2008 Summer Olympics

Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Beijing 2008 Olympics logo.svg
The "Dancing Beijing" emblem, depiting a Chinese seal inscribed with the character "Jīng" (京), from the name of the host city in the form of a dancing figure.
Host city Beijing, China
Motto 同一个世界 同一个梦想
(One World, One Dream)
Nations participating 204 NOCs
Athletes participating 11,028[1]
Events 302 in 28 sports
Opening ceremony August 8
Closing ceremony August 24
Officially opened by President Hu Jintao
Athlete's Oath Zhang Yining
Judge's Oath Huang Liping
Olympic Torch Li Ning
Stadium Beijing National Stadium

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008.[a] A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 302 events in 28 sports, one event more than was on the schedule of the 2004 Games. Three nations participated in the Olympics for the first time. China became the 22nd nation to host the Olympic Games and the 18th to hold a Summer Olympic Games. It was the third time that the Summer Olympic Games were held in Asia, after Tokyo, Japan in 1964 and Seoul, South Korea in 1988. These Games were the third time that Olympic events have been held in the territories of two different NOCs, as the equestrian events were held in Hong Kong.[b]

Beijing was awarded the Games over four competitors on July 13, 2001, having won an absolute majority of votes from members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after two rounds of voting. The Government of the People's Republic of China promoted the Games and invested heavily in new facilities and transportation systems. A total of 37 venues were used to host the events including 12 constructed for use at the Games. The official logo of these Olympic Games, titled "Dancing Beijing", featured a stylised calligraphic character jīng (京, meaning capital), referring to the host city. Media outlets reported unprecedented audience interest in the Games, and these Olympics had the largest television audience in Olympic history.

There were 43 new world records and 132 new Olympic records set. An unprecedented 86 countries won at least one medal during the Games. Chinese athletes won the most gold medals, with 51, and 100 medals altogether, while the United States had the most medals total with 110. Michael Phelps broke the records for most gold medals in one Olympics and for most career gold medals for an Olympian by winning eight swimming events. Usain Bolt secured the traditional title of "World's Fastest Man" by setting new world records in the 100 m and 200 m sprints.

The choice of China as a host country was a subject of criticism by some politicians and non-governmental organizations concerned about China's human rights record. China and others, meanwhile, warned against politicizing the Olympics. At the closing ceremony IOC president Jacques Rogge declared the event a "truly exceptional Games" after earlier asserting that the IOC had "absolutely no regrets" in choosing Beijing to host the 2008 Games.[2]

Contents

Organization

Bid

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

Beijing was elected as the host city on July 13, 2001, during the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, defeating Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka. Prior to the session, five other cities (Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and Seville) submitted bids to the IOC but failed to make the short list chosen by the IOC Executive Committee in 2000. After the first round of voting, Beijing held a significant lead over the other four candidates. Osaka received only six votes and was eliminated. In the second round, Beijing was supported by an absolute majority of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds.[3]

Members of the IOC did not disclose their votes, but news reports speculated that broad international support led to China's selection, especially from developing nations who had received assistance from China in the construction of stadiums. The size of China, its increased enforcement of doping controls, and sympathy concerning its loss of the 2000 Summer Olympics to Sydney were all factors in the decision.[4] Eight years earlier, Beijing led every round of voting for the 2000 Summer Olympics until they lost in the final round to Sydney by two votes.[5]

Human rights concerns expressed by Amnesty International and politicians in both Europe and the United States were considered by the delegates, according to IOC Executive Director François Carrard. Carrard and others suggested that the selection might lead to improvements in human rights in China. In addition, a number of IOC delegates who had formerly been athletes expressed concern about heat and air quality during the Games. China outlined plans to address these environmental concerns in its bid application.[4]

Costs

Olympic rings.svg 2008 Summer Olympics
IOC · COC · SF&OCHK · BOCOG

On March 6, 2009 the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games reported that total spending on the games was "generally as much as that of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games", which was about $15 billion, and that surplus revenues from the Olympic Games would exceed the original target of $16 billion.[6] Other sources, however, estimated that approximately $40 billion had been spent on the Games, which would make it the most expensive Olympic Games by a wide margin.[7][8]

Venues

Main articles: 2008 Summer Olympics venues, Olympic Green, and Beijing National Stadium

By May 2007, construction of all 31 Beijing-based Olympic Games venues had begun.[9] The Chinese government also invested in the renovation and construction of six venues outside Beijing as well as 59 training centres. The largest architectural pieces to be built for the games were the Beijing National Stadium, Beijing National Indoor Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Center, Olympic Green Convention Center, Olympic Green, and Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center. Almost 85% of the construction budget for the six main venues was funded by $2.1 billion (RMB¥17.4 billion) in corporate bids and tenders. Investments were expected from corporations seeking ownership rights after the 2008 Summer Olympics.[10] Some events were held outside Beijing, namely football in Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Tianjin; sailing in Qingdao; and, because of the "uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone", the equestrian events were held in Hong Kong.[11]

The Beijing National Stadium, dubbed "The Bird's Nest"

The centrepiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics was the Beijing National Stadium, nicknamed "The Bird's Nest" because of its nest-like skeletal structure. The stadium hosted both the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletics competition.[12] Construction of the venue began on December 24, 2003. The Guangdong Olympic Stadium was originally planned, constructed, and completed in 2001 to help host the Games, but a decision was then made to construct a new stadium in Beijing.[13] In 2001, the city held a bidding process to select the best arena design. Several criteria were required of each design, including the ability for post-Olympics use, a retractable roof, and low maintenance costs.[14] The entry list was narrowed to thirteen final designs.[15] The bird's nest model submitted by architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron in collaboration with Li Xinggang of China Architecture Design and Research Group (CADG) was selected as the top design by both a professional panel and by a broader audience during a public exhibition. The selection of the design became official in April 2003.[14] Construction of the stadium was a joint venture among the original designers, project architect Stefan Marbach, artist Ai Weiwei, and a group of CADG architects led by Li Xinggang. Its $423 million cost was funded by the state-owned corporate conglomerate CITIC and the Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Company.[14][16]

Transport

A map of the Olympic venues in Beijing. Several expressways encircle the center of the city, providing for quick transportation around the city and between venues.

