Beijing Olympic 2008
-
Upload
ankushbest -
Category
Documents
-
view
224 -
download
0
Transcript of Beijing Olympic 2008
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS
The "Dancing Beijing" emblem, depicting
a Chinese seal inscribed with the
character "Jīng" (京, from the name of the
host city) in the form of a dancing figure.
Host city Beijing, China
Motto 同一个世界 同一个梦想
(One World, One Dream)
Nations participating 204 NOCs (See below)
Athletes participating 11,028[1]
Events 302 in 28 sports
Opening ceremony August 8
Closing ceremony August 24
Officially opened by President Hu Jintao
Athlete's Oath Zhang Yining
Judge's Oath Huang Liping
Olympic Torch Li Ning
Stadium Beijing National Stadium
This article contains Chinese text. Without proper
rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or
other symbols instead of Chinese characters.
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXIX
Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing,
China, from August 8 (except football, which started on August 6) to August 24,
2008. A total of 10,500 athletes competed in 302 events in 28 sports, one event
more than was on the schedule of the 2004 Games.[2]
The 2008 Beijing Olympics
marked the first occasion that either the Summer or Winter Games were hosted in
China, making it the 22nd nation to do so. It also became the third time that
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Olympic events have been held in the territories of two different National Olympic
Committees (NOC), as the equestrian events were being held in Hong Kong.[3]
The Olympic Games were awarded to Beijing after an exhaustive ballot of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The official logo of the
Games, titled "Dancing Beijing", features a stylised calligraphic character jīng (京,
meaning capital), referring to the host city. Several new NOCs have also been
recognised by the IOC.
The Chinese government promoted the Games and invested heavily in new
facilities and transportation systems.[4][5]
A total of 37 venues were used to host
the events including 12 newly constructed venues. At the closing ceremony IOC
president Jacques Rogge declared the event a "truly exceptional Games" after
earlier asserting that the IOC had "absolutely no regrets" in choosing Beijing to
host the 2008 Games.[6]
The choice of China as a host country was the subject of
criticism by some politicians and NGOs concerned about China's human rights
record.[7][8]
China and others, meanwhile, warned against politicizing the
Olympics.[9][10]
The Games saw 43 new world records and 132 new Olympic records set.[11]
A
record 87 countries won a medal during the Games. Chinese athletes won 51 gold
medals altogether, the second largest haul by a national team in a modern, non-
boycotted Summer Games.[12][13]
Michael Phelps broke the record for most golds in
one Olympics and for most career gold medals for an Olympian. Usain Bolt secured
the traditional title "World's Fastest Man" by setting new world records in the
100m and 200m sprints.
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Bid
Main article: 2008
Summer Olympics bids
Beijing was elected the host
city on July 13, 2001, during
the 112th IOC Session in
Moscow, defeating Toronto,
Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka.
Prior to the session, five other
cities (Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and Seville) submitted bids to the
IOC but failed to make the short list in 2000. After the first round of voting, Beijing
held a significant lead over the other four candidates. Osaka received only six
votes and was eliminated. In the second round, Beijing was supported by an
absolute majority of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds.[14]
After winning the bid, Li Lanqing, the vice premier of China, declared "The winning
of the 2008 Olympic bid is an example of the international recognition of China's
social stability, economic progress and the healthy life of the Chinese people."
Eight years earlier, Beijing led every round of voting for the Games of the XXVII
Olympiad, but lost in the final round to Sydney by just two votes.
Development and preparation
2008 Summer Olympics
� Bid process (Beijing bid)
� Venues
� Marketing
� Concerns and controversies
� Torch relay (route)
� Opening ceremony (flag bearers)
� Medal table (medalists)
� Events
� Chronological summary
� Closing ceremony
� Paralympics (medal table)
IOC · COC · SF&OCHK · BOCOG
A total of an estimated US$42 billion were spent on the 2008 Olympic games in
Beijing, making it the most expensive games ever; the British Olympic Association
has announced that no more than US$19 billion will be spent on the 2012 Summer
2008 Summer Olympics bidding results
City NOC Round 1 Round 2
Beijing China 44 56
Toronto Canada 20 22
Paris France 15 18
Istanbul Turkey 17 9
Osaka Japan 6 —
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Olympics in London, while the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics
cost US$7 billion and US$15 billion respectively.[15]
Venues
Main articles: 2008 Summer Olympics venues and Olympic Green
By May 2007, construction of all 31 Beijing-based Olympic Games venues had
begun.[16]
The Chinese government has also invested in the renovation and
construction of six venues outside Beijing as well as 59 training centres. Its largest
architectural pieces are the Beijing National Stadium, Beijing National Indoor
Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Center, Olympic Green Convention Center,
Olympic Green, and Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center. Almost 85% of the
construction budget for the six main venues was funded by US$2.1 billion
(RMB¥17.4 billion) in corporate bids and tenders. Investments were expected from
corporations seeking ownership rights after the 2008 Summer Olympics. Some
venues will be owned and governed by the State General Administration of Sports,
which will use them after the Olympics as facilities for all future national sports
teams and events. The 2008 Beijing Olympics are the most expensive Games in
history with a total of $40.9 billion spent between 2001 and 2007 on
infrastructure, energy, transportation and water supply projects.[17]
Some events were held outside Beijing, namely football in Qinhuangdao, Shanghai,
Shenyang, and Tianjin; sailing in Qingdao; and, because of "uncertainties of equine
diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone", equestrian in
Hong Kong.[18]
Beijing National Stadium
Main article: Beijing National Stadium
The Beijing National Stadium
The centrepiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics is the Beijing National Stadium,
nicknamed the Bird's Nest because of its nest-like skeletal structure.[19]
Construction of the venue began on December 24, 2003. The Guangdong Olympic
Stadium was originally planned, constructed, and completed in 2001 to help host
the Games, but a decision was made to construct a new stadium in Beijing.[20][21]
Government officials engaged architects worldwide in a design competition. A
Swiss firm, Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG, collaborated with China
Architecture Design & Research Group to win the competition. The stadium
features a lattice-like steel outer skeleton around the concrete stadium bowl and
has a seating capacity of over 90,000 people. Architects originally described the
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
overall design as resembling a bird nest with an immense ocular opening with a
retractable roof over the stadium. However, in 2004, the idea of the retractable
roof was abandoned for economic and safety reasons. The Beijing National
Stadium was the site of the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the
athletics events and soccer finals.
