due to face host China tomorrow.

Are any of China’s domestic enemies determined enough to seek a starring role during these Games? Perhaps that’s a thought to ponder in the security checkpoint queue.

source: nzherald.co.nz

Spectators at the Beijing Olympics are to be left in no doubt about the high standard of behaviour expected of them by the Games’s Chinese organisers, with giant signs erected detailing the draconian rules imposed on visitors.

The 15ft-high yellow signs have been erected at the turnstiles of all Olympic venues, looming over spectators as they queue to take their seats and giving an exhaustive nine-point list of “do’s and dont’s”.

Prohibitions range from the usual bans on smoking, gambling and assaulting athletes and officials, to more peculiar restrictions on opening umbrellas and standing up in your seat.

On the ever-sensitive subjective of political protests, visitors are warned in no uncertain terms that protests on any subject from politics, to the environment and animal rights will not be tolerated.

Actions deemed “inappropriate” include any “demonstrating or fundraising activities, including but not limited to, commercial, religious, political, military, territorial, human rights, and animal and environmental protection activities”.

The word “territorial” should not be overlooked: though it no doubt applies to any of the world’s regional disputes, it is aimed squarely at any Free Tibet protesters who have managed to circumvent the government’s tight visa and security controls.

At the Bird’s Nest stadium yesterday, foreign visitors questioned whether the signs were in the spirit of the Olympic ideals, even if they did conform with Chapter Five of the Olympic Charter which bans “any kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda … in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”.

“The signage does feel a little bit aggressive and ‘in your face’,” said Frank Lejeune who is working as a technician at the Games. “I can definitely think of more welcoming signs they could have put up.”

Beijing’s residents are used to being told in frank terms what they can and cannot do – lists of rules are commonly displayed in parks and at residents’ associations.

The Beijing Organising Committee defended its rules when they were announced as “virtually the same” as those employed at the Sydney and Athens Olympics.

However, at neither Sydney nor Athens were the regulations displayed with such prominence, in such an intimidating manner, or in so obviously legalistic language.

Then again, few other Olympic cities have such an overt approach to propaganda work. Red banners have sprouted all over the city in recent days exhorting citizens to show their enthusiasm – and their obedience to the Party line.

“I participate, I contribute and I enjoy,” a banner at the entrance to one of the parks set aside for “protest pens” at the Games reads. “Welcome Olympic Games with joyfulness and construct a harmonious society,” says the banner at the other entrance.

Wardens yesterday were patrolling the park demanding that passing journalists not conduct interview with local people.

Among the stranger banners exhibited elsewhere is one that reads: “Go outside less – give our foreign friends some space.”

They are all part of a clean-up of the city which has involved laying out 40 million flower pots, festooning building sites with billboards painted with scenes of what the developments will eventually look like, and removing beggars, dissidents, the mentally ill, and hundreds of thousands of poor migrant workers from the streets of the city.

from: telegraph.co.uk

To Australian journalist Garry Linnell, covering the Olympics in Beijing is “a lot of fun”. Dining “strange” food at noisy local restaurants, playing ping pong with the Chinese in park and even jogging at the Tian’anmen Square in the morning rush hour.

“I sweated a lot and people were staring at me, thinking I’m a crazy foreign guy,” Linnell said, joyfully recalling his half-hour adventure on Thursday and laughing.

A veteran sports reporter, Linnell, who works for Australia’s News Limited, arrived in Beijing half a month before the Games, leaving himself enough time to see the city and scrutinize the host’s preparations.

Tian’anmen Square is a must visiting place and Linnell has been there three times. “I interviewed local people and asked how they felt about the Olympics. I am glad that I could move around with no restrictions.”

As thousands of journalists pouring into Beijing, the host is making every effort to make the often critical group satisfied. From well-equipped media villages to the grandiose Main Press Center (MPC) and International Broadcasting Center (IBC), all life and work necessities seem to have been taken into consideration.

To many foreign reporters, the most noticeable phenomenon in Beijing is the huge number of volunteers who seem to be everywhere.

