Friday, August 8, 2008

latest information








2008 Summer Olympics




  •  


  • LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT OLYMPIC , 2008







  •    2008 Summer Olympics



    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





    Jump to: navigation,
    search








































































    Games
    of the XXIX Olympiad



    Official logo of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games




    同一个世界同一个梦想
    (One World, One Dream)

    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
    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
    TBA
    Judge's
    Oath
    TBA
    Olympic
    Torch
    TBA
    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
    , is a major international
    multi-sport
    event
    which is being celebrated in Beijing,
    People's
    Republic of China
    from August
    8
    to August
    24
    , 2008 and
    followed by the 2008
    Summer Paralympics
    from September
    6
    to September
    17
    . Ten thousand, five hundred athletes are expected to compete in 302
    events in 28 sports, just one event more than was on the schedule of the 2004
    games
    .[2]
    The 2008 Beijing Olympics will also mark the third time that Olympic events
    will have been held in the territories of two different National
    Olympic Committees
    (NOC): at the 2008 Olympics, equestrian events will be
    held in Hong
    Kong
    , which competes separately from mainland
    China
    .


    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), referencing the host city. The mascots of
    Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa,
    each representing both a colour of the Olympic
    rings
    and a symbol of Chinese culture. The Olympic slogan, One World,
    One Dream
    , calls upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. Several
    new NOCs have also been recognised by the IOC.


    The Chinese
    government
    has promoted the games to highlight China's emergence on the
    world stage and has invested heavily in new facilities and transportation
    systems.[3][4]
    A total of 37 venues will be used to host the events including 12 newly
    constructed venues. Earlier in 2007, former IOC president Juan
    Antonio Samaranch
    had said that he believes that the Beijing games will be
    "the best in Olympic history,"[5]
    and despite the controversies that have marred the image of the Chinese
    Olympics, current president Jacques
    Rogge
    asserts that the IOC has "absolutely no regrets" in
    choosing Beijing to host the 2008 games.[6]










    Contents


    [hide]





    Bid












































    2008 Summer Olympics bidding results
    City NOC Round 1 Round 2
    Beijing Flag of the People's Republic of China
    China
    44 56
    Toronto Flag of Canada
    Canada
    20 22
    Paris Flag of France
    France
    15 18
    Istanbul Flag of Turkey
    Turkey
    17 9
    Osaka Flag of Japan
    Japan
    6






    Beijing was elected the host city on July
    13
    , 2001,
    during the 112th IOC
    Session in Moscow,
    beating 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 6 votes and was eliminated. In the second
    round, Beijing was supported by an absolute
    majority
    of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds.[7]


    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."
    Previously, Beijing had bid to host the 2000
    Summer Olympics
    . It led the voting over the first three rounds, but
    ultimately lost to Sydney
    in the final round in 1993.



    Development and preparation



    Venues














    2008
    Summer Olympics


    IOC ·
    COC ·
    SF&OCHK ·
    BOCOG






    By May 2007, construction of all 31 Beijing-based Olympic Games venues had
    begun.[8]
    The Chinese
    government is also investing in the renovation and construction of 6 venues
    outside Beijing as well as 59 training centres. Its largest architectural
    pieces will be the Beijing
    National Stadium
    , Beijing
    National Indoor Stadium
    , Beijing
    National Aquatics Centre
    , Olympic
    Green Convention Centre
    , Olympic
    Green
    , and Beijing
    Wukesong Culture & Sports Center
    . Almost 85% of the construction
    budget for the six main venues is being funded by US$2.1
    billion (RMB¥17.4
    billion) in corporate bids and tenders. Investments are 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.


    Some events will be held outside Beijing, namely football
    (in Qinhuangdao,
    Shanghai,
    Shenyang,
    and Tianjin),
    sailing
    (in Qingdao),
    and equestrian
    (in Hong
    Kong
    , because of "uncertainties of equine diseases and major
    difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone").[9]



    Beijing National Stadium





    Main article: Beijing
    National Stadium






    The Beijing National Stadium.




    The Beijing National Stadium.



    The centrepiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics will be the Beijing
    National Stadium, nicknamed the "Bird nest" because of its nest-like
    skeletal structure.[10]
    Construction of the venue began on December
    24
    , 2003. The
    Guangdong
    Olympic Stadium
    was originally planned, constructed, and completed in 2001
    for the Games, but a decision was made to construct a new stadium in Beijing.[clarify][11]
    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 concrete skeleton forming the stadium bowl and will have a
    seating capacity of over 90,000 people during the Olympics. Architects
    originally described the overall design as resembling a bird nest with an
    immense ocular—an opening with a retractable
    roof
    over the stadium. However, in 2004, the idea of retractable roof was
    abandoned for economic and safety reasons. The Beijing National Stadium will
    be the site of the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the athletics
    events and soccer finals. The stadium's designer Ai
    Weiwei
    has since withdrawn his support for China's Olympic games, saying
    "he wants nothing to do with them anymore".[12][13]


    Most recently, 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.