To prepare for Olympic visitors, Beijing's transportation infrastructure was expanded significantly. Beijing's airport underwent a major renovation with the addition of the new Terminal 3, the world's largest airport terminal, designed by renowned architect Norman Foster.[17]

Within the city itself, Beijing's subway doubled its capacity and overall size, adding an additional 7 lines and 80 stations to the previously existing 4 lines and 64 stations. Included in this expansion was a new link connecting directly to the city's airport. Also, a fleet of thousands of buses, minibuses and official cars transported spectators, athletes and officials between venues.[18][19]

In an effort to improve air quality, the city placed restrictions on construction sites, gas stations, and on the use of commercial and passenger vehicles in Beijing.[20] From June 20 through September 20, passenger vehicle restrictions were placed on alternate days depending on the terminal digit of the car's license plate. It was anticipated that this measure would take 45% of Beijing's 3.3 million cars off the streets. The boosted public transport network was expected to absorb the demand created by these restrictions and the influx of visitors, which was estimated at more than 4 million extra passengers per day.[21]

Marketing

The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem is known as Dancing Beijing (simplified Chinese: 舞动的北京; traditional Chinese: 舞動的北京; pinyin: Wǔdòng de Beíjīng). The emblem combines a traditional Chinese red seal and a representation of the calligraphic character jīng (京, "national capital", also the second character of Beijing's Chinese name) with athletic features. The open arms of the calligraphic word symbolises the invitation from 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."[22]

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.)[23] 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.[24] The mascots of Beijing 2008 were the five Fuwa,[25] each representing both a colour of the Olympic rings and a symbol of Chinese culture.

In 2006, the Beijing Organizing Committee released pictograms of 35 Olympic disciplines (for some multi-discipline sports, such as cycling, a single pictogram was released).[26][27] This set of sport icons was named the beauty of seal characters, because of each pictogram's likeness to Chinese seal script.

Media coverage

The 2008 Games were the first to be produced and broadcast entirely in high definition (HD) by the host broadcaster. In comparison, American broadcaster NBC broadcasted only half of the Turin Winter Games in HD.[28][29] In their bid for the Olympic Games in 2001, Beijing stated 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",[30] although some media outlets claimed that organizers ultimately failed to live up to this commitment.[c]

According to Nielsen Media Research, 4.7 billion viewers worldwide tuned in to some of the television coverage, one-fifth larger than the 3.9 billion who watched the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.[31] American broadcaster NBC produced only 2 hours of online streaming video for the 2006 Winter Games but produced approximately 2,200 hours of coverage for the 2008 Summer Games. For the first time "live online video rights in some markets for the Olympics have been separately negotiated, not part of the overall 'broadcast rights,'"; this new media of the digital economy was growing "nine times faster than the rest of the advertising market".[32]

Globally, the 2008 Olympics was subject to extensive copyright restriction, which amounted to territorial restrictions whilst still being covered extensively online within various exclusive copyright autarkies. Thus despite the international nature of the event and the global reach of the internet, the coverage world wide of assorted nation-states and television networks was not readily accessible. There was no global or supranational media coverage. The international European Broadcasting Union (EBU), for example, provided live coverage and highlights of all arenas only for certain territories on their website, Eurovisionsports.tv.[33] Many national broadcasters likewise restrict online events to their domestic audiences.[34] The General National Copyright Administration of China announced that "individual (sic) and websites will face fines as high as 100,000 yuan for uploading recordings of Olympic Games video to the internet,"[35] part of an extensive campaign to protect the pertinent intellectual property rights.[36][37]

Torch relay

2008 Olympic Torch

The design of the Olympic Torch was based on traditional scrolls and used a traditional Chinese design known as the "Propitious Clouds" (祥云). The torch was designed to remain lit in 65 km/h (40 mph) winds, temperatures as low as −40°C and in rain of up to 50 mm (2 in) per hour.

The relay, with the theme "Journey of Harmony", lasted 130 days and carried the torch 137,000 km (85,000 mi)—the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay since the tradition began at the 1936 Berlin Games.[38][39] The torch relay was called a "public relations disaster" for China by USA Today,[40] with protests of China's human rights record, particularly focused on Tibet. The IOC subsequently barred future Olympics organizers from staging international torch relays.[41]

Route of the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay

The relay began March 24, 2008, in Olympia, Greece. From there, it traveled across Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, and then to Beijing, arriving on March 31. From Beijing, the torch followed a route passing through every continent except Antarctica. The torch visited cities on the Silk Road, symbolizing ancient links between China and the rest of the world. A total of 21,880 torchbearers were selected from around the world by various organizations and entities.[42]

The international portion of the relay was problematic. The month-long world tour encountered wide-scale protests. After trouble in London where protesters made several attempts to put out the flame, the torch was extinguished in Paris the following day.[43] The American leg in San Francisco on April 9 was altered without prior warning to avoid such scenes, although there were still demonstrations along the original route.[44] The relay was further delayed and simplified after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake hit western China.[45]

The flame was carried to the top of Mount Everest[42] 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.[46] In 2008 March, China banned mountaineers from climbing its side of Mount Everest and later persuaded the Nepalese government to close their side as well, officially citing environmental concerns.[47] 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.[48]

The originally proposed route would have taken the torch through Taipei after leaving Vietnam and before heading for Hong Kong. The government of Taiwan (then led by the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party), however, objected to this proposal, claiming that this route would make the portion of the relay in Taiwan appear to be part of the torch's domestic journey through China, rather than a leg on the international route.[49] 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 led the government of Taiwan 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.[50]

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 were held. Each bullet in these boxes is an event final, the number of bullets per box representing the number of finals that were contested on that day. On the left the calendar lists each sport with events held during the Games, and at the right how many gold medals were won in that sport. There is a key at the top of the calendar to aid the reader.[51]

 ●  Opening ceremony     Event competitions  ●  Event finals     Exhibition gala  ●  Closing ceremony
August 2008 6th
Wed		 7th
Thu		 8th
Fri		 9th
Sat		 10th
Sun		 11th
Mon		 12th
Tue		 13th
Wed		 14th
Thu		 15th
Fri		 16th
Sat		 17th
Sun		 18th
Mon		 19th
Tue		 20th
Wed		 21st
Thu		 22nd
Fri		 23rd
Sat		 24th
Sun		 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 15 18 27 37 18 20 11 21 21 32 12 302
Cumulative Total 7 21 34 53 70 85 103 130 167 185 205 216 237 258 290 302
Ceremonies ● ●
August 2008 6th
Wed		 7th
Thu		 8th
Fri		 9th
Sat		 10th
Sun		 11th
Mon		 12th
Tue		 13th
Wed		 14th
Thu		 15th
Fri		 16th
Sat		 17th
Sun		 18th
Mon		 19th
Tue		 20th
Wed		 21st
Thu		 22nd
Fri		 23rd
Sat		 24th
Sun		 Gold
medals

Games

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony officially began at 8:00 pm on August 8, 2008 in the Beijing National Stadium.[52][53] The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture, and here it was a triple eight for the date and one extra for time (close to 08:08:08 pm).[54] The ceremony was co-directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and Chinese choreographer Zhang Jigang[55] and featured a cast of over 15,000 performers.[56] The ceremony lasted over four hours and was reported to have cost over US$100 million to produce.[57]

A rich assembly of ancient Chinese art and culture dominated the ceremony. It opened with the beating of Fou drums for the countdown. Subsequently, a giant scroll was unveiled and became the show's centerpiece. The official song of the 2008 Olympics, titled "You and Me", was performed by Britain's Sarah Brightman and China's Liu Huan, on a large spinning rendition of the globe.[58] The last recipient in the Olympic Torch relay, former Chinese gymnast Li Ning ignited the cauldron, after being suspended into the air by wires and completing a lap of the National Stadium at Stadium roof height in the air.[59]

The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and various international presses as spectacular and spellbinding.[60] Hein Verbruggen, chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the XXIX Olympiad, called the ceremony "a grand, unprecedented success."[61]

Sports

Inside Beijing National Stadium during the Games. Olympic torch in background.

