Rebecca Adlington made British sporting history in Beijing this morning as she won her second Olympic gold medal, smashing the 800 metres freestyle world record by more than 2sec in the process.
When Adlington won the 400m freestyle earlier in the week, it ended a 48-year wait for an Olympic gold medal for a British woman swimmer. Now she has achieved something no British swimmer has managed in 100 years of Games history, and won two Olympic swimming golds. This time, by swimming the 16 lengths of the Water Cube pool in just 8min 14.10sec, the 19-year-old from Mansfield bettered a performance that has been on the record books for her entire lifetime. American Janet Evans's 8:16.22 had stood, seemingly unbreakable, since 1989. 'I can't believe that I went that quick,' a clearly delighted Adlington said. 'It's so nice that when you work so hard for so long that it all pays off.'
Adlington's delight was made greater because her parents, Kay and Steve, had VIP seats in the Water Cube to witness their daughter's latest success, after having been involved in an internet ticket scam, losing £1,100, that meant that they missed her first gold medal swim. 'My mum and dad are finally here to see me,' Adlington said. 'I am so happy. I can't believe it.' Adlington destroyed the field in the Olympic final, finishing more than 6sec clear of the Italian silver medal-winner, Alessia Filippi. Norway's Lotte Friis took bronze nearly 3sec further back. Adlington's best friend immediately launched a campaign for further honours for her room mate: 'To the Queen, if you are watching this,' Patten told national television, 'that's two gold medals, and Dame Rebecca Adlington.' Patten was referring to the honour bestode upon runner Kelly Holmes after she won two Olympic golds at the Athens Games four years ago.
In the longest race in the pool for women, Adlington's stroke was long and strong as she averaged close to 30sec per length. For the first 200 metres, she had the Romanian, Camelia Potec, for company.But that early pace would prove too much for Potec, who eventually finished exhausted and out of the medals in fourth.Once Adlington's relentless swimming broke her away from the Romanian, she then set about attacking Evans's world record, a target which her coach, Bill Furniss, had told her was possible after she had set an Olympic record of 8:18.06 in Thursday's heat. 'I was just expecting a battle,' Adlington said, 'but as soon as I was on my own, I just went for the time.'
Showing posts with label olympic games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label olympic games. Show all posts
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Monday, 4 August 2008
President Wen promises "clean, green, beautiful Beijing"
BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday promised to maintain a clean, green and beautiful Beijing during and after the Olympic Games.
Five days ahead of the Games, Wen visited athletes in training as well as volunteers and utility workers.
"China is a responsible country. We will fulfill the promises we made for the Olympics. We will not only host a quality and unique Games, but build a more scenic, greener and more civilized city in a sustainable manner," he said.
Through the efforts of the whole society, China would host a grand sport event that satisfied the world, the athletes and audiences, he said. On Sunday morning, Wen, with senior officials of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG) Liu Qi, Liu Yandong and Guo Jinlong, visited the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium in the west of the city. China's men's national basketball team was training in the stadium. Wen shook hands with the players and coaches, including the NBA star Yao Ming, who had recovered from his left foot injury.
"Are you feeling well? Is your foot okay?" Wen asked China's most famous basketball player. "I loved playing basketball when I was a kid. It is still my favorite game," Wen said, joining the players to shoot hoops. The Chinese team will play its Olympic debut against the United States on Aug. 10.
"Your first game will attract great attention. What you need is confidence and composure. No matter you win or lose, it is important to play with a sporting spirit," Wen said. "I hope you can win glory, dignity and friendship, displaying the true personality of Chinese."
The team presented Wen with a basketball signed by the whole squad and Wen also signed the ball with which he had played. He also met with volunteers working at the stadium and encouraged them to serve "in a careful and serious manner with a strong sense of responsibility". Wen's next stop was the Dajing neighborhood near the Fengtai Sports Center Softball Field to hold the Olympic softball events. Old buildings in the neighborhood have been renovated, trees and grass planted and sport facilities built for residents.
Wen dropped in at the house of Shi Lin, who told him he was quite happy about the changes in his neighborhood. The city's efforts to develop infrastructure and protect the environment had improved living conditions, he said. "The Games are very short, but what is left behind will last," Wen said. "I, together with Liu Qi (Beijing party chief), promise that Beijing will stay as clean as now after the Olympics."
Noting that many local people were Olympic volunteers, Wen expressed appreciation for their efforts to keep the city safe and stable and to serve the visitors. About 1 million Beijing residents have volunteered. Later Wen visited a power plant of the China Huadian Corporation, which is to supply electricity for the Games. The plant, fueled by natural gas, has adopted eco-friendly technologies, including a cooling system that uses recycled water.
As Wen was overseeing preparatory work in western and southern Beijing, about 8,000 technicians were busy testing information services for the Games in the Digital Beijing Building, a comprehensive information facility in the city's north near the National Stadium, or Bird's Nest. They are to provide technical services for 31 competition venues, 15 non-competition venues and venues in co-host cities in upcoming five days.
"There is no second chance for us. Once the Games start, our work has to be successful," said Yang Yichun, director of the BOCOG Technology Department. "We are confident of technical support."
On the street near the Bird's Nest, a police motorcycle escort team was launched on Sunday to lead the way for Olympic-related vehicles and cavalcades. South of the Bird's Nest, Han Rubing and her family were getting their home ready as one of the Olympic home-stay families. She and her husband had been improving their cooking skills.
"I hope my home can be a small window for foreigners to learn about China and the Chinese," said the university teacher. Meanwhile, thousands of miles from Beijing, the Olympic torch started its three-day relay in southwestern Sichuan Province, which was devastated by the May 12 earthquake. At the first stop Guang'an, people shouted "Go China" and "Go Sichuan" after one-minute silent tribute for earthquake victims. Sichuan will be the last stop before the torch reaches Beijing.
Five days ahead of the Games, Wen visited athletes in training as well as volunteers and utility workers.
