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Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Nations participating	---
Athletes participating	---
Events	28 sports
Opening ceremony	August 8, 2008
Closing ceremony	August 24, 2008
Officially opened by	---
Athlete's Oath	---
Judge's Oath	---
Olympic Torch	---
Stadium	Beijing National Stadium

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be held in Beijing in the People's Republic of China from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony to take place at 8 p.m. on August 8, 2008 (the number 8 stands for prosperity in Chinese sub-culture). Some events will be held at venues constructed in neighboring towns and at the coastal city of Qingdao. Image File history File links A Soccer ball from http://openclipart. ... A sport consists of a physical activity or skill carried out with a recreational purpose: for competition, for self-enjoyment, to attain excellence, for the development of a skill, or some combination of these. ... Dancing Beijing logo of the 2008 Summer Olympics. ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... Leap year starting on Tuesday // Predicted events January-June January 15 - NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft makes the first of three flybys of Mercury. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... Leap year starting on Tuesday // Predicted events January-June January 15 - NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft makes the first of three flybys of Mercury. ... The Olympic Oath is taken by an athlete and a judge at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. ... The Olympic Oath is taken by an athlete and a judge at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. ... The Olympic Flame at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics The Olympic Flame or Olympic Fire is a symbol of the Olympic Games. ... The Olympic Stadium is the name usually given to the big centrepiece sports arena of the Summer Olympic Games. ... This is the future Beijing National Stadium which has been approved by the city council. ...   Beijing? (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking) is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... Leap year starting on Tuesday // Predicted events January-June January 15 - NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft makes the first of three flybys of Mercury. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... Leap year starting on Tuesday // Predicted events January-June January 15 - NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft makes the first of three flybys of Mercury. ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... Leap year starting on Tuesday // Predicted events January-June January 15 - NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft makes the first of three flybys of Mercury. ... 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. ... Qingdao   listen? (Simplified Chinese: 青岛; Traditional Chinese: 青島; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ching-tao; Postal System Pinyin: Tsingtao) is a port sub-provincial city in the Shandong province of China, a naval base, and a major industrial city located at the southern tip of the Shandong Peninsula, in Jiaozhou Bay, facing the...

On July 8, 2005, the International Olympic Committee announced that Hong Kong will hold the equestrian events at the site of the Hong Kong Sports Institute in Fo Tan, Sha Tin. The facilities of the Sports Institute may be moved to Wu Kai Sha. This will be the second time the same season of Olympics Games has been hosted by two members of the International Olympic Committee. July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Equestrian has several meanings: An equestrian is a horseback rider: see equestrianism An equestrian (Roman) is a member of one of the upper classes in ancient Rome. ... Fo Tan (火炭) is a suburb of Sha Tin, in Hong Kong. ... Shing Mun River and Lek Yuen Bridge (瀝源橋). Sha Tin, or Shatin (沙田), is an area in the core of the Sha Tin District, in the New Territories, Hong Kong. ... The International Olympic Committee is an organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organise this sports event every four years. ...

Bidding Process

Main article: 2008 Summer Olympic bids Five cities made the shortlist to host the 2008 Summer Olympics which were awarded to Beijing, Peoples Republic of China on July 13, 2001. ...

Beijing was elected host city on July 13, 2001, during the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, beating out Toronto, Paris, Istanbul and Osaka. Prior to the session, five other cities submitted bids to the IOC but failed to make the shortlist in 2000: Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and Seville. July 13th is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA:   listen?) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ... }|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Official Flag]]|Coat Image=[[Image:{{{Coat Image}}}|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Coat of Arms]]}} {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Diversity Our Strength {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Shows the Location of the Province Ä°stanbul Istanbul (Turkish: Ä°stanbul; a contraction of Greek εις την πολιν into the city, the former Constantinople, Κωνσταντινούπολις) is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. ... Osaka Castle (ÅŒsaka-jō) Location in Japan Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) Osaka railway station The Osaka Tower (TsÅ«tenkaku) Osaka City   listen? (大阪市; ÅŒsaka-shi) is the third-largest city in Japan, with a population of 2. ... Bangkok from the Chao Phraya River at sunset, July 2004 The Modern Bangkok Skyline. ... Although technically in Giza, The Great Pyramids have become a symbol of Cairo internationally Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; romanized: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... Havana (Spanish: San Cristóbal de La Habana; UN/LOCODE: Habana (CU HAV)) is the capital of Cuba and, with a population of 2. ... Mayor Datuk Ruslin Hasan District Kuala Lumpur District Area  - Total (City) 243. ... Seville (Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain, crossed by the river Guadalquivir (37°22′38″ N 5°59′13″ W). ...

