China shines in new areas amid record medal count:2008/8/24
 


Hurdler Liu Xiang's painful withdrawal and a ho-hum performance by basketball star Yao Ming were low points for China at the Beijing Olympics. They hardly mattered. Such disappointments were inconsequential against the hosts' all-time best count of 100 medals - 51 gold - an amount that sprawled across the Olympic program into sports where China hadn't before distinguished itself. Only the United States had more medals with 110, and its 36 golds were a distant second to China's tally. China won gold medals in 16 of 28 Olympic disciplines, up from 14 four years ago in Athens and 10 at the 2000 Sydney Games. These gains were the result of China's eight-year-old program targeting overlooked sports - known as "Project 119" for the number of unexploited medals up for grabs. The program delivered, backed by hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding, copious foreign expertise, home-field advantage and a desire to establish China as a dominant sporting power for years to come. 

Mixed legacy likely as China's Olympics conclude (8/24)



China completed its stint as Olympic host Sunday with a superstar-studded closing ceremony that capped a 16-day pageant of state-of-the-art logistics and astounding athletic feats, set out for a curious world. The games did little, though, to erase concerns about the emerging superpower's approach to human rights. Tenor Placido Domingo was on hand, joining a Chinese soprano in a lyrical duet. Soccer icon David Beckham and graying Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page were there, helping London take the reins as host-to-be of the 2012 games. Yet even as the International Olympic Committee was praising itself for awarding Beijing these Olympics, the U.S. Embassy urged China to free foreign activists jailed for protesting at the games. China, the embassy suggested, should have used its moment in the global spotlight to show "greater tolerance and openness." China nonetheless achieved its paramount goals: a dominant effort by its athletes to top the gold-medal standings for the first time and near-flawless organizing that showcased world-class venues and smiling 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 effervescent Usain Bolt with three golds and three world records in the sprints. 

Delighted with the on-field competition, the IOC insisted its much-debated selection of Beijing back in 2001 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 organizing 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." Before and during the games, 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 and detained some of the applicants. 

But the atmosphere was festive at the stadium as fireworks burst from its top rim - and from locations across the vast capital city - to begin the closing ceremony. After an army band played the Chinese national anthem, swarms of gaily dressed dancers, acrobats and drummers swirled onto the field, then made room for the athletes, strolling in casually and exuberantly from four different entrances. Two-thirds of the way through the ceremony came the pulsating show-within-a-show by London, complete with break dancing, hip hop and ballet. From a stage formed from a red double-decker bus, Page played the classic rock hit "Whole Lotta Love" as British pop sensation Leona Lewis belted out the lyrics. Beckham, in a stylish black sweat suit, booted a soccer ball into the surrounding throng of athletes on the stadium floor. 

Former Olympic runner Sebastian Coe, now chairman of the London organizing committee, was elated. "What we have witnessed in Beijing is a truly spectacular Olympic Games," he said. "We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to build on this moment." After the Britons relinquished the spotlight, the Olympic flame atop the stadium was extinguished. A carnival-themed segment completed the show, featuring a duet by Domingo and Chinese soprano Song Zuying. There was another, noisier barrage of fireworks and confetti filled the air. 

China invested more than USD40 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. 

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A Spanish tenor, a British soccer star and a throng of kung-fu fighters are among the scheduled closing-ceremony attractions Sunday night (8/24) as China concludes its first Olympics and hands over the role of Summer Games to London. Fireworks are planned at 18 locations across the vast city, and a packed house of more than 90,000 will be on hand in the National Outdoor Stadium for the ceremony itself. Its creators have promised a more lighthearted show than the opening ceremony Aug. 8, which focused heavily on Chinese history. Highlights for the closing include a duet by tenor Placido Domingo and Chinese soprano Song Zuying, as well as a display by several hundred kung fu practitioners from a martial arts school. "It's going to be very different from the opening ceremony, which was burdened with heavy responsibility to show Chinese culture to the world," one of the directors, Miao Pei, told China's Southern Metropolis News. Film director Zhang Yimou, in charge of both the opening and closing ceremonies, said the dramatic highlight of the finale will be the extinguishing of the Olympic flame atop the stadium. But details were not released in advance - rehearsals were conducted in secret on a college campus. London, host of the 2012 Olympics, will take over part way through the ceremony for an eight-minute show that will feature a red double-decker London bus driving into the stadium and converting into a stage. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and British singing sensation Leona Lewis will perform, and soccer icon David Beckham will kick a ball into a crowd of onlookers. They will be celebrating not only London's upcoming role as host, but also a breakthrough performance here in China by British athletes, completing their country's best Olympics in a century. "We will not compete with the (Chinese) ceremony," said London 2012 organizer Bill Morris. "It will be simple, youthful, athletic, loud and proud like London, entertaining and fun." Among those in attendance will be British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and London's mayor, Boris Johnson, who will receive the Olympic flag from Beijing Mayor Guo Jinlong. Even with a day of competition remaining, China had clinched first place in the gold medal standings, and logistics during the games ran smoothly. Questions remained, however, about the Chinese authorities' tough stance on press freedom and political protest - it blocked access to numerous politically edged Web sites during the Olympics, issued no permits for use of designated "protest zones" and detained demonstrators at unauthorized protests that did take place sporadically.



"My goggles kept filling up with water during the race … I wanted a world record, I wanted 1:51 or better, but in the circumstances not too bad I guess," Michael Phelps said after he swam into history with his 10th and 11th career gold medals, making him the Olympic athlete with the most-ever wins, as the Associated Press reports. After finishing first in the 200-meter butterfly earlier Wednesday, Mr. Phelps swam the leadoff of a runaway victory by the U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team, finishing in 1:52.03. Mr. Phelps rubbed his eyes and said climbing from the pool, "I can't see anything." A pair of leaky goggles kept him from even seeing the wall as he touched.