    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.



    In preparation for the huge rush during the games, Beijing's
    subway
    system underwent a major expansion which increased its capacity to
    more than twice its previous size. The previous system was composed of 4 lines
    and 64 stations. An additional 7 lines and more than 80 new stations were
    constructed, including a direct link to Beijing
    Capital International Airport
    . In the airport itself, 11 unmanned trains,
    each transporting a maximum of 83 passengers, will expedite the movement of
    people throughout the new terminal building.[14]
    Most of them are scheduled to operate from June
    30
    , 2008, one
    month before the start of the games. In January 2007, the BOCOG
    announced that the Metro cars will be fitted with video screens showing the
    latest news and events during the games. Additionally, cellphone signals would
    be made available, so that people can use their communication devices in the
    metro stations or underground.[15]
    On August 1, Beijing
    South Railway Station
    was reopened after two years of construction. The
    120-km long Beijing–Tianjin
    Intercity Rail
    opened on the same day that connects the new railway
    station with Olympic co-host city Tianjin with world's fastest
    scheduled train service at 350 km/h.[16]


    According to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, a new
    five-level emergency
    alert system
    for extreme
    weather
    and security threats will be implemented in the airport. This
    system is designed to ensure smooth and safe transportation for the estimated
    3 million domestic and overseas visitors who will flock to Beijing for the
    games in August 2008.[17]


    On the ground, Beijing is set to designate 38 official public transit
    routes that will link the Olympic venues. During the games, 2,500 large-size buses
    and 4,500 minibuses
    will be operated by a total of 8,000 drivers to transport people across
    various venues. Prior to the games, public transport will be optimised in
    order to reduce the existing 110 overlapping routes.[18]


    Athletes, Olympic guests and media will be moved around the city in a fleet
    of 5,000 Volkswagen "low-emission, low-consumption" vehicles.[19]
    Volkswagen Group China will also have a dedicated pavilion to showcase their
    brands to the public throughout the event.


    Beijing
    will be implementing a temporary road
    space rationing
    based on plate numbers during the Games in order to
    significantly improve air quality in the city.[20]
    Under the traffic plan made public on June
    20
    , 2008, the
    rationing will be enforced for two months, between July 20 to September 20, as
    the Olympics will begin on August 8, and then will be followed by the 2008 Paralympics,
    from September 6 until 17.[21][dead
    link
    ]
    The restrictions will be in placed on alternate
    days depending on the plates ending in odd or even numbers. This measure is
    expected to take 45% of the 3.3 million car fleet off the streets. In
    addition, 300,000 heavy polluting vehicles will be banned from July 1, and the
    plan also prohibits access to most vehicles coming from outside Beijing. The
    boosted public transport network is expected to absorb this additional demand,
    estimated in more than 4 million extra passengers per day.[22][21]



    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 (,
    "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."[23]


    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.)[24]
    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.[10]


    The 2008 Olympic Mascots are the five Fuwa
    (simplified
    Chinese
    : 福娃,
    literally "good luck dolls" initially known as Friendlies in
    English). The Fuwa consist of five members that incorporate fish,
    giant
    panda
    , fire, Tibetan
    antelope
    , and swallow
    designs. The Fuwa each have as their primary colour, one of the colours of the
    five Olympic
    Rings
    that stand for the five continents. The five Fuwa are named Beibei,
    Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. When the first syllable of each of the
    five names are said together, the result is the phrase
    (Běijīng huānyíng nĭ) which means "Beijing
    welcomes you
    ".[25]



    Broadcasting










    These games will be the first to be produced and broadcast entirely in high
    definition television
    , and will likely garner upwards of 4 billion
    viewers.[26]
    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,"[27]
    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."[28]




















































































































































































































































































































































































































    Torch relay




    2008 Olympic Torch




    2008 Olympic Torch








    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 kilometer per hour winds, and in rain of
    up to 50 millimeters per hour.


    The relay, with the theme Journey of Harmony, is expected to last
    130 days and carry 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
    .[83][84]
    So far, the torch relay has been called a "public relations
    disaster" by The Times[85]
    for China, with protests of China's
    human rights record
    , particularly about Tibet.




    Route of the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay




    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 have been selected from around the world by
    various organizations and entities.[86]


    The international portion of the relay was a problematic, month-long world
    tour that has seen 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 following day, the flame was extinguished in Paris .[87]
    The American leg in San Francisco on 9
    April
    was altered without prior warning to avoid such scenes, although
    there were still demonstrations along the original route.[88]
    The relay was further delayed and simplified after the 2008
    Sichuan earthquake
    affecting western China.