“I am impressed by the amount of people working here,” said Linnell, who also covered the 1992 Games in Barcelona and the 2000 Games in Sydney. “There are even two volunteers in front of the toilet room (in MPC).”

The Aussie said the volunteers are friendly and very helpful. Inorder to make it to an early TV interview, Linnell told volunteers at the transportation desk at the media village that he needs a Taxi at 5:00 o’clock in the morning. When he walked out of the building at 4:50 am, a Taxi awaited for him at the gate.

Brazilian reporter Rio do Janoiro shared Linnell’s compliments to the volunteers. “They are so attentive and ready to help.”

Janoiro said it’s a pity some of the volunteers don’t speak English. “But if they don’t understand, they call other people for help. I once had four to five volunteers around me trying to help. It’s so cool.”

According to the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG), there are about 100,000 Olympic volunteers in Beijing and the six co-host cities.

In addition to the huge number of personnel, Beijing’s efforts in providing first-class living and working environment are also “impressive”.

Linnell used “extraordinary” to describe the brand new North Star media village, which provides 6,000 rooms to accredited Olympic journalists. “It’s only 15 minutes away by bus from the MPC. The bed is big enough and the pillow is comfortable….”

In the Huiyuan media village which is two kilometers east to the MPC and IBC, about 2,000 volunteers and staff are working on shift and fitness center, clinic, bank, post office and free laundry are open to all journalists.

Stuart Vallace, staff of the Australian TV Channel 7, said he was very happy with the free laundry. “I spent 30 US dollars on laundry in Turin (Winter Games) for a bag of clothes. Here is free. It’s nice.”

In the Main Press Center, free snacks, fruits and coffee were served to all journalists twice everyday and the organizers even provide free massage service, hoping to help ease reporters’ pain on the neck, shoulder and back.

Despite all the efforts, complaints still came, ranging from food, internet, air or temperature.

Koji Kawasaki, a staff with the Events, Media and Public Relations Department of the Japanese Olympic Committee, said the food in the media village and the MPC is “not so good”. “There are not so many kinds of food…Bedsides, the price is a little bit expensive.”

Sun Weijia, director of the BOCOG Media Operations Department, said the prices, which were approved by the IOC, are in accordance to the Olympic traditions and also according to the agreement signed by BOCOG.

“We provide food at different levels of prices. There are also low-priced food available,” Sun said. The official catering service provider for 2008 Summer Games is the U.S.-based Aramark Coporation, whose cooperation with the IOC dates back to the 1968 Mexico City Summer Games.

In contrast to the critics, many reporters chose to shrug the complaints off and focused on their work.

“I can visit all the Brazilian websites. Till now, I have no problem visiting the websites I need for work,” Janoiro said. “It’s difficult to satisfy everyone. I can see that the BOCOG is doing things and they are working so good. It’s not necessary to complain about everything.”

Australia’s Linnell said he noticed Beijing’s efforts in fixing problems.

Linnell said he could see the “nervousness” of the organizers in the start, as all reporters were asked to drink the water in the bottle and turn on the laptop when passing through the security check points.

“It was frustrating. But now the security check is getting a lot easier,” he said, adding that he thought it showed the organizers “prepare to learn and listen.”

As an Australian, Linnell said his “unbiased” opinion is that 2000 Sydney Olympics is the greatest Olympic Games ever. As for the upcoming Beijing Games, “I think most people think it’ll be magnificent,” Linnell smiled.

source: xinhuanet.com

Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans of Australia has withdrawn from Thursday’s Olympic Games road time trial because of a knee injury. Evans told reporters in Sydney that he will undergo treatment this week before deciding whether to compete in the Olympic road race.

His spot in the time trial will be filled by three-time world champion Michael Rogers.