The Beijing Olympic Village opened on July 16, 2008 and to the public on July 26,
2008.
Transport
A map of the Olympic venues in Beijing. Several expressways encircle the center of
the city, providing for quick transportation around the city and between venues.
To prepare for Olympic visitors, Beijing's transportation infrastructure was
expanded significantly. Beijing's airport underwent a major expansion, adding the
new Terminal 3, the world's largest airport terminal, designed by renowned
architect Norman Foster.[22]
On August 1, Beijing south railway station was
reopened after two years of construction. The 120-km long Beijing–Tianjin
Intercity Rail, which opened on the same day, connects the new railway station
with Olympic co-host city Tianjin with the world's fastest scheduled train service at
350 km/h.
Within the city itself, Beijing's subway expanded to more than double its capacity
and overall size, adding an additional 7 lines and 80 stations to the previously
existing 4 lines and 64 stations, including a new link connecting directly to the
city's airport. Also, a fleet of thousands of buses, minibuses and official cars
transported spectators, athletes and officials between venues.[23][24]
A temporary road space rationing based on plate numbers was in effect during the
Games in an effort to improve air quality.[25]
In addition, 300,000 heavy-polluting
vehicles have been banned from operating within the city, and entry into Beijing
by vehicles has been strictly limited. These restrictions are enforced from July 20
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
to September 20.[26][dead link]
Passenger vehicle restrictions are placed on alternate
days depending on the plates ending in odd or even numbers. This measure is
expected to take 45% of Beijing's 3.3 million cars off the streets. The boosted
public transport network is expected to absorb the demand created by these
restrictions and the influx of visitors, which is estimated at more than 4 million
extra passengers per day.[27][26]
Marketing
Main article: 2008 Summer Olympics marketing
The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem is known as Dancing Beijing (simplified
Chinese: 舞动的北京). The emblem combines a traditional Chinese red seal and a
representation of the calligraphic character jīng (京, "national capital", also the
second character of Beijing's Chinese name) with athletic features. The open arms
of the calligraphic word symbolises the invitation of China to the world to share in
its culture. IOC president Jacques Rogge was very happy with the emblem, saying,
"Your new emblem immediately conveys the awesome beauty and power of China
which are embodied in your heritage and your people."[28]
The slogan for the 2008 Olympics is "One World, One Dream" (simplified Chinese:
同一个世界 同一个梦想; traditional Chinese: 同一個世界 同一個夢想; pinyin:
Tóng Yíge Shìjiè Tóng Yíge Mèngxiǎng.)[29]
The slogan calls upon the whole world to
join in the Olympic spirit and build a better future for humanity. It was chosen
from over 210,000 entries submitted from around the world.[19]
The mascots of Beijing 2008 were the five Fuwa,[30]
each representing both a
colour of the Olympic rings and a symbol of Chinese culture.
Broadcasting
Further information: 2008 Summer Olympics broadcasting
The 2008 Games were the first to be produced and broadcast entirely in high
definition television by the host broadcaster. In comparison, American broadcaster
NBC broadcasted only half of the Turin Winter Games produced in HD.[31][32]
In
their bid for the Olympic Games in 2001, Beijing confirmed to the Olympic
Evaluation Commission "that there will be no restrictions on media reporting and
movement of journalists up to and including the Olympic Games,"[33]
but according
to a report in The New York Times, "these promises have been contradicted by
strict visa rules, lengthy application processes and worries about censorship."[34]
According to Nielsen Media Research, 4.7 billion viewers worldwide tuned in to
some of the television coverage, one-fifth larger than the 3.9 billion who watched
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. The 2008 Olympics was the most-viewed
event in American television history.[35]
Online coverage
American broadcaster NBC produced only 2 hours of online streaming video for
the 2006 Winter Games but produced approximately 2,200 hours of coverage for
the 2008 Summer Games. For the first time "live online video rights in some
markets for the Olympics have been separately negotiated, not part of the overall
'broadcast rights,'"; these new media of the digital economy are growing "nine
times faster than the rest of the advertising market."[36]
Globally, however, the 2008 Olympics is subject to extensive copyright
restriction –which amounts to territorial restrictions– whilst still being covered
extensively online within various exclusive copyright autarkies. Thus despite the
international nature of the event and the global reach of the Internet, the
coverage world wide of assorted nation-states and television networks is not
readily accessible; there is no global or supranational media coverage as such. The
international European Broadcasting Union (EBU), for example, provides live
coverage and highlights of all arenas only for certain of its own territories[37]
on
their website eurovisionsports.tv.[38]
Many national broadcasters likewise restrict
online events to their domestic audiences.[39]
Despite the contractual obligations of the digital economy, some of the same
technologies used to circumvent the Great Firewall of China (such as UltraSurf) can
be used to subvert the Olympic media autarkies on the Internet as well.