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

  Beijing? (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking) is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Image File history File links Drawn by User:Zscout370. ... }|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Official Flag]]|Coat Image=[[Image:{{{Coat Image}}}|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Coat of Arms]]}} {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Diversity Our Strength {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada... Image File history File links National Flag of Canada / lUnifolié For more information, see Department of Canadian Heritage and Image_talk:Canada_flag_large. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Tricolore of France Created by User:Anthony S. Tsoumbris French Tricolore flag File links The following pages link to this file: Austria Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam A.S. Roma A.C. Milan Belgium Czech Republic Cyprus Economy of the Czech Republic Corsica Chelsea F.C. European Union Estonia European... Shows the Location of the Province Ä°stanbul Istanbul (Turkish: Ä°stanbul; a contraction of Greek εις την πολιν into the city, the former Constantinople, Κωνσταντινούπολις) is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. ... Image File history File links The Flag of Turkey I have created this file by Metapost then resized and converted to PNG by GIMP, following the ratios given in Turkish law. ... Osaka Castle (ÅŒsaka-jō) Location in Japan Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) Osaka railway station The Osaka Tower (TsÅ«tenkaku) Osaka City   listen? (大阪市; ÅŒsaka-shi) is the third-largest city in Japan, with a population of 2. ... Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ...

Concern

There are those who are concerned that the government of China will use the 2008 Olympics as a showpiece of Chinese nationalism to promote unity among Chinese territories including Taiwan, Tibet, Uigher, Hong Kong, and other potential separatist states or nations, and as an outlet to redress its historical grievances with the western world and Japan. Given the riots that ensued after the win by Japan over China in the 2004 Asian Cup football finals, and during the protests against revision of Japanese history textbooks, such fears are not unfounded. Although some have contended that the PRC government is moving away from its anti-western stance, others do not believe such assertions at all. The selection of Beijing as host city has also been criticised by supporters of Falun Gong, Tibetan independence, and Taiwanese independence. The Chinese government claims that these concerns are unfounded. The May Fourth Movement in 1919 marked the beginning of the upsurge of nationalist feeling in China. ... Logo of the 2004 Asian Cup The Asian Football Confederations Asian Cup 2004 finals were held in the Peoples Republic of China between July 17 and August 7. ... In typical game play, players attempt to move towards a goal through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling (running with the ball close to their feet); by passing the ball from team-mate to team-mate; and by taking shots at the goal. ... Chinese demonstrators in Beijing protesting Japanese textbook revisionism. ... Falun emblem. ... The International Tibet Independence Movement is an organization headed by the 14th Dalai Lama to promote Tibetan independence. ... Taiwan independence (Chinese: 台灣獨立, pinyin: Táiwān dúlì, Taiwanese Romanization: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p; abbreviated to 台獨, Táidú, Tâi-to̍k) is a political movement whose goal is primarily to create an independent and sovereign Republic of Taiwan (out of the lands currently administered...

Preparations

Construction of all 2008 Summer Olympics venues is expected to be completed in 2007. The government intends to invest in thirty-seven new gymnasiums and stadiums as well as fifty-nine training centers. Its largest architectural pieces are the Beijing National Stadium, National Gymnasium, Olympic Aquatic Park, Convention Center, Olympic Village and Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center. US$2.1 billion or RMB¥17.4 billion in corporate bids and tenders are expected to fund almost eighty-five percent of the construction budget for the six main venues. Investments are expected from corporations seeking ownership rights after the 2008 Summer Olympics. Some venues will be owned and governed by the State General Administration of Sports which will use them after the Olympics as facilities for all future national sports teams. It was announced on July 8, 2005 that the Equestrian events were to be held in Hong Kong because of "uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone". 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is the future Beijing National Stadium which has been approved by the city council. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Yuan (Traditional: å…ƒ or 圓; Simplified: å…ƒ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: yüan) is, in Chinese, the base unit of a currency, for example, US dollar is Mei yuan (美元). However, in international context, Yuan as an English word refers to the Renminbi (RMBÂ¥, CN$). The English pronunciation is /ju:æn/, although in Chinese the... Equestrian has several meanings: An equestrian is a horseback rider: see equestrianism An equestrian (Roman) is a member of one of the upper classes in ancient Rome. ...