The program for the Beijing Games was quite similar to that of the 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens. There were 28 sports and 302 events at the 2008 Games. Nine new events were held, including two from the new cycling discipline of BMX. Women competed in the 3000 metre steeplechase for the first time. Open water swimming events for men and women, over the distance of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles), were added to the swimming discipline. Team events (men and women) in table tennis replaced the doubles events.[62] In fencing, women's team foil and women's team sabre replaced men's team foil and women's team épée.[d] Two sports were open only to men, baseball and boxing, while one sport and one discipline were open only to women, softball and synchronized swimming. Equestrian and Mixed Badminton are the only sport in which men and women compete together.[63][64]

The following were the 28 sports that were contested at the Games. The number of events contested in each sport is indicated in parentheses (in sports with more than one discipline, as identified by the IOC,[65] these are also specified).

  • Aquatics (46)
    • Diving
    • Swimming
    • Synchronized swimming
    • Water polo
  • Archery
  • Athletics
  • Badminton
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Canoeing
    • Slalom (4)
    • Flatwater (12)
  • Cycling
    • BMX (2)
    • Road (4)
    • Track (10)
    • Mountain Bike (2)
  • Equestrian
    • Dressage (2)
    • Eventing (2)
    • Jumping (2)
  • Fencing
  • Field hockey
  • Football
  • Gymnastics
    • Artistic (14)
    • Rhythmic (2)
    • Trampoline (2)
  • Handball
  • Judo
  • Modern pentathlon
  • Rowing
  • Sailing
  • Shooting
  • Softball
  • Table tennis
  • Taekwondo
  • Tennis
  • Triathlon
  • Volleyball
    • Beach Volleyball (2)
    • Volleyball (2)
  • Weightlifting
  • Wrestling
    • Freestyle (11)
    • Greco-Roman (7)

In addition to the official Olympic sports, the Beijing Organising Committee was given special dispensation by the IOC to run a wushu competition in parallel to the Games. The Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008 saw 128 athletes from 43 countries participate, with medals awarded in 15 separate events; however, these were not to be added to the official medal tally since Wushu was not on the programme of the 2008 Olympic Games.[66]

Closing ceremony

The 2008 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony concluded the Beijing Games on August 24, 2008. It began at 8:00pm China Standard Time (UTC+8), and took place at the Beijing National Stadium.

The Ceremony included the handover of the Games from Beijing to London. Guo Jinlong, the Mayor of Beijing handed over the Olympic flag to the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, followed by a performance organized by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG). This presentation included performances by guitarist Jimmy Page, and recording artist Leona Lewis. Footballer David Beckham was also featured during London's presentation.[67]

Medal table

The reverse side of the medals of the 2008 Summer Olympics: silver (left), gold (center), bronze (right). Each medal has a ring of jade.
Main article: 2008 Summer Olympics medal table

Athletes from 86 countries won medals, 54 of which won gold medals, both setting new records for Olympic Games.[68][69] 118 participating countries did not win a medal. Athletes from China won 51 gold medals, the most of any nation at these Olympics, becoming the first nation other than the United States and Russia to do so since the 1936 Summer Olympics.[68] Athletes from the United States won the most total medals, with 110.[69] Afghanistan,[70] Mauritius,[71] Sudan,[72] Tajikistan,[73] and Togo[74] won their first Olympic medals. Athletes from Mongolia (which previously held the record for most medals without a gold),[75] and Panama[76] won their nation's first gold medals. An athlete from Serbia won its first medal under that name, having previously won medals as part of Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro.[77]

The top ten ranked NOCs at these Games are listed below. The host nation, China, is highlighted.[69]

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  China (CHN) 51 21 28 100
2  United States (USA) 36 38 36 110
3  Russia (RUS) 23 21 28 72
4  Great Britain (GBR) 19 13 15 47
5  Germany (GER) 16 10 15 41
6  Australia (AUS) 14 15 17 46
7  South Korea (KOR) 13 10 8 31
8  Japan (JPN) 9 6 10 25
9  Italy (ITA) 8 9 10 27
10  France (FRA) 7 16 18 41

Participation

Participating nations
Team sizes

All but one of the 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) that existed as of 2008 participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics, the exception being Brunei.[78] Three countries participated in the Olympic Games for their first time: the Marshall Islands, Montenegro and Tuvalu.[79] The Marshall Islands and Tuvalu gained National Olympic Committee status in 2006 and 2007 respectively, and 2008 was the first games in which they were eligible to participate.[80][81] The states of Serbia and Montenegro, which participated at the 2004 Games jointly as Serbia and Montenegro, competed separately for the first time. The Montenegrin Olympic Committee was accepted as a new National Olympic Committee in 2007.[81] Neighboring Kosovo, however, did not participate. After the declaration of independence in Kosovo, the IOC specified requirements that Kosovo needs to meet before being recognised by the IOC; most notably, it has to be recognised as independent by the United Nations.[82] China and the United States had the largest teams, with 639 for China and 596 for the United States.[83][84]

More than 100 sovereigns, heads of state and heads of government as well as 170 Ministers of Sport attended the Beijing Olympic Games.[85]

List of Participating NOCs

Below is a list of all the participating NOCs (the number of competitors per delegation is indicated in brackets)

