2008 Olympic Blog

Closing Ceremony Photos

2008-08-26T12:55:00.001-07:00

Cebu SEO Contest Fever

2008-08-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

As hot as an Olympic gold on Beijing. The Cebu SEO contest rocks!

Here is my official entry please check it out http://cebuseocontest.info/. My potential ba na manalo ako?

This is also one way of showing that I am supporting Filipino Organized activity here in our country. For a brief description of the contest...

The “Pinoy blogger:Cebu Seo Contest” is open to all Visayas bloggers, Mindanao bloggers and Luzon bloggers recently living in the Philippines. To participate in the contest, create a post entry with a link back to http://www.phblogger.net and use the key phrase “Cebu Seo Contest“. Comment on this post with your complete name and blog URL (not the post entry) stating that you have join the contest. The contest ends on September 2, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.

Here are the prizes:

Top 1 position on google (September 8, 2008)
Php 700.00 cash via MLhuillier Kwarta Padala
Free 1 year hosting and a free .com, .org, .net or .info domain
+500 EC

Top 2 position on google (September 8, 2008)
Php 500.00 cash via MLhuillier Kwarta Padala
+1000 EC

Top 3 position on google (September 8, 2008)
Php 500.00 cash via MLhuillier Kwarta Padala
+500 EC

Contest started on July 23, 2008

Ana Ivanovic - Sexy Athletes in Beijing Olympics 2008

2008-08-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Serbia - Lawn Tennis

We’ve loved this racket-wielding siren for quite some time now. She’s just so damn beautiful – which is why we’ve made her number one.

New territory
Ana Ivanovic will be the No. 1 woman going into the Beijing Games will be playing in the singles draw. Thanks to her runner-up finish in the Australian Open and her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, Ivanovic was able to claim the top spot left vacated in May by former-No. 1 Justine Henin. At Wimbledon, however, Ivanovic learned the dangers that go with the euphoria of being the world's best when she was upset by Zheng Jie in the round of 32. "Everyone's going to be so pumped against you and they're going to try, you know, to perform the best they can," Ivanovic said after the loss.

Debating the worth
Olympic tennis has come under some fire given its proximity to the U.S. Open in terms of scheduling and the fact that, points-wise, it's less valuable than a Grand Slam. Some like Ivanovic -- who celebrates her Serbian ties -- defend the Olympics' validity in an already cramped tennis schedule. At the Pacific Life Open, when asked whether she would want a Wimbledon or Olympic title, she jokingly responded she wanted both the same. "Obviously Wimbledon, it's very traditional and I feel my game can fit very well grass if I keep working on my volleys like I've been doing," she said at the Pacific Life Open. "But on the other hand, the Olympics are very special, and you have opportunity to play them once in four years. So it would be really special to win a medal."

A country's breakthrough
If there was ever a year for Serbia to medal at the Olympics, this may be it. Ivanovic and countrywoman Jelena Jankovic sit Nos. 1 and 3, respectively. Novak Djokovic is No. 3 on the men's side and is the defending Australian Open champion. Even doubles player Nenad Zimonjic is a Grand Slam champion this year, winning Wimbledon with Daniel Nestor of Canada. "For Novak to win the first Grand Slam for Serbia (at the) beginning of the year -- you know, going into today's final I thought of it, and I said, ‘Come on. He could do it, I could do it, too,'" Ivanovic said after winning Roland Garros. "So it's something that for sure motivates, and I hope also many young kids will get inspired from us."

Making a splash
Ana Ivanovic used a swimming pool to train while she was a child. And, no, this is not the type of glamorous training ground that Michael Phelps had. In Belgrade there was an Olympic-sized swimming pool that would be drained after the summer season finished. Two makeshift courts were made out of the pool, and youngsters like Ivanovic and Jankovic would go train. A product of the hardship surrounding former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, the facility named Jedanaesti April was the best that could be offered to the others. At the 2007 French Open both Ivanovic and Jankovic described hitting in minus-15 degree weather while hitting in the pool. "And it was impossible to play crosscourt, because it was this far from the wall," Ivanovic told the Los Angeles Times, holding her hands a short distance apart. "So we had to keep playing down the lines. And that was the courts we had during the winter."

Not the only difficulty
While eager to play tennis whenever she could -- at the age of five, Ivanovic had been inspired by the play of Monica Seles and had made a point to memorize a phone number for a local tennis school -- the current No. 1 had to deal with the political strife her country was enduring, even though she had nothing to do with it. NATO planes were dropping bombs on her country and difficulties traveling were beginning to mount. "We had problems to get a visa to another country," Ivanovic told the Los Angeles Times. "And we didn't have flights from Serbia. We had to go to Hungary, so we'd take a bus for six, seven hours, just to catch a flight. So it was very tough, and I thought it would be impossible to succeed. But then, luckily, I got managers." Said managers helped move her in the same way that Jankovic was moved to Florida to train. Ivanovic found a new home in Switzerland, where she found the training to help complete the process of making her into an elite player.

Gretchen Bleiler - Sexy Athletes in Beijing Olympics 2008

2008-08-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

USA - Snowboarding

You might not guess it to look at her, but young Gretchen is the big name in female snowboarding. When she’s not tearing up half-pipes, she likes looking pretty, playing with her hair, and mini-golf. At a guess, anyway.

Gretchen aspired to compete in the Olympic Games from a very young age, and found her passion in snowboarding at age 11 (1992).[4] She has been riding ever since, became professional in 1996 and is currently recognized as a role model and pioneer in the sport.[5] Among her accomplishments, Gretchen jump-started the invert revolution for female riders as the first to land a Crippler 540 in competition, and won more halfpipe competitions in 2003, 2005 and 2006 than any other female snowboarder.[2] In the pre Olympic season she won four of the five US Olympic halfpipe qualifiers and is also a three time X Games gold medalist, most recently winning the superpipe at Winter X Games XII.

In 2003, she was a U.S. snowboard Grand Prix champion, a U.S. Open of snowboarding champion, and a Triple Crown of Snowboarding champion.

Bleiler, who barely missed qualifying for the 2002 Winter Olympics due to a tiebreaker, won a silver medal in the women's halfpipe at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Starting in 2007, Gretchen expanded her career into snowboard and outerwear design, through Oakley and K2 Snowboarding, designing her own signature outerwear line for Oakley, and participating in the K2 Alliance, which develops and tests women's products, as well as working on the graphics for several K2 Boards. In 2008, she helped to create a new all-female invitational superpipe competition at Snowmass called the Snow Angels Invitational.

When she is not competing, Gretchen enjoys surfing, mountain biking, interior design and fashion.[10] Gretchen is also active in several environmental organizations, including the Aspen Snomass Save Snow campaign, and stopglobalwarming.org.

Amanda Beard - Sexy Athletes in Beijing Olympics 2008

2008-08-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

USA - Swimming

Despite the unappealingly masculine name, Ms Beard is in fact an American Olympic swimmer and model. She’s not shy, either: in her time she’s appeared in Sports Illustrated, Playboy and good ol’ FHM. Which is nice.

Change of plans
Amanda Beard is back for her fourth Olympics after a surprising second-place finish in the 200m breaststroke at Olympic Trials. Beard, the defending Olympic champion in that event, had no expectations coming into the meet, saying she was just there to have fun and "if I make the Olympics, that's just a bonus." After she qualified, Beard said she was thrilled but would have to postpone a road trip she had planned with her boyfriend and her dogs. She also credited Rebecca Soni, who won the 200m breast, for motivating her to race. Beard trained with Soni for about a year at USC before leaving for UCLA in May.