    Protesters for and against the Tibetan Independence Movement, as well as the Games during the Olympic torch relay in San Francisco.




    Protesters for and against the Tibetan
    Independence Movement
    , as well as the Games during the Olympic torch
    relay in San
    Francisco
    .



    The flame was carried
    to the top of Mount Everest
    [86]
    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
    .[89]
    In March 2008, 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.[90]
    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.[91]


    The originally proposed route would have seen the torch carried through Taipei
    after leaving Vietnam
    and before heading for Hong Kong. Taiwan authorities, however, objected to
    this proposal, claiming that this route would make the portion of the relay in
    Taiwan appear to be part the torch's domestic journey through China, rather
    than a leg on the international route.[92]
    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[93]
    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.[94]



    The Games



    Opening ceremony







    The opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing will be held in the Beijing
    National Stadium
    , and begin at 8:00pm CST
    (UTC+8) on 8
    August
    2008.[95]
    The choice of date and time (2008-08-08 8:00) reflects the fact that the
    number 8 is considered lucky in China.[a]


    It has been announced that Canada's Celine
    Dion
    ,[96]
    Taiwan's Jay
    Chou
    ,[97]
    Britain's Sarah
    Brightman
    and China's Liu
    Huan
    [98]
    would perform during the opening ceremony.


    On July 21,
    NBC announced the Opening Ceremony would include performances by a cast of
    15,000 and declared it would be the most spectacular Olympics Opening Ceremony
    ever produced.[99]



    Participating NOCs










    Though the qualifying competitions for various sports have been completed,
    it cannot be certain until the August 8th Opening Ceremony which of the
    current 205 National
    Olympic Committees
    (NOCs)[100]
    will participate. Most NOCs participate regularly, although various
    circumstances could cause a nation to be absent from the games, as was the
    case for six NOCs at the 2006
    Winter Olympics
    . Nevertheless, placements in various qualifying events can
    help predict which nations and how many athletes will be at the games. Steven
    Roush, chief of sport performance for the United
    States Olympic Committee
    , expects that the United
    States
    will bring about 600 competitors to the games, their largest
    Olympic team thus far.[101]
    An ever larger delegation is expected for the host
    country
    . However, other delegations will be much smaller; Afghanistan,
    for example, will be represented by just four competitors. [102]


    South
    African
    swimmer Natalie
    du Toit
    , five time gold medalist at the Athens
    Paralympics in 2004
    , has 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.[103][104]
    Natalia
    Partyka
    (who was born without a right forearm) will compete in Table
    Tennis for Poland.[105]


    Below is a list of the all the participating NOCs (where available, the
    number of competitors per delegation is indicated in parentheses):[citation
    needed
    ]
























    Participation changes


    The Marshall
    Islands
    and Tuvalu
    gained National Olympic Committee status in 2006 and 2007 respectively, and
    are expected to participate in the Games.[107][dead
    link
    ]
    [108][109]


    The states of Serbia
    and Montenegro,
    which participated at the 2004 Games jointly as Serbia
    and Montenegro
    , will now compete separately. The Montenegrin Olympic
    Committee was accepted as a new National Olympic Committee in 2007.[109]
    IOC has promised to recognise the newly independent Republic of Kosovo,
    but not in time for the nation to compete in the Olympics.[110]


    North
    Korea
    and South
    Korea
    held meetings to discuss the possibility of sending a united team to
    the 2008 Olympics,[111][112]
    but the proposal failed, due to disagreements between the two NOCs on the
    proportion of athletes from the two countries within the team.[113]


    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."[114][115]
    On July 29,
    the IOC reversed its decision and will allow 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."[116]


    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. [117]



    Sports




    This pictogram depicts Athletics.

    This pictogram depicts Athletics.





    Medals of the 2008 Summer Olympics: silver (left), gold (center), bronze (right)




    Medals of the 2008 Summer Olympics: silver (left), gold (center), bronze
    (right)



    The program for the Beijing 2008 Games is quite similar to that of the Athens
    Games
    held in 2004. The 2008 Olympics will see the return of 28 sports,
    and will hold 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 will be held, which include 2 from the new cycling
    discipline of BMX.
    Women will compete in the 3000 m steeplechase
    for the first time. In addition, marathon swimming events for men and women,
    over the distance of 10 kilometres, will be added to the swimming discipline.
    Team events (men and women) in table
    tennis
    will replace the doubles events. In fencing,
    women's team foil and women's team sabre will replace men's team foil and
    women's team epee.[b][118][119]


    The Beijing
    Organizing Committee
    have released pictograms
    of the 35 Olympic disciplines. This set of sport icons is named the beauty
    of seal characters
    , due to each pictogram's likeness to Chinese seal
    script
    .[120]


    The following are the sports to be contested at these Games. The number of
    events to be contested in each sport is indicated in parentheses.





