"China is a responsible country. We will fulfill the promises we made for the Olympics. We will not only host a quality and unique Games, but build a more scenic, greener and more civilized city in a sustainable manner," he said.
Through the efforts of the whole society, China would host a grand sport event that satisfied the world, the athletes and audiences, he said. On Sunday morning, Wen, with senior officials of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG) Liu Qi, Liu Yandong and Guo Jinlong, visited the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium in the west of the city. China's men's national basketball team was training in the stadium. Wen shook hands with the players and coaches, including the NBA star Yao Ming, who had recovered from his left foot injury.
"Are you feeling well? Is your foot okay?" Wen asked China's most famous basketball player. "I loved playing basketball when I was a kid. It is still my favorite game," Wen said, joining the players to shoot hoops. The Chinese team will play its Olympic debut against the United States on Aug. 10.
"Your first game will attract great attention. What you need is confidence and composure. No matter you win or lose, it is important to play with a sporting spirit," Wen said. "I hope you can win glory, dignity and friendship, displaying the true personality of Chinese."
The team presented Wen with a basketball signed by the whole squad and Wen also signed the ball with which he had played. He also met with volunteers working at the stadium and encouraged them to serve "in a careful and serious manner with a strong sense of responsibility". Wen's next stop was the Dajing neighborhood near the Fengtai Sports Center Softball Field to hold the Olympic softball events. Old buildings in the neighborhood have been renovated, trees and grass planted and sport facilities built for residents.
Wen dropped in at the house of Shi Lin, who told him he was quite happy about the changes in his neighborhood. The city's efforts to develop infrastructure and protect the environment had improved living conditions, he said. "The Games are very short, but what is left behind will last," Wen said. "I, together with Liu Qi (Beijing party chief), promise that Beijing will stay as clean as now after the Olympics."
Noting that many local people were Olympic volunteers, Wen expressed appreciation for their efforts to keep the city safe and stable and to serve the visitors. About 1 million Beijing residents have volunteered. Later Wen visited a power plant of the China Huadian Corporation, which is to supply electricity for the Games. The plant, fueled by natural gas, has adopted eco-friendly technologies, including a cooling system that uses recycled water.
As Wen was overseeing preparatory work in western and southern Beijing, about 8,000 technicians were busy testing information services for the Games in the Digital Beijing Building, a comprehensive information facility in the city's north near the National Stadium, or Bird's Nest. They are to provide technical services for 31 competition venues, 15 non-competition venues and venues in co-host cities in upcoming five days.
"There is no second chance for us. Once the Games start, our work has to be successful," said Yang Yichun, director of the BOCOG Technology Department. "We are confident of technical support."
On the street near the Bird's Nest, a police motorcycle escort team was launched on Sunday to lead the way for Olympic-related vehicles and cavalcades. South of the Bird's Nest, Han Rubing and her family were getting their home ready as one of the Olympic home-stay families. She and her husband had been improving their cooking skills.
"I hope my home can be a small window for foreigners to learn about China and the Chinese," said the university teacher. Meanwhile, thousands of miles from Beijing, the Olympic torch started its three-day relay in southwestern Sichuan Province, which was devastated by the May 12 earthquake. At the first stop Guang'an, people shouted "Go China" and "Go Sichuan" after one-minute silent tribute for earthquake victims. Sichuan will be the last stop before the torch reaches Beijing.
Friday, 1 August 2008
Olympics Opening Ceremony Footage Leaked, China Angered
BEIJING, July 31 (Reuters) - A South Korean TV station's broadcast of a secret dress rehearsal for the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony has inflamed Chinese Internet users, but the network said on Thursday it had taken the footage legitimately.
The broadcast is certain to irk Games organisers who had reportedly made performers sign confidentiality agreements not to divulge details of the Aug. 8 ceremony, directed by Oscar-nominated director Zhang Yimou.
"We went, and nobody stopped us. So we just shot," a staff reporter at the private SBS network sports desk said in Seoul. The network, one of three official rights holders for the Games, aired just over a minute of video of next week's ceremony rehearsal, including scenes depicting the past and future of Chinese culture and the unrolling of a huge scroll from which rises a carpet-like object.
SBS did not show the lighting of the Olympic torch at the National Stadium where the rehearsal was taking place, but it reported that a golden phoenix was expected to swoop down into the stadium, dubbed the Bird's Nest, for the climactic event.
A spokesman for the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games said on Thursday he was "disappointed" by SBS's move, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
"We are disappointed they did that, but the fragments cannot give the audience a full picture of the opening ceremony," Sun Weide was quoted as saying. "Let's wait for the wonderful performances when the Games open on Aug. 8."
Chinese Internet users accused the channel of effectively breaking state secrecy laws by showing the footage. "How could such a network be so unprofessional? They are no better than paparazzi!" fumed one comment posted on popular Chinese web portal Tianya (www.tianya.cn). "Resolutely boycott Korean goods!" said another. But other Internet users called for calm and said the TV station should not be blamed for a lapse in security that allowed them to film.
"We should look for the reason within the measures and system to guarantee the opening ceremony's secrecy. Blaming others doesn't solve anything," a commentary posted on web portal Sina.com said.
The broadcast is certain to irk Games organisers who had reportedly made performers sign confidentiality agreements not to divulge details of the Aug. 8 ceremony, directed by Oscar-nominated director Zhang Yimou.
"We went, and nobody stopped us. So we just shot," a staff reporter at the private SBS network sports desk said in Seoul. The network, one of three official rights holders for the Games, aired just over a minute of video of next week's ceremony rehearsal, including scenes depicting the past and future of Chinese culture and the unrolling of a huge scroll from which rises a carpet-like object.
SBS did not show the lighting of the Olympic torch at the National Stadium where the rehearsal was taking place, but it reported that a golden phoenix was expected to swoop down into the stadium, dubbed the Bird's Nest, for the climactic event.
