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There probably were no real long range plans to keep the baseball file... not enough popular support.
Baseball remains a fringe sport in China..
But interesting article tho.
Beijing Games venue struck out by shopping mall
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090105/sp_nm/us_baseball_china_olympics_1
Mon Jan 5, 4:04 am ET Reuters – A groundskeeper mows the grass at Wukesong Sports Center Baseball Field ahead of the Beijing Olympic …
BEIJING (Reuters) – Hopes that Beijing's Olympic baseball venue would be preserved for the future development of the sport in China have been dashed as the stadium's developer revealed it would be dismantled and replaced by a shopping mall.
The 15,000-seat Wukesong Sports Center baseball field, listed by Olympic organizers as a temporary venue even before the Games were held in August, had become the first venue slated for the wrecking ball, the Beijing News said on Monday.
"Our preliminary plan is to supply Beijing residents with a leisure center combined with shopping, culture, sports and entertainment," Guo Jinjiao, deputy manager of the development company, told the paper.
The 200 million yuan ($29 million) stadium played host to a Major League Baseball exhibition game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres last March.
But apart from the MLB's rental fee for that game, it had not derived any income, the paper said.
"It could only be guaranteed if there were enough activities to attract people to the venue. We absolutely could not accept any suggestion of (keeping the field) to be used only once or twice a year," said Guo.
MLB officials had had "many conversations" with Chinese Olympic and sport authorities and the developer to try to save the venue, Michael Marone, a Beijing-based MLB spokesman, told Reuters.
"Obviously it's a shame. You would prefer to have it kept as a relic of the Olympic Games and to help baseball culture to further develop here," Marone said.
An official with the Chinese Baseball League said the league did not have the resources for the stadium's upkeep.
"We also wanted to save the venue but we are not the owners. It was a temporary facility," Chen Gang, a CBL official told Reuters.
China's national baseball team struggled against the world's big hitters at the Beijing Games, finishing eighth out of eight teams.
Baseball remains a fringe sport in China, and the six-team professional league set up in 2002 struggles to attract more than a few dozen spectators to regular matches.
The field's demise has nonetheless been greeted with dismay be local baseball fans.
"It is the best field in China, a place borne with the dreams of countless baseball fans and that has witnessed historic moments. It is already a Holy Land in our heart," said a post on the website of the China Baseball League ( http://www.cbl.org.cn ).
($1=6.829 Yuan)
(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Ian Ransom
REVIEW of the 2008 SUMMER PARALYMPIC GAMES
There was no Paralympic board created, so this is a belated review to compliment the 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES
Includes over 300 comments.
bostson.com
September 12, 2008
The slogan for this years Paralympic Games is the same as the one for the Olympics held just last month:
"One World, One Dream".
From September 6th to September 17th, Beijing is once again hosting athletes from around the world.
Over 4,200 athletes - from six different disability groups - from 148 countries are taking part in the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games.
Not only are the sports divided into events, but the events are divided into different disability categories, to even out the playing field as much as possible.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/2008_summer_paralympic_games.html
Chinese Olympic gymnasts ruled old enough 13 minutes ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081001/sp_nm/us_gymnastics_china_2
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese female gymnasts who competed at this year's Beijing Olympics were not underage, the sport's governing body said on Wednesday after investigating claims the Games hosts fielded ineligible athletes.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) had asked the Chinese federation to submit documents proving the birthdates of five members of the gold-winning team -- He Kexin, Jiang Yuyuan, Li Shanshan, Deng Linlin and Yang Yilin.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had specifically asked the FIG to investigate double Olympic gold-medalist He, who was registered as 16 although online media reports suggested she may have been 14.
Gymnasts must turn 16 in the year of an Olympics to take part.
"Originals of official documents received from the Chinese Gymnastics Association, specifically passports, identity cards and family booklets or 'Household Registers', confirm the ages of the athletes," the FIG said in a statement.
"The FIG has shared its conclusions with the International Olympic Committee, which originally requested the inquiry. It is considered that the case is now concluded."
Chinese coaches and gymnasts had repeatedly denied the accusations of lying about age.
China collected a total of nine of the 14 gold medals up for grabs in the artistic gymnastics.
The FIG added it would investigate the ages of two members of the Chinese women's team that won bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun.
"The FIG does not consider the explanations and evidence provided to date in regards to these athletes as satisfactory," it said.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Sonia Oxley)
Chicago vies for 2016 Summer Olympic Games
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26376810#26376810
Hello London - 2012 Summer Olympic Games
Olympic Fever grows in London
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26379893#26379893
Britain set to model China's success come 2012
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26370006/
Hello Vancouver - 2010 Winter Olympic Games
The road to 2010
http://www.nbcolympics.com/vancouver2010/index.html
Vancouver 2010 Venues
http://www.nbcolympics.com/vancouver2010/photos/galleryid=169309.html
Good bye Beijing - 2008 Summer Olympic Games
Farewell Beijing - it’s been a “Dream Job” to cover these Olympics
blog.Newsweek
Vincent Laforet | Aug 24, 2008 12:03 PM
Photos and comments by Newsweek photographer Vincent Laforet
Daily posts from the Closing Ceremony back to the Opening Ceremony
http://www.blog.newsweek.com:80/blogs/olympicpix/archive/tags/Vincent+Laforet/default.aspx
NBC VIDEO: Closing Ceremony five minute recap
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0824_hd_mul_au_ce529&adv=teamusa
NBC PICTURE STORIES
Best of the Olympics, Emotional Moments...
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26382460/displaymode/1107/s/2/
Olympics end with a bang
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26376345/displaymode/1107/s/2/framenumber/1/
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China’s gold medalists to receive $51,000 each
Country ups reward for top athletes from $29,000 after 2004 Olympics
AP
updated 3:16 p.m. CT, Tues., Aug. 26, 2008
BEIJING - China's gold medal winners at the Beijing Olympics will be taking home cash along with their medals, state media reported Tuesday.
Each gold medalist will get $51,000 each, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing Xiao Shan, the deputy head of China's General Administration of Sports.
The prize compares to the $29,000 handed out to gold medal winners after the 2004 Olympic games, the report said.
The report did not say if silver and bronze medalists were also to be rewarded. Phone calls to the press office of China's General Administration of Sports rang unanswered Tuesday.
China topped the gold-medal chart with 51 medals, a haul that was the largest since the Soviet Union won 55 in Seoul in 1988.
Overall, China won 100 medals in 25 different sports, including its first ever in sailing, beach volleyball and field hockey.
It was the first time since 1936 that a country other than the U.S. or the Soviet Union/Russia led the gold medal list. The U.S. trailed behind the Chinese in golds with 36.
It is not uncommon for countries to reward their medal-winning athletes to compensate them for the financial burden of training.
The United States has paid prize money to top Olympians for years. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, athletes were given $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze.
Canadian athletes earned approximately $20,000 for each gold medal, $15,000 for each silver and $10,000 for each bronze won at the Beijing games, the first time the country has rewarded its athletes.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26409935/
"he tries so hard to look bad" LOL
here's another one,
Detained Olympic activists return to U.S.
Updated 5h 15m ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Eight American activists who were jailed by Chinese authorities during the Olympic games for participating in protests say they were interrogated for hours, deprived of sleep and accused of having ties to the U.S. government.
The group was sent home late Sunday during the closing ceremony. Some were activists and artists who demonstrated against China's occupation of Tibet. Others were bloggers photographing those events.
Speaking outside City Hall in New York, the detainees say they were kept in cells and were only allowed to leave for interrogations, which sometimes lasted for hours.
INTERACTAIVE GRAPHICS: The 2008 Olympics in Pictures
The Ceremonies
The Newsmakers
The Moments
Around Beijing
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/sports/olympics/2008-pictures-of-the-olympics/index.html
Olympics Close With a Bang and a Double-Decker Bus
The closing ceremony on Sunday night.
SLIDE SHOW: The Winners Spotlight Aug. 24
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/08/24/sports/olympics/0824-WINNERS_index.html
SLIDE SHOW: The Closing Ceremony
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/08/24/sports/olympics/20080824-CEREMONY_index.html
By DAVID BARBOZA
Published: August 24, 2008
BEIJING — With another dramatic fireworks display Sunday evening at the National Stadium here, the Beijing Olympics came to a dazzling close, ending two weeks of spectacular athletic performances during an Olympic competition that was surprisingly free of protests or the disruptions that some, including Beijing, had anticipated.
In addition to fireworks, there were acrobats clinging to a large “memory tower” at the center of the stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, precision drummers, bicyclists and performers representing 56 ethnic groups singing, “Please Stay, Guests From Afar.”