YouTube has removed a video of a regional German network's (NDR) coverage of
the opening ceremonies as "This video is no longer available due to a copyright
claim by a third party.[40][41]
; a video from Australia's Seven Network has been
removed "for violation of terms of service". Furthermore, the General National
Copyright Administration of China has announced that "individual (sic) and
websites will face fines as high as 100,000 yuan for uploading recordings of
Olympic Games video to the internet,"[42]
part of an extensive campaign to protect
the pertinent intellectual property rights.[43][44][45]
Torch relay
2008 Olympic Torch
Main articles: 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay and 2008 Summer
Olympics torch relay route
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
The design of the Olympic Torch is based on traditional scrolls and uses a
traditional Chinese design known as the "Propitious Clouds" (祥云). The torch is
designed to remain lit in 65 km/h (40 mph) winds, temperatures as low as -40°C
and in rain of up to 50 mm (2 in) per hour.
The relay, with the theme Journey of Harmony, lasted 130 days and carried the
torch 137,000 km (85,000 mi)—the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay
since the tradition began at the 1936 Berlin Games.[46][47]
The torch relay was
called a "public relations disaster" for China by The Times,[48]
with protests of
China's human rights record, particularly about Tibet.
Route of the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay
The relay began March 24, 2008, in Olympia, Greece. From there, it traveled across
Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, and then to Beijing, arriving on March
31. From Beijing, the torch followed a route passing through every continent
except Antarctica. The torch visited cities on the Silk Road, symbolizing ancient
links between China and the rest of the world. A total of 21,880 torchbearers were
selected from around the world by various organizations and entities.[49]
The international portion of the relay was problematic. The month-long world tour
saw wide-scale protests to China's human rights abuses and recent crackdown in
Tibet. After trouble in London saw several attempts to put out the flame, the flame
was extinguished in Paris the following day.[50]
The American leg in San Francisco
on April 9 was altered without prior warning to avoid such scenes, although there
were still demonstrations along the original route.[51]
The relay was further
delayed and simplified after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake affecting western China.
The flame was carried to the top of Mount Everest[49]
on a 108 km (67 mi) long
"highway" scaling the Tibetan side of the mountain especially built for the relay.
The $19.7 million blacktop project spanned from Tingri County of Xigazê
Prefecture to the Everest Base Camp.[52]
In 2008 March, China banned
mountaineers from climbing its side of Mount Everest and later persuaded the
Nepalese government to close their side as well, officially citing environmental
concerns.[53]
It also reflected concerns by the Chinese government that Tibet
activists may try to disrupt its plans to carry the Olympic torch up the world's
tallest peak.[54]
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
The originally proposed route would have seen the torch carried through Taipei
after leaving Vietnam and before heading for Hong Kong. Taiwan authorities (then
led by the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party), however,
objected to this proposal, claiming that this route would make the portion of the
relay in Taiwan appear to be part of the torch's domestic journey through China,
rather than a leg on the international route.[55]
This dispute as well as demands
that the flag of the Republic of China and the National Anthem of the Republic of
China be banned along the route[56]
led the Taiwan authorities to reject the
proposal that it be part of the relay route, and the two sides of the Taiwan Strait
subsequently blamed each other for injecting politics into the event.[57]
The Games
Further information: 2008 Summer Olympics highlights, 2008 Summer
Olympics medal table, and 2008 Summer Olympics medal winners
Opening ceremony
A scene from the opening ceremony.
Main article: 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
The opening ceremony held in the Beijing National Stadium. It began at 8:00 pm
China Standard Time (UTC+8) on August 8, 2008.[58][59][60]
The number 8 is
associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture, and here it was a
triple eight for the date and one extra for time (close to 08:08:08 pm).[61]
The
ceremony was co-directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and Chinese
choreographer Zhang Jigang.[62]
It featured a cast of over 15,000 performers, and
was dubbed beforehand as "the most spectacular Olympics Opening Ceremony
ever produced".[63]
A rich assembly of ancient Chinese art and culture dominated the ceremony. It
opened with the beating of Fou drums for the countdown. Subsequently, a giant
scroll was unveiled and became the show's centerpiece. The official song of the
2008 Olympics, titled You and Me, was performed by Britain's Sarah Brightman
and China's Liu Huan, on a large spinning rendition of the globe.[64]
The last
recipient in the Olympic Torch relay, former Chinese gymnast Li Ning ignited the
cauldron, after being suspended into the air by wires and completing a lap of the
National Stadium at Stadium roof height in the air.
The entry parade of the competing athletes differed in order from previous
Olympic ceremonies, as the national teams did not enter in alphabetical order by
the host nation's alphabet. Since Chinese does not have an alphabet, teams
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
entered the stadium in order (lowest first) of the number of strokes in their
Simplified Chinese character transcriptions; this is a common collation method for
the Chinese language, such as the surname stroke order system. As a result,
Australia (normally one of the first teams to enter the stadium) became one of the
final teams to arrive, as the first character of the Chinese name of Australia
(澳大利亚) has 16 strokes. The Olympic traditions of Greece entering first and the
host nation (China) entering last were still observed.
The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and various international presses
as spectacular and spellbinding.[65]
Hein Verbruggen, chairman of the IOC
Coordination Commission for the XXIX Olympiad, called the ceremony "a grand,
unprecedented success."[66]
A review of the opening ceremony from around the
world called it "spectacular and devoid of politics".[67]
It was deemed that the real
fireworks were too dangerous to film from a helicopter; as such, some footage
were generated to provide simulated aerial shots of the scene. Another cosmetic
enhancement in China's quest for a "perfect" Summer Games was using 9-year-old
Lin Miaoke to lip-sync over the singing voice of Yang Peiyi for the opening
ceremony song Ode to the Motherland. Miss Yang, 7, had reportedly won a
"grueling" competition to be chosen as the performer, but was considered to be
insufficiently photogenic, and a member of the Politburo who oversaw the final
preparations ordered that Miss Lin appear in Miss Yang's place. [68]
Another
portion of the ceremony featured 56 children carrying a large Chinese flag, with 55
of them dressed in traditional costumes of the ethnic minorities of China. The
children wearing the ethnic minority costumes were described in the official
program as members of these minorities, but it was later revealed that they were
actually Han Chinese. [69]
More than 100 sovereigns, heads of state and heads of government as well as 170
Ministers of Sport attended the Beijing Olympic Games.[70]
Closing ceremony
Main article: 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony
The 2008 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony concluded the Beijing Games on
August 24, 2008. It began at 8:00pm China Standard Time (UTC+8), and took place
at the Beijing National Stadium.