A spokesman for the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games said on Thursday he was "disappointed" by SBS's move, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
"We are disappointed they did that, but the fragments cannot give the audience a full picture of the opening ceremony," Sun Weide was quoted as saying. "Let's wait for the wonderful performances when the Games open on Aug. 8."
Chinese Internet users accused the channel of effectively breaking state secrecy laws by showing the footage. "How could such a network be so unprofessional? They are no better than paparazzi!" fumed one comment posted on popular Chinese web portal Tianya (www.tianya.cn). "Resolutely boycott Korean goods!" said another. But other Internet users called for calm and said the TV station should not be blamed for a lapse in security that allowed them to film.
"We should look for the reason within the measures and system to guarantee the opening ceremony's secrecy. Blaming others doesn't solve anything," a commentary posted on web portal Sina.com said.
Olympics Terrorism "Will Be Defeated"
BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's military is capable of defeating any terrorist attempt during the Beijing Olympic Games, a senior People's Liberation Army (PLA) officer said here Friday.
Senior Col. Tian Yixiang, director of the military affairs department under the Security Command Center for the Games of the 29th Olympiad, made the remarks at a press conference held by the Defense Ministry at a military barrack on the suburbs of Beijing. "Through our strong intelligence agencies and close cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies, we have already obtained information about some terrorist activities," said Tian, who is also chief of the emergency management office of the operations department of the General Staff Headquarters of the PLA. He did not elaborate.Tian said the main security threats come from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, separatist forces for "Tibet independence", the Falungong cult and pro-democracy activists.
"These forces have been disturbing and sabotaging preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games," he said.
More than 34,000 military personnel with 74 planes, 47 helicopters and 33 naval ships have been deployed to ensure security, according to Tian.Surface-to-air missiles, radar and anti-chemical equipment are also in position. The military's participation in Olympics security work conformed to international practice and Chinese law, according to Tian.Beijing has deployed nearly 110,000 personnel including police, PLA troops and volunteers to ensure the security of the Games.
Special forces such as an army air unit, an engineering force and chemical defense troops will join the mission.Combat aircraft, helicopters, warships, missiles, chemical defense equipment and radar would be used in case of security threats."The scale of security personnel for the Beijing Games and the technology applied in the security work are in line with international practices and in accordance with the requirements of the International Olympic Committee," said Li Wei, director of the Anti-terrorism center at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
The news conference was held at the Sixth Armored Division of the Beijing Military Command in the northern Beijing suburbs as the PLA marked its 81st anniversary.More than 100 journalists, including 48 foreign reporters, visited the division, one of China's elite land forces, on Friday morning.This is the first time the Defense Ministry was holding a news conference in the barracks.
Senior Col. Tian Yixiang, director of the military affairs department under the Security Command Center for the Games of the 29th Olympiad, made the remarks at a press conference held by the Defense Ministry at a military barrack on the suburbs of Beijing. "Through our strong intelligence agencies and close cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies, we have already obtained information about some terrorist activities," said Tian, who is also chief of the emergency management office of the operations department of the General Staff Headquarters of the PLA. He did not elaborate.Tian said the main security threats come from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, separatist forces for "Tibet independence", the Falungong cult and pro-democracy activists.
"These forces have been disturbing and sabotaging preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games," he said.
More than 34,000 military personnel with 74 planes, 47 helicopters and 33 naval ships have been deployed to ensure security, according to Tian.Surface-to-air missiles, radar and anti-chemical equipment are also in position. The military's participation in Olympics security work conformed to international practice and Chinese law, according to Tian.Beijing has deployed nearly 110,000 personnel including police, PLA troops and volunteers to ensure the security of the Games.
Special forces such as an army air unit, an engineering force and chemical defense troops will join the mission.Combat aircraft, helicopters, warships, missiles, chemical defense equipment and radar would be used in case of security threats."The scale of security personnel for the Beijing Games and the technology applied in the security work are in line with international practices and in accordance with the requirements of the International Olympic Committee," said Li Wei, director of the Anti-terrorism center at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
The news conference was held at the Sixth Armored Division of the Beijing Military Command in the northern Beijing suburbs as the PLA marked its 81st anniversary.More than 100 journalists, including 48 foreign reporters, visited the division, one of China's elite land forces, on Friday morning.This is the first time the Defense Ministry was holding a news conference in the barracks.
Olympics Preparations Complete, Ready To Go
BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Beijing Olympics official said Friday that all preparatory work is ready for Olympic competitions.
"Five days to go, the first competition event of the Games will begin. All the staff and volunteers in charge of competitive events are well prepared to provide a fair and just platform for the athletes," said Zhang Jilong, director of Sports Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG).
Zhang said at a press conference at the Main Press Center that more than 700 sports staff and 4,626 volunteers have reached their positions in all 37 Olympic venues. More than 1.4 million pieces of sports equipment which are needed in the Games have been installed. And 87 training venues have been opened to athletes.
Competition schedules have been completed by day, by session and by event. During the 19 competition days from Aug. 6 to 24, the Games will have 625 competition sessions with 2,173 events, 302 of which will produce gold medals.
By July 31, the BOCOG had received entry forms from 11,526 athletes.
Sun Weide, a Beijing Olympic Games organizing committee official, said at the same press conference that "China experienced snow disaster and Wenchuan earthquake this year, but we have overcome the difficulties with government leadership and the people's support."
"We believe we will host a high-standard Games with distinctive features. No difficulties can stop us successfully hosting the Games," Sun said.
"Five days to go, the first competition event of the Games will begin. All the staff and volunteers in charge of competitive events are well prepared to provide a fair and just platform for the athletes," said Zhang Jilong, director of Sports Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG).
Zhang said at a press conference at the Main Press Center that more than 700 sports staff and 4,626 volunteers have reached their positions in all 37 Olympic venues. More than 1.4 million pieces of sports equipment which are needed in the Games have been installed. And 87 training venues have been opened to athletes.