And unlike in the opening ceremony, with its orderly parade of countries and their athletes, the closing ceremony brought flag bearers congregating in the middle, and athletes filing in somewhat haphazardly and many dressed less formally.
In the handover ceremony for the 2012 London Games, a red double-decker bus entered the stadium just after 9 p.m., followed by three cyclists. The bus then opened into a stage with Jimmy Page, the Led Zeppelin guitarist, perfoming “Whole Lotta Love” with the British singer Leona Lewis, and David Beckham, the soccer star, taking a soccer ball from a young Chinese girl, handing the games off to London.
Beijing had staked everything on the Games, galvanizing the nation, spending billions to rebuild the ancient capital, erecting fantastic stadiums and producing the kind of opening and closing ceremonies that can only be created in China, with tens of thousands of performers dazzling a global television audience the vibrant displays of color and mass synchronization.
Leading up to the closing ceremony, the United States basketball team, the self-named “Redeem Team,” defeated Spain to recapture the gold medal. The American men’s volleyball team, disoriented after the head coach’s father-in-law had been murdered while touring Beijing, also captured a gold medal, defeating a powerful Brazilian team. A Kenyan runner won the men’s marathon, and a Cuban tae kwon do athlete was banned for kicking a referee.
The 29th Olympiad was supposed to be China’s coming out party, a show of its rising economic and political power and its reemergence as a global power. And in many ways it was. But the Games also turned into a dramatic show of this country’s athletic power, with China hauling in 51 gold medals, enough to top the gold medal tables and unseat the United States, which won 36.
The United States led the overall medal count with 110 medals to China’s 100. But rarely has a country won more than 50 gold medals. The last time was 1988, during the Seoul Olympics, when the former Soviet Union won 55. About 38 world records were set.
With Chinese fans chanting “Zhongguo Jiayou!” or “Go China!,” and hundreds of millions of people tuning in everyday by television, some of the biggest audiences in television history, the games served to strengthen pride in the country at a time of rising nationalism.
Liu Xiang, this country’shurdling champion, was injured and unable to defend his title in the 110-meter hurdles, but China dominated in diving, gymnastics weightlifting, shooting and a host of other sports.
There were stories of incredible athletic accomplishments: American swimmer Michael Phelps winning a record eight gold medals and the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt being crowned the world’s fastest man.
India, a country of one billion, won its first gold medal in an individual event. And Togo, a West African nation of 6 million people, won its very first Olympic medal, a bronze in the kayak.
Grave concerns about pollution and athletes donning masks disappeared after the fifth day, after heavy rains cleansed the skies and sun broke through for the opening of the track and field events. Whether China’s weather tamperers really seeded clouds and created rains that were perfectly timed to clear up the weather is still unclear.
But Beijing did take draconian measures to ensure a successful Olympics, limiting cars on the roads, forcing the closure and removal of factories from around Beijing, and essentially ordered large parts of the nation to do everything possible to make these games a success.
Some political analysts say Beijing placed too much importance on the Games, and others said the country failed to live up to its promises to open up and undertake political changes that would improve the country’s human rights record. But this afternoon, Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympics Committee, which awarded the games to Beijing in 2001, said: “The world has learned about China, and China has learned about the world, and I believe this is something that will have positive effects for the long term.”
John Branch contributed reporting from Beijing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/sports/olympics/25beijing.html?ref=olympics
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Mixed legacy likely as China's Olympics conclude
By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer
Mon Aug 25, 1:13 AM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080825/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_closing_ceremony;_ylt=Aj.MwuBovOWVL.chYBsmUu45.3QA
BEIJING - With help from British star power, China concluded its debut as Olympic host Sunday after 16 days of near-flawless logistics and superlative athletic achievement — coexisting awkwardly with the government's wariness of dissent and free speech.
A spectacular closing ceremony opened with torrents of fireworks and included a pulsating show-within-a-show by London, host of the 2012 Games. From a stage formed from a red double-decker bus, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page played classic rock hit "Whole Lotta Love" and soccer icon David Beckham booted a ball into the surrounding throng of athletes on the stadium floor.
Then more lyrical music returned, and the Olympic flame atop the stadium was extinguished.
To a large extent, China, an emergent superpower, got what it had craved from these long-sought games: a dominant effort by its athletes to top the gold-medal standings for the first time and almost glitch-free organizing that showcased world-class venues and cheerful volunteers to the largest-ever peaceful influx of foreign visitors.
As a bonus, not just one but two athletes gave arguably the greatest performances in Olympic history — Michael Phelps with his eight gold medals in swimming, Jamaica's ebullient Usain Bolt with three golds and three world records in the sprints.
The International Olympic Committee, whose selection of Beijing as host back in 2001 was widely questioned, insisted its choice had been vindicated.
"Tonight, we come to the end of 16 glorious days which we will cherish forever," IOC President Jacques Rogge told the capacity crowd of 91,000 at the National Outdoor Stadium, and a global TV audience. "Through these Games, the world learned more about China, and China learned more about the world."
"These were truly exceptional games," he said, before declaring them formally closed.
The head of the Beijing organzing committee, Liu Qi, said the games were "testimony to the fact that the world has rested its trust in China." He called them "a grand celebration of sport, of peace and friendship."
Rogge and the IOC were criticized by human rights groups for their reluctance to publicly challenge the Chinese as various controversies arose over press freedom and detention of dissidents. Athletes shied away from making political statements, and "protest zones" established in Beijing went unused as the authorities refused to issue permits for them.
But the atmosphere was festive at the stadium as fireworks burst from its top rim — and from locations across Beijing — to begin the closing ceremony.
After an army band played the Chinese national anthem, hundreds of gayly dressed dancers, acrobats and drummers swirled onto the field, then made room for the athletes, strolling in casually and exuberantly from four different entrances.
China invested more than $40 billion in the games, which it viewed as a chance to show the world its dramatic economic progress. Olympic telecasts achieved record ratings in China and the United States, and the games' presence online was by far the most extensive ever.
Rogge said these Olympics would leave a lasting, positive legacy for China — improved transportation infrastructure, more grass-roots interest in recreational sports, a more aggressive approach to curbing air pollution and other environmental problems. Smog that enveloped the city early in the games gave way to mostly clear skies, easing fears that some endurance events might be hazardous for the athletes.
American rower Jennifer Kaido of West Leyden, N.Y., said the games exceeded her expectations.
"We were prepared for smog, pollution, demonstrations, but everything has gone very smoothly," she said.
Rogge acknowledged that China, despite promises of press freedom during the games, continued to block access to numerous politically oriented Web sites, including those related to Tibet and the outlawed spiritual movement Falun Gong.
However, he contended that media restrictions were looser during the Olympics than beforehand, "and so we believe the games had a good influence."
Human rights groups disagreed.
"The reality is that the Chinese government's hosting of the games has been a catalyst for abuses, leading to massive forced evictions, a surge in the arrest, detention and harassment of critics, repeated violations of media freedom, and increased political repression," said Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch. "Not a single world leader who attended the games or members of the IOC seized the opportunity to challenge the Chinese government's behavior in any meaningful way."
Led by Phelps and Bolt, athletes broke 43 world records and 132 Olympic records during the games. Yet Rogge, who visited every venue, said the most touching moment for him came after the 10-meter air pistol event, when gold medalist Nino Salukvadze of Georgia embraced runner-up Natalia Paderina of Russia even as their two countries' armies fought back in Georgia.
"That kind of sportsmanship is really remarkable," Rogge said.
FINAL Medal Count
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2008/medals/tracker/index.html
more detailed:
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/95A/GL0000000.shtml
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Abe Lincoln
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NBC 2008 Summer Olympics DVD's for sale
http://www.nbcdvd.com/
With public trust - everything is possible.
Without public trust - nothing is possible.
Abe Lincoln
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y/w. It was fun, and there was lots of great media coverage.
NBC TV replay: Part II, The Closing Ceremony from Beiijing, 55 min.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0824_hd_ccb_en209
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NBC TV replay: Part I, The Closing Ceremony from Beiijing, 31 min.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0824_hd_ccb_en190
With public trust - everything is possible.
Without public trust - nothing is possible.
Abe Lincoln
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Thanks for the great job! You really helped all of us who couldn't watch the games regularly!
SI SLIDE SHOW: Beijing 2008 Closing Ceremonies
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0808/oly.beijing.closing.ceremonies/content.1.html
1 of 15
Beijing brought the curtain down on a memorable 2008 Summer Games. From a spectacular Opening Ceremony to world-record performances in swimming and track, China's 'One World, One Dream' fortnight will go into the history books as a landmark cultural event.