  • Afghanistan (4)
  • Albania (11)
  • Algeria (62)
  • American Samoa (5)
  • Andorra (5)
  • Angola (32)
  • Antigua and Barbuda (5)
  • Argentina (137)
  • Armenia (25)
  • Aruba (2)
  • Australia (433)
  • Austria (72)
  • Azerbaijan (39)
  • Bahamas (19)
  • Bahrain (15)
  • Bangladesh (5)
  • Barbados (6)
  • Belarus (181)
  • Belgium (96)
  • Belize (3)
  • Benin (5)
  • Bermuda (6)
  • Bhutan (2)
  • Bolivia (6)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina (5)
  • Botswana (12)
  • Brazil (277)
  • British Virgin Islands (2)
  • Bulgaria (72)
  • Burkina Faso (6)
  • Burundi (3)
  • Cambodia (4)
  • Cameroon (33)
  • Canada (332)
  • Cape Verde (3)
  • Cayman Islands (4)
  • Central African Republic (3)
  • Chad (2)
  • Chile (27)
  • China (639) (host)
  • Chinese Taipei (80)
  • Colombia (64)
  • Comoros (3)
  • DR Congo (5)
  • Congo (3)
  • Cook Islands (4)
  • Costa Rica (8)
  • Côte d'Ivoire (20)
  • Croatia (105)
  • Cuba (149)
  • Cyprus (17)
  • Czech Republic (134)
  • Denmark (84)
  • Djibouti (2)
  • Dominica (2)
  • Dominican Republic (25)
  • Ecuador (25)
  • Egypt (103)
  • El Salvador (11)
  • Equatorial Guinea (3)
  • Eritrea (9)
  • Estonia (47)
  • Ethiopia (22)
  • Fiji (6)
  • Finland (58)
  • France (323)
  • FS Micronesia (15)
  • Macedonia (7)
  • Gabon (4)
  • Gambia (3)
  • Georgia (35)
  • Germany (463)
  • Ghana (9)
  • Great Britain (312)
  • Greece (159)
  • Grenada (9)
  • Guam (5)
  • Guatemala (12)
  • Guinea (5)
  • Guinea-Bissau (3)
  • Guyana (5)
  • Haiti (10)
  • Honduras (25)
  • Hong Kong (34)
  • Hungary (171)
  • Iceland (28)
  • India (57)
  • Indonesia (24)
  • Iran (55)
  • Iraq (4)
  • Ireland (54)
  • Israel (43)
  • Italy (344)
  • Jamaica (56)
  • Japan (351)
  • Jordan (7)
  • Kazakhstan (132)
  • Kenya (56)
  • Kiribati (2)
  • North Korea (63)
  • South Korea (267)
  • Kuwait (6)
  • Kyrgyzstan (21)
  • Laos (4)
  • Latvia (50)
  • Lebanon (5)
  • Lesotho (4)
  • Liberia (3)
  • Libya (7)
  • Liechtenstein (2)
  • Lithuania (71)
  • Luxembourg (12)
  • Madagascar (4)
  • Malawi (4)
  • Malaysia (33)
  • Maldives (4)
  • Mali (17)
  • Malta (6)
  • Marshall Islands (5)
  • Mauritania (2)
  • Mauritius (12)
  • Mexico (85)
  • Moldova (31)
  • Monaco (5)
  • Mongolia (29)
  • Montenegro (31)
  • Morocco (57)
  • Mozambique (5)
  • Myanmar (6)
  • Namibia (9)
  • Nauru (1)
  • Nepal (8)
  • Netherlands (245)
  • Netherlands Antilles (3)
  • New Zealand (182)
  • Nicaragua (6)
  • Niger (5)
  • Nigeria (33)
  • Norway (85)
  • Oman (5)
  • Pakistan (21)
  • Palau (5)
  • Palestine (4)
  • Panama (3)
  • Papua New Guinea (7)
  • Paraguay (5)
  • Peru (12)
  • Philippines (15)
  • Poland (268)
  • Portugal (77)
  • Puerto Rico (22)
  • Qatar (22)
  • Romania (102)
  • Russia (467)
  • Rwanda (4)
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis (4)
  • Saint Lucia (6)
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2)
  • São Tomé and Príncipe (3)
  • Samoa (6)
  • San Marino (4)
  • Saudi Arabia (16)
  • Senegal (12)
  • Serbia (92)
  • Seychelles (8)
  • Sierra Leone (3)
  • Singapore (25)
  • Slovakia (57)
  • Slovenia (62)
  • Solomon Islands (3)
  • Somalia (2)
  • South Africa (136)
  • Spain (286)
  • Sri Lanka (8)
  • Sudan (8)
  • Suriname (4)
  • Swaziland (4)
  • Sweden (134)
  • Switzerland (84)
  • Syria (8)
  • Tajikistan (13)
  • Tanzania (10)
  • Thailand (51)
  • Timor-Leste (2)
  • Togo (3)
  • Tonga (3)
  • Trinidad and Tobago (30)
  • Tunisia (32)
  • Turkey (68)
  • Turkmenistan (10)
  • Tuvalu (3)
  • Uganda (15)
  • Ukraine (254)[86]
  • United Arab Emirates (8)
  • United States (596)
  • Uruguay (12)
  • Uzbekistan (58)
  • Vanuatu (3)
  • Venezuela (109)
  • Vietnam (21)
  • Virgin Islands (5)
  • Yemen (5)
  • Zambia (8)
  • Zimbabwe (13)

National participation changes

TPE's flag.

As in Olympics Games since 1984, athletes from the Republic of China (Taiwan) competed at the 2008 Games as Chinese Taipei (TPE)[87] under the Chinese Taipei Olympic flag and using the National Banner Song as their official anthem. The participation of Taiwan was briefly in doubt because of disagreements over the name of their team in the Chinese language and concerns about Taiwan marching in the Opening Ceremony next to the special administrative region of Hong Kong. A compromise on the naming was reached, and Taiwan was referred to during the games as "Chinese Taipei," rather than "China's Taipei," as the mainland China government had proposed. In addition, the Central African Republic was placed between Chinese Taipei and the Special Administrative Regions during the march of nations.[88]

Starting in 2005, North Korea and South Korea held meetings to discuss the possibility of sending a united team to the 2008 Olympics.[89][90] The proposal failed, because of disagreements about how athletes would be chosen; North Korea was demanding a certain percentage representation for its athletes. A subsequent attempt to broker an agreement for the two nations to walk together during the March of Nations failed as well, despite their having done so during the 2000 and 2004 Games.[91]

On July 24, 2008, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Iraq from competing in the 2008 Olympic Summer Games because of "political interference by the government in sports."[92][93] On July 29, the IOC reversed its decision and allowed the nation to compete after a pledge by Iraq to ensure "the independence of its national Olympics panel" by instituting fair elections before the end of November. In the meantime, Iraq's Olympic Organisation was run by "an interim committee proposed by its national sports federations and approved by the IOC."[94]

Brunei Darussalam was due to take part in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. However, they were disqualified on August 8, having failed to register either of their two athletes.[95] The IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said in a statement that "it is a great shame and very sad for the athletes who lose out because of the decision by their team not to register them. The IOC tried up until the last minute, midday Friday August 8, 2008, the day of the official opening, to have them register, but to no avail."[96] Brunei's Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports issued a press release stating that their decision not to participate was due to an injury to one of their athletes.[97]

Georgia announced on August 9, 2008 that it was considering withdrawing from the Beijing Olympic Games because of the military conflict in South Ossetia, but it went on to compete while the conflict was still ongoing.[98]

Participation of athletes with disabilities

South African swimmer Natalie du Toit, whose left leg was amputated following a motor scooter accident, qualified to compete at the Beijing Olympics. The five time gold medalist at the Athens Paralympics in 2004, made history by becoming the first amputee to qualify for the Olympic Games since Olivér Halassy in 1936. She was able to compete in the Olympics rather than the Paralympics because she does not use a prosthetic leg while swimming.[99] Polish athlete Natalia Partyka, who was born without a right forearm, competed in Table Tennis in both the 2008 Olympic Games and 2008 Paralympic Games.[100]