Outside the pool
After winning gold in Athens, Beard took a break from swimming but had no plans to retire. "I just got really caught up in working and doing a lot of business stuff, and kind of put training on the back burner," she said. Beard became a correspondent for The Best Damn Sport Show, covering the Super Bowl and BCS. She has done several risqué photo shoots for magazines such as FHM, Vanity Fair and Men's Fitness and appeared nude in the July 2007 issue of Playboy. "I'm not a very conservative person," Beard said, "and for me posing in Playboy wasn't that big of a deal as long as my family was on board."

New outlook
Though Beard admits she hasn't been training full time for long, she swam with Trojan Swim Club under childhood coach Dave Salo for nearly a year before switching to UCLA two months before Trials. "I wasn't in a good place mentally," she said. "If this was possibly going to be my last Olympics, I wanted to have fun." So Beard contacted UCLA coach Cindy Callacher and asked to join the team, which is women only. Once there, Beard got in the solid training she needed to make the team.

Back in '96
Propelled to stardom as a 14-year-old with a big smile in Atlanta, Beard is still remembered for carrying her teddy bear to the medal stand. She was an instant favorite with the home crowd, even more so after taking silver in the 100m and 200m breast in 1996, both behind legendary South African Penny Heyns. She also won gold on the 4x100m medley relay. Beard says she did not understand what it all meant because she was so young.

Growth spurt
Beard had a difficult time after Atlanta, dealing with expectations and pressure. She says she went through a rebellious stage, when she got her tongue pierced in 1998. She also grew eight inches and gained 30 pounds between Atlanta and Sydney, and it took years before she was comfortable in the pool with her new body. She went to the University of Arizona in 1999, and once there she realized she had a chance to make the team in 2000. She credits coach Franck Busch with helping her focus and find her stroke. Beard competed there for two years before turning pro after the 2001 NCAA Championships.

Wildcat success
It was at Arizona that Beard hit her stride, after barely making the team in Sydney and going on to earn bronze in the 200m breast there. She broke the world record in the 200m breast at the 2004 Trials, and though Leisel Jones has since destroyed that mark, Beard's 2:22.44 still stands as the American record. She then had her best Olympic performance in Athens, winning gold in the 200m breast and silver in the 200m IM and 4x100m medley.

Inked up
Beard has five tattoos and has not ruled out getting more. On the back of her neck, she has the zodiac sign for Scorpio; on her lower back, she has three stars with the letters "ATL" in them. "It's not Atlanta. It stands for 'Amanda, Taryn, Leah.' My sisters." On her right leg, she has "Ray," which is a family name and her middle name; and the newest is snowflakes going down her calf, which she got on a episode of the TLC show LA Ink. "I just think they're fun," Beard said. "People are like, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe you do that. It's forever.' But it's like a freckle. It's hard to say there's a chunk of ink on your body you don't notice after a couple years -- but you don't."

Michael Phelps Makes History With 8 Gold Medals in Beijing

2008-08-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

Michael Phelps kept every swimsuit, every cap, every pair of goggles he wore during nine magical days at the Water Cube. Every memory will be savored, too, from goofing off with his U.S. teammates to bowing his head not one, not two, but eight times to receive a gold medal at the Beijing Games.

"There are moments I'll never forget," he said.

Neither will Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon.

"On behalf of the city of Baltimore, I congratulate Michael Phelps on his remarkable achievement," Dixon said in a statement. "Michael is an inspiration, and his record eight medals shows that with hard work and dedication anything is possible.

"I am very proud that Michael has chosen to make Baltimore his home, and I join people from across the region in celebrating a true champion."

President Bush will not forget it either.

The White House says Bush told Phelps: "If you can handle eight gold medals, you can handle anything."

Bush called Phelps on Sunday morning from his Texas ranch. A White House spokesman says Bush told Phelps that he and first lady Laura Bush were proud of the swimmer's achievements and that he handled himself with "humility."

And the president told Phelps to give his mom a big hug for him.

Phelps took down the grandest of Olympic records Sunday in the final event at the pool, helping the Americans rally for a world-record win in the 400-meter medley relay. That victory, one more than Mark Spitz managed at the 1972 Munich Games, assured him a place in sports history and a legacy of, well, does he even need one?

Wait, there's more. In his pursuit of Spitz, which actually began four years ago with six gold medals in Athens, Phelps became the winningest Olympian ever with 14 victories, five more than any other athlete.

Even though the Americans have never lost the medley relay at the Olympics, the latest gold was hardly a breeze. When Phelps dived into the water for the butterfly -- the third of four legs -- the Americans were third behind Japan and Australia.

But Phelps, swimming the same distance and stroke that he used to win his seventh gold a day earlier, powered back to the front on his return lap, passing off to Jason Lezak with the Americans in front. Australia's Eamon Sullivan tried to chase down Lezak and appeared to be gaining as they came to the wall. But Lezak touched in 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds -- the seventh world record of Phelps' remarkable run.

Afterward, Phelps gathered his three mates in a group huddle, then hugged each one of them separately. He thanked them for their role in the last of his three relay wins. They congratulated him for his remarkable feat.

"It was cool," backstroker Aaron Peirsol said. "We got to be a part of it."

Another member of the relay team, breaststroker Brendan Hansen, was most impressed by the way Phelps detached himself from all the hype once he got away from the pool. He'd set a world record in the morning, then go back to the village and act like nothing had happened.

"I'd be like, 'Do you realize what you're doing?"' Hansen said. "And he'd be like, 'Man, the pizza is good today."'

But deep down, Phelps was soaking it all in -- the glory and the minutiae. He had all the medals hanging in his room. By the end of the games, Hansen quipped, they resembled a wind chime.

As much as he relished the actual races, what he really seemed to treasure most were those behind-the-scenes moments. Unlike Spitz, who was viewed as aloof and even arrogant by his fellow swimmers, Phelps got along with all his teammates, even though they all knew he was in a league of his own.

He hung out with them during his down time in the athletes' village, playing cards and the world-conquering game Risk. He made a point to engage the Olympic rookies he didn't know very well. He did what lots of other 23-year-olds did -- play hip-hop music and text his buddies.

"I just wanted to make sure I took every single moment in and every single swim in, every single moment with my teammates, so I would remember them," Phelps said. "I don't want to forget anything that happened."

No one else does, either.

Everyone at the pool was mesmerized by Phelps, even if they were competing for another country.

"I couldn't care less about my swims," said Australia's Leisel Jones, who won two gold medals. "To swim in the same era as him has been awesome."

Spitz's record had stood since the Nixon administration.

Australian coach Alan Thompson figures it might take even longer for someone to take down the new mark.

"We've been talking about Mark Spitz for 36 years now," Thompson said. "I don't know if I'm going to be alive when they stop talking about this bloke. You wonder if we are going to see someone as good as this again."

After Spitz's performance in 1972, there surely were folks who believed an unattainable record had just been set, that no one would ever collect so many gold medals at a single Olympics. But that merely set a new target for everyone.

Phelps was the one who finally hit the bull's-eye.

"Being able to have something like that to shoot for, it made those days when I was tired and I didn't want to be there ... it made those days easier to look at (Spitz) and say, `I want to do this,"' Phelps said. "I'm just thankful for him having done what he did."

Somewhere, there's probably a child who will head to the pool a little early to get started on his dream of winning nine gold medals.

Phelps surely hopes so. Every chance he gets, he talks of wanting to raise the sport's profile in the U.S., where it barely gets noticed in non-Olympic years outside of neighborhood swim meets. He was the star attraction in Beijing, drawing huge television ratings back home -- where the morning finals could be shown live in the evening.