There was a tragedy, plenty of triumphs and an awkward attempt by China's government to 'open up'. In the end, fans and participants celebrated at the Closing Ceremonies and looked ahead to London, 2012.
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NBC VIDEO: Best of Beijing seen in "Stromotion"
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0824_smbestof_ja439
With public trust - everything is possible.
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SLIDE SHOWS: The closing ceremony of The 29th Olympic Games
plus more.
IOC chief: Beijing Olympic Games "truly exceptional Games"
BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Olympic Games are "truly exceptional Games," said International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge at the Games' closing ceremony staged in the National Stadium in northern Beijing on Sunday night > http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/24/content_9691406.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/24/content_9619076.htm
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en.beijing- The Closing Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games
The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
http://en.beijing2008.cn/ceremonies/
Joyous end to Beijing's Olympic debutHeavenly drums, silver bell dancers, light wheels and flying men took center stage to greet guests at the National Stadium Sunday for the closing celebration of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. A pyrotechnic display of numbers for the countdown from 29 -- to indicate the 29th Olympiad -- ushered in the Closing Ceremony at 8:00 p.m. (UTC/GMT +8) with an audience of more than 90,000 present.
• Detailed summary of the Closing Ceremony
• London performance follows Beijing tradition
• Speech by Jacques Rogge at the Closing Ceremony
• Speech by Liu Qi at the Closing Ceremony
• Beijing welcomes world to 2008 Olympic Games
• Chinese President Hu Jintao declares open Beijing Olympic Games
Photo Gallery
• Photo: Fireworks illuminate the sky [08-24 23:32]
• Photo: Fireworks illuminate the sky [08-24 23:29]
• Photos: Fireworks light up night sky [08-24 23:24]
• Photo: Fireworks explode [08-24 23:22]
• Photo: Fireworks light up night sky [08-24 23:20]
• Photos: Fireworks go off [08-24 23:19]
Latest News• Joyous end to Beijing's Olympic debut [08-25 02:08]
• Closing Ceremony features brilliant singers [08-24 22:45]
• Volunteers win praise from around the world [08-24 22:43]
• Artists make vital contributions to the Closing Ceremony [08-24 22:40]
• Speech by Jacques Rogge at the Closing Ceremony [08-24 22:24]
• Speech by Liu Qi at the Closing Ceremony [08-24 22:22]
http://en.beijing2008.cn/ceremonies/
NBC SLIDE SHOW: 129 Photos from the Closing Ceremony
http://www.nbcolympics.com/photos/galleryid=254835.html
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'Truly exceptional Games'
'Truly exceptional Games' By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com
Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008 6:54 AM ET
PHOTOS: http://www.nbcolympics.com/newscenter/news/newsid=254895.html#truly+exceptional+games
BEIJING - To the roar of pyrotechnics over the Bird's Nest, the symbol of a new China, and a simultaneously timed circle of yet more fireworks over Tianmen Square in central Beijing, the 2008 Summer Games drew Sunday night to a close, an Olympics that in virtually every regard made history.
The Games came to the end of their 17-day run after a ceremony -- a party, really -- featuring bouncing and flying men, drum carts, rotating poles, light wheels precisely 2.008 meters in diameter and 1,148 silver bell-wearing dancers in yellow dresses, all of it a lead-up to the entry of the athletes of the world, who by tradition on the night of closing ceremony mingled together, without regard to nationality, in the center of the stadium.
The palette of colors on the field, the rousing lights around and above - all of that in turn served as mere prelude to the moment when the Olympic cauldron was extinguished, the stadium suddenly so hushed the hiss of the gas feeding the huge flame above the Bird's Nest rim clearly audible.
And then it was gone.
These Games, perhaps the most memorable Summer Olympics since the Games were reborn in Athens in 1896, were over.
"These were truly exceptional Games!" International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge declared from the center of the stadium. Unlike his predecessor, Juan Antonio Samaranch of Spain, Rogge does not describe one Games or another as "best ever."
It was clear what was at issue here from the outset -- the very first drumbeats at the opening ceremony on Aug. 8 serving notice of China's arrival among the front ranks of the nations of the world, a station Chinese athletes emphatically underscored over the next two weeks, their performance topping the gold-medal chart, with 51.
Moreover, these 2008 Games established on several fronts benchmarks against which successive editions of the Olympics are sure to be measured.
The venues were first-rate, several architectural marvels. The buses ran on time. Pollution-related concerns ultimately played no part in the sports schedule. And the thousands of blue-shirted volunteers could not have been more friendly, polite and welcoming -- even when, as was frequently the case, the language barrier proved formidable.
"What is clear is that Beijing has had a huge positive impact on the Olympics," said Michael Knight, the former Olympics minister in Australia who oversaw the wildly successful Sydney Games in 2000.
"In the next few years," Knight said, "it will become clearer just how much impact the Olympics has had on China."
From the moment the IOC awarded the Games to Beijing in 2001, these Games attracted controversy like no other, activists using the onset of the Games to call attention to human rights abuses within China, the political situation in Tibet, the conflict in Darfur -- and a range of other issues.
The focus on such politically charged controversies remained strong until the Aug. 8 ceremony. And then dimmed almost immediately, the spotlight switching to sports - the crowds at the pool, at the track and elsewhere bearing witness to history in the making.
At the futuristic Water Cube, Michael Phelps won eight gold medals, topping Mark Spitz's record of seven at one Olympics, from Munich in 1972. Phelps also set seven world records. "I've dreamed of a lot of things, I've written down a lot of goals - this," Phelps said after winning the eighth, "was the biggest one I ever really wrote down."
On the track, Usain Bolt of Jamaica ran three races, won all three and set three world records. In running 9.69 seconds to win the marquee race of any Olympics, the 100m, Bolt became the first man in the annals of recorded history to run the distance at that speed without a significant tailwind.
Rogge on Sunday called Phelps and Bolt the "two icons of the Games."
Kerri Walsh and Misty Misty May-Treanor became the first pair, male or female, to repeat as Olympic champions in beach volleyball.
Abhinav Bindra of India won that nation's first gold medal, in shooting. His medal marked India's first gold since 1980.
Kenya's Samy Wanjiru won the marathon Sunday morning - the first gold in the marathon for Kenya, with a proud tradition of winning gold in other distance events dating to Kip Keino and the 1968 Mexico City Games.
The 51-count Chinese gold-medal tally was driven in part by the host nation's men's and women's gymnastics lineups, both of which claimed team gold.
The women's competition took part under the shadow of allegations that some of the Chinese competitors, including uneven bars champion He Kexin, had not turned 16 during this Olympic year, per the sport's eligibility rules.
Chinese officials have denied any misconduct.
In one of the final events of the Games, an emotional capstone to the U.S. effort, the American men's indoor volleyball team won gold by defeating Brazil in four sets. Just two weeks ago, at the start of the Games, the father-in-law of U.S. coach Hugh McCutcheon had been stabbed to death in Beijing.
The U.S. team won the overall medal count, with 110.
That surpassed the total from the Barcelona Games, 108, which had been the most-ever won by a U.S. team at a non-boycotted Olympics.
The U.S. gold-medal total, 36, matched the American count from Athens in 2004.
The way Olympic medals work, a medal for a team sport - such as the golds each of the men on the volleyball team was awarded Sunday - counts as just one.
If, instead, the medals awarded to each individual are counted, the totals underscore the American commitment to team sports. They read like this:
Americans: 315 medals.
Chinese: 186.
So both the Chinese and the Americans got what they wanted at these 2008 Beijing Games - the USOC also able to claim a doping-free American team and first-rate conduct from Aug. 8 on from the American delegation, highlighted by visits from the likes of basketball stars Kobe Bryant to the pool and Jason Kidd to women's beach volleyball.
Rogge had predicted as many as 40 positive doping tests at the 2008 Games - based on the 12 positive tests from the 2000 Sydney Games, 26 in Athens in 2004.
As of Sunday, with tests completed thru Wednesday's competitions, the total stood at a mere six, the most notable silver medal-winning Russian heptathlete Liudmyla Blonska; American Hyleas Fountain was moved up from bronze to silver.
In the month before the opening of the athletes' village, 39 athletes from all around the world were caught in positive tests, Rogge noted Sunday, saying, "You have also to count that in the fight against doping."
The U.S. effort included a dozen athletes who have been voluntarily submitting to extra blood and urine tests in a bid to prove each is doping free - among them Phelps and decathlon champion Bryan Clay.