    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 will be contested on that day.[121]

















     ●  Opening ceremony     Event competitions  ●  Event finals     Exhibition gala  ●  Closing ceremony








































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































    August 6th

    W
    7th

    T
    8th

    F
    9th

    S
    10th

    S
    11th

    M
    12th

    T
    13th

    W
    14th

    T
    15th

    F
    16th

    S
    17th

    S
    18th

    M
    19th

    T
    20th

    W
    21st

    T
    22nd

    F
    23rd

    S
    24th

    S
    Gold

    medals
    Archery       4
    Athletics

























    47
    Badminton            

    5
    Baseball                 1
    Basketball                             2
    Boxing                          




    11
    Canoeing  
     
           



    16
    Cycling

     
    18
    Diving           8
    Equestrian      
            6
    Fencing
    10
    Field
    hockey
                            2
    Football
    (soccer)
                          2
    Gymnastics      











          18
    Handball                             2
    Judo






    14
    Modern
    pentathlon
    2
    Rowing            











    14
    Sailing              




    11
    Shooting





    15
    Softball                 1
    Swimming  































    34
    Synchronized
    swimming
          2
    Table
    tennis
                  4
    Taekwondo



    8
    Tennis            

    4
    Triathlon 2
    Volleyball                         4
    Water
    polo
                              2
    Weightlifting




    15
    Wrestling





    18
    Total gold medals 7 14 13 19 17 17 16 30 34 18 20 11 23 20 31 12 302
    Ceremonies
    August 6th

    W
    7th

    T
    8th

    F
    9th

    S
    10th

    S
    11th

    M
    12th

    T
    13th

    W
    14th

    T
    15th

    F
    16th

    S
    17th

    S
    18th

    M
    19th

    T
    20th

    W
    21st

    T
    22nd

    F
    23rd

    S
    24th

    S


    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




    The banner reads: "Human Rights Abuse Cannot Co-exist with Beijing
    Olympics", picture taken during the opening of the Human
    Rights Torch Relay
    event








    Concerns over the games include the potential for boycotts from pro-Tibetan
    organizations such as Students
    for a Free Tibet
    as well as from organizations such as Amnesty
    International
    upset with China's involvement in the crisis in Darfur.[122]
    Additionally, China
    had pledged
    that it would allow open media access during the games, but Human
    Rights Watch
    alleges that it has failed to do so[123],
    and one IOC
    committee member commented anonymously that "Had the I.O.C....known seven
    years ago that there would be severe restrictions...then I seriously doubt
    whether Beijing would have been awarded the Olympics".[124]
    While some estimated 20,000 journalists had been assured unfettered Internet
    access by the IOC's Jacques
    Rogge
    , Sun Weide (孙伟德) of the Beijing Organizing
    Committee announced in late July that China would allow only
    "convenient" access —still blocking sites which reference
    controversial content.[125]
    Also in late July, U.S. senator Sam
    Brownback
    announced that he had received evidence (in the form of an
    official memo from China's Public
    Security Bureau
    ) that foreign-owned hotels in China had been ordered by
    the Chinese government to comply with electronic surveillance of guests by
    installing special equipment (called the Security Management System for
    Internet Access from Public Places), or face "severe retaliation."[126][127][128]


    China has also been battling problems with air
    pollution
    both in the city of Beijing and in neighboring areas, which the
    Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG) says it hopes to remedy before the games.
    The head of Interpol
    warned China on April
    25
    , 2008 that
    there is a "real possibility" that the Beijing Olympics will be
    targeted by terrorist groups,[129]
    as well as potentially violent disruption from pro-Tibet protestors.[130]
    Ethnic Tibetans have been banned from working in Beijing during the duration
    of the Games, for fear that they may participate in anti-government protests.[131]



    See also




    Notes






    1. ^ The
      number
      8
      is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese
      culture
      .[132]

    2. ^ The
      fencing programme will again include all six individual events and four
      team events, though the team events will be a different set than were
      held in 2004. The International
      Fencing Federation's
      rules call for events not held in the previous
      Games to receive automatic selection and for at least one team event in
      each weapon to be held. Voting is conducted to determine the fourth
      event. In 2004, the three men's team events and the women's épée were
      held. Thus, in 2008, the women's foil and sabre events and men's épée
      were automatically selected. Men's sabre was chosen over foil by a
      45–20 vote.[133]




    References




    1. ^
      International
      Olympic Committee
      (2008-08-01).
      "NOC
      entry forms received
      ". Press
      release
      . Retrieved on 2008-08-08. “(...)
      confirmed the qualification of 11,028 athletes, including 363 supplement
      athletes holding a P card.”