President Bush watched Phelps win two races. Basketball stars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were there Sunday, rooting him on to his eighth gold.

"The sport of swimming has come a long way so far, and I think it can go even further," he said. "I can take it even further."

The kid who was scared to put his face in the water has grown into the face of his sport. There surely will be plenty of promotional appearances in the days and weeks to come, as Phelps tries to capitalize on his accomplishments while they're still fresh in the public's mind. He hopes to bring everyone along for the ride.

"Mike is opening a lot of doors with what he's doing," Peirsol said. "Hopefully the sport can build on this momentum."

Not that anyone will see Phelps in a LZR Racer anytime soon.

He'll take a nice, long break from swimming. The early morning wake-up calls, the grueling weight sessions, the endless laps in the pool -- all are on hold for now.

Besides, he has to pack. Phelps will be moving back to Baltimore after spending the last four years in Michigan, where he grew into a man and learned to be on his own for the first time.

Home sounds pretty good to the 23-year-old Phelps, who has a strong relationship with his mother, Debbie, and two older sisters.

Phelps' parents split when he was only 7, and the relationship with his father has long been strained, but the women in his life cheered him every step of the way in Beijing.

After the eighth gold, Phelps climbed into stands to give all three of them a kiss. Debbie gave her boy a little extra hug, tears streaming down her face.

"I just want to lay in my own bed for five minutes at least and just relax," Phelps said. "One of the things I'm really looking forward to is getting back to Baltimore."

Not that he's breaking up his hugely successful partnership with coach Bob Bowman. They've been together since Phelps was an overactive 11-year-old, bouncing off the walls when he wasn't beating everyone in the pool. They headed off to Michigan together when Bowman took a job there. Now, the coach is returning to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, where their relationship was forged.

Phelps plans to return to the pool in plenty of time to get ready for next year's world championships in Rome, where he'll start to tinker with the program that worked so well in Athens and was even better in Beijing. He plans to dump the 400 individual medley, the most grueling race on his schedule, and would like to take on some shorter events.

The 100 freestyle is the most likely addition.

"He thinks it'll be a little easier," Bowman said. "He's more naturally suited for longer distances. It'll be change for him, but I think it'll be a good one."

Four years from now, Phelps has every intention of returning for the London Games, where he'll be able to add to his already remarkable record.

"Bob has a saying, 'Putting money in the bank,' " Phelps said. "When we train every day, sometimes there are workouts you don't like, don't want to do. Bob says you're putting money in the bank.

"I guess I put a lot of money in the bank over the last four years, and we withdrew pretty much every penny in the bank. After Bob and I both grab a little break, it'll be time to start depositing."

World's Fastest Man on 2008 Biejing Olypmics

2008-08-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

By Bill Fitzgerald

Why is the 100 meters champion called the World's Fastest Man? Nobody calls Cesar Cielo Filho the World's Fastest Swimmer.

Wouldn't it be great if the World's Fastest Man was determined like the World's Strongest Man? But what are the sprinting equivalents of the Fridge Carry and the Pillars of Hercules? Instead of just racing 100 meters against one another, the runners could compete in a variety of sprint events, like say, trying to outrun a line of burning oil or racing against cheetahs and greyhounds.

Unfortunately, outside of the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony, the Olympic Games are not known for creativity (unless you count the scoring in boxing and gymnastics). So here's a look at what you can expect in the men's 100 meter final.

First of all, the schedule. According to NBC, the semifinals will be run Saturday morning at 8:13 (EST) and the finals at 10:30 a.m., but neither will be shown until primetime Saturday night. If you don't want to know the winner before then, you'd better lock yourself in the bathroom all day and not take any phone calls.

Now, onto the competitors. This year's 10 fastest times were run by five men. World record holder Usain Bolt has the top two and two others. American Tyson Gay has two as does Bolt's Jamaican teammate Asafa Powell. If anyone besides these big three wins this thing, it will be the biggest racing upset since the tortoise took down the hare. (The other two in this year's top 10 are Americans Travis Padgett and Darvis "Doc" Patton, and Padgett is not in the event.)

Bolt is the obvious favorite with Powell the second choice. Gay is the only man other than Bolt who has run under 9.8 seconds but the injury to his hamstring at the Olympic Trials has to temper expectations. Others to watch include the Netherlands Antilles Churandy Martina, whose website dubs him the "Fastest Sprinter of the Dutch Kingdom." (Catchy, no?) Martina ran the first sub 10-second time of his career in the qualifying rounds as did Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson, the collegiate national champion from Louisiana State University, but 9.9 is a long way from 9.72.

Prediction? Jamaica's best one-two punch since Bob Marley and Peter Tosh go gold and silver, and then they have a big party. But they'd have no chance in the Man vs. Beast relay against the greyhound and the cheetah.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Nuts-about-Bolt-100-meter-dash-preview?urn=oly,101199

Michael Phelps becomes winningest Olympian ever

2008-08-14T00:48:00.000-07:00

United States' Michael Phelps swims to set a new world record as he wins the gold in the men's 200-meter butterfly final during the swimming competitions on Aug. 13.

BEIJING - Michael Phelps has become the winningest Olympic athlete ever, earning his fifth gold medal of the Beijing Games with a world record in the 800-meter freestyle relay.

Phelps swam the leadoff leg of the 800-meter freestyle relay and helping the United States smash the old world record by 4.68 seconds, and earning his 11th career gold medal.

It wasn't a great day for American teams outside of the pool. China won it's first Olympic gold medal in women gymnastics topping the U.S. in the team competition.

The U.S. men's soccer team was eliminated from the Olympic tournament following a 2-1 loss to Nigeria.

On the diamond, the United States rallied with two runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 7-6 lead, but the Americans couldn't hold the lead as South Korea scored two runs in the bottom of the frame to win 8-7 in the Olympic opener for both squads.

Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay led the entire race, winning in 6 minutes, 58.56 seconds. That bettered the old mark of 7:03.24 set by the U.S. at last year’s world championships in Australia.

Russia took the silver in 7:03.70. Australia earned the bronze in 7:04.98.

More Stories

Medal Tally Updated

2008-08-14T00:44:00.001-07:00

This is the real time olympic medal tally results. Thanks to NBColympics.com

First Olympic Gold Medal Goes to Czech Republic

2008-08-14T00:27:00.000-07:00

URUMQI, China — And the first gold medal of the 2008 Beijing Olympics goes to ... shooter Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic in the women's 10m air rifle.

It should look great in her Colorado Springs, Colo., trophy case.

Emmons is the wife of American shooter Matt Emmons and the couple lives in the hometown of USA Shooting. They hooked up at the last Olympics, when her last name was Kurkova and she won bronze in this event.

This time, she was a bit of a surprise winner over favorite Du Li of China, the reigning gold medalist who was aiming for the first gold to stay in the host country. With the Americans and Chinese expected to battle it out for the most golds, remember this victory by a U.S. resident if the race is close.