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

A variety of concerns over the Games, or China's hosting of the Games, had been expressed by various entities; including allegations that China violated its pledge to allow open media access,[101] various alleged human rights violations,[102][103] its continuous support of repressive regimes (such as Zimbabwe, Myanmar, Sudan, and North Korea), air pollution in both the city of Beijing and in neighbouring areas,[104] proposed boycotts,[105][106] warnings of the possibility that the Beijing Olympics could be targeted by terrorist groups,[107] potentially violent disruption from pro-Tibetan protesters,[108] and religious persecutions.[109]

There were allegations that some members of China's women's gymnastics team were too young to compete under the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique's rules for Olympic eligibility.[110] On August 21, the IOC ordered a probe into the legal ages of double gold medal winning gymnast He Kexin and her teammates.[111] After a five-and-a-half week investigation, the Chinese gymnasts were deemed eligible to compete and the original results were allowed to stand.[112]

In the lead-up to the Olympics, the government allegedly issued guidelines to the local media for their reporting during the Games: most political issues not directly related to the games were to be downplayed; topics such as pro-Tibetan independence and East Turkestan movements were not to be reported on, as were food safety issues such as "cancer-causing mineral water."[113] As the 2008 Chinese milk scandal broke in September 2008, there was widespread speculation that China's desire for a perfect Games may have been a factor contributing towards the delayed recall of contaminated infant formula.[114][115]

Legacy

The 2008 Olympic Games have been generally accepted by the world's media as a logistical success, despite the heavy politicization of the games beforehand.[116][117] Contrary to fears before the game, no terrorists struck Beijing; no athlete protested at the podium, and due largely to favorable weather conditions, the air quality was not as bad as many had feared beforehand.[118][119]

For the Chinese government, the Olympic events, as well as the medals won by Chinese athletes, were a great source of national pride. It was seen as a symbol of China's pride and place in the world, while protests against the relay that occurred overseas were presented in the state media as the attempt of foreigners to deny the Chinese people that place.[120] The Olympics seem to have also bolstered some domestic support for the Chinese government, and support for the policies of the Communist Party of China, giving rise to concerns that the state will possibly have more leverage to disperse dissent, at least momentarily.[121] It is also believed that the number of gold medals won at the Olympics helped the pro-Beijing party (DAB) win at Hong Kong legislative election, 2008, in which the DAB remained the largest party. In the days before the election, a number of Chinese gold medalists visited Hong Kong to rally support behind the DAB, although some analysts had expected larger gains as a result of this than actually occurred.[122]

The long-term economic impact of the games on China and Beijing in particular is not yet clear. Some sectors of the economy may have benefited from the influx of tourists, and other sectors such as manufacturing lost revenue because of plant closings related to the government's efforts to improve air quality. It is generally expected by economists that there will be no lasting effects on the city's economy from the games.[123]