The Ceremony included the handover of the Games from Beijing to London. Guo
Jinlong, the Mayor of Beijing handed over the Olympic flag to the Mayor of London
Boris Johnson, followed by a performance organized by the London Organising
Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG).
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Participating NOCs
Participating nations
TPE
All but one (Brunei) of the current 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs)[71]
participated. China and the United States had the largest teams, with 639 and
596[72][73]
competitors respectively. Several countries were represented at the
Games by a single athlete.
Three countries participated for their first time: the Marshall Islands, Montenegro
and Tuvalu.
South African swimmer Natalie du Toit, five time gold medalist at the Athens
Paralympics in 2004, qualified to compete at the Beijing Olympics, thus making
history by becoming the first amputee to qualify for the Olympic Games since
Olivér Halassy in 1936.[74][75]
Natalia Partyka (who was born without a right
forearm) competed in Table Tennis for Poland.[76]
As in the previous Games since 1984, athletes from the Republic of China (Taiwan)
are competing at the Olympics as Chinese Taipei (TPE)[77]
under the Chinese Taipei
Olympic flag and using the National Banner Song as their official anthem. The
participation of Taiwan had been in doubt due to disagreements over the
designation of the team in the Chinese language, and concerns that Taiwan would
march in the Opening Ceremony next to the Chinese Special Administrative Region
of Hong Kong.[78]
Unlike in previous games, supporters were not able to legally
display the flag of the Republic of China even outside the venues.
List of Participating NOCs
Below is a list of all the participating NOCs (the number of competitors per
delegation is indicated in parentheses)
• Afghanistan (4)
• Albania (11)
• Gabon (4)
• Gambia (3)
• Niger (5)
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
• Algeria (62)
• American
Samoa (5)
• Andorra (5)
• Angola (32)
• Antigua and
Barbuda (5)
• Argentina (137)
• Armenia (25)
• Aruba (2)
• Australia (433)
• Austria (72)
• Azerbaijan (39)
• Bahamas (19)
• Bahrain (15)
• Bangladesh (5)
• Barbados (6)
• Belarus (181)
• Belgium (96)
• Belize (3)
• Benin (5)
• Bermuda (6)
• Bhutan (2)
• Bolivia (6)
• Bosnia and
Herzegovina (5)
• Botswana (12)
• Brazil (277)
• British Virgin
Islands (2)
• Bulgaria (72)
• Burkina Faso (6)
• Burundi (3)
• Cambodia (4)
• Cameroon (33)
• Canada (332)
• Cape Verde (3)
• Cayman
Islands (4)
• Central African
Republic (3)
• Chad (2)
• Chile (27)
• Georgia (35)
• Germany (463)
• Ghana (9)
• Great
Britain (312)
• Greece (159)
• Grenada (9)
• Guam (5)
• Guatemala (12)
• Guinea (5)
• Guinea-Bissau (3)
• Guyana (5)
• Haiti (10)
• Honduras (25)
• Hong Kong,
China (34)
• Hungary (171)
• Iceland (28)
• India (57)
• Indonesia (24)
• Iran (55)
• Iraq (4)
• Ireland (54)
• Israel (43)
• Italy (344)
• Jamaica (56)
• Japan (351)
• Jordan (7)
• Kazakhstan (132)
• Kenya (56)
• Kiribati (2)
• North Korea (63)
• South Korea (267)
• Kuwait (6)
• Kyrgyzstan (21)
• Laos (4)
• Latvia (50)
• Lebanon (5)
• Lesotho (4)
• Liberia (3)
• Libya (7)
• Liechtenstein (2)
• Lithuania (71)
• Nigeria (33)
• Norway (85)
• Oman (5)
• Pakistan (21)
• Palau (5)
• Palestine (4)
• Panama (3)
• Papua New
Guinea (7)
• Paraguay (5)
• Peru (12)
• Philippines (15)
• Poland (268)
• Portugal (77)
• Puerto Rico (22)
• Qatar (22)
• Romania (102)
• Russia (467)
• Rwanda (4)
• Saint Kitts and
Nevis (4)
• Saint Lucia (6)
• Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines (2)
• São Tomé and
Príncipe (3)
• Samoa (6)
• San Marino (4)
• Saudi Arabia (16)
• Senegal (12)
• Serbia (92)
• Seychelles (8)
• Sierra Leone (3)
• Singapore (25)
• Slovakia (57)
• Slovenia (62)
• Solomon
Islands (3)
• Somalia (2)
• South Africa (136)
• Spain (286)
• Sri Lanka (8)
• Sudan (8)
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
• China (639)
• Chinese
Taipei (80)
• Colombia (64)
• Comoros (3)
• DR Congo (5)
• Congo (3)
• Cook Islands (4)
• Costa Rica (8)
• Côte d'Ivoire (20)
• Croatia (105)
• Cuba (149)
• Cyprus (17)
• Czech
Republic (134)
• Denmark (84)
• Djibouti (2)
• Dominica (2)
• Dominican
Republic (25)
• Ecuador (25)
• Egypt (103)
• El Salvador (11)
• Equatorial
Guinea (3)
• Eritrea (9)
• Estonia (47)
• Ethiopia (22)
• Fiji (6)
• Finland (58)
• France (323)
• FS
Micronesia (15)
• FYR
Macedonia (7)
• Luxembourg (12)
• Madagascar (4)
• Malawi (4)
• Malaysia (33)
• Maldives (4)
• Mali (17)
• Malta (6)
• Marshall
Islands (5)
• Mauritania (2)
• Mauritius (12)
• Mexico (85)
• Moldova (31)
• Monaco (5)
• Mongolia (29)
• Montenegro (31)
• Morocco (57)
• Mozambique (5)
• Myanmar (6)
• Namibia (9)
• Nauru (1)
• Nepal (8)
• Netherlands (245)
• Netherlands
Antilles (3)
• New
Zealand (182)
• Nicaragua (6)
• Suriname (4)
• Swaziland (4)
• Sweden (134)
• Switzerland (84)
• Syria (8)
• Tajikistan (13)
• Tanzania (10)
• Thailand (51)
• Timor-Leste (2)
• Togo (3)
• Tonga (3)
• Trinidad and
Tobago (30)
• Tunisia (32)
• Turkey (68) •
Turkmenistan (10)
• Tuvalu (3)
• Uganda (15)
• Ukraine (254)[80]
• United Arab
Emirates (8)
• United
States (596)
• Uruguay (12)
• Uzbekistan (58)
• Vanuatu (3)
• Venezuela (109)
• Vietnam (21)
• Virgin Islands (5)
• Yemen (5)
• Zambia (8)
• Zimbabwe (13)
Participation changes