Medal Tally

2008-08-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
China	20	7	5	32
United States	10	8	13	31
Korea	6	6	1	13
Germany	6	1	2	9
Australia	5	4	7	16
Japan	5	3	3	11
Italy	4	4	3	11
France	2	7	5	14
Russian Feder	2	7	3	12
Gr Britain	2	2	3	7
Czech Republic	2	1	0	3
Georgia	2	0	1	3
DPR Korea	1	2	4	7
Azerbaijan	1	2	0	3
Netherlands	1	1	3	5
Romania	1	1	2	4
Slovakia	1	1	0	2
Switzerland	1	0	3	4
Finland	1	0	1	2
Spain	1	0	1	2
India	1	0	0	1
Thailand	1	0	0	1
Zimbabwe	0	3	0	3
Cuba	0	2	2	4
Hungary	0	2	1	3
Sweden	0	2	0	2
Algeria	0	1	1	2
Austria	0	1	1	2
Kazakhstan	0	1	1	2
Kyrgyzstan	0	1	1	2
Colombia	0	1	0	1
Mongolia	0	1	0	1
Norway	0	1	0	1
Slovenia	0	1	0	1
Turkey	0	1	0	1
Vietnam	0	1	0	1
Brazil	0	0	4	4
Ukraine	0	0	4	4
Armenia	0	0	3	3
Belarus	0	0	2	2
Indonesia	0	0	2	2
Chinese Taipei	0	0	2	2
Argentina	0	0	1	1
Bulgaria	0	0	1	1
Croatia	0	0	1	1
Egypt	0	0	1	1
Mexico	0	0	1	1
Tajikistan	0	0	1	1
Togo	0	0	1	1
Uzbekistan	0	0	1	1
Afghanistan	0	0	0	0
Albania	0	0	0	0
American Samoa	0	0	0	0
Andorra	0	0	0	0
Angola	0	0	0	0
Antigua/Barbuda	0	0	0	0
Aruba	0	0	0	0
Bahamas	0	0	0	0
Bahrain	0	0	0	0
Bangladesh	0	0	0	0
Barbados	0	0	0	0
Belgium	0	0	0	0
Belize	0	0	0	0
Benin	0	0	0	0
Bermuda	0	0	0	0
Bhutan	0	0	0	0
Bolivia	0	0	0	0
Bosnia/Herzegov	0	0	0	0
Botswana	0	0	0	0
British Virgin	0	0	0	0
Brun Darussalam	0	0	0	0
Burkina Faso	0	0	0	0
Burundi	0	0	0	0
Cambodia	0	0	0	0
Cameroon	0	0	0	0
Canada	0	0	0	0
Cape Verde	0	0	0	0
Cayman Isls	0	0	0	0
Cen African Rep	0	0	0	0
Chad	0	0	0	0
Chile	0	0	0	0
Comoros	0	0	0	0
Congo	0	0	0	0
Cook Isls	0	0	0	0
Costa Rica	0	0	0	0
Ivory Coast	0	0	0	0
Cyprus	0	0	0	0
Dem Rep Congo	0	0	0	0
Denmark	0	0	0	0
Djibouti	0	0	0	0
Dominica	0	0	0	0
Domonican Rep	0	0	0	0
Ecuador	0	0	0	0
El Salvador	0	0	0	0
Equat Guinea	0	0	0	0
Eritrea	0	0	0	0
Estonia	0	0	0	0
Ethiopia	0	0	0	0
Fiji	0	0	0	0
Gabon	0	0	0	0
Gambia	0	0	0	0
Ghana	0	0	0	0
Greece	0	0	0	0
Grenada	0	0	0	0
Guam	0	0	0	0
Guatemala	0	0	0	0
Guinea	0	0	0	0
Guinea-Bissau	0	0	0	0
Guyana	0	0	0	0
Haiti	0	0	0	0
Honduras	0	0	0	0
Hong Kong,China	0	0	0	0
Iceland	0	0	0	0
Iran	0	0	0	0
Iraq	0	0	0	0
Ireland	0	0	0	0
Israel	0	0	0	0
Jamaica	0	0	0	0
Jordan	0	0	0	0
Kenya	0	0	0	0
Kiribati	0	0	0	0
Kuwait	0	0	0	0
Laos PDR	0	0	0	0
Latvia	0	0	0	0
Lebanon	0	0	0	0
Lesotho	0	0	0	0
Liberia	0	0	0	0
Libya	0	0	0	0
Liechtenstein	0	0	0	0
Lithuania	0	0	0	0
Luxembourg	0	0	0	0
FYROM	0	0	0	0
Madagascar	0	0	0	0
Malawi	0	0	0	0
Malaysia	0	0	0	0
Maldives	0	0	0	0
Mali	0	0	0	0
Malta	0	0	0	0
Marshall Isls	0	0	0	0
Mauritania	0	0	0	0
Mauritius	0	0	0	0
Micronesia	0	0	0	0
Moldova	0	0	0	0
Monaco	0	0	0	0
Montenegro	0	0	0	0
Morocco	0	0	0	0
Mozambique	0	0	0	0
Myanmar	0	0	0	0
Namibia	0	0	0	0
Nauru	0	0	0	0
Nepal	0	0	0	0
Neth Antilles	0	0	0	0
New Zealand	0	0	0	0
Nicaragua	0	0	0	0
Niger	0	0	0	0
Nigeria	0	0	0	0
Oman	0	0	0	0
Pakistan	0	0	0	0
Palau	0	0	0	0
Palestine	0	0	0	0
Panama	0	0	0	0
Pap New Guinea	0	0	0	0
Paraguay	0	0	0	0
Peru	0	0	0	0
Philippines	0	0	0	0
Poland	0	0	0	0
Portugal	0	0	0	0
Puerto Rico	0	0	0	0
Qatar	0	0	0	0
Rwanda	0	0	0	0
St Kitts/Nevis	0	0	0	0
Saint Lucia	0	0	0	0
St Vin/Grenad	0	0	0	0
Samoa	0	0	0	0
San Marino	0	0	0	0
STome/Principe	0	0	0	0
Saudi Arabia	0	0	0	0
Senegal	0	0	0	0
Serbia	0	0	0	0
Seychelles	0	0	0	0
Sierra Leone	0	0	0	0
Singapore	0	0	0	0
Solomon Isls	0	0	0	0
Somalia	0	0	0	0
S Africa	0	0	0	0
Sri Lanka	0	0	0	0
Sudan	0	0	0	0
Suriname	0	0	0	0
Swaziland	0	0	0	0
Syrian Arab Rep	0	0	0	0
Tanzania	0	0	0	0
Timor-Leste	0	0	0	0
Tonga	0	0	0	0
Trinidad/Tobago	0	0	0	0
Tunisia	0	0	0	0
Turkmenistan	0	0	0	0
Tuvalu	0	0	0	0
Uganda	0	0	0	0
Un Arab Emirat	0	0	0	0
Uruguay	0	0	0	0
Vanuatu	0	0	0	0
Venezuela	0	0	0	0
Virgin Isls	0	0	0	0
Yemen	0	0	0	0
Zambia	0	0	0	0

As of August 13 , 2008

Beijing marks 100-day countdown to Games

2008-04-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

Reuters

BEIJING - Beijing on Wednesday marks the 100-day countdown to the Olympics with songs, a mass run and even prayers, hoping to put behind it the tumultuous events of the past month which have taken much gloss off its preparations.

Unlike run-ups to recent Olympics, Beijing's preparations for August have kept to plan, and some stadiums and infrastructure have even been completed ahead of schedule. All is now ready to go.

In all, the city has spent $35-40 billion on improved infrastructure, including a new airport terminal and subway lines, as well as $2.1 billion to cover the cost of running the Games.

But the city's smooth preparations for the Olympics have been overshadowed 100 days out by the torch relay's troubled journey around the globe, with protesters targeting China's human rights record, in particular its policy on Tibet.

One of the highlights of Wednesday's festivities will be a run around the Olympic Green by 10,000 Beijing residents, part of China's promise to make the Games a "People's Olympics."