Overall, said Jim Scherr, the USOC's chief executive, "We consider this one of our most successful engagements in the Olympic Games, ever."
Just how notable a success this was won't be fully measurable for years and years. But as the athletes of the world decamp from Beijing, it was abundantly clear Chinese authorities saw these Olympics as a most successful engagement, too.
Wang Wei, a senior Beijing 2008 organizing committee official, said, "As Confucius, China's most esteemed philosopher and educator told us 2,000 years ago, 'How very glad we are to welcome friends from afar.'
"... We have lived up to our commitments to these Games and we are pleased to have welcomed so many friends from around the world to Beijing - to celebrate the greatness of sport and humanity and to witness the changes that the Olympics has brought to this Olympic host city."
New China? Bird's Nest replaces Mao on yuan
Country's image makeover mostly cosmetic; most policies remain
AP
updated 7:34 a.m. CT, Sat., Aug. 23, 2008
BEIJING - If proof were needed that the Olympic Games are meant to give China an image makeover, look no further than the 10-yuan note: Chairman Mao is out, the Bird’s Nest is in.
There are only enough of the bills that replace the late Communist Party leader’s likeness with the iconic stadium to make them a collector’s item — for most of the billions of dollars in transactions here, Mao Zedong is still the man.
Like the currency, the modern image that China is showcasing to the world during its turn in the white-hot Olympic spotlight may be nice to look at, but the Communist Party remains firmly in control.
The multi-layered Chinese public relations blitz has helped lure tourists leary of a country often portrayed as polluted and repressive, and has given a boost to Chinese who have rallied behind the games, experts on China and public relations said.
At the same time, the nation’s leadership has barely budged from its policies.
It largely ignored criticism of its human rights record and continued its repression of free speech. Its harsh rule in Tibet has been downplayed, political dissidents locked up, beggars pushed out of Beijing and journalists covering protests roughed-up. It did not grant a protest permit.
“I think (the) China government has done a very good job of presenting a positive image overseas, but in doing so it didn’t change much of its behavior to do that,” said Russell Leigh Moses, an analyst of Chinese politics based in Beijing.
While the Communist Party leaders will have received a warm boost from their people for staging a successful games, the real test will come afterwards when they have to deal with the myriad problems China faces, Moses said.
For many Chinese, the Olympics have been presented as a comeback from a century or more of weakness and humiliation, the culmination of a “100-year dream.” The Communist Party has gained from being able to achieve it.
China has also tried to present a non-threatening image to the world that helps dispel fears of the country’s rise on the world stage, allowing it to restore what it sees as its rightful place in the international community.
Beijing became obsessed by image in the leadup to the games and anything unsightly was deemed offensive.
Neighborhood food stalls were covered up by roadside barriers showing pictures of ancient Chinese-style curved rooftops or Olympics motifs. Factories were shut down and millions of cars taken off the roads to clear Beijing’s notoriously pollution-clogged skies.
“This was part of the grand plan to show a new China, and I think it’s delivered in many regards,” said Scott Kronick, president of Ogilvy Public Relations in China. Chinese authorities are getting more polished and confident in delivering their message globally, he said.
The games’ lavish opening ceremony, vetted by party leaders, barely touched on communism and the tumultuous decades after the Communist Party came to power in 1949. The ceremony focused on China’s ancient culture — Confucious was quoted, Mao was not.
“China is trying to present itself as nonthreatening and in a lot of ways nonsocialist,” said Michael Dutton, an academic at Australia’s Griffith University’s Asia Institute who studies political cultures. “They’ve gone all out to try and present a country that’s ancient yet super-modern.”
China’s political leaders have also changed their style. Dark-suited and often appearing stiff in public, President Hu Jintao smiled his way through the opening ceremony and was seen at a pingpong event clapping alongside his wife and International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.
Beijing also has another audience to please — the millions of Chinese who have benefited from the economic boom through growing personal wealth and greater access to the outside world via television and the Internet.
It serves the government for China’s people to forget about the excesses of Mao’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square.
Better the government be thought of as the stewards of three decades of economic growth that have raised millions into a burgeoning middle class.
CONTINUED: 'I am impressed by the cosmopolitan atmosphere'
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26361847/
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Beijing winners and losers
By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com
Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008 3:26 AM ET
BEIJING -- Every Olympics produces winners and losers. Some are obvious. Some are not.
WINNERS
China: Spent at least $40 billion, staged most memorable Games.
Beijing: Pollution? What pollution? Those were blue skies over Olympic Green on some days.
IOC: Decision seven years ago to award Games to country with one-fifth of the world's population: vindicated. The IOC, spokeswoman Giselle Davies said at a closing news conference, leaves holding "very firmly in the belief it was the right choice to come to China and ... these Games have been enormously successful on a number of fronts."
President Bush: First sitting American president to attend Opening Ceremony overseas, scores points back home for support of Team USA, scores points in China by giving much-wanted face to politicians and citizens alike.
Michael Phelps: Eight races, eight gold medals, seven world records. The greatest performance at a single Games. Ever.
Usain Bolt: Three races, three gold medals, three world records. The most dominant performance by a sprinter at a single Games. Ever.
Jamaican sprinters: Four races, seven medals, including medal sweep in the women's 100m. Now: what's behind the greatness? Sunny island weather, or something else?
Rebecca Adlington: Games in London in four years and introducing your first star of those 2012 Games -- the 19-year-old British swimmer who won gold in Beijing in both the 400m and 800m freestyle events. In the longer race, she also toppled the longest-standing record in swimming, the one that had stood since the year Adlington was born.
Nastia Liukin: Gold medalist in women's all-around. Five medals overall, ties Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Miller. Ethereal loveliness sure to translate to marketing opportunities back home.
Shawn Johnson: Gold on balance beam means that, like her good friend Nastia, she too can go home a gold medalist. Both now gymnastics royalty. Winning smile sure to translate to marketing opportunities back home.
Bryan Clay: Nice guys really can finish first. In the decathlon. "I just want the Wheaties box," he said afterward. "Put me on the Wheaties box."
Jason Lezak: Thirty-two years old and still bringing it. Anchors U.S. men's 4x100m relay team to win. Anchors U.S. 4x100m medley relay team to win. Wins bronze in 100m.
BMX: Laoshan venue proved gnarly, riders and fans stoked the event in the Games.
U.S. team sports: Medalists in, among others, men's and women's water polo, women's soccer, men's and women's volleyball.
U.S. softball team: Their silver doesn't make them losers. It might be a silver lining -- maybe a key to softball being readmitted to the Olympics come 2016.
Redeem Team: Supposed to win. Did. Just because you're supposed to, and you do, doesn't make it any less of an accomplishment
LOSERS
Liu Xiang: Chinese hurdler can't go because of injury. Disappoints only 1.3 billion people. Biggest Liu-xer of the Games?
Ara Abrahamian: Swedish wrestler takes bronze medal off his neck during medal ceremony, steps from podium, drops it in middle of the mat, storms off.
Jeremy Wariner: 2004 Athens Games 400m champ finishes second to LaShawn Merritt in Beijing, walks right past rows of reporters without saying a word.
Lyudmilla Blonska: Silver medalist in the women's heptathlon tests positive for methyltestosterone, loses medal. American Hyleas Fountain moves up from third to second.
U.S. track and field 4x100 relay teams: Racing in the prelims, the men's team drops the baton. Racing in the prelims, the women's team drops the baton. New USA Track & Field chief executive Doug Logan writes in his blog, "I have received e-mails from people across the country, particularly about the relays. They all say more or less the same thing: the dropped batons were reflective of a lack of preparation, lack of professionalism and of leadership. I agree."
U.S. boxers: One medal. A bronze.
London Opening Ceremony planners: Top Beijing's. If you can.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/newscenter/news/newsid=253661.html#beijing+winners+losers
Host China wins gold medal race; US first overall
MEDAL TRACKER http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2008/medals/tracker/index.html
Posted: Sunday August 24, 2008 6:04 AM
BEIJING (AP) -China proved an acquisitive first-time Olympic host, topping the gold-medal chart with one of the most dominating and diverse performances ever. The United States, Britain and an array of small nations also had reasons to celebrate.
China's haul of 51 gold medals was the largest since the Soviet Union won 55 in Seoul in 1988. Fielding athletes groomed since childhood in sports academies, it won medals in 25 different sports, including its first ever in sailing, beach volleyball and field hockey.
Not since 1936, when Nazi Germany prevailed at the Berlin Olympics, had a country other than the U.S. or the Soviet Union/Russia led the gold medal list.