The Associated Press reports that Evans injured the knee last Sunday, and that it swelled during an airplane flight to Switzerland on Monday. He has seen a doctor for treatment. “I recognized I might not be at my absolute best in the race against the clock, but I can still make a significant contribution to the team effort for the road race” he said.

from: latimesblogs.latimes.com

For some, not anymore. High-profile Beijing Olympics sponsors Kodak, Lenovo, and J&J are pulling the plug on future Games

With the opening ceremonies for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games just days away, corporate sponsors are getting ready to do victory laps of their own. This year’s Olympics have been hyped as a blockbuster for marketers, a chance to ride the wave of Chinese national pride that may translate into billions of dollars in sales of Adidas sneakers, McDonald’s (MCD) Big Macs, or General Electric (GE) wind turbines.
But Beijing 2008 is likely to go down as the high-water mark of the Olympic sponsorship program. While the Games offer unique attractions to sponsors, multinationals are already looking more critically at whether the payback will be worth it for future Games. Of the 12 global sponsors for the Beijing Olympics, only eight have signed on for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and 2012 Summer Games in London. (The International Olympic Committee sells sponsorships in four-year increments to cover both Winter and Summer Games.)
Among the high-profile sponsors deciding to back away is Lenovo. Its sponsorship of the 2006 Winter Games in Turin and the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing will be a one-time shot for the Chinese PC maker. Other current sponsors not ponying up for the next pair of Games will be Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Manulife Financial (MFC). Even longtime Olympic supporter Eastman Kodak (EK), a sponsor since the IOC first established its global partnership program in 1986, has pulled the plug. “It’s just not the best way for us to spend our money,” says Kodak Chief Executive Antonio Perez.
Payback Is Elusive for Sponsors
The issue comes down to weighing the value of shelling out increasing amounts of money vs. the potential payback. Companies have paid $866 million, or an average of $72 million apiece, to sponsor the Turin and Beijing Games (BusinessWeek.com, 1/30/06). That’s almost one-third more than the $663 million total paid to back the Salt Lake City and Athens Games in 2002 and 2004, and up from $579 million for the Nagano-Sydney cycle in 1998 and 2000. Rowland Jack, a senior bid consultant in the sports marketing and sponsorship team at Hill & Knowlton, says the attractiveness of the Beijing Games was probably a big factor accounting for the jump in sponsorship fees, as so many companies were interested in bidding.
Yet some research suggests few consumers even notice who is backing the Games. In a survey of 1,500 Chinese city dwellers earlier this year by London’s Fournaise Marketing Group, only 15% could name two of the 12 global sponsors, and just 40% could name one sponsor: Coca-Cola (KO). Adding to the confusion for consumers are 21 additional national-level sponsors, including Adidas and Volkswagen (VOWG.DE). “If you are a traditional marketer, it’s a big waste of money,” says Fournaise CEO Jerome Fontaine.
Some sponsors feel otherwise. Longtime partner Coke has signed on through the 2020 Games. “Coke has not in the least reconsidered its Olympic sponsorship,” says Kevin Tressler, director of Coke’s Worldwide Sports & Entertainment Marketing. Neither has GE, which has landed $700 million in revenues from 400 Olympics-related projects such as rainwater recycling at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium. GE is a partner in London 2012, too.

Chinese Market Immaturity Was a Draw
There are other factors that make the Beijing Games unique. While provisions of the IOC charter ensure that nonsponsors’ ads are restricted in and around Olympics venues to prevent ambush marketing (BusinessWeek.com, 3/12/08), Beijing extended the ban to all outdoor advertising in the city’s airports, buses, and billboards within the city center. And just two weeks ago, the China Advertising Assn. took things even further, by saying use of Chinese Olympic athletes by nonsponsors was banned countrywide during the Games—something no other host country would attempt. (Companies can, however, apply for exemptions, as Nike (NKE) has done for its spots featuring China’s gold-medal winning hurdler Liu Xiang.)
Another draw of Beijing 2008: the relative immaturity of the Chinese consumer market, and the intense pride among Chinese in hosting the Games. “For any kind of marketer or advertiser, you have to view the Olympics in Beijing differently from Olympics in other countries,” says Michael Zhang, managing director of MediaCom China (MCCM). Government officials will notice which companies show up in support (BusinessWeek.com, 5/28/08) even if consumers don’t, a major factor for sponsors in a country where guanxi, or relationships, are such an integral part of doing business.
But corporate relationship-building with government officials is unlikely to rank high when companies weigh the costs of sponsoring the 2012 Games. “I don’t see that as important in London, where you are talking about a developed and mature market where commercial realities stand on their own merits,” says Richard Basil-Jones, managing director of Nielsen Media Asia Pacific in Hong Kong.
Instead, marketers will have to weigh whether there are more cost-effective ways to reach consumers and leverage Olympic enthusiasm without having to pay the high price. Frank Vial, strategy director of branding agency Landor Associates, argues that in a world that’s moving toward targeted marketing, “maybe the Olympics will have to reinvent itself as something other than a global, monolithic brand.”