Competition schedules have been completed by day, by session and by event. During the 19 competition days from Aug. 6 to 24, the Games will have 625 competition sessions with 2,173 events, 302 of which will produce gold medals.
By July 31, the BOCOG had received entry forms from 11,526 athletes.
Sun Weide, a Beijing Olympic Games organizing committee official, said at the same press conference that "China experienced snow disaster and Wenchuan earthquake this year, but we have overcome the difficulties with government leadership and the people's support."
"We believe we will host a high-standard Games with distinctive features. No difficulties can stop us successfully hosting the Games," Sun said.
Monday, 28 July 2008
Pollution Worries Linger For Beijing Ahead Of Games
BEIJING - July 28th, BBC
China has admitted it could introduce further emergency measures to cut air pollution during the Olympic Games. One expert said that could mean taking 90% of Beijing's private cars off the streets at particularly bad times.
Figures show pollution levels have been relatively high over recent days - on some days thick smog is severely reducing visibility. The BBC found one pollutant at the Olympic Village was three times higher than the recommended level on Monday. China has already introduced a series of measures to curb air pollution, including taking half the city's cars off the roads.
Polluting factories surrounding Beijing have also been told to close.
But an article in the state-run China Daily gave details of the further, stricter measures that could be introduced.
"More vehicles could go off the roads, and all construction sites and some more factories in Beijing and its neighbouring areas could be closed temporarily," a front-page article said. This was confirmed by Professor Zhu Tong, of Peking University, who advises the Beijing government about air pollution. He confirmed that 90% of the city's private cars could be taken off the roads under these stricter controls.
Any emergency measures would be introduced 48 hours in advance of very bad pollution, he said. "There is a chance... that we cannot meet the air quality standards so stricter measures are needed," said Prof Zhu. He maintained that the current measures had reduced pollution, but not by enough to guarantee good air quality every day.
China promised to clean up its air pollution for this summer's games, but figures show it still does not meet the toughest World Health Organization standards.
Small particles in the air - PM10 - are a particular worry. WHO guidelines say 50 micrograms per cubic metre is the standard to aim for, but Beijing rarely hits that target. At the Olympic Village on Monday, the BBC found the PM10 level was at least 145, while at the BBC office it was 134.
Separately on Monday, Greenpeace published its assessment of China's efforts to clean up Beijing for the Olympic Games. It says, that overall the attempt to get rid of pollution has created a "positive legacy" for the city and should be commended.
"Greenpeace found that Beijing achieved, and in some cases surpassed, original environmental goals," the report says. But it said in other areas, including air quality, Beijing had not met targets, and has had to bring in short-term measures. "Beijing could have adopted clean production measures more widely across the municipality to speed up the improvement of air quality," the report says.
China has admitted it could introduce further emergency measures to cut air pollution during the Olympic Games. One expert said that could mean taking 90% of Beijing's private cars off the streets at particularly bad times.
Figures show pollution levels have been relatively high over recent days - on some days thick smog is severely reducing visibility. The BBC found one pollutant at the Olympic Village was three times higher than the recommended level on Monday. China has already introduced a series of measures to curb air pollution, including taking half the city's cars off the roads.
Polluting factories surrounding Beijing have also been told to close.
But an article in the state-run China Daily gave details of the further, stricter measures that could be introduced.
"More vehicles could go off the roads, and all construction sites and some more factories in Beijing and its neighbouring areas could be closed temporarily," a front-page article said. This was confirmed by Professor Zhu Tong, of Peking University, who advises the Beijing government about air pollution. He confirmed that 90% of the city's private cars could be taken off the roads under these stricter controls.
Any emergency measures would be introduced 48 hours in advance of very bad pollution, he said. "There is a chance... that we cannot meet the air quality standards so stricter measures are needed," said Prof Zhu. He maintained that the current measures had reduced pollution, but not by enough to guarantee good air quality every day.
China promised to clean up its air pollution for this summer's games, but figures show it still does not meet the toughest World Health Organization standards.
Small particles in the air - PM10 - are a particular worry. WHO guidelines say 50 micrograms per cubic metre is the standard to aim for, but Beijing rarely hits that target. At the Olympic Village on Monday, the BBC found the PM10 level was at least 145, while at the BBC office it was 134.
Separately on Monday, Greenpeace published its assessment of China's efforts to clean up Beijing for the Olympic Games. It says, that overall the attempt to get rid of pollution has created a "positive legacy" for the city and should be commended.
"Greenpeace found that Beijing achieved, and in some cases surpassed, original environmental goals," the report says. But it said in other areas, including air quality, Beijing had not met targets, and has had to bring in short-term measures. "Beijing could have adopted clean production measures more widely across the municipality to speed up the improvement of air quality," the report says.
GB Olympic Medal Contenders: Ones to Watch
LONDON - July 28th, The Guardian
Gold
Phillips Idowu (Triple jump)
Top of the world rankings, he was already the big favourite before Sweden's Christian Olsson, the defending champion, withdrew because of injury.
Kelly Sotherton (Heptathlon)
The decision of Sweden's Carolina Kluft not to compete in the event she is unbeaten in for six years, in favour of the long jump and triple jump, has thrown the competition wide open. Sotherton, though, needs to have a good javelin to come out on top.
Silver
Christine Ohuruogu (400m)
She was crowned the world champion last year in the absence of the unbeaten Sanya Richards, but with the American in the field in Beijing things will be much tougher this time.
Bronze
Nicola Sanders (400m)
The runner-up to Ohuruogu last year, her build-up has been interrupted by a series of injuries, so she may not be able to repeat her 2007 form.
Jo Pavey (10,000m)
After coming fourth in the world championships last year, Pavey has enjoyed a good build-up so will be looking to make the step up.