The United States trailed well behind the Chinese in golds with 36, the first time since 1992 it didn't lead the category. But the Americans did break their own mark for total medals in a non-boycotted Olympics; they won 110 in all, two more than their previous high set in 1992 and 10 ahead of China's overall tally this year.
Britain, getting an early jump on its host role for the 2012 Summer Games, had its best Olympics in a century with 19 gold medals - good for fourth place behind the Russians. Its cyclists and sailors were the class of the field, and 19-year-old Rebecca Adlington stunned the swimming world with two golds in distance events.
It was also a satisfying Olympics for many of the world's weaker sporting nations. A record 87 nations won medals, seven more than the previous high in Sydney in 2000, and a dozen nations won either their first-ever gold medal or first medal of any color.
If there was a prominent loser at the games, it was Russia, whose team was deprived of 10 athletes due to doping accusations. The Russians finished a distant third in both gold medals, with 23, and overall medals with 72 - down from 27 and 92 four years ago in Athens. Germany and Japan also fared noticeably worse than in Athens.
The United States was disappointed by its boxing team (one bronze medal) and a lack of golds by its sprinters, but was delighted by breakthroughs in lesser sports such as fencing, as well as by the historic eight golds for record-smashing swimmer Michael Phelps.
"Both on the field of play and off, this will go down as one of the greatest performances ever for a United States Olympic Team,'' spokesman Darryl Seibel said Sunday.
Overshadowing the entire U.S. effort, however, was a recognition of China's arrival as the dominant Summer Olympics power.
"China has been systematically targeting every single available medal, and we're going to have to do that in the future,'' said U.S. Olympic Committee chairman Peter Ueberroth.
"The resources that they put toward their Olympic team and the population base and the dedication is fantastic,'' he said. "It's much more difficult for the rest of the world to compete, but that's the way it should be.''
China, of course, has the largest population pool - 1.3 billion people - from which to recruit athletes. Several far smaller nations distinguished themselves in medals per capita.
Jamaica's sprinters and hurdlers - led by triple-gold sensation Usain Bolt - won 11 medals, one for every 245,000 of its 2.7 million people. With a population of 21.4 million, Australia won 46 medals, one for each 465,000 people. Cuba won 24 medals, one for each 470,000 of its 11.3 million citizens.
Populous countries with no medals included Pakistan, the Philippines and Bangladesh.
Kenya, despite election-related unrest which killed hundreds and disrupted its preparations, had a great games with five golds and 14 medals overall. Ethiopian runners Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba each won rare double golds in the 5,000 and 10,000.
Overall, Africa won 40 medals - the most ever. Those included the first-ever Olympic medals for Togo in canoeing, Mauritius in boxing, and Sudan in the 800 meters. Also winning first-ever medals were Tajikstan, Bahrain (a gold by Rachid Ramzi in the men's 1,500), and war-torn Afghanistan.
Two other athletes, in addition to Ramzi, won their countries' first gold medals - Panamanian long jumper Irving Saladino and Mongolian judoka Naidangiin Tuvshinbayar.
Tuvshinbayar's medal triggered raucous celebrations in Mongolia's capital, Ulan Bator, and a presidential decree declared him a "hero of Labor.''
There were other breakthroughs - Tunisia and South Korea won golds in swimming for the first time; long jumper Maurren Higa Maggi became the first Brazilian women to win a gold in track.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/wires/08/24/2080.ap.as.oly.medals.race/index.html
Chinese president: Beijing Games promote Olympic spirit
Full text of Chinese President's toast at banquet for international dignitaries:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/24/content_9685346.htm
www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-24 12:42:35
"The success of the Beijing Olympic Games is attributable to the concerted efforts of the Chinese people and people from the rest of the world," said Hu at a banquet for foreign leaders and international dignitaries who will attend the Games' closing ceremony on Sunday night.
"The glory goes to the Olympic Family, to athletes who have competed hard, to volunteers from different parts of the world and to friends the world over who have been involved in the Beijing Olympic Games in various ways," Hu said in a toast at the banquet, held in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in west Beijing.
Calling the past 16 days "a wonderful and exciting time together," the Chinese leader said that the hosting of the Beijing Olympics will give a boost to the further development of sports in China, promote more extensive exchanges and cooperation between China and the International Olympic Family, and further enhance the mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people of all other countries.
The Beijing Olympic Games have become "a grand event of international sports competition and cultural exchanges" witnessed and joined by people of the whole world, said Hu.
Since the opening of the Beijing Games, friends from all parts of the world have come together in the Chinese capital to experience the charm of the International Olympic Movement, said the president.
"The Chinese people have greeted all the guests with great enthusiasm and shared with people from across the world the joy and happiness," he added.
He expressed sincere thanks to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Family for their support and assistance, and extended heartfelt congratulations to the athletes from various countries and regions on their outstanding performances at the Beijing Games.
The president also pledged that China would work hard to guarantee the success of the Paralympic Games, scheduled to open in Beijing in early September.
"With the goal of 'Two Games, Equal Splendor," we will deliver a high-standard Paralympic Games with distinctive features and continue to contribute our part to the development of the International Olympic Movement," he said.
He expressed the confidence that through the concerted efforts of people all over the world, the Olympic spirit will be carried forward and mankind will enjoy an even better future.
"We all look forward to the reunion in London in four years' time!" he told the guests.
Among the guests were IOC President Jacques Rogge and Honorary President Juan Antonio Samaranch, heads of state and government, and representatives of royal families.
Editor: Xinhuanet
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/24/content_9675684.htm
U.S. Seeks Immediate Release of Olympic Protesters
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 24, 2008
Filed at 12:42 a.m. ET
BEIJING (AP) -- Washington's top diplomat in China pressed the government to immediately free foreign activists jailed for protesting during the Olympics, and criticized Beijing Sunday for failing to use the games to show "greater tolerance and openness."
Chinese police have sentenced at least 10 foreigners to 10 days of detention for protesting during the games, including eight Americans, a German and a British citizen. The activists were among small groups of demonstrators who unfurled banners criticizing China's rule in Tibet in the capital just before and during the games.
The protesters were quickly dragged away by security forces and, in the first week of the 17-day event, escorted out of China within days. But activists caught in the last week of the games have been kept in custody under rules that allow officials to hold them without charge for up to 14 days.
British and U.S. officials are seeking the quick release of their citizens.
Ambassador Clark T. Randt Jr. said consular officials met with eight detained Americans on Friday, and that they had not made any claims of maltreatment at the hands of Chinese officials.
On Saturday, Randt pressed the Chinese government to immediately release the Americans, the Embassy said in a statement. U.S. officials would continue to raise concerns about the detentions with senior Chinese officials.
"We are disappointed that China has not used the occasion of the Olympics to demonstrate greater tolerance and openness," the statement said.
It urged China to show respect for human rights, freedom of speech and religion.
Britain's Foreign Office also issued a statement, confirming the detention of a British citizen and urging the Chinese government "to respect its commitment to freedom of expression." It also urged British citizens to respect China's laws.
China said it would allow protests during the Olympic Games in three designated areas and required protesters to apply for protest permits. But no applications to demonstrate were approved.
The Public Security Bureau did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the detained foreigners' cases.
The bureau issued a statement Thursday that said a separate group of foreigners who were arrested Tuesday were ordered to serve 10 days of detention. Police did not identify the detainees, but activist group Students for a Free Tibet said they were bloggers, artists and activists from the United States.
The Embassy named the detained U.S. activists as James Powderly, Brian Conley, Jeffrey Rae, Jeff Goldin, Michael Liss and Tom Grant, a group taken into custody last Wednesday, and Jeremy Wells and John Watterberg, who were detained on Thursday.
It said Chinese authorities said the group detained Wednesday would be released Aug. 30. The pair detained on Thursday would be released Aug. 31.
Separately, the Chinese Human Rights Defenders group said AIDS activist Wang Xiaoqiao, who has been detained for nine months, has been convicted and sentenced to one year in prison in Xincai, a county in the central province of Henan. The organization accused the government of waiting until the Olympics, when the world was distracted by the games, to sentence Wang.
Phone calls to the Xincai county court and to the news office of the county's public security bureau were not answered Sunday.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-AS-OLY-China-Protests.html?_r=2&ref=olympics&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
This link is a spoof, hope you chickle
U.S. outshoot brave Spain for gold
By Alastair Himmer
Sun Aug 24, 6:32 AM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080824/sp_nm/olympics_basketball_men_dc_3
BEIJING (Reuters) - Hot favorites the United States won Olympic men's basketball gold by outgunning Spain 118-107 in an epic final of hard fouls and flying elbows on Sunday.