See also

Notes and references

Notes
References
  1. ↑ International Olympic Committee (August 1, 2008). "NOC entry forms received". Press release. http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/official/preparation/n214496035.shtml. Retrieved 2008-08-9-08. 
  2. ↑ Abrahamson, Alan (August 2, 2008). ""Absolutely no regrets" in coming to China, IOC president says". NBC. http://www.nbcolympics.com/blogs/blog=alanabrahamsonsblog/postid=163687.html. Retrieved August 2, 2008. 
  3. ↑ "Beijing 2008: Election". International Olympic Committee. http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/beijing/election_uk.asp. Retrieved December 18, 2006. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Longman, Jere (July 14, 2001). "OLYMPICS; Beijing Wins Bid for 2008 Olympic Games". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/14/sports/olympics-beijing-wins-bid-for-2008-olympic-games.html. Retrieved June 11, 2009. 
  5. ↑ Riding, Alan (September 24, 1993). "Olympics; 2000 Olympics Go to Sydney In Surprise Setback for China". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/24/sports/olympics-2000-olympics-go-to-sydney-in-surprise-setback-for-china.html. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  6. ↑ "Surplus of Beijing Olympic Games exceeds 16 billion USD". People's Daily Online. March 6, 2009. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90884/6608035.html. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  7. ↑ Rabinovitch, Simon (August 5, 2008). "Beijing Games to be costliest, but no debt legacy". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Olympics/idUSPEK25823820080805. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  8. ↑ "The cost of the Beijing Olympics". The Guardian (London). July 28, 2008. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/28/olympicgames2008.china1. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  9. ↑ "All Beijing-based Olympic venues under construction". BOCOG. May 11, 2007. http://en.beijing2008.cn/01/32/article214073201.shtml. Retrieved May 11, 2007. 
  10. ↑ "Beijing Olympics funding exceeds $43 bn". NDTV.com. August 4, 2008. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/showsports.aspx?id=SPOEN20080060086&ch=8/4/2008%209:09:00%20PM. Retrieved August 10, 2008. 
  11. ↑ "Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue". Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. http://en.beijing2008.cn/venues/equ/index.shtml. Retrieved August 10, 2008. 
  12. ↑ "Supporters, protesters greet Olympic torch's arrival in Beijing". CBC News. August 6, 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/08/06/beijing-protesters.html. Retrieved June 20, 2009. 
  13. ↑ Libby, Brian (May 1, 2002). "China's Banner Stadium". Architecture Week. http://www.architectureweek.com/2002/0501/design_1-1.html. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Lubow, Arthur (May 6, 2006). "The China Syndrome". Magazine (New York Times). http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/magazine/21bejing.html?_r=1&oref=slogin. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  15. ↑ "Presentation of Competation". Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning. http://www.bjghw.gov.cn/forNationalStadium/indexeng.asp. Retrieved August 28, 2008. 
  16. ↑ Pasternack, Alex; Clifford A. Pearson (July 2008). "National Stadium". Architectural Record: 92–9. http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/portfolio/archives/0807nationalstadium-1.asp. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  17. ↑ Jo Baker. "Beijing Terminal 3 by Foster". Architecture Week. http://www.architectureweek.com/2008/0730/design_1-1.html. Retrieved August 16, 2008. 
  18. ↑ "38 public transit routes to the Olympic venues". BOCOG. January 22, 2007. http://en.beijing2008.cn/05/25/article214012505.shtml. Retrieved January 29, 2007. 
  19. ↑ AUSmotive.com (August 2, 2008). "Volkswagen claims ‘Green’ medal at 2008 Olympic Games". http://www.ausmotive.com/2008/08/02/volkswagen-claims-green-medal-at-2008-olympic-games-in-beijing.html. Retrieved August 2, 2008. 
  20. ↑ Andrew Jacobs (April 14, 2008). "Traffic Beijing Stops Construction for Olympics". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/world/asia/15china.html?hp. Retrieved April 14, 2008. 
  21. ↑ Reuters (June 23, 2008). "Beijing to launch Olympic 'odd-even' car ban". ABC news. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/23/2282484.htm?site=olympics/2008. Retrieved June 23, 2008. 
  22. ↑ "Rogge's Message for Beijing Olympics Emblem Unveiling". People's Daily Online. August 3, 2003. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200308/03/eng20030803_121618.shtml. Retrieved December 19, 2006. 
  23. ↑ "'One World One Dream' selected as the Theme Slogan for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games". BOCOG. December 25, 2005. http://en.beijing2008.cn/75/66/article211996675.shtml. Retrieved May 5, 2007. 
  24. ↑ "New Olympic slogan: One World, One Dream". The Sydney Morning Herald. April 27, 2005. http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/New-Olympic-slogan-One-World-One-Dream/2005/06/27/1119724547278.html. Retrieved June 20, 2009. 
  25. ↑ "Fuwa Fact Sheet". http://watch-olympics-online.co.cc/about.php. Retrieved May 14, 2008. 
  26. ↑ "Pictograms of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games". BOCOG. 2006. http://en.beijing2008.cn/spirit/beijing2008/graphic/pictograms/. Retrieved August 22, 2008. 
  27. ↑ "Pictograms of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games unveiled". BOCOG. August 7, 2006. http://en.beijing2008.cn/37/34/article212033437.shtml. Retrieved August 22, 2008. 
  28. ↑ Dickson, Glen (August 4, 2008). "Network goes to great lengths to pump Beijing Olympic Games action to myriad pipes.". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on July 23, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5iUIKnFGQ. Retrieved August 17, 2008. 
  29. ↑ "Seeing clearly: Panasonic ushers in first HDTV Game". China Daily. July 6, 2007. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/2008/2007-07/06/content_911825.htm. Retrieved March 24, 2008. 
  30. ↑ "Report of the IOC Evaluation Commission for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_299.pdf. Retrieved June 10, 2009. 
  31. ↑ http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/2-out-3-people-worldwide-watched-2008-beijing-olympics
  32. ↑ "Olympics enter the '2.0' era - CNN.com". July 10, 2008. http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/07/09/oly.media/index.html. Retrieved August 25, 2008. 
  33. ↑ "Beijing LIVE". http://www.eurovisionsports.tv/olympics/geoerror/geoerror.html. Retrieved August 25, 2008. 
  34. ↑ "BBC SPORT $#124; Olympics $#124; Cycling $#124; Video — Delighted Cooke gets gold medal". BBC News. Page last updated at 13:07 GMT, Sunday, August 10, 2008 14:07 UK. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/cycling/7552544.stm. Retrieved August 25, 2008. 
  35. ↑ 100,000 yuan fine for uploading Olympic videos?
  36. ↑ "For Olympics, China Ramps Up Copyright Infringement Campaign – Rings Blog – NYTimes.com". The New York Times. http://olympics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/for-olympics-china-ramps-up-copyright-infringement-campaign/. 
  37. ↑ 我国启动打击网络侵权盗版专项行动 为期四个月
  38. ↑ "Beijing 2008: BOCOG Announces Olympic Torch Relay Route". International Olympic Committee. April 26, 2007. http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=2147. Retrieved April 26, 2007. 
  39. ↑ Bowley, Graham; Sullivan, John (April 9, 2008). "Officials Expect Olympic Torch to Continue on Route". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/world/09torch.html?_r=1&ex=1365393600&en=2c75ea71d3f9215b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin. 
  40. ↑ "Vietnamese cheer torch, last int'l stop". USA Today. April 29, 2008. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-29-torch-vietnam_N.htm. Retrieved June 20, 2009. 
  41. ↑ Zinser, Lynn (March 27, 2009). "I.O.C. Bars International Torch Relays". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/sports/othersports/28torch.html?ref=sports. Retrieved March 28, 2009. 
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 "Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay Planned Route and Torch Design unveiled". BOCOG. April 26, 2007. http://torchrelay.beijing2008.cn/en/news/headlines/n214042288.shtml. Retrieved April 26, 2007. 
  43. ↑ Samuel, Henry (April 7, 2008). "Olympic torch extinguished three times". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1584227/Olympic-torch-extinguished-three-times.html. Retrieved June 20, 2009 date=April 7, 2008. 
  44. ↑ "Confusion strikes US torch relay". BBC News. April 9, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7339380.stm?. 
  45. ↑ "Organizers not saying why torch's arrival in Tibet delayed". ESPN. June 16, 2006. http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=3445844. Retrieved June 20, 2009. 
  46. ↑ "China to build highway on Mt Everest for 2008 Olympics". The Hindu. June 20, 2007. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200706200340.htm. Retrieved June 25, 2007. 
  47. ↑ McCarthy, Michael; Geldard, Jack (March 17, 2008). "Climbers banned from Everest as China seeks to stop protests on summit". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/climbers-banned-from-everest-as-china-seeks-to-stop-protests-on-summit-796782.html. Retrieved March 23, 2008. 
  48. ↑ "Nepal: Everest pro-Tibet protesters may be shot". CNN. April 20, 2008. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/04/20/nepal.torch.oly/index.html. Retrieved June 20, 2009. 
  49. ↑ "Taiwan rejects 'domestic' Olympic torch route". Taiwan Journal. May 4, 2007. http://taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=24170&CtNode=122. Retrieved August 15, 2007. 
  50. ↑ "Olympic torch will bypass Taiwan". BBC News. September 21, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7005984.stm. Retrieved June 20, 2009. 
  51. ↑ "Olympic Games Competition Schedule". BOCOG. http://en.beijing2008.cn/cptvenues/schedule/. Retrieved July 5, 2007. 
  52. ↑ "Tickets Information — The official ticketing website of the BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games". http://www.tickets.beijing2008.cn/browse?category=8224&major_category=8224&game_type=olympic. 
  53. ↑ "Opening Ceremony plan released". Official website. August 6, 2008. http://en.beijing2008.cn/ceremonies/n214508163.shtml. Retrieved August 8, 2008. 
  54. ↑ "The Number Eight And The Chinese". http://afgen.com/china8.html. Retrieved April 22, 2007. 
  55. ↑ "Zhang Yimou and his five creative generals". Beijing2008.cn. August 23, 2007. http://en.beijing2008.cn/culture/ceremonies/n214143744.shtml. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  56. ↑ "Olympics opening ceremony to have 15,000 performers". The Live Feed. July 21, 2007. http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/07/olympics-openin.html. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  57. ↑ "China Celebrates Opening Of Summer Olympics : NPR". Archived from the original on September 11, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5ji29ognL. Retrieved September 9, 2009. 
  58. ↑ "Fears, foul-ups and triumphs at past Olympic openings". Reuters. August 7, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUST29313420080807. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  59. ↑ "China strides onto Olympic stage". ESPN. August 8, 2008. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=3525418. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  60. ↑ "Press hails 'greatest ever' Olympic opening show". Agence France-Presse. August 9, 2008. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ibNAUAq-kZNOy3LmO9HAI2cN-smg. Retrieved August 9, 2008. 