Balfour is BusinessWeek’s Asia Correspondent in Hong Kong and Jana is deputy Innovation editor at BusinessWeek. With Jena McGregor in New York

from: businessweek.com

Beijing Olympics 2008

Olympic-themed condom adverts have been released in China to coincide with the start of the 2008 Beijing Games.

The cheeky adverts, which depict stick-man athletes using condoms as apparatus in Olympic events, have become a viral sensation in China.

The contraceptives prove themselves remarkably versatile, standing in as bicycle wheels, basketball nets, archery targets and gymnastic rings.

A ribbed condom is also used to illustrate choppy water in the swimming version of the campaign.

The adverts were made for Chinese condom-maker Elasun, with the broken English slogan “Sports make you health”.

The firm is by no means first to make the connection between the Games and sex, with Olympic villages reputed to be hotbeds of after-hours indulgence.

Earlier this week it emerged that the 16,000 competitors staying in the Beijing village will be able to purchase a wide variety of soft pornography, including erotic books featuring provocative pictures of naked women with titles such as “Drawing book for the Nude”.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics 130,000 free condoms were made available to athletes and officials.

In the Sydney 2000 Games, each competing athlete was given 51 condoms on arrival at the Olympic Village, but another 20,000 had to be shipped in when supplies began to run low.

Japanese officials on Tuesday denied a report that the track cycling sport of keirin may have bribed its way into the Olympic Games.
The BBC said an investigation had uncovered documents outlining payments of $3 million from the Japan Keirin Association (JKA) to cycling’s world governing body the UCI.
But a senior Japanese official insisted there had been no wrongdoing before keirin first entered the Olympics at the 2000 Games in Sydney.
“The JKA has been co-operating with the UCI for many years to develop keirin and we have been involved in various activities to improve the sport,” the JKA’s Akihiro Matsukawa said.
“I have not been able to verify the documents the BBC say they have but the JKA denies the claims (of bribery).”
Keirin, which involves riders following a motorbike for several laps before a sprint finish, is big business in Japan, its country of origin, generating huge gambling revenues.
Hein Verbruggen, president of the UCI from 1991 to 2005, also protested his innocence.
“It has been done in total transparency,” Verbruggen, currently the International Olympic Committee’s chief inspector, told the BBC.
“This was done for the development of track cycling around the world.”
Britain’s Chris Hoy won keirin gold at this year’s world championships in Manchester and will start as favorite in Beijing.

(Writing by Alastair Himmer in Tokyo; Editing by Ed Osmond)

from: reuters.com

“I have never seen such beautiful Olympic Village,” head of the Swiss Olympic delegation Werner Augsburger said here on Monday.

In an interview with a Swiss TV station, Augsburger, who attended the Sydney and the Athens Olympics, lavished praise on the Olympic Village in Beijing. “The Village is very charming, with trees and lawns everywhere and lots of gathering places for the athletes,” he said.

He also praised the warm reception by the local people, saying that everyone seems ready to help.

The Swiss athletes will take part in 17 different Olympic sport events.

from: xinhuanet.com

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will be chasing more than gold at the Beijing Olympics with the coveted world No 1 place suddenly at stake following the Spaniard’s stunning Wimbledon triumph.

Federer has occupied the top spot in the rankings for 232 weeks while Nadal has had to be content with life in the Swiss star’s slipstream for 155 of those.