There will also be songs celebrating the Games.

And in officially atheist China, Catholic churches throughout the country will hold masses to pray "for a successful Games," according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The city will be desperate to prevent a repeat of the one-year countdown, when Free Tibet activists scaled the Great Wall, smog smothered Beijing and torrential rain brought parts of the capital to a standstill.

Security in Beijing has been noticeably stepped-up in recent weeks following anti-Chinese protests in Tibet and during the torch relay, and China's assertion that it has broken up terrorist plots to attack the Games.

Media concerns

Beijing's promise to ensure complete media freedom has also been called into question, especially following Chinese criticism of foreign reporters for perceived bias in their coverage of the protests in Tibet in March.

"If allowed to continue, the reporting interference and hate campaigns targeting international media may poison the pre-Games atmosphere for foreign journalists," Foreign Correspondents Club of China President Melinda Liu said in a statement.

"We urge government authorities to investigate the death threats, which violate Chinese law, and otherwise help create an environment in keeping with their Olympic promises," she added.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao defended the reporting environment, though admitted that not every official understood new rules introduced for the Olympics permitting the foreign press greater freedom.

"It is true that some people have had a better understanding of the regulations while others have lagged behind. In general it has been good," he said.

China has lashed out at human rights groups and some European and U.S. politicians who have, in China's words, tried to politicize the Games, and raised the prospect of an Olympic boycott in light of the crackdown on protests in Tibet.

Earlier this week, 100 Chinese athletes and 2,000 Olympic volunteers made a public pledge to keep the event "pure" and uncorrupted by politics.

"We hope that the Olympics puts politics aside, and returns to the true characteristics of sport," Communist Party mouthpiece newspaper the Guangming Daily quoted Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Li Ning as saying.

Olympics chiefs have praised the city's preparations, and its showpiece stadiums the Bird's Nest and Water Cube have drawn wide acclaim.

First Test for Beijing’s Olympic Stadium

2008-04-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

Beijing’s eye-catching main Olympic stadium, better known as the Bird’s Nest, will open for business for the first time on Friday when it hosts a world-class athletics event.

The 3.5-billion-yuan (500-million-dollar) arena will be the centrepiece of the Beijing Games, staging the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletic competition.

Though it remains unfinished, the iconic stadium which gained its nickname thanks to its interlocking structure of steel beams, will throw open its doors to an estimated 20,000 paying customers for an IAAF men’s race-walking competition.

It is one of 42 test events that Beijing Olympic organisers are staging to fine-tune preparations ahead of the August 8-24 Games.

The nearby National Aquatics Centre, also known as the Water Cube and the second of Beijing’s two iconic Olympic venues, was completed in December and staged its first test event in February, the China Open swimming competition.

Work still remains to be done on the Bird’s Nest although the overall structure is finished and athletes competing on Friday and those in more races scheduled for Saturday are not expected to be inconvenienced.

Yang Shu’an, executive vice-president of the Beijing Olympic organising committee, said test events would ensure that “everything is in working order as far as the hosting parties are concerned.”

All 31 of Beijing’s Olympic venues were supposed to be finished by the end of 2007 but officials said the main stadium would be finished later, probably in May, because of the extra work needed to prepare it for the opening and closing ceremonies.

Fixtures and fittings still need to be installed, including some of the 91,000 seats that will be in place for the Games.

While China struggles against a wave of bad publicity over Tibet and human rights issues in the run-up to the Olympics, the “hardware” side to the Games has encountered few major problems.

International Olympic Committee officials have repeatedly praised Beijing’s venue construction and President Jacques Rogge, in Beijing last week, once again spoke highly of Games preparations.

Work started on the stadium in December 2003 after a consortium led by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron won an international competition to build it.

Progress was interrupted in August 2004 when the stadium’s expensive retractable roof fell victim to cost-cutting measures, as did 9,000 seats.

Work resumed later that year and an army of migrant workers was recruited from the countryside to complete the landmark project.

A British newspaper said last year that at least 10 workers had died in the race to complete the stadium on time.

After repeated denials, the government admitted that two migrants had died on the project, one in 2006 and one in 2007.

On Sunday, the stadium will host the finish to the Beijing marathon, another test event. Its first full dress rehearsal comes when it hosts the China Open athletics competition on May 22-25.

Delhi Hosts Olympic Torch Relay

2008-04-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited Olympic Torch relay had a dramatic twist in the end as the country’s best bet for a medal in the Beijing Games, tennis stars Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi were given the honour of carrying the flame together on the final stretch and light the cauldron at India Gate here on Thursday.

“It was a wonderful experience. It was great that Mahesh and I came together and lit the flame. I have had many great moments with Mahesh and I respect each one of them. This was the pinnacle,” said Paes, quite emotional about the experience.

“I really hope so,” said Paes when it was suggested that the best may be yet to come, possibly in the form of a medal at the Beijing Games.

“It was pretty much in sync,” said Bhupathi, as he talked about carrying the torch in tandem with his best doubles partner.

Amidst tight security, barricades and traffic diversions, it proved a long wait on a hot afternoon as the Olympic torch relay began at 4.30 p.m at Vijay Chowk.

Paes echoed the sentiments of all the torch-bearers by saying, “it was well worth it. Not many people get the honour of carrying the Olympic flame in front of the whole country and the whole world.”
Stringent security

Thanks to the stringent security measures public was not to be seen on the entire stretch of Rajpath where the relay was gone through.

There was some atmosphere in the end at India Gate with organised groups of children waving flags and cheering groups of sports personalities and film stars.

The President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Suresh Kalmadi, was quite pleased with the smooth passage of the torch.

The Secretary-General of the IOA, Randhir Singh, who handed over the torch on its final leg to Paes and Bhupathi, read out a message from the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge.

“On behalf of the 17 million people of Delhi, I offer the best wishes for the Beijing Olympics,” said the Lt. Governor of Delhi, Tejender Khanna.

The Union Sports Minister, Dr. M.S. Gill took the opportunity to welcome the Olympic torch.

The Executive Vice President of the Beijing Games Organising Committee, Jiang Xiaoyu expressed his satisfaction about the smooth passage of the torch relay on the Indian leg.

“Since arrival we have been impressed by the city and the excellent arrangements made for the torch relay,” he said.

Before the flame was transferred into a lantern to continue its journey in a special flight to Bangkok, replicas of the torch were presented by Jiang Xiaoyu to Dr. Gill, the Lieutenant Governor, IOA President the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit.

The Chief Minister was also presented a certificate for the city of Delhi, for hosting the torch relay.

The relay runners included athletes Milkha Singh, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, P. T. Usha, Anju George, Shiny Wilson, M.D. Valsamma and K.M. Beenamol, hockey stalwarts Balbir Singh (Sr), Ajitpal Singh, Zafar Iqbal, M.P. Ganesh, Cdr Nandy Singh and Dhanraj Pillay, shooters Manavjit Singh and Abhinav Bindra, weightlifters Karnam Malleswari and Kunjarani Devi, table tennis player Chetan Baboor and swimmer Khajan Singh.

Source : www.hindu.com

Australian PM Rejects Beijing Olympics Boycott

2008-04-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said here Wednesday he opposed a boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games and suggested building “continuing, profound and sincere friendship” with China.

In his speech delivered in fluent Chinese at the Peking University, Rudd said he disagreed with those who had called for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics, saying the event was “important for China’s continuing engagement with the world”.

Rudd said Australia wanted to be a true friend with China, “a partner who sees beyond immediate benefit to the broader and firm basis for continuing, profound and sincere friendship”.

It was a friendship that offered “unflinching advice and counsels restraint” to engage in principled dialogue about matters of contention, he said.

Rudd also praised China’s economic and social achievement over the past 30 years since the reform and opening up.

“The scale and pace of China’s economic development and social transformation is unprecedented in human history” and had a great impact not just on China, but also on the world, said the prime minister.

Rudd highlighted China’s development approach of a “harmonious world” and stressed the idea depended on China being a participant in the world order and, along with others, acting in accordance with the rules of that order.

He expressed his hope that China would fully participate in all the institutions of the global rules-based order, including in security, economy, human rights and environment and make active contributions as a responsible global stakeholder.

Rudd stressed in his speech the importance of dealing with climate change, saying China played an increasingly prominent role in this problem.

He also appealed to all nations to work together to overcome environmental challenges.

Australia, like most countries, recognized China’s sovereignty over Tibet, Rudd said.

Rudd arrived in Beijing early on Wednesday, kicking off his four-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

The 80 Olympic torchbearers of San Francisco

2008-04-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

Amid much protest over Chinese human rights treatment, the city of San Francisco is a hot-spot of controversy as the Olympic torch visits the city. Here's a look at some of the 80 people who will get a chance to carry the torch through San Francisco including former Dallas Cowboy Herschel Walker and former mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown Jr.

The 80 Olympic torchbearers of San Francisco

Natural Olympic Logo

2008-04-07T18:07:00.001-07:00

Protests snuff out Olympic torch in Paris

2008-04-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

BEIJING/PARIS - The Olympic torch relay descended into chaos in Paris on Monday with officials having to extinguish the flame and carry it by bus when pro-Tibet protesters tried to seize it.

Chinese authorities condemned as "vile" the growing campaign by activists to use the buildup to the Beijing Olympics as a stage on which to condemn China's record in Tibet, on human rights in general and attack its foreign policy.

They said there would be no change to the elaborate ritual of carrying the flame around the world.

The Paris torch relay hit trouble almost as soon as it set off from the Eiffel Tower, and was repeatedly halted by protesters who threatened to break through the imposing security cordon thrown around the athletes carrying the flame.

The torch had to be extinguished at least twice and sheltered in a bus on several occasions from the thousands of demonstrators. A Chinese official was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying it was put out for safety reasons.

Demonstrators carried banners declaring "Boycott Chinese goods" and "Save Tibet."

"We are doing our best but it will take the world to put pressure on China to help bring democracy and human rights to Tibet," said Phurbu Dolker, a 21-year-old Tibetan refugee.

Police detained 18 protesters, the Interior Ministry said.

Embarrassed Chinese organizers cancelled a reception for the torch at Paris city hall at the last minute after a banner supporting human rights was hung from the facade, Paris mayor Bernard Delanoe told reporters.

"The Chinese officials decided they would not stop here because they were put out by Parisian citizens expressing their support for human rights. It is their responsibility," he said.

It was a second consecutive day of chaos for the torch run.

Thousands of protesters waving Tibetan flags and shouting "Shame on China" turned Sunday's British leg of the international relay billed by Beijing as the "harmonious journey" into an obstacle course. Police detained 35 people.

The torch arrives on Wednesday in San Francisco, where three pro-Tibet activists scaled the cables of the city's famed Golden Gate Bridge and hung protest banners on Monday. "One World, One Dream: Free Tibet," read one of them.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said he was very concerned "with the international situation and what's happened in Tibet."

"Violence for whatever reason is not compatible with the values of the torch relay and the Olympic Games," he said in a speech to the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) in Beijing. "Some people have played with the idea of boycotts. As I speak today, there is no momentum for a general boycott."

Unrest in Tibet

"A tiny number of Tibet independence elements sought to disrupt the relay of the Olympic Games sacred flame through London," Xinhua quoted a spokesperson for the Beijing Olympic Games torch relay office as saying of the London events.

"We strongly condemn this vile behavior."

Beijing Organizing Committee Director of Media and Communications Wang Hui told a news conference:

"The smooth progress of the torch relay cannot be stopped and will definitely be a big success."

Tibet's capital, Lhasa, was hit last month by Buddhist monks' protests against Chinese rule which gave way to rioting. Since then security forces have poured in to reimpose control there and in other restive Tibetan areas.

Exiled Tibetans accuse China of systematic oppression of the Himalayan region over decades, and of the killing, torture and unjust imprisonment of those who oppose Beijing's rule.

Calls for boycott

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton urged President George W. Bush on Monday to boycott the Olympics opening ceremonies unless China improves human rights.

Clinton, in a statement, cited clashes in Tibet and the lack of pressure by China on Sudan to stop "the genocide in Darfur."

Bush has resisted pressure to change his plans to attend.

As well as Tibet, activists are also focusing on Sudan, where critics say Beijing has not done enough to help stop violence in Darfur.

The U.N. children's agency UNICEF said on Monday it had withdrawn from the North Korean leg of the Olympic torch run because it would not help draw attention to the plight of children in North Korea.

China accuses Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, of organizing the unrest. Tibet's Communist Party chief Zhang Qingli has called him a "jackal in Buddhist monk's robes."

Chinese popular opinion backs official claims that followers of the Dalai Lama timed the unrest to disrupt the games. He has denied this and said he wants autonomy, not independence.

Speaking at a Beijing news conference after meeting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said she had called on China to reopen dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

China says 19 people died in the Lhasa unrest, mostly at the hands of Tibetan rioters. Representatives of the Dalai Lama say about 140 people died in broader unrest across Tibet and nearby areas, most of them Tibetans killed by Chinese security forces.

Promotional Video

2008-04-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

Beijing Hotel Bookings

2008-04-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Beijing Olympics Hotels: There are many Beijing Olympics Hotels in Beijing, where visitors can stay comfortably. The city has a variety of Beijing Summer Olympics Hotels, which range from cheap hotels to five star hotels. One can easily choose from various hotels near the venues of the Beijing Olympic games, according to the preference.

Hotels in Beijing Olympics China: There are numerous hotels in the Chaoyang District in Beijing where the Olympic Green or the Olympic Village is being built. The Hotels in Beijing Olympics China, available in Chaoyang District are Beijing Landmark Towers, Asia Hotel Beijing Olympics, Beijing Chongqing Hotel, China World Hotel Beijing, Courtyard by Marriott, Beijing Cheap Hotel, Days Hotel and Suites, Fujian Hotel, Gloria Plaza Hotel, Jianguo Hotel, Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa center, and Hilton Beijing.

Hotel in Beijing Olympic China are also there in the Olympic Village, such as the Celebrity International Grand Hotel, Beijing Jingmin Mansion, J & R Hotel, Beijing Yuanshan Hotel, Huadu Hotel, Crowne Plaza Parkview Wuzhou, National Jade Hotel Beijing, Beijing Century Longdu International Apartment, Huiyuan Service Apartment, Ya Yun Cun Hotel, Ao Ya Hotel, Cheng Hong Hotel, Huiyuan International Apartment Beijing, Beijing Tibet hotel, Beijing Meihua Century International Apartment and Beijing Continental Grand Hotel. Hotel booking for the Beijing Olympic games can be done through Internet by visiting the respective official sites or relevant portals. Hotel booking for the Beijing Olympic games can be done online, by Tourists and Olympic enthusiasts. There are various hotels near the venues of the Beijing Olympics Games.

The Olympic venues near these Beijing hotels are National stadium, National Indoor stadium, National Aquatic Cente, Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium, Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Olympic sports Center Gymnasium, Worker's Stadium, Worker's Indoor Arena, Ying Tung Natatorium, Fencing Gymnasium, Hockey Field, Archery Field, Tennis Center and Beach Volleyball Ground .

The hotels in the Shijingshan District are Sheji Hotel, Shuang Long hotel, Beijing Xijiao Hotel, Beijing Xishan Cuiyuan Mountain Villa and Jinjiang Inn. These hotels can also be booked through Internet. The Olympic venues near the hotels are Beijing Olympics Shooting Range Hall, Laoshan Velodrome, Laoshan Mountain Bike Course and BMX Field.

The hotels available in the Fengtai District are Sunny Capital Hotel, Wen Tao Hotel, Beijing Yue du Hotel, Beijing Fengtai Hotel Beijing, Beijing Golden Palace, Silver Street Hotel, Guo Tong Hotel and Jinghua Hotel. For Beijing hotels reservation one can visit the official site of these hotels, as some of these hotels also provide the facility of online booking. The Olympic venues nearby are Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Fengtai Softball Field and Wukesong Baseball Field.

There are many Beijing Summer Olympics hotels in the Haidian District, such as the 365 Inn, Beijing Xiaoxitian Inn, Shangri-la Hotel, Jade Palace Hotel, Century Golden Resources Hotel, L'accueil Residence, Beijing Huandao Boya Hotel, Beijing Friendship Hotel, Fragrant Hill Golden Resources Commerce Hotel, Tianhong Plaza Hotel. The hotels can be reserved via Internet. The Beijing Olympic venues near the hotels are China Agricultural University Gymnasium, Peking University Gymnasium, Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium, Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing Shooting Range Clay Target Field, Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium and Beihang University Gymnasium. Beijing hotel bookings can be done through online applications according to Beijing hotel rates and priorities.

The hotels in the Shunyi District are Shunyi Hotel, Beijing and Hengchuan Jiajin Business Hotel, Beijing . These hotels are near Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park .
Hotels outside Beijing: There are many in the Olympic venues outside Beijing also. These hotels are well equipped to provide ample service to their customers. Most of the hotels have the facility of online booking.

The Hotels in Tianjin are Renaissance Tianjin Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, Holiday Inn, East Asia, Hyatt Regency Tianjin, Renaissance Tianjin Teda, Caesar Palace Hotel, Cairnhill, Dickson Hotel, Imperial Palace Hotel, Narcissus Hotel and Ocean Hotel. The hotels are located near Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium.

The hotels near Shenyang Wulihe Stadium in Shenyang are Marriott Shenyang, Traders Hotel Shenyang, Holiday Inn Shenyang City Center, Inter Continental Shenyang, Sheraton Shenyang Lido Hotel, Kempinski Hotel Shenyang, Gloria Inn Shenyang, Gloria Plaza Hotel Shenyang, Golden Hotel and Kingdom Hotel .

Some hotels in Shanghai are Regal International East Asia Hotel, Crown Plaza Shanghai, Rendezvous Merry Hotel Shanghai, Hotel Inn Vista Shanghai, Holiday Inn Downtown Shanghai, Holiday Inn Pudong, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai , Radisson Hotel Shanghai New world and Hengshan Moller Villa. These hotels are located near Shanghai Stadium. Beijing hotel price can be obtained by visiting the official sites of these Beijing hotels.

Some major hotels in Hong Kong are Wharney Guangdong Hotel, Charterhouse Hong Kong, Cosmopolitan Hotel Hong Kong, Harbor View International Hotel, Empire Hotel, Novotel Century Hong Kong, Renaissance Harbor View and Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. The equestrian venues in Hong Kong are located near these hotels.

The hotels in Qinhuangdao are Great Wall Hotel and Qinhuangdao International Trade Hotel. Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium is located near the hotels. The hotels in Qingdao are Debao Garden Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, Grand Regency Hotel, Qingdao Dongfang Hotel, Qingdao Champs Elysees Business Hotel, and Home Inn- Fuzhou Roads. The hotels are near Qingdao International Sailing Center.

Symbols of the Beijing Olympic Games

2008-04-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Schedule of the Beijing Olympic Games, 2008: The 2008 Summer Olympics are officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad . The Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, the capital city of the People's Republic of China in the year 2008. The Games are scheduled to be held from 8 th August to 24 th August in the Beijing National Stadium.

Symbols of the Beijing Olympic Games: An emblem entitled “Dancing Beijing” and three more symbols have been selected for the coming Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 . The three other symbols are Beijing Olympic Cultural Festival Symbol, the Environmental Symbol of Beijing Olympics-‘Green Olympics' and Volunteers Symbol of Beijing Olympics . The Beijing Olympic Games organization committee has also released a set of symbols representing each of the sports for the 2008 Games .

The Emblem of the Beijing Olympic Games: The official emblem of the Beijing Olympic Games, 2008 is called “ Dancing Beijing ”. The emblem depicts a traditional red Chinese seal above the words “ Beijing 2008 ”and the Olympic rings . ? (jing)- this Chinese character is inscribed on the seal in a stylized calligraphic manner, in the form of a dancing figure . The curves in the figure symbolize the body of a wriggling Chinese dragon . The open arms in the figure symbolize China 's invitation to the world to share its culture. The dominating red color of the Dancing Beijing signifies good luck . In a ceremony at the Hall of Prayer for good Harvests in Beijing's Temple of Heaven , the emblem was unveiled in August, 2003 in presence of 2008 people . Dancing Beijing is the symbol of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games . Dancing Beijing symbolizes China's journey to the future , China's promise to hold the best ever Olympic Games and the image of New Beijing . In the red color it symbolizes the depth of China's beauty . Dancing Beijing also symbolizes the spirit of the individual - every performer, spectator, volunteer who will be a part of the Beijing Olympic Games . The boundless spirit of the Chinese dragon is wrapped in the curves of the figure of the Dancing Beijing . Dancing Beijing symbolizes invitation—open hands are extended to welcome the world to China to celebrate the Olympic Games .

Other Symbols of the Beijing Olympic Games: The other symbols of the Beijing Olympics are Beijing Olympic Cultural Festival Symbol, the Environmental Symbol of Beijing Olympics-‘Green Olympics' and Volunteers Symbol of Beijing Olympics .

* Beijing Olympic Cultural Festival symbol: A human being and a lantern are depicted in the Beijing Olympic cultural Festival Symbol . The figure is made in such a manner that the man and the lantern seem to dance with joy . Lanterns , a part of any traditional festival in china symbolizes reunion . Beijing is being decorated with lanterns to celebrate its reunion with people from all over the world.
* The Environmental Symbol of Beijing Olympics-‘Green Olympics': The logo of the Environmental Symbol of Beijing Olympics-‘Green Olympics' consists of the crown of a tree and the shape of a human being . The symbol has been created using calligraphy . The image represents human relationship with nature . The green lines forming the crown of the tree resemble a fully bloomed flower , which suggests the development in nature . The Environmental Symbol of Beijing Olympics was released on 24 th September, 2005 , in Beijing Youth Palace.

Volunteers Symbol of Beijing Olympics: Volunteers Symbol of Beijing Olympics consists of shape of heart and dancing human figures . The shape of heart is made with interweaved hearts , which signifies that the joint effort of all the volunteers, athletes and the Olympic family will add glory to the Olympic Movement . The image of dancing human symbolizes dedicated volunteers .

Olympic Torch Relay

2008-04-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

The modern tradition of igniting Olympic flame as the opening ceremony of Olympic games was adopted from the ancient Olympics at Greece. Olympic fire was lit using parabolic mirrors by focusing the sun rays at the ancient Olympic Stadium in Olympia, Greece, which was later introduced in Summer Olympics held at Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 1928. The tradition of Olympic torch relay was adopted from ancient Olympics, first in 1936 Summer Olympics. The Olympic torch relay signifies spirit, knowledge, and vitality and also symbolize the traditions of passing Olympic games from one generation to another.

In the modern tradition, Olympic flame, also known as Olympic light, is ignited some months before the commencement of the games, which is still done using parabolic mirrors. The Olympic eye is then carried as Olympic torch from Olympia to the scheduled venue of Olympic games. The Olympic torch is usually carried by athletes however, modes such as, aeroplane, boat, and radio signals have also been used. The tradition of global torch relay started from 2004 Olympics, during which the torch was carried 78000 km by 11,300 torchbearers, in 78 days.
The 2008 Olympic Torch Relay will commence from March 25, 2008, with the theme "Journey of Harmony".

The relay will continue for 130 days and carry the torch through 137,000 km, which is so far, the longest distance covered in any Olympic torch relay. Considering the distance covered during the journey, Lenovo Group has designed the torch to bear winds at 65 kmph with rain up to 50 mmph. The torch comprises wood, fire, metal, earth, and water, which signify the traditional Chinese elements of the Universe.

The 2008 Olympic Torch Relay will start from Olympia to the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, and then reach Beijing on March 31.

Olympic Torch Route is being scheduled to pass through six continents, which will include the following major cities:

Beijing, People's Republic of China
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Istanbul, Turkey
St.Petersburg, Russia
London, United Kingdom
Paris, France
San Francisco, USA
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Muscat, Oman
Islamabad, Pakistan
Mumbai, India
Bangkok, Thailand
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Jakarta, Indonesia
Canberra, Australia
Nagano, Japan
Seoul, South Korea
Pyongyang, North Korea
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
Macau, People's Republic of China

The 2008 Olympics torch relay will also include an attempt to carry the torch to Mount Everest. The details of the Olympic 2008 torch relay can be obtained from the elite map site, mapsofworld.com, which also comprises additional details of the event.

The Olympic torch relay will end on August 8, 2008, the day scheduled for the commencement of the Olympic events, on which an opening ceremony will be performed by igniting Olympic flames.

The final carrier of the Olympic torch lights the Olympic flame, which is considered a great honor. The Olympic flame, also known as Olympic Sun, then blazes continuously throughout the events, and is extinguished only after the closing ceremony of the Olympic games.

Olympic Mascots

2008-04-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games is scheduled to be held in Beijing, the capital city of People’s Republic of China. The 2008 Beijing Olympics will begin on 8th August and will continue till 24th August. This upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing, China, are planned to comprise 302 events in 28 sports.

Olympic Mascots: Generally, the Olympics mascot is an animal or human figure representing the cultural heritage of the host country and was first introduced in the year 1968. Schuss, a cartoon-like character on skis, was the unofficial mascot of the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble. However, the first official mascot in the history of Summer Olympic made its appearance at the 1972 Munich Olympics Games, ever since Olympic Mascots have become a main element of the Olympic Games. As a unique and popular image full of vitality, a mascots is able to materialize the Olympic spirit, communicate the concepts of each Olympic Games, promote the history and culture of the host city and create a festive atmosphere for the Games. Mascots act as a significant vehicle for communicating the Olympic spirit to the general public, especially children and youth. Whatever shapes they have, they fundamentally share a creative rationale, that is, the mascots must be able to convey the theme of the Olympic Games, showcase the distinctive geographical features, history and culture unique to the host city.

2008 Beijing Olympic Mascots

A long awaited 2008 Beijing Olympics mascots was unveiled on November 11, 2005, exactly 1000 days before the Beijing Olympics. Olympics 2008 mascots is a set of five doll mascots, which draw their color and inspiration from the five Olympic rings. 2008 Beijing Olympics mascots is designed by Han Meilin, chief of the mascot designers' group. He said that since it was not possible for a single figure to represent China’s intense and diversified culture, his team came out with the idea of five mascots instead of one. “Fuwa”, 2008 Beijing Olympics mascots, also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals – the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow – and the Olympic Flame. Fuwa or Friendlies, 2008 Beijing Olympic Mascots, is a symbol that carry with it a message of friendship and peace and convey blessings from China to children all over the world.

2008 Beijing Olympics Mascots

Each Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name – represents Beibei the Fish, Jingjing the Panda, Huanhuan the Olympic Flame, Yingying the Tibetan Antelope and Nini the Swallow. Each of these five names seems like a possible child name, but when put together, they sound identical to a phrase meaning, “Beijing welcomes you”.

With the motto of spreading prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck across the continents, Fuwa, 2008 Beijing Olympic Mascots, offers a warm invitation for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Beibei: Beibei is known to be gentle and purest among Fuwa and reflects the blue Olympic rings. The fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest in Chinese culture and art. Beibei reflects the strength in water sports.

Jingjing: Jingjing, one of the five dolls of 2008 Beijing Olympic Mascots, symbolizes blessing of happiness wherever he goes. The lotus designs in Jingjing's headdress represent the lush green forest and man’s harmonious relationship with nature. Jingjing reflects the black Olympic rings. He shows the strength in athletics.

Huanhuan: Better known as big brother among Fuwa, Huanhuan represents red Olympic rings. As a child of fire, he symbolizes the Olympic Flame and the passion of sport. It is believed that wherever he goes he inspires all with the passion to run faster, jump higher and be stronger. Huanhuan reflects the excellence in ball games.

Yingying: Yingying as a symbol of being fast and agile represents the yellow Olympic rings. It reflects the strength in track and field events.

Nini:Nini symbolize the infinite sky and spread good-luck as a blessing. It represents the green Olympic rings and reflects strength in gymnastics.

Olympic Poster

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Olympic Poster 2008 has been designed by the enthusiastic students from about 266 colleges and universities in and around China. The organizers have made a collection of about 3,860 Olympics-themed posters from them. The designing of Olympic Poster began in the year of 2006 from the month of March.

The Beijing Olympics Posters 2008 has also been made by the students of the universities and colleges of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. The sole reason behind the making of posters for the Beijing Olympic 2008 is to promote the event on a grand scale. Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) has played a dominant role in this field. The Beijing Jintai Art Gallery has got about an approximate of 300 Olympics-themed posters on display. These posters are those made by the students of the universities and colleges of China.

The exhibition was inaugurated on 12th July. It was attended by Jiang Xiaoyu, Vice President of BOCOG. The Beijing Olympic Games of 2008 is going to take place from 8th August to 24th August, 2008 at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympics Posters of the Beijing Olympic 2008 shows the extreme talent of the students in the field of visual art and at the same time their extreme enthusiasm for the Olympics.

Participating Countries

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Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Arab Rep. of Egypt
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central Africa
Chad
Chile
China Republic
Chinese Taipei
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Cote-d´lvoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Great Britain
Greece
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordon
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Korea Democratic People Republic
Korea people Republic
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Libya
Lichtenstein
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Niger
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Rep. of Macedonia
Rep. of Moldova
Rhodesia
Romania
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Vincent & Gr.
Sudan
Surinam
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
The Gambia
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
U.S.A.
U.S.S.R.
Uganda
Ukraine
Unified Team
United Arab Emirates
Uruguay
US Virgin Islands
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Western Samoa
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe

2008 Olympics Participating Countries are expected to have most of the countries who participated in the Athens Olympic Games of 2004.