  61. ↑ "Verbruggen: Opening Ceremony a grand success". Beijing2008.cn. August 9, 2008. http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/official/ioc/n214520633.shtml. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  62. ↑ "A 2008 Summer Olympics primer". New York Daily News. August 10, 2008. http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2008/08/10/2008-08-10_a_2008_summer_olympics_primer.html. Retrieved June 7, 2009. 
  63. ↑ "Beijing 2008: Games Programme Finalised". International Olympic Committee. April 27, 2006. http://olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=1797. Retrieved June 7, 2009. 
  64. ↑ "Programme of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Beijing 2008" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1056.pdf. Retrieved June 7, 2009. 
  65. ↑ IOC Sport Pages The list of Olympic Sports is provided at www.olympic.org. The link for each sport provides further links the disciplines of the sport, if applicable.
  66. ↑ Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008 to begin August 21 – Beijing 2008, 05/08/08
  67. ↑ "London Takes Over as Olympic Host". The BBC. August 24, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/london_2012/7577999.stm. Retrieved January 10, 2009. 
  68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 Crary, David (August 24, 2008). "The final count: China's gold rush". NBCOlympics.com. Associated Press (NBC). http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/newscenter/news/newsid=254694.html. Retrieved June 6, 2009. 
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 "BBC Sport | Beijing 2008, Medals table". BBC. August 14, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/medals_table/default.stm. Retrieved May 17, 2009. 
  70. ↑ "Afghans win first Olympic medal". BBC Sports. June 5, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/taekwondo/7572409.stm. Retrieved August 20, 2008. 
  71. ↑ "Mauritian delight at first ever medal". Times of India. August 22, 2008. http://olympics.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mauritian_delight_at_first_ever_medal/articleshow/3394390.cms. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  72. ↑ Osman, Mohamed (August 24, 2008). "Darfur runner wins Sudan's first Olympic medal". The New York Times. http://2008games.nytimes.com/olympics/story.asp?i=20080824121844314602808&ref=rec&tm=&src=DOLY. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  73. ↑ Talmadge, Eric (August 11, 2008). "Italy, Azerbaijan win golds". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/sports/11iht-olyjudo11.15183337.html?_r=1. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  74. ↑ "Togo claims first Olympic medal". BBC News. August 12, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7556266.stm. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  75. ↑ "Naidan wins Mongolia's first gold". BBC News. August 14, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/judo/7560951.stm. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  76. ↑ "Liu out, Isinbayeva gets world record". The New York Times. August 18, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/sports/18iht-olyath118.15391333.html. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  77. ↑ "Serbian PM congratulates swimmer on winning medal in Beijing Olympics". Chinaview.cn. August 17, 2008. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/17/content_9416202.htm. Retrieved June 5, 2009. 
  78. ↑ "National Olympic Committees". International Olympic Committee. http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/index_uk.asp. Retrieved March 11, 2008. 
  79. ↑ "Beijing 2008". Olympic Games. International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on June 10, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5hQ21JPTv. Retrieved June 6, 2009. 
  80. ↑ "Robert Meets IOC President". ONOC. April 2, 2005. Archived from the original on October 18, 2005. http://web.archive.org/web/20051018032511/http://www.oceaniasport.com/tuvalu/. Retrieved December 17, 2006. 
  81. ↑ 81.0 81.1 "Two new National Olympic Committees on board!". International Olympic Committee. July 6, 2007. http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=2237. Retrieved July 8, 2007. 
  82. ↑ "IOC: Kosovo Olympic Team 'Unlikely'". Associated Press. February 18, 2008. http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=4306795. Retrieved February 20, 2008. 
  83. ↑ "2008 United States Olympic Team Entered Into XXVIV Olympic Games in Beijing, China". United States Olympic Committee. July 24, 2008. http://teamusa.org/news/article/2744. Retrieved June 15, 2009. 
  84. ↑ "Host China announces biggest-ever Olympic team of 639 athletes". Xinhua News. July 25, 2008. Archived from the original on June 17, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5hbsodTgc. Retrieved June 15, 2009. 
  85. ↑ "IOC President to meet with world leaders". Archived from the original on September 10, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5jhElwb8W. Retrieved September 9, 2009. 
  86. ↑ "Ukraine to send its largest-ever Olympic delegation to Beijing". Xinhua. 2008-07-17. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/17/content_8558154.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
  87. ↑ Reinstatement in the Olympic Movement, Chinese Olympic Committee, March 27, 2004
  88. ↑ Callick, Rowan (August 4, 2008). "Taiwan clears Games hurdle". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24123163-5013406,00.html. Retrieved June 15, 2009. 
  89. ↑ "Koreas 'to unify Olympics teams'". BBC. May 14, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4396170.stm. Retrieved December 17, 2006. 
  90. ↑ "Two Koreas Make Progress in Creation of Unified Team". International Olympic Committee. September 5, 2006. http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=1893. Retrieved September 10, 2006. 
  91. ↑ Wilson, Stephen (August 7, 2008). "North, South Korea Fail To Broker Joint Olympics March". Associated Press. http://www.nysun.com/foreign/north-south-korea-fail-to-broker-joint-olympics/83398/. Retrieved June 15, 2009. 
  92. ↑ "Iraq banned from Summer Olympics". CNN. July 24, 2008. http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/07/24/iraq.olympics/index.html. Retrieved July 24, 2008. 
  93. ↑ "Iraq banned from Beijing Olympics". BBC Sport. July 24, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/7523708.stm. Retrieved July 24, 2008. 
  94. ↑ Jordans, Frank (July 29, 2008). "Olympic panel ends ban, says Iraq can go to games". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2008-07-29-1527812812_x.htm. Retrieved June 20, 2009. 
  95. ↑ "Brunei Darussalam excluded from Beijing Olympic Games". Xinhua. August 8, 2008. http://www.china.org.cn/olympics/news/2008-08/08/content_16167337.htm. Retrieved August 8, 2008. 
  96. ↑ "Brunei excluded from Beijing Games". Reuters. August 8, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Olympics/idUSPEK32791920080808. Retrieved June 15, 2009. 
  97. ↑ "Brunei not in China because ...". The Brunei Times. August 10, 2008. http://www.bt.com.bn/en/sport/2008/08/10/brunei_not_in_china_because. Retrieved June 15, 2009. 
  98. ↑ "24.com – Olympics 2008 – Georgia poised to leave Beijing". September 8, 2008. http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Olympics2008/0,,2-9-2370_2372929,00.html. Retrieved August 25, 2008. 
  99. ↑ Hart, Simon (May 4, 2008). "Dreams carry Natalie Du Toit to Beijing". London: The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/swimming/2299269/Dreams-carry-Natalie-Du-Toit-to-Beijing.html. Retrieved June 15, 2009. 
  100. ↑ "Natalia: Paralympic AND Olympic athlete". http://www.london2012.com/blog/2008/06/18/natalia-paralympic-and-olympic-athlete.php. Retrieved June 15, 2009. 
  101. ↑ Two Concerns for Olympics – Air and Access – NYTimes.com
  102. ↑ "Protestors Rally in Europe on Eve of China Olympics". Deutsche Welle. August 7, 2008. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3545274,00.html. Retrieved August 9, 2008. 
  103. ↑ "China's un-Olympic human rights record". Calgary Herald. August 9, 2008. http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/theeditorialpage/story.html?id=c06e4f24-ea77-467c-960e-abc94721e094. Retrieved August 9, 2008. 
  104. ↑ "Ji Xinpeng: Beijing welcomes you with its blue sky". China Daily. August 7, 2008. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-08/07/content_6912755.htm. Retrieved August 8, 2008. 
  105. ↑ Kosyrev, Dmitry (August 6, 2008). "Beijing Olympics as a diplomatic convention". RIA Novosti. http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20080806/115849259.html. Retrieved August 9, 2008. 
  106. ↑ Newman, Saul. "Why Grandpa boycotted the Olympics". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1009630.html. Retrieved August 9, 2008. 
  107. ↑ Interpol says Olympic terror attack 'real possibility'. The Globe and Mail. Accessed: April 25, 2008
  108. ↑ Interpol chief warns of Olympic terror threat. Yahoo! Eurosport UK. Accessed: August 8, 2008
  109. ↑ O'Sullivan, Mike (August 10, 2008). "Bush Olympic Visit Highlights Religion in China". Voice of America. Archived from the original on July 23, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5iUILLrbe. Retrieved July 2, 2009. 
  110. ↑ "Most Memorable Moments of the 2008 Beijing Olympics". AsianWeek. Retrieved on August 29, 2008.
  111. ↑ Olympic probe into age-fixing of Chinese gymnasts
  112. ↑ "2008 Chinese gymnasts cleared, but 2000 team eyed". Associated Press. ESPN. October 1, 2008. http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/gymnastics/news/story?id=3619325&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines. Retrieved October 1, 2008. 
  113. ↑ Stephen Hutcheon, Was China's milk scandal hushed up?, "The full list of edicts", New Zealand Herald (September 15, 2008)
  114. ↑ China accused over contaminated baby milk, The Daily Telegraph (September 15, 2008)
  115. ↑ China Says Complaints About Milk Began in 2007, The New York Times (September 23, 2008) "
  116. ↑ "Top events of 2008 – After the Games: China's Olympic legacy". http://www.radio86.co.uk/china-insight/world-viewpoints/9348/top-events-of-2008-after-the-games-chinas-olympic-legacy. 
  117. ↑ Skalij, Wally (August 24, 2008). "Beijing Olympics were logistically successful and sneaky, too". LA Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/24/sports/sp-olyplaschke24. Retrieved August 29, 2008. 
  118. ↑ "China Launches Olympic-Size Headache". August 20, 2008. http://www.nysun.com/foreign/china-launches-olympic-size-headache/84259/. Retrieved August 31, 2008. 
  119. ↑ Jamieson, Alastair (June 22, 2009). "Beijing Olympics were the most polluted games ever, researchers say". Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/london2012/5597277/Beijing-Olympics-were-the-most-polluted-games-ever-researchers-say.html. Retrieved June 26, 2009. 
  120. ↑ April Rabkin, (August 1, 2008). "→Beijing Olympic Games all about China, Chinese Leaders keen to impress, inspire their own people". Sfgate.com. http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-08-01/news/17121901_1_international-olympic-committee-s-choice-beijing-torch-protests. Retrieved 17 March 2010. 
  121. ↑ Gardner, Dinah (August 25, 2008). "China's Olympic legacy". http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/beijing08/2008/08/20088255274440438.html. Retrieved August 29, 2008. 
  122. ↑ "Democrats perform well despite 'Olympic factor' in Hong Kong elections". September 8, 2008. Archived from the original on June 10, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5hQ20UUUm. Retrieved June 6, 2009. 
  123. ↑ "Beijing's economy – Going for gold". August 25, 2008. http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11920899. Retrieved August 29, 2008. 
  124. ↑ Stelter, Brian (July 21, 2008). "Networks Fight Shorter Olympic Leash". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/sports/olympics/21nbc.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved July 21, 2008. 
  125. ↑ "List of decisions of the 2006 General Assembly" (PDF). Fédération Internationale d'Escrime. April 8, 2006. http://www.fie.ch/download/letters/2006/urgent/09/en/decisions%20ANG.pdf. Retrieved June 7, 2009. 