Paula Radcliffe (marathon)
A fully-fit Radcliffe is nearly three minutes quicker than any of her rivals, but a stress fracture of the femur has disrupted preparations badly and it will be a miracle if she wins any medal as she has not raced for nine months.
Andy Baddeley (1500m)
The most likely of Britain's long-shots to come through, if everything goes right for him.
4x100m (men)
They are defending champions after their shock victory in Athens, but it is hard to imagine how they can finish ahead of Jamaica and the United States if that pair both get the baton round.
4x400m (women)
With Ohuruogu and Sanders they are strong contenders for a medal, but much will depend on how the others, who may include Sotherton, run.
Gold
Phillips Idowu (Triple jump)
Top of the world rankings, he was already the big favourite before Sweden's Christian Olsson, the defending champion, withdrew because of injury.
Kelly Sotherton (Heptathlon)
The decision of Sweden's Carolina Kluft not to compete in the event she is unbeaten in for six years, in favour of the long jump and triple jump, has thrown the competition wide open. Sotherton, though, needs to have a good javelin to come out on top.
Silver
Christine Ohuruogu (400m)
She was crowned the world champion last year in the absence of the unbeaten Sanya Richards, but with the American in the field in Beijing things will be much tougher this time.
Bronze
Nicola Sanders (400m)
The runner-up to Ohuruogu last year, her build-up has been interrupted by a series of injuries, so she may not be able to repeat her 2007 form.
Jo Pavey (10,000m)
After coming fourth in the world championships last year, Pavey has enjoyed a good build-up so will be looking to make the step up.
Paula Radcliffe (marathon)
A fully-fit Radcliffe is nearly three minutes quicker than any of her rivals, but a stress fracture of the femur has disrupted preparations badly and it will be a miracle if she wins any medal as she has not raced for nine months.
Andy Baddeley (1500m)
The most likely of Britain's long-shots to come through, if everything goes right for him.
4x100m (men)
They are defending champions after their shock victory in Athens, but it is hard to imagine how they can finish ahead of Jamaica and the United States if that pair both get the baton round.
4x400m (women)
With Ohuruogu and Sanders they are strong contenders for a medal, but much will depend on how the others, who may include Sotherton, run.
Iraq banned from Olympics
BAGHDAD, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed Thursday its suspension on Iraq National Olympic Committee (NOC) that would deprive Iraqi athletes from participating in the Beijing Olympic Games.
In a letter addressed to the Iraqi Minister of Youth and Sports Jassim Mohammad Jaafar, the IOC confirmed the ban imposed on Iraqi athletes last month. "We regretfully inform you that the IOC executive board's decision, dated June 4, 2008 ordering the suspension of the Iraqi NOC has been formally approved," the letter obtained by Xinhua said. "This means that Iraq will not take part in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Iraqi athletes will not take part in the competitions," it said. "As a result, the invitations issued by the trilateral committee to Iraqi sportsmen during qualifiers have been withdrawn and given to other national Olympic committees," the letter added.
The International Olympic Committee's executive board took the action because the Iraqi government's recently dissolved the national Olympic body and appointed an interim group presided over by the Minister of Youth and Sports. Late in May, the Iraqi government ordered the dissolution of the national body. It said that the committee was illegitimate because it could not reach a quorum as four of its 11 members including chairman Ahmed al-Hijiya have been kidnapped in Baghdad since 2006.
The government also has accused its Olympic committee of corruption. The Iraqi government formed an interim committee headed by the Minister of Youth and Sports with all the needed powers for three months to hold elections and to enact a new law for the new national Olympic committee.
In a letter addressed to the Iraqi Minister of Youth and Sports Jassim Mohammad Jaafar, the IOC confirmed the ban imposed on Iraqi athletes last month. "We regretfully inform you that the IOC executive board's decision, dated June 4, 2008 ordering the suspension of the Iraqi NOC has been formally approved," the letter obtained by Xinhua said. "This means that Iraq will not take part in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Iraqi athletes will not take part in the competitions," it said. "As a result, the invitations issued by the trilateral committee to Iraqi sportsmen during qualifiers have been withdrawn and given to other national Olympic committees," the letter added.
The International Olympic Committee's executive board took the action because the Iraqi government's recently dissolved the national Olympic body and appointed an interim group presided over by the Minister of Youth and Sports. Late in May, the Iraqi government ordered the dissolution of the national body. It said that the committee was illegitimate because it could not reach a quorum as four of its 11 members including chairman Ahmed al-Hijiya have been kidnapped in Baghdad since 2006.
The government also has accused its Olympic committee of corruption. The Iraqi government formed an interim committee headed by the Minister of Youth and Sports with all the needed powers for three months to hold elections and to enact a new law for the new national Olympic committee.
26 innovations secure 'Green Olympics' achievement
BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has applied a wide range ofgreen technologies and clean energy in building venues and facilities for the upcoming Olympic Games, according to a press briefing here on Sunday.
These advanced technologies, including water recycling, rainwater utilization, solar photovoltaic power generation, and reclaimed water source heat pumps, could help environmental protection while encouraging technology innovation, said Tan Xuxiang, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Planning Commission. Altogether 26 innovations were achieved during the Olympic preparation period, he added. To fulfill the bidding pledge of "Green Olympics," the Games' organizers used environment-friendly materials in building key venues such as the Olympic Green, the Olympic Village and the Olympic Forest Park, Tan said. A total of 31 competition venues and 45 training venues have been built for the impending Games. They are mainly located in five areas, namely the Olympic Green, the west community, the northern scenic spot area, the university area, and the east community.
Special attention was paid to the protection of cultural relics throughout the construction of all Olympic projects, Tan said, citing the protection and repair of ancient architecture in the Olympic Green zone, such as the Goddess Temple and the Dragon King Temple. Both the location of Olympic stadiums and the selection of competition routes have avoided important water resource conservation areas and natural reserves, he said. The official said that the concept of "Green Olympics" mainly has three implications -- a green environment, "green stadiums" with energy saving features, and the "green consciousness" for the public that endorses environmental protection and a healthy lifestyle. All efforts relating to the promotion of "Green Olympics" will leave a precious heritage for Beijing when the Games are over, he added.