The Marshall Islands and Tuvalu gained National Olympic Committee status in
2006 and 2007 respectively, and participated in the Games.[81][82]
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
The states of Serbia and Montenegro, which participated at the 2004 Games
jointly as Serbia and Montenegro, are now competing separately. The
Montenegrin Olympic Committee was accepted as a new National Olympic
Committee in 2007.[82]
After the declaration of independence in Kosovo, IOC
specified the requirements that Kosovo needs to meet before being recognised by
the IOC; most notably, it has to be recognised as independent by the United
Nations.[83]
North Korea and South Korea held meetings to discuss the possibility of sending a
united team to the 2008 Olympics,[84][85]
but the proposal failed, due to
disagreements between the two NOCs on the proportion of athletes from the two
countries within the team.[citation needed]
On July 24, 2008, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Iraq from
competing in the 2008 Olympic Summer Games due to "political interference by
the government in sports."[86][87]
On July 29, the IOC reversed its decision and
allowed the nation to compete after a pledge by Iraq to ensure "the independence
of its national Olympics panel" by instituting fair elections before the end of
November. Until then, Iraq's Olympic Organisation will be run by "an interim
committee proposed by its national sports federations and approved by the
IOC."[88]
Brunei Darussalam were due to take part in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
However, they were disqualified on August 8, having failed to register either of
their athletes.[89]
The IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said in a statement
that "it is a great shame and very sad for the athletes who lose out because of the
decision by their team not to register them. The IOC tried up until the last minute,
midday Friday August 8, 2008, the day of the official opening, to have them
register, but to no avail."[90]
Brunei's Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports
submitted a Press release why Brunei decided not to participate in Beijing, stated
that "one athlete competing in the shot putt event Mohd Yazid Yatimi Yusof (who)
has undergone intensive training since March ... injured himself in June (right
liotibial strain with mild lateral ministrial knee injury), when he was competing in
the Pesta Sukan Kebangsaan (National Sports Festival)". The Brunei Darussalam
Olympic Council (BNOC) issued a Press release stating that "it had to wait for
approval from the Youth and Sports Department under the Ministry of Culture,
Youth and Sports as to whether Brunei Darussalam could be represented at the
Olympic Games".[91]
It is also noted that the withdrawal can lead Brunei to being
sanctioned and appropriate action will be taken after the closing of the Olympics
on August 24.[92]
Georgia announced on August 9, 2008 that it was considering withdrawing from
the Beijing Olympic Games due to the military conflict in South Ossetia.[93]
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Sports
Inside Beijing National Stadium during the Games. Olympic torch in background.
The program for the Beijing 2008 Games was quite similar to that of the 2004
Summer Olympics held in Athens. The 2008 Olympics saw the return of 28 sports
(some of which, such as aquatics, gymnastics and cycling, were divided into
multiple disciplines), and held 302 events (165 men's events, 127 women's events,
and 10 mixed events), one event more in total than in Athens.
Overall, 9 new events were held, which included 2 from the new cycling discipline
of BMX. Women competed in the 3000 m steeplechase for the first time. In
addition, marathon open water swimming events for men and women, over the
distance of 10 kilometres, were added to the swimming discipline. Team events
(men and women) in table tennis replaced the doubles events. In fencing,
women's team foil and women's team sabre replaced men's team foil and
women's team épée.[94][95][96][97]
In 2006, the Beijing Organizing Committee released pictograms of 35 Olympic
disciplines (for some multi-discipline sports, such as cycling, a single pictogram was
released).[98][99]
This set of sport icons is named the beauty of seal characters, due
to each pictogram's likeness to Chinese seal script.
In addition to the official Olympic sports, the Beijing Organising Committee was
given special dispensation by the IOC to run a wushu competition in parallel to the
Games. The Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008 saw 128 athletes from 43 countries
participate, with medals awarded in 15 separate events; however, these were not
to be added to the official medal tally since Wushu was not on the programme of
the 2008 Olympic Games.[101]
Calendar
In the following calendar for the 2008 Olympic Games, each blue box represents
an event competition, such as a qualification round, on that day. The yellow boxes
represent days during which medal-awarding finals for a sport are held. Each bullet
in these boxes is an event final, the number of bullets per box representing the
number of finals that was contested on that day.[102]
Medal table
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
The reverse side of the medals of the 2008 Summer Olympics: silver (left), gold
(center), bronze (right). Each medal has a ring of jade.