External links

Wikinews has a related section:
Olympics
Preceded by
Athens		 Summer Olympic Games
Beijing
XXIX Olympiad (2008)		 Succeeded by
London
Olympic Games
Sports · Medal tables · IOC · NOCs · Medalists · Symbols
Summer Games
1896 · 1900 · 1904 · (1906)1 · 1908 · 1912 · 19162 · 1920 · 1924 · 1928 · 1932 · 1936 · 19403 · 19443 · 1948 · 1952 · 1956 · 1960 · 1964 · 1968 · 1972 · 1976 · 1980 · 1984 · 1988 · 1992 · 1996 · 2000 · 2004 · 2008 · 2012 · 2016 · 2020 · 2024 · 2028
Winter Games
1924 · 1928 · 1932 · 1936 · 19403 · 19443 · 1948 · 1952 · 1956 · 1960 · 1964 · 1968 · 1972 · 1976 · 1980 · 1984 · 1988 · 1992 · 1994 · 1998 · 2002 · 2006 · 2010 · 2014 · 2018 · 2022
1 Discounted ex post facto by the IOC; 2 Cancelled due to World War I.3 Cancelled due to World War II.
Events at the 2008 Summer Olympics (Beijing)
Archery • Athletics • Badminton • Baseball • Basketball • Boxing • Canoeing • Cycling • Diving • Equestrian • Fencing • Field hockey  • Football • Gymnastics • Handball • Judo • Modern pentathlon • Rowing • Sailing • Shooting • Softball • Swimming • Synchronized swimming • Table tennis • Taekwondo • Tennis • Triathlon • Volleyball • Water polo • Weightlifting • Wrestling
Venues of the 2008 Summer Olympics
New venues
Beijing National Stadium · Beijing National Aquatics Center · Beijing National Indoor Stadium · Beijing Shooting Range Hall · Wukesong Indoor Stadium · Laoshan Velodrome · Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park · China Agricultural University Gymnasium · Peking University Gymnasium · Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium · Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium · Olympic Green Tennis Center
Existing venues
Olympic Sports Centre · Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium · Workers Stadium · Workers Indoor Arena · Capital Indoor Stadium · Fengtai Softball Field · Ying Tung Natatorium · Laoshan Mountain Bike Course · Beijing Shooting Range Clay Target Field · Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium · Beihang University Gymnasium
Temporary venues
Olympic Green Convention Center · Olympic Green Hockey Field · Olympic Green Archery Field · Wukesong Baseball Field · Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground · BMX Field · Triathlon Venue · Urban Road Cycling Course
Venues outside Beijing
Qingdao International Sailing Centre · Shanghai Stadium · Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium · Hong Kong Equestrian Venues · Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium · Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium