The 2008 Summer Olympics (simplified Chinese: 二零零八年北京夏季奥运; traditional Chinese: 二零零八年北京夏季奧運; pinyin: èr líng líng bā nián běi jīng xià jì ào yùn), officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be celebrated from August 8, 2008, to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony commencing at 08:08:08 pm CST (12:08:08 UTC) at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, People's Republic of China.[a] Some events will be held outside Beijing, namely football (soccer) (in Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenyang and Tianjin), equestrian (in Hong Kong) and sailing (in Qingdao).
The Olympic games were awarded to Beijing, People's Republic of China 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 stylized calligraphic character jīng (京, meaning capital), referencing the host city. The mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa, each representing one color of the Olympic rings. The Olympic slogan, One World, One Dream, calls upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. Athletes will compete in 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than was on the schedule of the Athens games of 2004. Several new National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have also been recognized by the IOC.
The Chinese government has promoted the games to highlight China's emergence on the world stage,[2][3] amidst concerns about environmental issues, human rights violations in Tibet and other part of the state. Nevertheless, former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch has said the Beijing games will be "the best in Olympic history."[4]
Host selection process
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 shortlist in 2000. The voting distributions were as follows.
| 2008 Summer Olympics bidding results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | NOC | Round 1 | Round 2 | |||
| Beijing |  China | 44 | 56 | |||
| Toronto |  Canada | 20 | 22 | |||
| Paris |  France | 15 | 18 | |||
| Istanbul |  Turkey | 17 | 9 | |||
| Osaka |  Japan | 6 | — | |||
After the first round of voting, Beijing held a significant lead over the other four candidates. Osaka received only six votes and was eliminated. In the second round, Beijing was supported by an absolute majority of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds.[5]
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
By May 2007, construction of all thirty-one Beijing-based Olympic Games venues had begun.[6] The Chinese government is also investing in the renovation and construction of six venues outside Beijing as well as fifty-nine training centers. 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 percent 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.
It was announced on July 8, 2005 that the equestrian events are to be held in Hong Kong because of "uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone." The five venues outside Beijing will be located in Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Qinhuangdao.[7]
Beijing National Stadium
The centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics will be the Beijing National Stadium, nicknamed the "Bird Nest" because of its nest-like skeletal structure.[8] 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.[citation needed] 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 National Stadium will feature a lattice-like concrete skeleton forming the stadium bowl and will have a seating capacity of 80,000 people. Architects originally described the overall design as resembling a bird's 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".[9][10]
Marketing
Emblem
The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem entitled "Dancing Beijing" (Chinese:舞动的北京) was unveiled in August 2003 in a ceremony attended by 2,008 people at Qi'niandian (祈年殿) — the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in Beijing's Temple of Heaven (天壇 or 天坛). The emblem combines elements of traditional Chinese society—a red seal and a calligraphic word for jing (京) ("national capital") with athletic features. The open arms of the calligraphic word symbolizes 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."[11]
Mascots
The Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃; pinyin: Fúwá; literally "good-luck dolls") were unveiled as the mascots of the games by the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on November 11, 2005, at an event marking the 1000th day before the opening of the games. They were originally named "The Friendlies", but this name was dropped as Chinese officials were worried that it would be misunderstood as "friendless" or "friend lies."[12]
The Fuwa consist of five members that incorporate fish, giant panda, fire, Tibetan antelope, and swallow designs. They roughly correspond with the five elements of Chinese philosophy: water, metal, fire, wood, and earth, but none of them represent metal, and sky is not an element. The Fuwa each have as their primary color one of the colors of the five Olympic Rings. 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 北京欢迎你 (Běijīng huānyíng nĭ) which means "Beijing welcomes you".[13]
Tickets
The Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee publicized in early August 2006 that it will sell over 7 million tickets for various sporting events and ceremonies to the general public.[14] The chief of the committee expressed her hopes that all Chinese people would have a chance to come to the games. The committee has, therefore, set low ticket prices so as to encourage the Chinese people to become more involved in the Olympics.
On April 14, 2007, tickets to the general public went on sale through the Beijing Organizing Committee for domestic tickets (which will account for 75% of the sales) and through each nation's NOC for overseas ticket sales.[15] By June 2007, 2.2 million tickets—about a third of the supply volume—had already been sold.[16]
Slogan
On June 26, 2005, The Beijing Olympic Committee announced that the slogan for the 2008 Olympics will be "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.)[17] 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.[8]
Merchandising
Since early 2007, licensed Olympics merchandise stores have been in business throughout China. More than 800 official stores were in operation at the end of July 2007. Since August 2007, Olympic merchandise has been made available online, with more than 5000 products available via the official merchandising website, which include apparel, mascot dolls, key-chains and commemorative chopsticks.[18] In November 2007, overseas Olympic E-shop provide online access to customers all over the world to Licensed Products of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. (Excluding the USA, Japan, UK, Canada and China)[19]
Public transport
Anticipating a huge rush during the games, Beijing's subway system is currently undergoing a major expansion which will increase its capacity to more than twice its existing size. The system currently is composed of four lines and 64 stations. An additional seven lines and more than eighty new stations are being constructed, including a direct link to Beijing Capital International Airport. In the airport itself, eleven unmanned trains, each transporting a maximum of 83 passengers, will expedite the movement of people throughout the new terminal building.[20] Most of them are scheduled to operate from June 30, 2008, one month before the beginning 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.[21]
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 three million domestic and overseas visitors who will flock to Beijing for the games in August 2008.[22]
On the ground, Beijing is set to designate thirty-eight 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 optimized in order to reduce the existing 110 overlapping routes.[23]
Smoking is banned in the 66,000 cabs, the violation of which would lead to a fine of 100 to 200 yuan (13 to 26 USD). Beijing authorities are thus trying to make the event a non-smoking event.