These advanced technologies, including water recycling, rainwater utilization, solar photovoltaic power generation, and reclaimed water source heat pumps, could help environmental protection while encouraging technology innovation, said Tan Xuxiang, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Planning Commission. Altogether 26 innovations were achieved during the Olympic preparation period, he added. To fulfill the bidding pledge of "Green Olympics," the Games' organizers used environment-friendly materials in building key venues such as the Olympic Green, the Olympic Village and the Olympic Forest Park, Tan said. A total of 31 competition venues and 45 training venues have been built for the impending Games. They are mainly located in five areas, namely the Olympic Green, the west community, the northern scenic spot area, the university area, and the east community.
Special attention was paid to the protection of cultural relics throughout the construction of all Olympic projects, Tan said, citing the protection and repair of ancient architecture in the Olympic Green zone, such as the Goddess Temple and the Dragon King Temple. Both the location of Olympic stadiums and the selection of competition routes have avoided important water resource conservation areas and natural reserves, he said. The official said that the concept of "Green Olympics" mainly has three implications -- a green environment, "green stadiums" with energy saving features, and the "green consciousness" for the public that endorses environmental protection and a healthy lifestyle. All efforts relating to the promotion of "Green Olympics" will leave a precious heritage for Beijing when the Games are over, he added.
3-month Cultural Extravaganza for Beijing
BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) will provide a variety of unique cultural activities during the coming sports gala in August, said a senior BOCOG official here on Monday.
The Ministry of Culture, Beijing municipal government and the BOCOG have jointly developed the 2008 cultural program and mapped out the Olympic Cultural Festival from June 23 to Sept. 17, said Zhao Dongming, director of BOCOG Culture and Ceremonies Department.
"The cultural festival will last nearly three months throughout the Olympics and Paralympics. It will be a marvelous Olympic cultural event with the longest time, the most abundant contents, the largest number of performance teams and the most complete artistic variety," Zhao said at a press conference at the Main Press Center. The festival will host significant cultural activities with "Meet in Beijing 2008" as the theme, including Asia Night, Africa Night, Latin America Night, Arab Night, SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Night and other song and dance shows. Nearly 20,000 artists from more than 80 countries and regions will feature in 600-plus performances, including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Chinese Taipei. On Aug. 8 when the Olympics officially opens, the Olympic Expo will also be launched in a grand way at the Beijing Exhibition Center.
"During the Olympic Games, we will strive to make opportunities for ordinary citizens to share the joyful atmosphere. All the Olympic cultural squares, as well as most exhibitions, will be opento the public free of charge," Zhao promised.
According to the official, more than 20 Olympic cultural squares will be set up in Beijing and other co-hosting cities will also stage square cultural activities. During the Olympic period, there will be nearly 40 international and over 150 domestic exhibitions for arts, artifacts, painting, photography, sculpture, murals and non-material heritage. While most state-level museums will be open for free during the Olympics, some historical heritage sites, such as the Forbidden City and the Gongwang Mansion, will keep requiring admission fee from visitors in order to better protect the heritages, Zhao explained. As theatre performances will be aimed for public welfare during the Olympic Games, the government has started to provide subsidies for domestic art troupes, together with low-price tickets.
During the cultural activities, "we definitely put security as our priority to ensure a worry-free Olympic Games. We will intensify our efforts to help the public understand the importance of security check," Zhao said.
In the Olympic Center Area and Olympic Village, people can also enjoy Lucky Clouds Theatre, China Story exhibition, Fuwa Mobile Show, Flag-raising Square performance, folk custom shows and Chinese learning areas. Ding Baizhi, deputy director of BOCOG Culture and Ceremonies Department, said "cultural activities in the Olympic Village have three features of evening square performances, exhibitions and experience activities to combine eastern and western culture and help foreign athletes taste Chinese culture themselves." At the flag-raising square in the Olympic Village, art troupes perform every night for 90 minutes, bilingual hostess may invite spectators to the evening performance of traditional Chinese dances and acrobatics as well as foreign songs, and 25 Chinese folk artists made group debut at the commercial street in the village to showcase handcraft art treasures, such as shadow play, clay sculpture with colorful painting.
As long as foreign athletes are willing, they can join to learn at the spot, Ding said. Chinese language learning seems to be the most popular program in the Olympic Village. There is a special venue, always full of people, in the village to teach foreign athletes, coaches and officials how to read and writer Chinese. "The arrangement of language learning had not been seen in previous Olympic Games, a difference of the Beijing Olympic Games," Ding said.
The Ministry of Culture, Beijing municipal government and the BOCOG have jointly developed the 2008 cultural program and mapped out the Olympic Cultural Festival from June 23 to Sept. 17, said Zhao Dongming, director of BOCOG Culture and Ceremonies Department.
"The cultural festival will last nearly three months throughout the Olympics and Paralympics. It will be a marvelous Olympic cultural event with the longest time, the most abundant contents, the largest number of performance teams and the most complete artistic variety," Zhao said at a press conference at the Main Press Center. The festival will host significant cultural activities with "Meet in Beijing 2008" as the theme, including Asia Night, Africa Night, Latin America Night, Arab Night, SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Night and other song and dance shows. Nearly 20,000 artists from more than 80 countries and regions will feature in 600-plus performances, including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Chinese Taipei. On Aug. 8 when the Olympics officially opens, the Olympic Expo will also be launched in a grand way at the Beijing Exhibition Center.
"During the Olympic Games, we will strive to make opportunities for ordinary citizens to share the joyful atmosphere. All the Olympic cultural squares, as well as most exhibitions, will be opento the public free of charge," Zhao promised.