Fourth and fifth gold for Phelps: Swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first Olympic athlete to win 10 gold medals and then claims his 11th with relay glory. Phelps, 23, won his fourth gold of the Beijing Olympics and 10th of all time with victory in the 200m butterfly. And he claimed yet another gold as part of the US 4x200m freestyle team. Phelps has now surpassed the nine golds won by Paavo Nurmi, Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz and Larysa Latynina to cement his place in Olympic history. He is also bidding to beat Spitz's record of seven gold medals in a single Olympic games and has moved to within three of that achievement.
   

The 2008 Beijing Olympics begin on Friday (8pm 8/8/2008) with more than 200 countries taking part in the opening ceremony at the Bird's Nest stadium.

China has presented a dramatic display of fireworks, music and dancing to mark the opening of its Beijing Olympics.  Some 10,000 performers took part in the ceremony, watched on TV by an estimated one billion people, before athletes paraded around the national stadium.  Security was tight in the capital, and three US activists were arrested after holding a pro-Tibet protest. Larger rallies took place in Nepal and India.  Analysts say it is the most politicised Games since the Cold War era.

A four-hour spectacular is promised, starting at 8am EDT, with basketball star Yao Ming to carry the hosts' flag.  The build-up to the Games has featured concerns over pollution and protests over China's human rights record. 

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McCain, Obama Plan For a More Confident China  8/09  SB121824283947426235
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First Burning Question: Who Will Light the Olympic Flame?  8/08  SB121814867319422227
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OLYMPIC TRADITION

Competed in the 1932, 1936 and 1948 Olympics, and had a single swimmer at the 1952 Games. After that, left the Olympic arena - except for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid - until 1984. Boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games. In 1956, the International Olympic Committee accepted a Taiwanese team, called the Republic of China, for the Games in Melbourne, and the People's Republic dropped out when a nationalist Chinese banner was raised in the Olympic Village. In order to resolve the China/Taiwan issue, the IOC decided in 1981 that Taiwan, which was formerly known as the Republic of China, would become Chinese Taipei. China showed up with a full-strength delegation in 1984, 1988, and 1992. At the 2000 Games, China finished third with 59 medals (28 gold, 16 silver, 15 bronze). In Athens, China finished third with 63 medals, but more than half (32) were gold. Only the United States won more gold medals (36). Although China didn't win its first medal until 1984, it now ranks 13th on the all-time medal chart with 286 - 112 gold, 96 silver and 78 bronze - obtained in only six Games. Beijing was defeated by Sydney in the fourth and final round of voting for the right to host the 2000 Games. On July 13, 2001, Beijing was awarded the 2008 Games over Toronto, Istanbul, Paris and Osaka.



As a quadrennial pageant of world peace opened in Beijing Friday (8/08), strife in a former Soviet republic evoked the ghosts of global war. Without incident, the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics unfolded Friday evening. A steady stream of cheers and applause accompanied the performance, from the estimated 91,000 spectators, athletes, executives and world leaders at the stadium, a mass of latticed steel known as the "Bird's Nest" that has come to symbolize the dizzying transformation of China's capital for the 29th Olympiad. The runup to the Games hasn't been without incident. Following China's crackdown in a restive Tibet, protests flared world-wide as the Olympic torch wended its way around the globe. The advent of the Games also put the spotlight on Beijing's treatment of political dissidents. In a speech delivered earlier this week in Thailand, President Bush called on Chinese leaders to loosen the reins on private expression and religious practice within the country. But the gloom -- if not Beijing's notorious haze -- lifted Friday evening. As uniformed athletes marched into the Bird's Nest, leaders from President Bush to France's Nicolas Sarkozy stood and were applauded by the crowd. Vladimir Putin waved vigorously and smiled. But the Russian prime minister certainly wasn't all smiles given what was happening just east of the Black Sea. There Russia and pro-U.S. ally Georgia were on the brink of war, with Russian troops and tanks moving into Georgia's breakaway province of South Ossetia. Hundreds of civilians were reported dead in the worst outbreak of hostilities since the province won de facto independence in a war against Georgia that ended in 1992. Witnesses said the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali was devastated. Mr. Putin had warned in the very early stages of the conflict that the Georgian attack would draw retaliation and the Defense Ministry pledged to protect South Ossetians, most of whom have Russian citizenship. Diplomats called for another emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, its second since early Friday morning seeking to prevent an all-out war. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had spoken to the parties involved and was working to end the fighting, State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos told reporters. Georgia, a staunch U.S. ally, has about 2,000 troops in Iraq, making it the third-largest contributor to coalition forces after the U.S. and Britain. But troops were expected to be called home Saturday in the face of the new battle in South Ossetia.



Russia, Georgia Clash Over Breakaway Province  8/09  SB121817403177323701

China Stocks Drop as Olympics Start  8/08  SB121816045170323027
Chinese stocks in Shanghai and Shenzhen slumped Friday, finding little support ahead of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, as concerns about a slowing economy weighed down property developers and airlines.  The benchmark Shanghai Composite index, which tracks both the yuan-denominated A shares as well as B shares priced in foreign currency, slumped 4.5% to 2,605.72, its lowest close in the past 52 weeks.  The All Share index in Shenzhen tumbled even more, finishing 5.6% down at 747.34.  At Friday's closing level, the Shanghai Composite, which nearly doubled in 2007, has lost a little more than half its value so far this year. The index is also down more than 57% from its 52-week high of 6,092.06. 

President Bush attends dedication of United States NEC (New Embassy Compound) in Beijing

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