The American players whooped with joy at the final buzzer before forming a huddle and dancing around the centre circle as chants of "USA, USA" erupted from the crowd of 18,000.
"USA is back on top again," LeBron James told reporters. "Respect to Spain. They were unbelievable. We had a game plan and they countered with incredible plays.
"The game was never over. I'm watching the game all over again in my head. It will go down in history as one of the greatest."
Argentina, champions at the 2004 Athens Olympics, took bronze by outmuscling Lithuania in a 87-75 victory earlier on the final day of the Games.
World champions Spain were down by as many as 14 points in the first half but pulled to within two on a Rudy Fernandez three-pointer with 8:13 left in the gold medal showdown.
Jolted into action, Kobe Bryant swished two huge three-pointers, putting his finger to his lips after the second which put the United States back up by eight with 3:10 left.
Dwyane Wade led the way with 27 points, sealing the game on another long bomb which he celebrated with a gunslinger's pose and a snarl of defiance to the crowd.
BIG SHOTS
"I've always been able to step up and make big shots when the lights are brightest," said Wade, who made nine of 12 shots from the floor. "I just needed to be put in the position to do it."
Bryant, who turned 30 the day before the final, added 20 points. The Americans, relegated to bronze in Athens four years ago, have now won 13 Olympic men's basketball titles.
"What you saw today was a team," said Bryant, his gold medal around his neck. "Everyone talks about 'arrogant' NBA players but what you saw was us facing adversity and bonding together."
The only cheer louder than that for Bryant was when TV cameras spotted former England soccer captain David Beckham courtside and his face flashed up on the giant arena screen.
Crushed 119-82 by the Americans in the tournament's group stage, Spain hung on toughly in the final.
Fernandez scored 22 points and Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers team mate Pau Gasol added 21.
"We should be proud of what we accomplished," said Gasol. "We played a tough game. We never backed down."
With an injured Manu Ginobili watching from the bench in jeans and a T-shirt, Carlos Delfino stepped up to lead Argentina with 20 points against Lithuania.
(Additional reporting by Erik Kirschbaum and Gelu Sulugiuc, Editing by Ed Osmond and Ralph Gowling)
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Beijing Olympics most-watched in Games history
www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-24 17:07:45 Print
SHANGHAI, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- A record 4.4 billion people, about two-thirds of the world's population, watched the Beijing Olympic events from Aug. 8 to 17, making the Games the most watched in history, the Nielsen Company said on Sunday.
The company drew TV audience data from 38 countries and regions, including the host nation China, the United States, Brazil, South Africa, Italy and Australia.
The viewing numbers for the Beijing Games had already exceeded those achieved by the 2004 Athens Olympics, which attracted 3.9 billion viewers. The Sydney Games in 2000 had 3.6 billion viewers.
The company said the Beijing Games closing ceremony on Sunday night looked "all set to break further records."
Editor: Xinhuanet
New World Records at Beijing Games
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/24/content_9681991.htm
Paperwork gaffe caused gymnast age questions
'Misunderstanding appeared' during He Kixin's transfer to state team
AP
updated 11:55 p.m. CT, Sat., Aug. 23, 2008
BEIJING - China’s deputy sports minister has attributed the confusion about the age of one of its gold medalist gymnasts to a paperwork mistake during a team transfer.
At last year’s China’s Cities Games, Chinese officials decided to move He Kexin, who won two gold medals during the Beijing Games, from a local team to the national team. China’s deputy sports minister Cui Dalin said Sunday that it was during this transfer that a “misunderstanding appeared” about her age.
“Last year at the all-city competition, He Kexin moved from one team to another and during the process of registering during the move, there appeared this age discrepancy,” Cui said during a news conference.
“So it was the appearance of a mistake in the process of transferring teams that the misunderstanding appeared. However, I can right here accurately say that the ages of the members of our gymnastics delegation entirely conform to the requirements for participation in the Beijing Olympic Games.”
It was at last year’s China’s Cities Games that the Chinese government’s news agency, Xinhua, identified He as one of “10 big new stars” who made a splash at the event and gave her age as 13 in a Nov. 3, 2007 report.
If the age reported by Xinhua was correct, that would have meant He was too young to be on the Chinese team that beat the United States to clinch China’s first women’s team Olympic gold in gymnastics.
Cui’s explanation comes as officials from the International Gymnastics Federation pored over documents in hopes of putting to rest, once and for all, persistent questions about the ages of all but one member of the six-person team. Chinese gymnastics officials handed over passports, ID cards and family residence permits after the FIG — at the request of the International Olympic Committee — asked for additional documentation on He, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan, Deng Linlin and Li Shanshan.
Gymnasts must turn 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible. Some media reports and online documents have suggested they could be as young as 14.
“All information is in Chinese and the (federation) is making as thorough analysis as possible of the papers,” the FIG said in a statement Saturday. “This process may take some time, but in due course, the FIG will make a full report of our findings to the International Olympic Committee.”
There is no deadline for the investigation, and the Chinese have insisted the entire team is old enough to compete.
“The international federation has required the delivery of birth certificates and all the documents like family books, entries in schools and things like that,” IOC president Jacques Rogge said Sunday. “They have received the documents, and at first sight it seems to be OK.”
Cui said the Chinese Gymnastics Federation had “actively cooperated” with the FIG and that checks had confirmed “the ages of the members of our gymnastics delegation entirely conform to the requirements for participation in the Beijing Olympic Games. “
If evidence of cheating is found, four of China’s six medals could be affected. In addition to the team gold, He won gold on uneven bars and Yang got bronze medals on uneven bars and the all-around.
He was a last-minute no-show at a concert Saturday night with other Chinese gold medalists, and no explanation was given. Cheng Fei, the only team member whose age hasn’t been questioned, was there, but did not do interviews.
Earlier this month, the AP found registration lists previously posted on the Web site of the General Administration of Sport of China that showed both He and Yang were too young to compete. He was born Jan. 1, 1994, according to the 2005, 2006 and 2007 registration lists. Yang was born Aug. 26, 1993, according to the 2004, 2005 and 2006 registration lists. In the 2007 registration list, however, her birthday has changed to Aug. 26, 1992.
“It’s not just me. The parents of our athletes are all very indignant,” coach Lu Shanzhen said Friday. “They have faced groundless suspicion. Why aren’t they believed? Why are their children suspected? Their parents are very angry.”
Until it directed gymnastics official to look into the age allegations one last time, the IOC had said it checked the girls’ passports and deemed them valid. The FIG has said repeatedly that a passport is “accepted proof of a gymnast’s eligibility.”
But the controversy never quite went away, with new reports of age discrepancies surfacing every few days. Neither the FIG nor IOC has said what prompted the IOC to ask the federation to investigate, especially since competition was already over, but both said it wanted the matter resolved quickly.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26371731/
VIDEO: DIVING Beijing wrap up:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0824_divwrap_ja429&channelcode=sportdv
With public trust - everything is possible.
Without public trust - nothing is possible.
Abe Lincoln
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From tragedy to triumph: U.S. wins gold Team USA earns first gold medal in 20 years
SLIDE SHOW: http://www.nbcolympics.com/volleyball/photos/galleryid=253748.html
By the Associated Press
Posted Saturday, August 23, 2008 8:58 PM ET
BEIJING (AP) -- As the crowd roared and his team exulted in its gold medals, the coach of the U.S. men's volleyball team buried his head in his hands and walked off the court. He had gone from the lowest low to the highest high, and it was all too much.
Hugh McCutcheon needed to be alone.
Just two weeks ago, at the start of the Olympics, his father-in-law had been stabbed to death in Beijing. He stepped away from his job to take care of his family. But his team, stirred by the tragedy, began an incredible run, ending Sunday with a 3-1 victory over defending champion Brazil -- a team that they were never expected to beat.
"It all was starting to sink in," he said. "I had to take a step out and collect my thoughts and collect my emotions and come back out. It's a very meaningful moment."
In two weeks of competition, the Americans were undefeated. The 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 final gave the U.S. men their third Olympic gold medal in the sport, matching the record set by the Russians. Top-ranked Brazil, a two-time gold medalist, was left with the silver medal. Russia won the bronze earlier in the day with a three-set victory over Italy.
Usually, the Olympic focus is on the athletes. But the tragedy endured by this coach was an integral part of his team's story.
"He'll be the first to tell you that winning won't bring Todd back," U.S. wing spiker Reid Priddy said. "However this is a goal that he and his family have invested their lives in, just like we have. And so I know this is an incredibly special moment for us."