Main article: 2008 Summer Olympics medal table
The top ten ranked NOCs at these Games are listed below. (Host nation is
highlighted)
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China (CHN) 51 21 28 100
2 United
States (USA) 36 38 36 110
3 Russia (RUS) 23 21 28 72
4 Great
Britain (GBR) 19 13 15 47
5 Germany (GER) 16 10 15 41
6 Australia (AUS) 14 15 17 46
7 South Korea (KOR) 13 10 8 31
8 Japan (JPN) 9 6 10 25
9 Italy (ITA) 8 10 10 28
10 France (FRA) 7 16 17 40
Concerns and controversies
The banner reads: "Human Rights Abuse Cannot Co-exist with Beijing Olympics",
picture taken during the opening of the Human Rights Torch Relay event
Main article: Concerns and controversies over the 2008 Summer Olympics
A variety of concerns over the Games, or China's hosting of the Games, have been
expressed by various entities; including allegations that China violated its pledge to
allow open media access,[103]
various alleged human rights violations,[104][105][106]
air
pollution in both the city of Beijing and in neighbouring areas,[107][108]
proposed
boycotts,[109][110]
warnings of the possibility that the Beijing Olympics could be
targeted by terrorist groups,[111]
potentially violent disruption from pro-Tibetan
protesters,[112]
religious persecutions,[113]
the banning of ethnic Tibetans from
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
working in Beijing for the duration of the Games,[114]
criticisms of policies
mandating the electronic surveillance of internationally owned hotels,[115][116][117]
displacement of residents,[118]
ticket adversities,[119]
manhandling of foreign
journalists,[120][121]
dubious protest zones,[122]
as well as alleged harassment, house
arrests, forced disappearances, imprisonment, and torture of dissidents and
protest applicants.[123][124][125][126][120][127][128]
Furthermore, there are allegations that some members of China's women's
gymnastics team were too young to compete under the Fédération Internationale
de Gymnastique's rules for Olympic eligibility.[129]
On August 21, the IOC ordered a
probe into the legal ages of double gold medal winning gymnast He Kexin and her
fellow teammates.[130]
After a five and a half week investigation, the Chinese
gymnasts were deemed eligible to compete and the original results were allowed
to stand.[131]
In the lead-up to the Olympics, the government allegedly issued guidelines to the
local media for their reporting during the Games: most political issues not directly
related to the games were to be downplayed; topics such as Pro-Tibetan
independence and East Turkestan movements were not to be reported on, as
were food safety issues such as "cancer-causing mineral water."[132]
As the 2008
baby milk scandal broke in September 2008, there was widespread speculation
that China's desire for a perfect games may have been a factor contributing
towards the delayed recall of contaminated infant formula.[133][134]
Legacy
In the short term, the 2008 Olympic Games have been generally accepted by the
world's media as a logistic success.[135]
Contrary to fears before the game, no
terrorists struck Beijing; no athlete protested at the podium; and thanks largely to
favorable weather conditions the city had the best air quality in ten years,[136][137]
though this is not to say that it was completely acceptable as the air quality was a
great concern before and during the games.
For the Chinese government, the Olympic events, as well as the medals won by
Chinese athletes, were a great source of national pride. The Olympics seem to
have also bolstered some domestic support for the Chinese government, and
support for the policies of the Communist Party of China, giving rise to concerns
that the state will possibly have more leverage to disperse dissent, at least
momentarily.[138]
The long-term economic impact is not yet clear, but it is generally expected that
there will be no lasting effect on the city due to the games.
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Abhinav Bindra (Punjabi: ����� ������, born September 28, 1982[1]) is an
Indian shooter from Zirakpur, Mohali, Punjab and is the current World and
Olympic champion in the 10 m Air Rifle event. By winning the gold in the 10 m Air
Rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he became the first Indian to win
an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games and India's first gold medal since
1980, when the Men's Field Hockey Team won the gold.[2][3]
Career
Early years
Abhinav Bindra was born in an affluent Sikh Punjabi family.[4] His parents, Dr. AS
and Babli Bindra, even had an indoor shooting range installed at their home in
Punjab.[5][6] Bindra's potential talent was first spotted by his first coach Lt. Col.
J.S. Dhillon[7][8]. Bindra was the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Olympic
Games.[6] His current coach is Gabriela Buhlmann from Basel, Switzerland, with
whom he trained in Germany before the Olympics. In the 2000 Olympics he
achieved a score of 590 placing him 11th in the qualification round, and did not
qualify for the finals since only the top 8 compete in the finals.[9]
International performance
Bindra won six medals at various international meets in 2001. In the 10 m Air rifle
event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester, he won Gold in the Pairs
event and Silver in the individual event.
At the 2004 Olympic Games, he scored 597 in the qualification round and was
placed third behind Qinan Zhu (599 - Olympic Record) and Li Jie (598). In the finals,
Abhinav finished with 97.6 points, last in the field of eight and was the only player
below 100 points. His sub-par finals dropped him from third to seventh.[10]
At the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, he won the Gold in the Pairs
event and the Bronze in the Singles event. Abhinav missed the 2006 Asian Games
at Doha because of a back injuiry.