But the tournament in China could witness the latest dramatic switch in tennis’ balance of power, which seemed impossible just a few weeks ago.

Ahead of the French Open, where Nadal cruised effortlessly to a fourth successive title, the Mallorcan was too busy looking over his shoulder at the imminent danger posed by Novak Djokovic who was poised to take over his No 2 slot.

But after becoming the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to complete the elusive Roland Garros-Wimbledon double, Nadal is now poised to knock Federer off his perch if a complicated series of scenarios work in his favor.

The defining moment could come on the north American hardcourts, in Beijing or at the US Open where Federer is the defending champion.

Either way, the 22-year-old Nadal is eager for the Olympics to get underway.

“To play in the Olympics is very special, because when you’re very young you always see the Olympic Games on television,” said Nadal who’ll be making his singles debut in Beijing having played doubles with Carlos Moya at Athens four years ago.

“You represent your country, that’s the same as the Davis Cup, but at the same time it’s completely different. When I play Davis Cup I always have this big motivation and I think in the Olympics I am going to have the same.”

Despite Nadal’s triumphs at Wimbledon and at Roland Garros, Federer doesn’t take kindly to suggestions that he should be preparing to hand over his No 1 spot to his Spanish rival.

“You write what you want,” he snapped after losing the five-set thriller at the All England Club, his 12th defeat in 18 matches with Nadal.

“I’m going to try and win the Olympics and the US Open and then we can talk again.”

The Federer-Nadal rivalry will be one of the most fascinating at the Games with commercial backers and the game’s rulers licking their lips in anticipation.

If TV viewing figures are any guide, a gold-medal clash between the sport’s heavyweights will be big box office.

In the United Kingdom, more than 13 million viewers watched the culmination of the Wimbledon final, a huge 47.6 percent of the TV audience.

Federer finished fourth at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and was knocked out in round two at Athens by Thomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.

from: chinadaily.com.cn

As Beijing on Tuesday marks the one-month countdown to the start of the Olympics, here are 30 reasons which make the Games special:

1. Volunteers
The 100,000-strong army of Beijing Olympic volunteers is the largest in Olympic history.
Each of the 70,000 Olympic and 30,000 Paralympic volunteers has undergone months of training.
The good Samaritans from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Europe, the US and Australia will join 400,000 city volunteers who will help visitors on Beijing’s streets.
Volunteers were honored with the song, I Am a Star.

2. Double the responsibility
2008 is the first time one organizing team will oversee both the Olympics and Paralympics.
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) is the first organization to shoulder such a formidable responsibility and BOCOG has promised the two events will be of equal splendor.

3. First digital broadcast
High-definition technology will be used for all TV broadcast operations, with all events and ceremonies enjoying 5.1 surround sound, a first for the Olympics.
Clearer screen pictures and scenery will be a feature of the Beijing Games.

4. Biggest TV audience ever
A record 4 billion people are set to watch the Beijing Games.
Beijing Olympic Broadcasting (BOB), the official broadcaster of the Games, will produce about 5,400 hours of programs during the 17-day gala, 2,000 more than in Athens four years ago.

5. Multimedia for the first time
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has, for the first time, separately sold broadcasting rights for television and new media such as Internet and mobile networks.
CCTV acquired the TV rights for the Beijing Games, while CCTV.com was awarded the domestic Internet and mobile platform license. CCTV.com recently signed an agreement with Sohu.com, the Games’ Internet content services sponsor, to share content.

6. Biggest media contingent ever
About 40,000 journalists will cover the Games, including 21,600 accredited media workers in press, broadcasting and television.
The Beijing International Media Center will also provide some 10,000 non-accredited journalists work areas and accommodation, among other services.

7. Largest number of host cities
To help host a successful Games, six cities in China have joined Beijing as co-hosts. Tianjin, Shanghai, Qinhuangdao in Hebei province and Shenyang in Liaoning province will stage some Olympic soccer matches.
The coastal city of Qingdao in Shandong province will host the sailing regatta, while Hong Kong, a city with a long history of horse racing and matching first-class facilities, will play host to equestrian events.