Beijing National Stadium

The centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics is the construction of the Beijing National Stadium which began on December 24, 2003. Government officials engaged architects worldwide in a design competition. A firm from Switzerland called Herzog & De Meuron Architekten AG in collaboration with China Architecture Design & Research Group won the competition. The National Stadium will feature lattice-like concrete skeleton forming the stadium bowl which will seat 80,000 people. Architects said the overall design would resemble a bird's nest with an immense ocular — an opening with retractable roof over the stadium. The National Stadium will be the site of the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony as well as track and field events. December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Guangdong Stadium

Chinese students celebrated on July 13, 2001 at Millennium Monument upon the announcement that Beijing would host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Built 100 miles north of Hong Kong in the city of Guangzhou the Guangdong Stadium was opened to the public for the ninth National Games of the People's Republic of China in 2001. It was originally planned to be the centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics until a decision was made to construct the National Stadium in Beijing. The original design for the Guangdong Stadium was announced in 1999. The stadium seats 80,000 people. Taking from Guangzhou's nickname as the Flower City, the American architectural firm of Ellerbe Becket designed Guangdong Stadium to resemble a flower. The design firm stated in its press release, "The stadium bowl grows out of the ground to a sculpted upper edge, like the petals of a flower. Floating above the bowl is a shimmering ribbon of roof flowing like a wave over the seats. It parts at the ends and holds the Olympic flame, suspended between the two ribbons. A hotel surrounds a circular opening in the roof that forms a vertical tower of light, which at night is visible for a great distance. The roof form undulates, making it different from any other stadium in China or the world." Download high resolution version (400x602, 64 KB)Associated Press pool photo of July 13, 2001 celebration at Millennium Monument of Beijings win of the 2008 Olympics bid This work is copyrighted. ... Download high resolution version (400x602, 64 KB)Associated Press pool photo of July 13, 2001 celebration at Millennium Monument of Beijings win of the 2008 Olympics bid This work is copyrighted. ... Location within China Guangzhou (Simplified Chinese: 广州; Traditional Chinese: 廣州; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuang-chou; Jyutping: Gwong2zau1; Yale: Gwóngjaū) is the capital of the Guangdong Province in southern China. ... The National Games of the Peoples Republic of China is an event of the Peoples Republic of China showcasing the countrys most talented athletes through competition and exhibition. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Olympic House

Hong Kong Olympic House The Hong Kong Olympic House, originally named The Sports House. The House is in the Hong Kong Stadium in So Kon Po, Causeway Bay. It opened in 1994 and was the administration centre of HK sports. There are now 44 local Sports Association offices there.

In December 2004 the Sports House was administrated by the Sports Committee of Hong Kong which has it's offices there.

There are also lecture halls, a conference hall, and other useful facilities. The committee holds exhibitions and courses in order to promote Hong Kong sports.

On the 11th of July, 2005 the Chairman of the International Olympic Committee and Timothy Fok, the chairman of Olympic Committee held the Olympic House Opening Ceremony and the IOC permitted the use of the emblem of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

This event symbolizes that Hong Kong will hold the equestrian events and be one of the Olympic Cities in the world.

Marketing

Emblem

The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem entitled "Dancing Beijing" was unveiled in August 2003 in a ceremony attended by 2,008 people at Qi Nian Dian (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. According to the International Olympic Committee, the emblem is the first of the modern Olympics to use red as the dominant colour, an important colour for the Chinese people through its history. The open arms of the calligraphic word symbolizes the invitation of China to the world to share in its culture. Dancing Beijing is the title of the official emblem of the 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing in the Peoples Republic of China. ... 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for August, 2003. ... Hall of Annual Prayer, the largest building in the Temple of Heaven The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven (Traditional Chinese: 天壇; Simplified Chinese: 天坛; pinyin: ) is situated in south eastern urban Beijing, in Xuanwu District. ...