According to the official, more than 20 Olympic cultural squares will be set up in Beijing and other co-hosting cities will also stage square cultural activities. During the Olympic period, there will be nearly 40 international and over 150 domestic exhibitions for arts, artifacts, painting, photography, sculpture, murals and non-material heritage. While most state-level museums will be open for free during the Olympics, some historical heritage sites, such as the Forbidden City and the Gongwang Mansion, will keep requiring admission fee from visitors in order to better protect the heritages, Zhao explained. As theatre performances will be aimed for public welfare during the Olympic Games, the government has started to provide subsidies for domestic art troupes, together with low-price tickets.
During the cultural activities, "we definitely put security as our priority to ensure a worry-free Olympic Games. We will intensify our efforts to help the public understand the importance of security check," Zhao said.
In the Olympic Center Area and Olympic Village, people can also enjoy Lucky Clouds Theatre, China Story exhibition, Fuwa Mobile Show, Flag-raising Square performance, folk custom shows and Chinese learning areas. Ding Baizhi, deputy director of BOCOG Culture and Ceremonies Department, said "cultural activities in the Olympic Village have three features of evening square performances, exhibitions and experience activities to combine eastern and western culture and help foreign athletes taste Chinese culture themselves." At the flag-raising square in the Olympic Village, art troupes perform every night for 90 minutes, bilingual hostess may invite spectators to the evening performance of traditional Chinese dances and acrobatics as well as foreign songs, and 25 Chinese folk artists made group debut at the commercial street in the village to showcase handcraft art treasures, such as shadow play, clay sculpture with colorful painting.
As long as foreign athletes are willing, they can join to learn at the spot, Ding said. Chinese language learning seems to be the most popular program in the Olympic Village. There is a special venue, always full of people, in the village to teach foreign athletes, coaches and officials how to read and writer Chinese. "The arrangement of language learning had not been seen in previous Olympic Games, a difference of the Beijing Olympic Games," Ding said.
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Olympics tickets "Almost sold out"
BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Athletes for the Beijing Olympic Games are likely to play to packed houses, as enthusiastic fans snapped up Olympic tickets in the final round of sale.
By Saturday evening, 16 of the 19 ticket booths, which started the fourth, or the final, phase of Olympic ticket sale to individuals on Friday, hung out signs "sold out".
Tickets for "hot sports" like tennis and archery were sold out within hours on Friday, said Wu Xiaonan, an official with a ticket booth near the Beijing Olympic Green Hockey Stadium. But, tickets for hockey, boxing and handball are still available, Wu said, adding most tickets for hockey are probably sold out by late Sunday. A female official surnamed Yu at a booth of the Olympic Sports Center said tickets for the handball match are expected to be sold out by Monday.
A total of 820,000 tickets, covering 28 sports events, were put on sale on Friday at 19 ticket booths around the city. By Friday noon, tickets for gymnastics, diving and football were sold out. The sales created long queues in the city. More than 30,000 people lined up overnight at a ticket booth near the Bird's Nest on Friday, forcing local police to take temporary measures to prevent chaos. All the Olympic tickets at the booth were sold out at 3 a.m. on Saturday. In all, 6.8 million Olympic tickets were available for domestic and foreign sales.
By Saturday evening, 16 of the 19 ticket booths, which started the fourth, or the final, phase of Olympic ticket sale to individuals on Friday, hung out signs "sold out".
Tickets for "hot sports" like tennis and archery were sold out within hours on Friday, said Wu Xiaonan, an official with a ticket booth near the Beijing Olympic Green Hockey Stadium. But, tickets for hockey, boxing and handball are still available, Wu said, adding most tickets for hockey are probably sold out by late Sunday. A female official surnamed Yu at a booth of the Olympic Sports Center said tickets for the handball match are expected to be sold out by Monday.
A total of 820,000 tickets, covering 28 sports events, were put on sale on Friday at 19 ticket booths around the city. By Friday noon, tickets for gymnastics, diving and football were sold out. The sales created long queues in the city. More than 30,000 people lined up overnight at a ticket booth near the Bird's Nest on Friday, forcing local police to take temporary measures to prevent chaos. All the Olympic tickets at the booth were sold out at 3 a.m. on Saturday. In all, 6.8 million Olympic tickets were available for domestic and foreign sales.
Olympic Village opens to athletes
BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic Village for the Beijing Games sprung to life Sunday with a grand opening ceremony to welcome its first delegation of Chinese athletes.
The village was opened by its mayor Chen Zhili, also vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG). Designed to accommodate 16,000 athletes, coaches and their entourage, the sprawling compound is about 20 minutes' walk northwest of the Games' two centerpiece venues - the Bird's Nest stadium and aquatic venue Water Cube. "We now welcome athletes from around the world to come to the Games," said Chen. "We will try to satisfy the needs of people from different cultural and religious backgrounds. We hope you will like the facilities and services, and achieve desirable results at the Games," she said.
Chen received a symbolic gold key to the village from the BOCOG president Liu Qi, also the Party chief of Beijing. The Chinese delegation was the first to check in by raising its national flag in the village. Athens Olympics 110 meters hurdles champion Liu Xiang and NBA star Yao Ming were among about a hundred athletes who were present at the ceremony. At least two other delegations, Cuba and Poland, are scheduled to arrive at the village on Sunday.
"Welcome home," Chen told the Chinese delegation, "as athletes from the host country, I hope you will present the peaceful and open stance of China." She also had talks to the athletes and wished them good luck. The village, which sits in the northern part of Beijing, is divided into three sections of the international area, residential area and operations area. It contains a main restaurant that can feed 5,000 people, its own fire station, tea, coffee shops, a barber shop, post office, library, shops and a clinic.
"The village is modern and nicely fitted," said Glenda Korporaal, a senior writer from The Australian newspaper who comes to cover the Games. Chen Wenbin, the head coach of Chinese men's weightlifting squad, said, "Coming into the village made me really feel the pulse of the Games and it will add impetus to our athletes." Chen said the Chinese weightlifters will check in at the village around Aug. 5 and stay until their events end around Aug. 18.