    2. ^
      "6th
      Coordination Commission Visit To Begin Tomorrow
      ". International
      Olympic Committee. Retrieved on 2006-05-20.

    3. ^
      "China's
      coming out party
      ", Toronto Star.

    4. ^
      "2008-The
      Year of China?
      ", BusinessCenter.TV (2007-08-07).
      Retrieved on 2008-01-02
      .

    5. ^
      "Beijing
      2008 will be best-ever Games: Samaranch
      ", BOCOG (2007-06-25).
      Retrieved on 2007-06-25
      .

    6. ^
      Abrahamson, Alan (2008-08-02).
      ""Absolutely
      no regrets" in coming to China, IOC president says
      ", NBC.
      Retrieved on 2008-08-02
      .

    7. ^
      "Beijing
      2008: Election
      ". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved on 2006-12-18.

    8. ^
      "All
      Beijing-based Olympic venues under construction
      ", BOCOG (2007-05-11).
      Retrieved on 2007-05-11
      .

    9. ^
      Olympic
      Venues
      , Beijing 2008. Retrieved on May 15, 2006.

    10. ^ a
      b
      "The
      Olympic Games en route for Beijing
      ", International Olympic
      Committee (2007-07-13).
      Retrieved on 2007-07-16
      .

    11. ^
      ArchitectureWeek
      - Design - China's Banner Stadium - 2002.0501

    12. ^
      "Stadium
      designer blasts China Olympics
      ", Aljazeera (2007-08-12).
      Retrieved on 2007-07-16
      .

    13. ^
      "Chinese
      architect slams Olympic 'pretend smile'
      ". Reuters. Retrieved on
      2007-08-16.

    14. ^
      "Un-manned
      trains to operate at new airport terminal building
      ", BOCOG
      (2007-06-13).
      Retrieved on 2007-06-17
      .

    15. ^
      "Official:
      passengers can watch the Games in Beijing metro
      ", BOCOG
      (2007-01-31).
      Retrieved on 2006-02-15
      .

    16. ^
      China
      inaugurates 220mph fastest rail service in world in time for Olympics

    17. ^
      "Beijing
      airport to launch emergency alert mechanism for Olympics
      ", BOCOG
      (2007-06-25).
      Retrieved on 2007-06-25
      .

    18. ^
      "38
      public transit routes to the Olympic venues
      ", BOCOG
      (2007-01-22).
      Retrieved on 2007-01-29
      .

    19. ^
      AUSmotive.com (2008-08-02).
      "Volkswagen
      claims ‘Green’ medal at 2008 Olympic Games
      ".
      Retrieved on 2008-08-02
      .

    20. ^
      Andrew Jacobs (2008-04-14).
      "Traffic
      Beijing Stops Construction for Olympics
      ", New York Times.
      Retrieved on 2008-04-14
      .

    21. ^ a
      b
      Stephen Wade (2008-06-20).
      "Beijing
      sets restrictions on cars during Olympics
      ", National Examiner.
      Retrieved on 2008-06-23
      .

    22. ^
      Reuters (2008-06-23).
      "Beijing
      to launch Olympic 'odd-even' car ban
      ", ABC news.
      Retrieved on 2008-06-23
      .

    23. ^
      "Rogge's
      Message for Beijing Olympics Emblem Unveiling
      ", People's Daily
      Online (2003-08-03).
      Retrieved on 2006-12-19
      .

    24. ^
      "'One
      World One Dream' selected as the Theme Slogan for Beijing 2008 Olympic
      Games
      ", BOCOG
      (2005-12-25).
      Retrieved on 2007-05-05
      .

    25. ^
      "The
      Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
      ", BOCOG.
      Retrieved on 2006-12-19
      .

    26. ^
      "Seeing
      clearly: Panasonic ushers in first HDTV Game
      ", China Daily (2007-07-06).
      Retrieved on 2008-03-24
      .

    27. ^
      Report
      of the IOC Evaluation Commission for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in
      2008, pg.73

    28. ^ a
      b
      Stelter, Brian (2008-07-21).
      "Networks
      Fight Shorter Olympic Leash
      ", The New York Times.
      Retrieved on 2008-07-21
      .

    29. ^
      Seven
      Network 2008 - Olympics

    30. ^
      ORF:
      Gesamtes Olympia-Programm in HDTV
      – digitalfernsehen.de, 7. July
      2008

    31. ^
      Belteleradiocompany

    32. ^
      Briel, Robert (2008-04-16).
      "Belgian
      pubcaster VRT to launch HD channel
      ". BroadbandTVNews.com.
      Retrieved on 2008-06-16.

    33. ^
      "Beijing
      2008
      " (in Bosnian). Retrieved on 2008-08-06.

    34. ^
      Moreira, Paulo Ricardo (2008-07-26).
      "Como
      Band e Globo brigam pela audiência nas Olimpíadas de Pequim
      "
      (in Portuguese). JB Online. Retrieved on 2008-08-01.