Rogge delivered an address at the unveiling ceremony saying, "Your new emblem immediately conveys the awesome beauty and power of China which are embodied in your heritage and your people." Rogge continued, "In this emblem, I saw the promise and potential of a New Beijing and a Great Olympics. This is a milestone in the history of your Olympic quest. As this new emblem becomes known around the world — and as it takes its place at the center of your Games — we are confident that it will achieve the stature of one of the best and most meaningful symbols in Olympic history."

Mascot

In 2003, the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies in Beijing announced a global search for images of Sun Wukong (孫悟空) — popularly known as the "Monkey King" — to become the mascot of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Scholars from the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies argued in favor of the symbolism as mascot since the fairy tale character embodies the Olympic motto of "Higher, faster and stronger." 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A modern image of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. ... Mascots at the Mascot Olympics in Orlando, FL. A mascot is something, typically an animal or human character used to represent a group with a common identity, such as a school, professional sports team, or corporation. ...

Slogan

On June 26, 2005, The Beijing Olympic Committee announced that the slogan for the 2008 Olympics will be "One World, One Dream". June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Torch relay

The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay will achieve a world record as the Olympic flame will be carried up to Mount Everest — known by the Tibetan (and Chinese) people as Chomolangma (in Chinese: 珠穆朗瑪峰 or 珠穆朗玛峰) — the world's highest peak. It will be carried up the southern slope from Nepal before carried down the northern slope into Tibet, and will be the highest altitude achieved in the history of Olympic torch relays, to be accomplished by eighty specially trained mountaineers. Liu Qi, president of the 2008 Olympics organizing committee, has also expressed the wish that the torch relay be carried through Taiwan. The overall course of the torch relay will take the Olympic flame from Athens through the Himalaya to Beijing and will be sponsored by soft drink giant, The Coca-Cola Company. Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth above mean sea level. ... Tibetan can refer to: A place or item from Tibet. ... Tibet (Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, pinyin: XÄ«zàng; older spelling Thibet) is a region in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... The Himalaya is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. ... The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is an international beverage and food manufacturer whose headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States of America. ...

Participating nations

It is expected that the vast majority of the 202 competing nations in Athens 2004 will return. The 2004 Summer Olympics are officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (the 28th Summer Olympic Games). ...

Concerns surround the participation of the Republic of China (Taiwan) (or "Chinese Taipei" as it is known in the Olympics). Strained relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have lead to fears that a Taiwanese boycott may occur in 2008. The Republic of China (Traditional Chinese: 中華民國; Simplified Chinese: 中华民国; Wade-Giles: Chung¹-hua² Min²-kuo², Tongyong Pinyin: JhongHuá MínGuó, Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó, Taiwanese POJ: Tiong-hoâ Bîn-kok) is a multiparty democratic state that today is composed of the island groups of Taiwan, the Pescadores, Quemoy... Taiwan Strait Area The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait is a 180km-wide Strait between mainland China and the island of Taiwan. ...

The national olympic committee of Macao, China has not been accepted by the IOC as a member, although already a member of the Olympic Council of Asia. It is unlikely that Macao will participate at the 2008 Summer Olympics. National motto: none Official language Chinese and Portuguese Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah Area - Total - % water Not ranked 27. ...

It seems very unlikely (close to impossible) that the Vatican City will enter. However, the entrance of Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands (the remaining nations that were not present at the 2004 Summer Olympics) is an open possibility provided that both countries establish a National Olympic Committee prior to IOC deadlines. Both countries have met with IOC president Jacques Rogge, and he seems happy enough that in 2007 at the IOC meeting these 2 countries will be voted into becoming full Olympic members. National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide olympic movement. ...

See also

• Olympic Games
• Summer Olympic Games
• International Olympic Committee
• 2008 Summer Paralympics

The Olympic Games, or Olympics, is an international multi-sport event taking place every two years and alternating between Summer and Winter Games. ... The Summer Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event held every four years, organised by the International Olympic Committee. ... The International Olympic Committee is an organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organise this sports event every four years. ... See also: 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games will be the thirteenth Paralympics and they will be held in Beijing, China. ...

External links

• Articles about the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing
• Official Website of the 2008 Summer Olympics
• Beijing Embraces 2008 Summer Olympics
• IOC press release announcing Equestrian events in Hong Kong