2008 Beijing Olympics
Bindra booked his place in the 2008 Olympics by winning the gold medal at the
2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships with a score of 699.1[11]
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra [12] for the Men's 10m Air Rifle final
after shooting a total of 700.5. He scored 596 (fourth) in the qualifying round and
out-scored all other shooters in the finals with a round of 105.5. In the finals, he
started with a shot of 10.7, and none of his shots were below 10.0.[13] Bindra was
tied with Henri Häkkinen heading into his final shot. Bindra scored his highest of
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
the finals — 10.8 while Hakkinen came with 9.7 to settle for the Bronze
medal.[14]It has been alleged that Abhinav Bindra's gun was tampered with
between the qualifying and final round of the event, though no official complaint
was filed by the Indian contingent. [15]
This was India's first individual gold medal at the Olympics, and the first gold in 28
years, since the Men's Field Hockey team won the gold at the 1980 Moscow
Olympics.[2] Bindra was rewarded by various Indian state governments and
private organizations for his achievement.
Awards and recognitions
Abhinav Bindra
• 2000 - Arjuna award.[16]
• 2001 - Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (India's highest sports award).[17]
Awards for 2008 Olympics Gold medal
• Rs. 1.5 crore (US$ 302,400) by L. N. Mittal, Arcelor Mittal
• Rs. 50 lakh (US$ 116,000) cash prize by Central Govt [18]
• Rs. 25 lakh (US$ 58,000) cash prize by the State Government of Haryana.[19]
• Rs. 25 lakh cash prize by the Board of Control for Cricket in India[20]
• Rs. 15 lakh (US$ 34,800) cash prize by Steel Ministry of India[21]
• Rs. 11 lakh (US$ 25,500) cash prize by the State Government of Bihar. The
Patna Indoor Stadium will be renamed after Abhinav Bindra.[19]
• Rs. 10 lakh prize by the State Government of Karnataka[22]
• Rs. 10 lakh cash prize by S. Amolak Singh Gakhal, Chairman Golds Gym[23]
• Rs. 10 lakh cash prize by Chief Minister of Maharashtra state[24]
• Rs. 5 lakh (US$ 11,600) cash prize by State Government of Orissa[25]
• Rs. 5 lakh cash prize by Government of Tamil Nadu[26]
• Rs. 1 lakh (US$ 2,300) cash prize by the State Government of
Chhattisgarh[19]
• Rs. 1 lakh cash prize by the State Government of Madhya Pradesh
• A free lifetime railway pass by the Railway Ministry of India[27]
• A Gold medal by the State Government of Kerala.[28]
[29]−Rs. 15 lakh cash award by Pune Municipal Corporation
Business career
Abhinav Bindra holds a B.B.A. (Bachelor of Business Administration) from the
University of Colorado, US.[30]
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Bindra is the CEO of Abhinav Futuristics - the sole distributor of Walther arms in
India. Abhinav has sponsorship tie-ups with Samsung and Sahara Group.[5]
Vijender Kumar
Vijender Kumar
Born
October 29, 1985 (1985-10-
29) (age 23)
Kaluwas (5 km from
Bhiwani), Haryana India
Nationality Indian
Citizenship Indian
Occupation Boxer Middleweight
Height 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Medal record
Competitor for India
Men's Boxing
Olympic Games
Bronze 2008 Beijing Middleweight
Commonwealth Games
Silver 2006 Melbourne Welterweight
Asian Games
Bronze 2006 Doha Middleweight
Vijender Kumar (b. October 29, 1985) (also known as Vijender Singh or simply
Vijender) is an Indian boxer from Kaluwas village, Bhiwani district in Haryana. He
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
became the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal when he won bronze
medal in the middleweight category at 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing [1][2]
Career
Early career
Vijender boxed recreationally in his childhood and used to go to the Bhiwani
Sports Authority of India center for boxing practice, where coach Jagdish Singh
picked his talent. Vijender belongs to the Beniwal (Jat) family. Vijender won a silver
medal in his first sub-junior nationals and then finished the 2nd sub-junior in the
same position. Vijender won medals in junior national competitions after that and
he was picked to visit several countries like Cuba for further training and
competitions.
Athens Olympics 2004
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Vijender contested in the welterweight division, but
lost to Mustafa Karagollu of Turkey by 20-25.
Commonwealth Games 2006
At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, he defeated England's Neil Perkins in the
semis but lost to South Africa's Bongani Mwelase, who went on to win the gold.
He went up a division and competed in the Middleweight (-75 kg) division at the
2006 Asian Games winning the bronze medal in a lost semifinal bout against
Kazakhstan's Bakhtiyar Artayev 24-29. [3]
At the second qualifier he won the tournament and qualified for 2008 Beijing
Olympics.
Beijing Olympics 2008
Vijender had a great start at the 2008 Summer Olympics defeating Badou Jack of
Gambia 13-2 in the round of 32. In the round of 16, he defeated Angkhan
Chomphuphuang of Thailand 13-3 to reach the Middleweight Boxing Quarterfinals.
He beat southpaw Carlos Góngora of Ecuador 9-4 in the quarterfinals on August
20, 2008 which guaranteed him a medal, the first ever Olympic medal for an Indian
boxer. He lost 5-8 to Cuba's Emilio Correa in the semi-finals on 22nd August 2008
and shared a bronze medal.[4]
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Bout results:
• Defeated Badou Jack (Gambia) 13-2
• Defeated Angkhan Chomphuphuang (Thailand) 13-3
• Defeated Carlos Góngora (Ecuador) 9-4
• Lost to Emilio Correa Jr. (Cuba) 5-8
Personal life
Vijender was born in Kaluwas village, 5 km from Bhiwani, Haryana. His father,
Mahipal Singh, is a bus driver (who drove buses overtime to raise funds for
Vijender's training [5]) and his mother is a homemaker. He was inspired by his
younger brother Manoj, a former boxer himself, who is now in the Indian Army.
Vijender did his primary schooling from Kaluwas, secondary school from Bhiwani
and finally a Bachelor's degree from Vaish College.