    35. ^
      "CBC
      Olympics - Schedule
      ". CBC. Retrieved on 2008-06-22.

    36. ^
      CBC/Radio-Canada (2005-02-07).
      "Statement
      Regarding the IOC's Awarding of the Broadcast Rights for the 2010 and
      2012 Olympic Games
      ". Press
      release
      .  “The release states that both CBC and Radio-Canada
      "still own the broadcast rights for...the Beijing Games in
      2008."”

    37. ^
      "Olympics
      - TV Schedule
      ". TSN. Retrieved on 2008-06-22. “As
      of access date, TSN has stated: "Details of TSN's coverage from the
      2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China will be announced at a later
      date".”

    38. ^
      Ensha, Azadeh (2008-06-17).
      "Chinese
      Company Gains Olympic Webcast Rights
      ", The New York Times.
      Retrieved on 2008-06-17
      .

    39. ^
      "Olímpicos
      se verán en ‘Señal Colombia’
      ". Semana.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-29.

    40. ^
      "HRT
      spreman za olimpijske igre
      ". javno.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-06.

    41. ^
      "DR
      sender 550 timers tv og radio fra OL
      ". TVnyt.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-07.

    42. ^
      "TV
      2 sender 300 timer fra OL i Beijing
      ". TVnyt.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-07.

    43. ^
      "YLE
      tapahtumat
      ". YLE. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.

    44. ^
      "Pekingin
      olympialaiset hd-lähetyksinä – vasta harvoille
      ".
      Tietokone-lehti. Retrieved on 2008-08-07.

    45. ^
      "Η
      τηλεοπτική
      μετάδοση των
      Ολυμπιακών
      Αγώνων (TV broadcast of the Olympic Games
      ".

    46. ^
      International Olympic Committee (2007-08-06).
      "IOC
      Awards Broadcast Rights in Hong Kong to i-CABLE
      ". Press
      release
      . Retrieved on 2008-04-04. “Please
      note: Over the air broadcast rights for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
      were acquired by Asia Television Limited and Television Broadcasts
      Limited through the Asian Broadcasting Union.”

    47. ^
      Verma, Meenakshi (2007-11-06).
      "Doordarshan
      bags Olympics rights for $3mn
      ", The Economic Times.
      Retrieved on 2008-06-16
      .

    48. ^
      "TVRI
      to air Beijing Olympics live, free
      ".

    49. ^
      "China
      to mark its territory with Olympics 2008
      ". RTÉ News (2007-11-12).
      Retrieved on 2008-03-17.

    50. ^
      "Channel
      1 to air the Olympics in weekends, too
      " (in Hebrew), Ynet
      (2008-07-16).

    51. ^
      "For
      the first time: The Olympics - not only on channel 1
      " (in
      Hebrew), Ynet
      (2008-02-20).

    52. ^
      "Olympics
      in the third generation
      " (in Hebrew), Walla!
      (2008-08-03).

    53. ^
      "The
      sports channel will broadcast the Olympics in the net
      " (in
      Hebrew), nrg
      (2008-07-08).

    54. ^
      "RAI
      commits to high-definition Olympics
      ", Hollywood Reporter
      (2008-04-15).
      Retrieved on 2008-06-16
      .

    55. ^
      "Summary
      of Press Conference
      ". NHK. Retrieved on 2008-06-16.

    56. ^
      "Malaysia's
      TV operator to add more channels for Beijing Olympics
      ",
      Xinhuanet (2008-04-01).
      Retrieved on 2008-04-03
      .

    57. ^
      "RTM
      official broadcaster of Beijing Olympics
      ", The Star (2008-05-01).
      Retrieved on 2008-08-08
      .

    58. ^
      (Spanish)Cerón,
      César (2008-06-12).
      "China,
      un nuevo reto para Alberto Lati
      ". Televisa Deportes. Retrieved
      on 2008-06-16.

    59. ^
      "Jocurile
      Olimpice 2008 la TRM
      " (in Romanian). TRM. Retrieved on 2008-07-30.

    60. ^
      "UBS
      TV Schedule
      " (in Mongolian). UBS. Retrieved on 2008-08-08.

    61. ^
      "NOS
      brengt Olympische Spelen en EK Voetbal in HDTV
      ". Broadcast
      Magazine
      . Broadcast Press. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.

    62. ^
      TVNZ (2007-09-28).
      "TVNZ
      announces High Definition plans
      ". Press
      release
      .

    63. ^
      "NRK
      setter olympisk rekord
      " (in Norwegian), Verdens
      Gang
      (2008-04-24).
      Retrieved on 2008-08-08
      .

    64. ^
      "Solar
      Sports, The Olympic Channel
      ". Retrieved on 2008-04-07.