Todd Bachman was killed while sightseeing at the 13th-century Drum Tower in Beijing the day after opening ceremonies. Bachman's wife, Barbara, was badly wounded; the assailant jumped to his death from the tower.
McCutcheon missed the team's first three games to be with his wife, former volleyball Olympian Elisabeth "Wiz" Bachman McCutcheon, who was there when the attack occurred. Barbara Bachman eventually improved enough to return to the U.S. by air ambulance.
McCutcheon's assistant Ron Larsen was interim head coach while McCutcheon was with his family. And it was his assistants who McCutcheon hugged after the final point Sunday, before walking away. He did not return for a long while, and when he did, he embraced veteran Lloy Ball.
"It dawned on me that we'd just won the thing and I grabbed my staff. They've been so instrumental in our success, obviously for the first three matches of this tournament they were without me and they did a wonderful job. Then after I shook the coaches' hands, it was just a little too much," he said.
McCutcheon raised his hands in victory at the medal ceremony.
"I'm sure he was overwhelmed by everything, not only what happened on the volleyball court," U.S. libero Rich Lambourne said. "It's just something he poured his heart and soul into for the last four years."
"But certainly with the tragedy that befell his family at the beginning of these games, I'm so happy he was able to be here and experience this with us," he added. "Because he's a huge, if not the biggest, part of our team."
The Americans won gold in 1984 and 1988 before taking the bronze in Barcelona. They finished fourth in Athens in 2004.
A day earlier, in another U.S.-Brazil volleyball showdown, the U.S. women came away with a silver medal after losing 3-1. It was the first time since the 1984 Los Angeles Games that both the American men and women advanced to the Olympic finals.
The men's victory was secured when Clay Stanley's spike sailed toward Brazilian star Giba, who popped the ball out of bounds. Giba crouched on the floor in disbelief, and the U.S. team rushed on the court to embrace.
Brazil has dominated international play most of this decade and was favored to win the gold in Beijing. In addition to winning in Athens in 2004, the team won the World Cup last year, defending its 2003 title. It also took gold in the 2002 and 2006 world championships, and had won Olympic gold in 1992.
Stanley scored 20 points to lead the Americans. Dante Amaral paced Brazil with 15. The Brazilians won the first set and looked to be on their way to gold, but the Americans won the next three.
"It's hard to analyze the match right now. The U.S. played very well. They've grown a lot in the last few years," Giba said. "We did our best, but the best was not enough."
Throughout the games, team members marked their shoes with the initials of Todd and Barbara Bachman as a gesture of sympathy and support. McCutcheon said his father-in-law was an avid volleyball fan, and he would have been proud of the team's achievements.
"It hasn't been easy, not that it was ever going to be easy. But when you throw in the emotional load that the team has had to bear collectively, for them to come through and be this good is a wonderful achievement," he said.
McCutcheon planned to return to the United States on Sunday night. He had already spoken to his wife, who stayed up late in the United States to watch the match: "She said it first. She said, 'You won, you won, you won.' Nothing else to say there, just listening to each other smile on the phone."
And so it was over.
"We need to get home and get on with that now," McCutcheon said. `My work here is done."
Tragic Heroes at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
It's easy and exhilarating to get caught up in the glory of the Olympics. Of Michael Phelps's eight gold medals, and Nastia Liukin's five-medal total. Of swimmer Dara Torres's comeback at age 41, of double-golds for men's & women's beach volleyball.
But the Olympic spirit embodies more. And sometimes its glory can be found in its sorrow. These are heartbreaks amid the glory.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/24/content_9675478.htm
Ten Dark Horses of Beijing Olympics
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/24/content_9682816.htm
Wanjiru becomes first Kenyan to win Olympic men's marathon
Samuel Wanjiru broke the Olympic mark of 2:09.21 - - Kenya's Samuel Kamau Wansiru reacts after crossing the finish line
Story Highlights
• He finished in an Olympic record of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 32 seconds
• Jaouad Gharib of Morocco won silver in 2:07.16
SI.com
Posted: Saturday August 23, 2008 10:02PM; Updated: Sunday August 24, 2008 4:11AM
BEIJING (AP) -- Samuel Wanjiru already had made a name for himself in the heady world of Kenyan distance running. Now he stands alone.
He pulled away over the final few miles Sunday to become the first Kenyan to win an Olympic marathon -- and he did it faster than anyone ever has.
Wanjiru negotiated the 26.2-mile course through the Beijing streets in bright morning sunshine in an Olympic record of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 32 seconds.
"In Kenya we have many medals," Wanjiru said, "but I'm glad I have this one."
His name was listed on the official results sheet as Wansiru, but the Kenyan said that spelling was incorrect.
Kenyans had twice won men's marathon silver, most recently in 2000, but never a gold.
At the Beijing Games, Kenya won 14 track and field medals, behind only the United States (23) and Russia (18). Five of them were gold.
The biggest concern about this race leading to the Olympics was the quality of the air. World record-holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia decided not to run because of the pollution.
But on Sunday, after an overnight thunderstorm, a glorious blue sky greeted the final day of these games.
The women's marathon a week earlier was run in a light rain, and the air quality posed no problems for the runners.
The race began at the edge of Tiananmen Square, then wound around the Temple of Heaven before turning toward the Olympic Green and the Bird's Nest, where colorful dancers, drummers and cyclists entertained the crowd as it awaited the runners.
This was just the third marathon for the 21-year-old Wanjiru, who first set the world half-marathon record at age 18, then broke it twice again last year.
Two-time world champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco won the silver in 2:07:16. Ethiopian Tsegay Kebede, winner of this year's Paris Marathon, took the bronze in 2:10:00. Ethiopian Deriba Merga led much of the race but faded badly at the end to wind up fourth.
The crowd roared as Wanjiru entered the Bird's Nest, and he responded by raising his left hand, then clapped several times. The final lap in the last event of track and field at the Beijing Olympics was run around an infield painted blue for the night's closing ceremony.
Just across the line, Wanjiru -- all 112 pounds of him -- kneeled and crossed himself several times. He had just broken the Olympic mark of 2:09:21 set by Carlos Lopes of Portugal in the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
As Wanjiru was still on one knee, Gharib crossed the line for the silver.
"I had to push the pace to tire the other runners," Wanjiru said. "I had to push the pace because my body gets tired when I slow down."
Wanjiru, who trains at 7,600 feet on a trail that runs alongside spectacular Thompson Falls, won the Fukuoka International Marathon in Japan last December and was runner-up at the London Marathon in April.
Americans Dathan Ritzenhein and Ryan Hall finished ninth and 10th, respectively.
Defending Olympic champion Stefano Baldini of Italy, in his final marathon, finished 12th, then praised those who finished at the front.
"In the last 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) it was unbelievable what the ... Africans were able to do under these conditions," he said.
The temperature was 75 degrees with 52 percent humidity when the race began at 7:30 a.m. and it heated up steadily through the morning, reaching 86 degrees by the finish.
The lead pack began to separate through the first three miles. By the halfway mark, eight were grouped at the front, led by Eritrean Yonas Kifle.
After almost 19 miles, the pack had dwindled to three -- Wanjiru, Merga and Gharib.
Reigning world champion Luke Kibet of Kenya stayed with the leaders through the early stages but fell back and finally pulled out of the race shortly past the halfway mark. He later said he had a stomach problem.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/08/23/wanjiru.marathon.ap/index.html
With public trust - everything is possible.
Without public trust - nothing is possible.
Abe Lincoln
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Look-ahead: Sunday in Beijing
The curtain will fall on the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing on Sunday with four medal events involving Americans,
followed by the Closing Ceremony at 8 p.m. Beijing time (8 a.m. ET):
Men's marathon, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday -- Olympic Trials champion Ryan Hall, two-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein and multiple-time national road running champion Brian Sell compete in the race that begins near Tiananmen Square and finishes at the Bird's Nest (National Stadium). Here's the start list for the event.
Men's indoor volleyball gold medal match, midnight ET Saturday -- The inspirational story of the USA men's volleyball team will see its final chapter written, as the Americans play top-ranked Brazil for gold. Brazil goes into the match with a 6-1 record, losing to the Russian team in pool play that the USA beat in Friday's semifinals. (Russia and Italy play for the bronze Saturday night at 10 p.m. ET.) The U.S. men, 7-0 in this tournament, are playing in their first Olympic gold-medal match since 1988. The Americans have been playing under the difficult circumstances of their coach, Hugh McCutcheon, having missed several games due to the attack on his family members that left his father-in-law dead and his mother-in-law wounded. (Rosters, line score here.)