He worked overtime to pay for coaching at the 'Bhiwani Boxing Club', run by
former national-level boxer and coach Jagdish Singh [6].. After achieving success at
the international level he also did modeling part-time. Vijender currently works for
the Haryana Police.[7]
Vijender's hometown of Kaluwas erupted with celebrations on 20th August after
Vijender was assured of an Olympic medal. His hometown watched the bouts on a
single television set in a specially rigged tent for the event. [8]
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
Personal information
Full name: Michael Fred Phelps
Nickname(s): The Baltimore Bullet[1]
Nationality: United States
Stroke(s): Butterfly, Individual Medley,
Freestyle, Backstroke
Club: Club Wolverine,
University of Michigan
Date of birth: June 30, 1985 (1985-06-30) (age 23)
Place of
birth: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Weight: 200 pounds (91 kg)
Sushil Kumar (wrestler)
Sushil Kumar solanki
Born May 26, 1983 (1983-05-26) (age 25)[1]
New Delhi, India
Residence New Delhi, India
Nationality Indian
Citizenship Indian
Occupation Sportsman (Wrestler)
Height 163 cm (5 ft 4 in)
Medal record
Competitor for India
Men's Freestyle Wrestling
Olympic Games
Bronze 2008 Beijing Men's Freestyle 66 kg
Commonwealth Wrestling Championship
Gold 2003 London Men's Freestyle 60 kg
Gold 2005 Cape Town Men's Freestyle 66 kg
Gold 2007 London Men's Freestyle 66 kg
Asian Wrestling Championships
Bronze 2003 New Delhi Men's Freestyle 60 kg
Bronze 2008 Jeju Island Men's Freestyle 66 kg
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Sushil Kumar born
May 26, 1983[1]) is an Indian wrestler who won the bronze medal in the Men's
66kg Freestyle Wrestling event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[2] Kumar defeated
Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhstan in the repechage round to win the bronze.[2] This
was the second medal for India at the Beijing Olympics after shooter Abhinav
Bindra claimed the first ever individual Olympic gold medal for the country in the
10 m Air Rifle event. This was also the second medal for India in wrestling, and the
first since K D Jadhav's bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games.[3]
Biography
Sushil Kumar hails from the village of Baprola in the Najafgarh suburb of the
National Capital Territory of Delhi near the border with Haryana. Kumar's father
Diwan Singh was an MTNL bus driver and mother Kamla Devi a housewife. He was
inspired to take up wrestling by his cousin Sandeep and his father who was himself
a pehlwan (wrestler). Sandeep quit wrestling as the family could only support one
wrestler. Kumar trained at the akhada (wrestling school) in the Chhatrasal Stadium
from the age of 14. With minimal funds and poor training facilities for wrestling in
India, even for the 2008 Olympic team, his family made sure he obtained the
necessary dietary supplements by sending him tinned milk, ghee and
vegetables.[4][5]
Kumar is presently employed by the Indian Railways as a Chief Ticketing
Inspector.[3]
Career
Kumar started training at the Chhatrasal Stadium's akhada at the age of 14.
Trained at the akhada by Indian pehlwans Yashvir and Ramphal, and later by
Arjuna awardee Satpal and then at the Railways camp by coach Gyan Singh,[3]
Sushil endured tough training conditions which included sharing a mattress with a
fellow wrestler and sharing a dormitory with twenty others.[6]
His first success came at the World Cadet Games in 1998 where he won the gold
medal in his weight category. He followed this up with a gold in the Asian Junior
Wrestling Championship in 2000.
Moving out of the junior competition, Kumar won the bronze medal at the Asian
Wrestling Championships in 2003 and followed that up with a gold medal at the
Commonwealth Wrestling Championships. Kumar placed fourth in the World
Championships in 2003, but this went largely unnoticed by the Indian media as he
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
fared badly in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, in the 60 kg class placing 14th.
He won gold medals at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in 2005 and
2007. He ranked seventh in the 2007 World Wrestling Championships, but
managed to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He followed this up
with a Bronze in the Asian Wrestling Championships, before heading for the 2008
Olympic Games in Beijing.
Kumar was awarded the Arjuna Award, in 2006.
Beijing Olympics
Out of the field of 21, 11 wrestlers including Kumar obtained a bye to the 1/8th
round. He lost to Andriy Stadnik from Ukraine in the first round of the 66kg
freestyle wrestling event,[7] leaving his medal hopes hinging on the repechage.
Kumar defeated American Doug Schwab in the first repechage round and
Belarusian Albert Batyrov in the second repechage round. In the bronze medal
match on 20 August, 2008 Kumar beat Spiridonov 3:1, with scores of 2-1, 0-1, 2-0
in the three rounds.[8] Sushil Kumar disclosed that he had no masseur during the
three bouts he won within a span of 70 minutes to take the bronze. The team
manager Kartar Singh who is a former Asian Games medallist acted as the masseur
for him.[9]
Awards and recognitions
For the bronze medal at 2008 Beijing Olympics
Rs. 55 lakh cash award and promotion to Assistant Commercial Manager from
ticketing inspector by Railway Ministry (his employer)[10]
Rs. 50 lakh cash award from the Delhi Government.[10]
Rs. 25 lakh cash award by the Haryana State Government.[10]
Rs. 25 lakh cash award by the Steel Ministry of India.[10]
Rs. 5 lakh cash award by RK Global Shares and Securities Limited.[10]
Rs. 5 lakh cash award by the Maharashtra State Government.
Printed By: -
� Kids Club
Usain Bolt
Bolt after the 100 m final at the 2008 Olympics
Nationality: Jamaican
Date of birth: 21 August 1986 (1986-08-21)
(age 22)[1]
Place of
birth: Trelawny, Jamaica[2]
Height: 1.96 metres (6 ft 5 in)[3]
Weight: 86 kilograms (190 lb)[3]