8. New sports
To modernize the Games, the IOC will introduce two new sports to the Beijing Games: Bicycle motocross (BMX) and the 10km marathon swim.
BMX will offer two gold medals in individual men and women’s competitions.
Marathon swimming will be held in Shunyi Water Park and offer two gold medals in individual men and women’s competitions.
Owing to limited participation worldwide, softball and baseball are expected to make their final Olympic appearance in Beijing after being axed from the London program.

9. Cheerleaders
Some 600 cheerleaders from all over the country will go all out to entertain spectators with Chinese folk dancing, acrobatics, drum shows, lion dancing and martial arts during time-outs. Cheerleaders were selected from national Olympic cheerleading competitions and local clubs.

10. The Beijing Green
The Olympic Forest Park, 680 hectares of plantation and lakes, has given the city a new green lung.
Beijing also built a number of new water purification plants for daily water recycling, replaced dated equipment at its power plants and retrofitted gas stations citywide.
The inclusion of solar power, rain-recycling and energy-saving facilities during venue construction are all helping the Games live up to its “Green Olympics” billing.
Beijing has also planted millions of trees to minimize sandstorms. It is also working with neighboring provinces to cut emissions.

11. Torch relay the longest, highest
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay was scheduled to travel the longest distance and include the largest number of people over 130 days.
It reached the highest peak of Mount Qomolangma on May 8. Following the Sichuan earthquake, the torch relay route was curtailed in each city and special mourning sessions were added.
The leg in earthquake-hit Sichuan province has been rescheduled to August, just before the Games begins.

12. English, English
A 170-page Chinese Menu in English Version is seen as exemplary of one success of the English-speaking campaign throughout the city.
Pop stars teaching audiences correct English pronunciation and cab drivers toting language books all are part of Beijing’s multilingual pre-Olympic effort.
“It’s not just about the language, it’s about how open and confident we are,” said Li Yang, founder of Crazy English.

13. Babies named after Olympics
A total of 4,104 Chinese have been named Aoyun (Chinese for “the Olympics”) in homage to the Beijing Olympic Games, according to the figures released by the National Citizen Identity Information Center under the Ministry of Public Security in June.
Nearly 700 of the names were registered in 1992, when Beijing first applied to host the Games and another 553 were registered in 2001, when the city officially won the bid.
About 92 percent of those named Aoyun are male.

14. Weddings during the year and on opening day
Aug 8, 2008, or 08-08-08, is more than just a date: it marks both the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games and is considered a lucky day for marriage with so many eights. It is estimated that 15,000 couples will marry in Beijing on the day and 130,000-140,000 this year.

15. Highest number of cultural festivals
Games organizers have held an annual Olympic cultural festival since 2003, with the sixth beginning two weeks ago and running for the next three months.
China’s ancient culture and civilization are now being showcased to promote the Olympic spirit and publicize a green, hi-tech and people’s Olympics.

16. Massive Olympic education campaign
Educating young people through sports is one of the primary goals of the Olympic Movement.
About 400 million young people in more than 500,000 schools across the country have received Olympic lessons ahead of the Beijing Games. More than 500 model schools have been named and a series of Olympic readers compiled and presented to students.

17. Highest number of doping tests
The anti-doping effort at the Beijing Games will be more extensive than ever, with as many as 4,500 doping tests, 25 percent more than in Athens four years ago and 90 percent more than in Sydney in 2000.
Tests will be carried out from July 27 at 41 test stations at the Olympic Village and all Olympic match venues.

18. Highest spending
The cost of the Beijing Games will dwarf the previous Olympics in Greece with total investment likely to reach $43 billion.
Venues, estimated to have cost about $1.8 billion to build, will be utilized as public sport and entertainment complexes afterwards.
Beijing also spent $16 billion in the past decade reducing smog, while additional infrastructure, such as the world’s largest airport terminal, T3, an advanced railway station and new subway systems required vast expenditure.