    65. ^
      "Pekin
      2008 w TVP
      " (2007-12-19).
      Retrieved on 2008-06-11
      .

    66. ^
      "RTP
      vai transmitir 500 horas de Jogos Olímpicos
      " (in Portuguese), Media
      & Publicidade
      , Diário Económico (2008-05-05).
      Retrieved on 2008-06-20
      .

    67. ^
      "The
      Russian satellite operator RSCC and the Chinese company CNC signed a
      cooperation agreement for international satellite TV transmissions from
      2008 Olympic Games
      ". News. Russian Satellite
      Communications Company. Retrieved on 2008-03-26.

    68. ^
      "Олимпиада
      2008
      " (in Russian). NTV Plus. Retrieved on 2008-08-05.

    69. ^
      "StarHub
      Offers Unprecedented Coverage Of The Olympic Games
      ". Retrieved
      on 2008-07-17.

    70. ^
      "MediaCorp
      the official broadcaster of the 2008 Beijing Olympics
      ".
      Retrieved on 2008-07-18.

    71. ^
      "Prenos
      Olimpijskih iger na RTV Slovenija
      " (in Slovene). Računalniške
      novice
      . Nevtron&Company (2008-08-05).
      Retrieved on 2008-08-06.

    72. ^
      "Poletje
      visoke ločljivosti
      " (in Slovene). Žurnal24. Žurnal
      (2008-08-06).
      Retrieved on 2008-08-06.

    73. ^
      "IOC
      Awards TV Rights for North and South Korea
      ". Retrieved on 2008-06-16.

    74. ^
      "The
      TVE will cover the Olympics
      " (in Spanish).

    75. ^
      "Rupavahini's
      Channel Eye will cover the Olympics
      " (in Sinhala).

    76. ^
      official
      web site

    77. ^
      "UAE
      residents to receive free Olympics telecast
      ", Gulfnews (2008-08-03).
      Retrieved on 2008-08-08
      .

    78. ^
      "Beijing
      Olympics on the BBC
      ". BBC. Retrieved on 2008-06-28.

    79. ^
      "Coming
      in August: The Complete Olympics on NBC
      ". NBC. Retrieved on 2008-06-28.

    80. ^
      "NBC's
      planned Olympic coverage, on TV and online
      ". USA Today.
      Retrieved on 2008-07-09.

    81. ^
      "Medios
      se alistan para Beijing
      ". News. Lavinotinto.com.
      Retrieved on 2008-02-19.

    82. ^
      "National
      TV station said to have Euro 2008 broadcasting rights
      ". VietNamNet
      (2007-09-08).
      Retrieved on 2008-06-16.

    83. ^
      "Beijing
      2008: BOCOG Announces Olympic Torch Relay Route
      ", International
      Olympic Committee
      (2007-04-26).
      Retrieved on 2007-04-26
      .

    84. ^
      "Officials
      Expect Olympic Torch to Continue on Route
      ".

    85. ^
      "Britain
      sends mandarins to China on subtle mission
      ", The Times (2008-04-25).
      Retrieved on 2007-04-27
      .

    86. ^ a
      b
      "Beijing
      2008 Olympic Torch Relay Planned Route and Torch Design unveiled
      ",
      BOCOG
      (2007-04-26).
      Retrieved on 2007-04-26
      .

    87. ^
      Bremner, Charles (2008-04-07).
      "Tibet
      protests force organisers to snuff out Olympic flame in Paris
      ",
      The
      Times
      .

    88. ^
      "Confusion
      strikes US torch relay
      ", BBC
      News
      (2008-04-09).

    89. ^
      "China
      to build highway on Mt Everest for 2008 Olympics
      ", The Hindu (2007-06-20).
      Retrieved on 2007-06-25
      .

    90. ^
      "Climbers
      banned from Everest as China seeks to stop protests on summit
      ",
      The Independent (2008-03-17).
      Retrieved on 2008-03-23
      .

    91. ^
      "China
      closes its side of Everest to climbers
      ", CNN (2008-03-12).
      Retrieved on 2008-03-13
      .

    92. ^
      "Taiwan
      rejects 'domestic' Olympic torch route
      ", Taiwan Journal (2007-05-04).
      Retrieved on 2007-08-15
      .

    93. ^
      BBC
      NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Olympic torch will bypass Taiwan

    94. ^
      "China
      blames Taiwan for scuttling Olympic torch relay through Taipei, labels
      'vile precedent'
      ", Yahoo!
      Canada Sports
      (2007-09-21).
      Retrieved on 2007-09-24
      .