Sports
The programme 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 nine new events will be held, which include two from the new cycling discipline of BMX. Women will compete in the 3000m steeplechase for the first time. In addition, marathon swimming events for men and women, over the distance of 10 kilometers, 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][24][25]
In mid-2006, video gamers held talks with the Chinese government in hopes of allowing video games to be a demonstration sport at the games. Demonstration events have not been held at any Olympic Games (Summer or Winter) since 1992.[26]
On August 7, 2006, a day before the 2-year countdown to the Beijing Games, the Beijing Organizing Committee released pictograms of the 35 Olympic disciplines. Each pictogram is designed so that people of nations around the world can recognize the different sports being played at the Olympic Games. This set of sport icons is named the beauty of seal characters, due to each pictogram's likeness to Chinese seal script.[27]
The following are the sports to be contested at the games. The Olympic sport of aquatics has been split into its constituent disciplines of diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, and water polo. The number of events to be contested in each sport is indicated in parentheses.
|
|
|
|
Torch relay
The plans accepted by the IOC for the Olympic torch relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing.[28] The relay, with the theme "Journey of Harmony", will last 130 days, carrying the torch 137,000 km (85,100 mi.) – the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay (though most of it is by air). The relay will begin on March 25, 2008, in Olympia, Greece. From there, it will travel across Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, and then to Beijing, arriving on March 31. From Beijing, the torch will follow a route passing through every continent except Antarctica. The torch will visit cities on the Silk Road, symbolizing ancient links between China and the rest of the world. A total of 21,880 torchbearers will be selected from around the world by various organizations and entities.[29]
The BOCOG also plans to carry the flame to the top of Mount Everest.[29] In June 2007, construction began on a 108 km (67 mi) long "highway" scaling the Tibetan side of the mountain. The $19.7 million blacktop project will span from Tingri County of Xigazê Prefecture to the Everest Base Camp. Environmental concerns about the effects of the road on the fragile Himalayan region have been expressed by the media, but denied by the Chinese government.[30]China denied mountaineers permission to climb its side of Mount Everest in the spring 2008, a move that reflects concerns by the communist government that Tibet activists may try to disrupt its plans to carry the Olympic torch up the world's tallest peak.[31]
The original scheduled route agreed in April included a stop in Taipei just before heading for Hong Kong. Taiwan's government, however, later rejected this proposal, claiming that such arrangement would make the Taiwan relay be seen as part of China's domestic route, rather than the international route.[32] Recent negotiations have led the IOC to officially take Taipei off the torch relay. Both China and Taiwan have blamed each other for injecting politics into the event.[33]
The Olympic Torch is based on traditional scrolls and uses a traditional Chinese design known as the "Cloud of Promise" (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.
Participating NOCs
Though the qualifying competitions for various sports are well underway, it cannot be certain which of the current 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs)[34] will participate in 2008. 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 races 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.[35]
Participation changes
Since the last Olympics, the political statuses of a handful of nations have changed such that new NOCs have been created, or wish to be created. Conversely, Korea has entered into talks about sending a joint team to the games.
The Marshall Islands gained NOC status in February 2006, and is expected to participate in the Games.[36] Representatives from Tuvalu also met with IOC president Jacques Rogge in 2005, who indicated that the country was likely to be voted a full-fledged Olympic member at the 119th IOC session in 2007.[37] At that meeting, the Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee was accepted as a new National Olympic Committee.[38]
In May 2006 (just after the 2006 Winter Olympics), the citizens of Montenegro voted in a referendum that severed its political union with Serbia. 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 at the 119th IOC session along with Tuvalu.[38]
As well, a dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles was to have taken place in July 2007,[39] giving Curaçao and Sint Maarten—like Aruba—a status aparte. This status would have permitted the islands to create their own NOCs, allowing them to compete separately at the games. However, the dissolution was postponed until December 2008, four months after the scheduled 2008 Olympics,[40][41] forcing any newly formed NOCs to wait until the 2012 Olympics to participate in the Summer Games.
On February 17, 2008, the IOC also promised to recognize the Republic of Kosovo as a new independent nation. However, it is not probable that athletes from the newly formed republic will be able to qualify for the Olympics in time to send a delegation to Beijing. This is additionally compromised by the fact that the new nation has yet to be recognized by many other international athletic federations.[42]
North Korea and South Korea have considered sending a united team to the 2008 Olympics.[43][44] In the past, the two nations have walked together in the parade of nations during the opening ceremonies, but have never competed as one team. The two NOCs met with IOC president Jacques Rogge on September 5, 2006, to discuss the possibility of creating such a combined team.[45] In early 2007, Korean Olympic Committee President Kim Jung-il and North Korean Olympic Committee President Mun Jae-duk met to further discuss the logistics of sending a unified team.[44] At the meeting, South Korea advocated for the selection of athletes based on performance, while North Korea hoped for equal representation of athletes if the two indeed sent a joint team.[46] The NOCs failed to reach an agreement on representation, but said they would have further discussions in the future.