19. Largest transport expansion
Beijing’s first subway linking Fuxingmen and Beijing Railway Station was initially built for military use, but today, 1.5 million passengers ride the 2-yuan subway each day.
The existing subway network spans 155 km and has 93 stations. Three new lines will open shortly before the Games, to transport visitors to and from the new airport terminal and between the Bird’s Nest and downtown, and construction of more lines will continue following them.
At least six others are already under construction, with an aim to stretch the network to more than 561 km and 420 stations.

20. Highest number of mascots – five
Multiple Olympic mascots are not uncommon, but for the first time more than three figures will share Summer Olympic mascot duty when the five Fuwa take center stage.
Featuring four of China’s most popular animals – the fish, the panda, the Tibetan antelope and the swallow – and the Olympic flame, the mascots’ names are “Beibei,” “Jingjing,” “Huanhuan,” “Yingying” and “Nini,” which together reads in Chinese as “Beijing welcomes you”.

21. Venues on fengshui
Beijing wished for its Olympic venues to be an expansion of its history and culture, both of which are firmly set on the spine of the city, a 7.7 km axis line running right through the emperor’s seat at the Forbidden City, the middle of Tian’anmen Square, the Drum and Bell towers and Yongdingmen.
The north-south axis was believed to bring eternal stability, prompting designers of the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube to position them on either side of it.
In doing so, they have integrated modern ideas with the deep-rooted spirit of the Middle Kingdom.

22. Record number of sponsors, revenue
Since launching the Beijing 2008 Olympic Marketing Plan in September 2003, a total of 63 enterprises have become sponsors of the Beijing Games, including 12 worldwide Olympic partners.
BOCOG’s deal with sports equipment supplier adidas covers 18 sports, and more than 6,000 officially licensed Olympic products have hit the market.

23. Largest ever team from China
China will field its largest Olympic team to date when about 570 athletes contest 28 sports in Beijing.
But Chinese sports officials are trying to downplay predictions that the nation will scoop the most gold medals, affirming US and Russia as sporting powerhouses.
At the 2004 Athens Games, 407 Chinese athletes participated in 26 sports and finished second on the medal tally after the US.

24. Lowest ticket prices
Taking into account China’s average purchasing power, BOCOG ensured a low-price policy for Beijing Olympic and Paralympic tickets.
Opening ceremony prices were capped at 5,000 yuan ($641) per head, while the lowest price to a sports competition was 30 yuan ($4).
Closing ceremony tickets ranged from 150-3,000 yuan ($19-385), preliminary competition tickets from 30-300 yuan ($4-39) and tickets to the finals cost between 60 and 1,000 yuan ($8-128).
BOCOG also reserved about 14 percent of all domestically sold tickets for students at the handsome price of 5 yuan ($0.6) and 10 yuan ($1.2) for preliminaries and finals respectively.

25. Highest number of foreign coaches
In striving for excellence, various Chinese national teams have invited foreign coaches to guide them.
More than 30 foreign coaches are currently working with the Chinese Olympic team.
Many among them, such as men’s basketball coach Jonas Kazlauskas (right) from Lithuania and synchronized swimming head coach Masayo Imura from Japan, are expected to lead the home outfits to their peak performances.

26. Number of China-born athletes representing other federations
A group of Chinese-born athletes representing other countries or regions will be an important force in Beijing.
Led by former badminton national team member Zhou Mi and Wang Chen, who represent Hong Kong, and table tennis player Li Jiawei of Singapore, they will pose formidable challenges to their Chinese rivals.

27. Number of Chinese coaches in other countries and regions
A number of Chinese coaches will lead foreign teams on home soil, such as women’s volleyball legend Lang Ping (right), who will lead the US women’s team.
Meanwhile, former coach of the Chinese badminton team Li Mao will lead the South Korean team.

28. Medals of jade
Olympic medals are for the first time made of metal and jade. The medals were inlaid with Kunlun jade from China’s Qinghai province in a symbol of “respect” and “virtue” in the Chinese tradition.
China’s rich culture and history is clearly embodied in the winning designs, which reflect the values of ethics and honor, combined the with Olympic and Paralympic spirit.