Men's basketball, 2:30 a.m. ET -- The Redeem Team, often compared to the 1992 Dream Team, plays Spain, a team it already has beaten by 37 points, for gold today. The 119-82 setback was Spain's only loss in the tournament, while the USA is unbeaten. Spain's Pau Gasol is leading the tournament at 19.4 points per game. Spain is likely to play without the injured Jose Calderon, who was averaging 7.3 points per game. (Rosters, line score here.) Lithuania and Argentina play at midnight ET for the bronze medal.
Men's water polo, 3:40 a.m. ET -- Two-time defending gold medalists Hungary is standing between the USA and a gold medal in this sport. USA got this far by beating Serbia 10-5 in the semifinals. Goalie Merrill Moses has been hot of late, with 16 saves against the Serbs. (Rosters, line score here.)
Archer Khatuna Lorig will lead the U.S. contingent in the Closing Ceremony as flag bearer. She has competed in previous Olympics for the Soviet Union in 1992, and for Georgia in 1996 and 2000. She became an American citizen shortly after the 2004 Games in Atlanta.
Scattered afternoon showers are forecast, with a high of 84.
Posted by Gary Kicinski at 06:00 PM/ET, August 23, 2008 in Look-ahead | Permalink
http://blogs.usatoday.com/goingforgold/2008/08/look-ahead-su-2.html
Aussie Mitcham wins diving gold with four perfect 10s
Updated 8h 9m ago
BEIJING (AP) — Matthew Mitcham of Australia, earning four perfect 10s on his last dive, has won the men's 10-meter platform and prevented China from sweeping the Olympic diving gold medals.
Mitcham totaled 537.95 points in the six-dive final, edging Zhou Luxin of China by 4.80 points, and sending the platform title Down Under for the first time. He's the first Aussie man to win a diving gold since 1924.
Zhou, who had a crooked entry on his last dive, took the silver with 533.15 points. Gleb Galperin of Russia earned the bronze with 525.80.
VIDEO: Sights and Sounds from the 2008 Olympics
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/graphics/olympics/2008/sights_and_sounds/flash.htm
No matter how it is sliced,
they performed wonderfully....
thanks for the post B
good weekend,,
still raining...........
SI SLIDE SHOW: Beijing Games Day 15
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0808/oly.beijing.day15/content.4.html
NBC SLIDE SHOW: Day 15 Photos of the games
http://www.nbcolympics.com/photos/galleryid=250327.html
Kicked out: Cuban banned for life
PHOTOS:
After being declared the loser of the bronze medal match, Cuba's Angel Matos attacked the referee.
He and his both were both banned for life from all future World Taekwondo Federation events
http://www.nbcolympics.com/taekwondo/photos/galleryid=251421.html
VIDEO:http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0823_sd_tkm_au_l1783&channelcode=sporttk
By the Associated Press
Posted Saturday, August 23, 2008 5:42 AM ET
BEIJING (AP) -- Cuba's Angel Matos deliberately kicked a referee square in the face after he was disqualified in a bronze-medal match, prompting the World Taekwondo Federation to recommend he be banned for life.
"We didn't expect anything like what you have witnessed to occur," said WTF secretary general Yang Jin-suk. "I am at a loss for words."
Yang also recommended Matos' coach be banned.
Matos was winning 3-2, with 1:02 left in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov. Matos was sitting there, awaiting medical attention, when he was disqualified for taking too much injury time. Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.
Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, who will require stitches in his lip. Matos spat on the floor and was escorted out.
"This is an insult to the Olympic vision, an insult to the spirit of taekwondo and, in my opinion, an insult to mankind," Yang said.
Matos' coach was unapologetic.
"He was too strict," Leudis Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos. Afterward, he charged the match was fixed, accusing the Kazakhs of offering him money.
Although the arena announcer said Matos and his coach were banned effective immediately, Yang said due process must be followed before officially banning the two.
In his first match, Matos defeated Italy's Leonardo Basile, then beat China's Liu Xiaobo 2-1 in the quarterfinals. But he lost to South Korean Cha Dong-min in the semis to land in the bronze-medal match.
"To me it was obvious he was unable to continue," Chilmanov said. "His toe on his left foot was broken."
But Chilmanov added: "Rules are rules. I'm happy with my medal."
Matos won the gold medal in this division - the men's over 80-kilograms (176 pounds) - at the 2000 Sydney Games, dedicating the victory to his mother, who died on the day of the opening ceremony. At the 2004 Athens Games, he finished 11th.
Matos' bad behavior followed a day of confusion on the mats and ended the four-day taekwondo competition, which was marred by several protests against judge's calls.
Earlier Saturday, China's double gold medalist Chen Zhong crashed out in the quarterfinals after initially being declared the winner.
World champion Maria del Rosario Espinoza, the eventual winner in the women's over 67-kilogram (147.4 pounds) class, was to fight Chen in the semifinals but the judges overturned an earlier ruling and made Britain's Sarah Stevenson the winner of the quarterfinal bout in which Chen scored in the closing seconds of the second round and then Stevenson tagged her with a head kick - worth two points - in the third.
The judges ruled Stevenson's kick wasn't solid enough for points, and Chen was declared the winner 1-0. After Britain protested, the result was changed to put Stevenson in the semifinal.
The decision brought loud jeers from the crowd. China did not appeal.
It was the first time a match result has been overturned since taekwondo became an official Olympic sport in 1990.
"It's been a really tough day, an emotional rollercoaster," Stevenson said. "I would have been devastated if they hadn't changed the decision."
Stevenson won bronze, along with Brazil's Natalia Falavigna.
Cha made it four-for-four gold medals for South Korea. In taekwondo, countries are allowed to enter only four athletes.
Cha fell behind when Alexandros Nikolaidis of Greece nailed him with a head kick 15 seconds into the bout. But he came back with a body kick and a head shot of his own to take back the lead, adding another point to go 4-3 going into the third round.
Nikolaidis evened it out at 4-4 with a body kick, but Cha scored with just 18 seconds left to claim the gold in the men's over-80 kg (176 pounds) division.
Nikolaidis said he felt the judging was bad in the gold-medal match as well.
"I don't think in press conferences we should discuss referees and things," he said. "But I think I deserved a couple of things that didn't come to me."
Daba Modibo Keita of Mali, the 2007 world champion, was defeated in overtime in the quarterfinals by Nigeria's Chika Yagazie Chukwumerije, who ended up with the other bronze.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/taekwondo/news/newsid=251304.html#kicked+out+cuban+banned+outburst
With public trust - everything is possible.
Without public trust - nothing is possible.
Abe Lincoln
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An introduction to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with photos ... and more: http://www.kinabaloo.com/beijing_olympics.html
Olympic Events Viewer's Guide: Summaries Of The Major Events: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/06/olympic-events-viewers-gu_n_117367.htmlThe Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: http://en.beijing2008.cn/
China Daily: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/
China View: http://www.chinaview.cn/08olympics/index.htm
NBCOlympics - Athlete, Team Profiles, Olympic News: http://www.nbcolympics.com/NBCOlympics 2008 - Competition Schedule - Aug. 5 thru 24: http://www.nbcolympics.com/resultsandschedules/index.htmlNBCOlympics 2008 - Detailed Schedule TV & Online Listings per your Zip code: http://www.nbcolympics.com/tv_and_online_listings/index.htmlMSNBC - Beijing Olympics: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24696691/Sports Illustrated - 2008 Beijing Olympics: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2008/
Sports Illustrated - Olympics Wire Stories: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/wires/
Sports Illustrated - Gallery, 25 Greatest U.S. Olympians: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0807/all.time.greatest.summer.olympians/content.1.html
Sports Illustrated - Gallery, 20 Greatest Summer Olympic Moments: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0807/top.20.olympic.summer.moments/content.1.html
USATODAY - Olympic news and coverage: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/default.htm
ESPN "MOMENT IN TIME" - HOPEFULS • DOCUMENTARY • MEMORABLE MOMENTS • WHERE ARE THEY NOW • GLOBAL VOICES
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/moment#/hopefuls
Final Overall Medal Standings: http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/95A/GL0000000.shtml
Complete All-TIME Medal Standings: http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals/alltime/index.html
Metal Tracker: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2008/medals/tracker/index.html
Exclusive Photos from NEWSWEEK Photographers, continual coverage - - from Opening Ceremony: http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/olympicpix/default.aspx
1896 Athens, Greece ~~ The first International Olympics
An idea proposed in 1892 by Baron de Coubertin of France is realized, and the International Olympic Committee is born.
Athletes from 14 countries attend the games. The first victory in the modern Olympics is awarded to American James B. Connolly in the triple jump.
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