    95. ^
      Opening
      ceremony sample ticket of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

    96. ^
      Celine
      Dion to sing for 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing - The Official Website of
      the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

    97. ^
      Jay
      Chou to treat fans to debut performance of Olympic song - The Official
      Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

    98. ^
      FACTBOX:
      Fears, foul-ups and triumphs at past Olympic openings

    99. ^
      Olympics
      opening ceremony to have 15,000 performers -- The Live Feed

    100. ^
      "National
      Olympic Committees
      ". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved
      on 2008-03-11.

    101. ^
      "About
      600 athletes to compete for the U.S. at 2008 Olympic Games
      ", BOCOG
      (2007-08-03).
      Retrieved on 2007-08-03
      .

    102. ^
      "Afghan
      Athletes Train for Beijing Olympic "
      , Afghan embassy to the
      United States, April 29, 2008

    103. ^
      "Dreams
      carry Natalie Du Toit to Beijing"
      , The Telegraph, May 4,
      2008

    104. ^
      "Du
      Toit, who lost leg in scooter accident, will swim in Beijing Games"
      ,
      Reuters, May 3, 2008

    105. ^
      "Natalia:
      Paralympic AND Olympic athlete
      ". Retrieved on 2008-07-15.

    106. ^
      "Ukraine
      to send its largest-ever Olympic delegation to Beijing
      ". Xinhua
      (2008-07-17).
      Retrieved on 2008-08-05.

    107. ^
      "Marshall
      Islands joins Olympic Family
      ", ONOC
      (2006-02-10).
      Retrieved on 2006-12-17
      .

    108. ^
      "Robert
      Meets IOC President
      ", ONOC
      (2005-04-02).
      Retrieved on 2006-12-17
      .

    109. ^ a
      b
      "Two
      new National Olympic Committees on board!
      ", International
      Olympic Committee
      (2007-07-06).
      Retrieved on 2007-07-08
      .

    110. ^
      "IOC
      to recognise Kosovo
      ", News24 (2008-02-17).
      Retrieved on 2008-02-17
      .

    111. ^
      "Koreas
      'to unify Olympics teams'
      ", BBC
      (2006-05-14).
      Retrieved on 2006-12-17
      .

    112. ^
      "Two
      Koreas Make Progress in Creation of Unified Team
      ", International
      Olympic Committee
      (2006-09-05).
      Retrieved on 2006-09-10
      .

    113. ^
      "Koreas
      fail to agree on fielding joint team for Beijing Olympics
      ", AP
      (2007-02-13).
      Retrieved on 2007-02-28
      .

    114. ^
      "Iraq
      banned from Summer Olympics
      ", CNN
      (2008-07-24).
      Retrieved on 2008-07-24
      .

    115. ^
      "Iraq
      banned from Beijing Olympics
      ", BBC
      Sport
      (2008-07-24).
      Retrieved on 2008-07-24
      .

    116. ^
      IOC
      lifts Iraq's Olympic suspension

    117. ^
      "Brunei
      Darussalam excluded from Beijing Olympic Games
      ", Xinhua
      (2008-08-08).
      Retrieved on 2008-08-08
      .

    118. ^
      "Beijing
      2008: Games Programme Finalised
      ", International Olympic
      Committee (2006-04-27).
      Retrieved on 2006-05-10
      .

    119. ^
      Programme
      of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Beijing 2008
      , International
      Olympic Committee. Retrieved on May 15, 2006.

    120. ^
      "Pictograms
      of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games unveiled
      ", BOCOG
      (2006-08-07).
      Retrieved on 2006-08-09
      .

    121. ^
      "Olympic
      Games Competition Schedule
      ". BOCOG.
      Retrieved on 2007-07-05.

    122. ^
      "China
      'is fuelling war in Darfur'
      ", BBC
      News
      . Retrieved on 2008-07-12.

    123. ^
      Two
      Concerns for Olympics - Air and Access - NYTimes.com

    124. ^
      Networks
      Fight Shorter Olympic Leash - NYTimes.com

    125. ^
      FT.com
      / Asia-Pacific / China - China limits Olympics journalists’ web access

    126. ^
      AFP:
      China plans to spy on Olympic hotel guests: US senator

    127. ^
      Sen.
      Brownback says China monitoring Internet access in hotels - Los Angeles
      Times

    128. ^
      The
      Associated Press: Senator: China spying on Internet use in hotels

    129. ^
      Interpol
      says Olympic terror attack 'real possibility
      . The Globe and Mail.
      Accessed: April 25, 2008

    130. ^
      Interpol chief warns of Olympic terror threat. Yahoo! News.
      Accessed: April 25, 2008]

    131. ^
      Seattle
      Times
      article

    132. ^
      "The
      Number Eight And The Chinese
      ". Retrieved on 2007-04-22.

    133. ^
      "List
      of decisions of the 2006 General Assembly
      " (PDF). Federation
      Internationale d'Escrime
      (2006-04-08).
      Retrieved on 2007-04-22.




    External links