29. Wushu
People who love Chinese martial arts must not miss the Beijing 2008 Wushu Tournament to be held on the sidelines of the Beijing Olympic Games from Aug 21 to 24 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium.
About 128 athletes from 43 countries and regions will contest. Approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Chinese martial arts competition will feature 15 events, including 10 in Taolu (the routines) and five for Sanshou (fights).
Although not a medal sport, the tournament will be an important showcase and springboard for wushu’s wish to join the Olympic family.

30. Significance of 08-08-08
It is no coincidence that the Beijing Games begins at 8 pm on the 8th day of the 8th month of ’08.
The number 8 has special significance to the Chinese, because 8 in Chinese is pronounced “ba”, which sounds a lot like “fa”, which means prosperity or wealth, as in “”, which means to become rich.
In Chinese culture, 8 also denotes the number of immortals and structure of trigrams, both of which are linked to auspicious ideas.
Also, when two digits of the number 8 are placed together – “88″ – they resemble the stylized form of two Chinese “”characters, hence representing double happiness, a popular motif and design usually pasted upon the doors of newly married Chinese couples.
The number 8 is highly favored among the Chinese for its connotations of good luck, fortune and longevity.

from: chinadaily.com.cn

Germany announced on Thursday the first 79 athletes for Beijing Olympic Games, but German top sports official Thomas Bach told Xinhua that Germany does not set a goal for winning gold medal at the once-in-four-year sports gala.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Bach, IOC Vice President and President of the Bureau of the German Olympic Sportbunds (DOSB), said he hoped the German team could maintain the place they had got in Athens four years ago.

According to DOSB, Germany’s top agency overseeing Olympic sports, a total of approximately 450 German athletes are to travel to China, there are about 300 people from the functional team, including trainers, doctors and carers.

“We don’t set any goal by number, but we are confident we have a good team,” Bach said.

“Our goal in Beijing is that we achieve the place we got in Athens,” he said.

“From Athens to Beijing, then to London, we want to make some progress (in medal standings), I hope for progress shown in Beijing, but it will be a tough competition,” he added.

As for individual events hopeful of winning medals, Bach, who won the foil team gold medal in Montreal Games in 1976, said Germany’s hope is slim in his own event.

“Now Germany’s fencing is not strong, we did quite well in Sydney, but not in Athens, not good in recent championships,” he said.

However, Bach casted more hope on canoeing and women’s football.

“They (German women’s football team) won world title in China, they are used to compete in China, and we hope it will help,” Bach said, smiling.

As for prize money for medal winners, Bach said a gold winner would get around 15,000 euros from Germany’s sports foundation.

However, Bach said DOSB plans to reform the prize-awarding system, with more eyes on investing in those events and athletes who boast potential to win Olympic medals.

“To put in a simple way, at present we look at athletes’ past, but in the future we will look at their future,” he explained.

Bach stressed the importance of the participation of Olympic Games, saying that is the “career peak” for all athletes.

He recalled the moment he won the gold medal in Montreal Olympic Games.

“I did not realize what had happened. I do remember the moment before and after the victory ceremony, but I did not remember victory ceremony itself,” he said.

Talking about China, Bach said he ended his sports career in Shanghai of China in 1980 when the German national fencing team had a friendly with Chinese counterparts.

“That was last time I was at the podium, after that I’ve never touched it (sword),”

After retirement from professional sports, Bach has become a lawyer. In 1990s, Bach participated in the IOC work and have frequent exchanges with Chinese colleagues.

Bach spoke highly of the preparation of Beijing Games, saying he was “impressed” by improvement of infrastructure, transportation, communication facilities and services, citing national stadium “nestle” and “water cube” for example.

“We are all favorable. My people told me they have had smooth coordination with colleagues from organizing committee of Beijing Games,” said Bach, who claimed that he would stay in Beijing during the whole period of the Games.

“We are very confident we will have a great games in Beijing,” he concluded.

from: chinadaily.com.cn