"We will arrange training programs for the weightlifters after they move in, but before that, we need to send staff here to see to accommodation and dining and make sure everything is OK," he said. Village spokesperson Deng Yaping said on Friday that 46 countries and regions have had some representation in the village since its preliminary opening on July 20. It is not yet heavily populated, but is expected to be fully lodged. On Sunday morning, the first foreign delegation of 42 athletes from Poland arrived in Beijing. They were the first batch of Poland's 400-plus Beijing Olympic contingent including 268 athletes.
Most of the athletes coming for the Games will stay in the village. A few contingents have booked rated hotels. Diversified meals, along with customized beds, space for religious masses and entertainment facilities, are part of the efforts to provide comfortable stay for the athletes. Other services like chances of learning the Chinese language and watching Chinese cultural performances are expected to add colors to their Olympic experience.
In line with IOC (International Olympic Committee) regulations, a religious center has been set up in the village. Worship rooms are arranged for major religions -- Christianity, Buddhism, Islamism, and Hinduism and Judaism. The total of 42 apartment buildings in the village was powered by solar energy. Water recycling system and environmentally friendly construction materials were used in the village. Some of the apartments have been sold out as upscale residences.
Mark Bos, a village protocol volunteer who has worked for three Games, advised the athletes to go outside the village to see the city and the people when they have chances. "I spent four hours hiking on the Great Wall two months ago and the experience was the best in my life," he said. "I have made a lot of friends since I volunteered at the Atlanta Games. The Games are not only about sport. It is about experiencing different cultures and meeting interesting people," he said.
The Olympic Village will close on Aug. 27 and reopen as the Paralympic Village on Aug. 30 until Sept. 20.
The village was opened by its mayor Chen Zhili, also vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG). Designed to accommodate 16,000 athletes, coaches and their entourage, the sprawling compound is about 20 minutes' walk northwest of the Games' two centerpiece venues - the Bird's Nest stadium and aquatic venue Water Cube. "We now welcome athletes from around the world to come to the Games," said Chen. "We will try to satisfy the needs of people from different cultural and religious backgrounds. We hope you will like the facilities and services, and achieve desirable results at the Games," she said.
Chen received a symbolic gold key to the village from the BOCOG president Liu Qi, also the Party chief of Beijing. The Chinese delegation was the first to check in by raising its national flag in the village. Athens Olympics 110 meters hurdles champion Liu Xiang and NBA star Yao Ming were among about a hundred athletes who were present at the ceremony. At least two other delegations, Cuba and Poland, are scheduled to arrive at the village on Sunday.
"Welcome home," Chen told the Chinese delegation, "as athletes from the host country, I hope you will present the peaceful and open stance of China." She also had talks to the athletes and wished them good luck. The village, which sits in the northern part of Beijing, is divided into three sections of the international area, residential area and operations area. It contains a main restaurant that can feed 5,000 people, its own fire station, tea, coffee shops, a barber shop, post office, library, shops and a clinic.
"The village is modern and nicely fitted," said Glenda Korporaal, a senior writer from The Australian newspaper who comes to cover the Games. Chen Wenbin, the head coach of Chinese men's weightlifting squad, said, "Coming into the village made me really feel the pulse of the Games and it will add impetus to our athletes." Chen said the Chinese weightlifters will check in at the village around Aug. 5 and stay until their events end around Aug. 18.
"We will arrange training programs for the weightlifters after they move in, but before that, we need to send staff here to see to accommodation and dining and make sure everything is OK," he said. Village spokesperson Deng Yaping said on Friday that 46 countries and regions have had some representation in the village since its preliminary opening on July 20. It is not yet heavily populated, but is expected to be fully lodged. On Sunday morning, the first foreign delegation of 42 athletes from Poland arrived in Beijing. They were the first batch of Poland's 400-plus Beijing Olympic contingent including 268 athletes.
Most of the athletes coming for the Games will stay in the village. A few contingents have booked rated hotels. Diversified meals, along with customized beds, space for religious masses and entertainment facilities, are part of the efforts to provide comfortable stay for the athletes. Other services like chances of learning the Chinese language and watching Chinese cultural performances are expected to add colors to their Olympic experience.
In line with IOC (International Olympic Committee) regulations, a religious center has been set up in the village. Worship rooms are arranged for major religions -- Christianity, Buddhism, Islamism, and Hinduism and Judaism. The total of 42 apartment buildings in the village was powered by solar energy. Water recycling system and environmentally friendly construction materials were used in the village. Some of the apartments have been sold out as upscale residences.
Mark Bos, a village protocol volunteer who has worked for three Games, advised the athletes to go outside the village to see the city and the people when they have chances. "I spent four hours hiking on the Great Wall two months ago and the experience was the best in my life," he said. "I have made a lot of friends since I volunteered at the Atlanta Games. The Games are not only about sport. It is about experiencing different cultures and meeting interesting people," he said.
The Olympic Village will close on Aug. 27 and reopen as the Paralympic Village on Aug. 30 until Sept. 20.
Cheap Olympics tickets for China students
BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- "Only 15 days left!" Ma Xiaogang, a middle-school student in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, yelled as he counted down the days to the Beijing Olympic Games.
Several months ago, the teenager assumed he would just watch the long-dreamed Games on television at his home, a small village in the arid region. "Thanks to an education program, I got three tickets for volleyball, baseball and athletics," said the excited 16-year-old.
Following the practice of previous Olympics, China has set aside about 1 million Olympic tickets, priced at 5 yuan (73 U.S. cents) and 10 yuan, for primary and secondary school students nationwide. The tickets are stamped "Olympic education program tickets."
"Tickets will be distributed to students through provincial education departments to ensure students from all over China will have the opportunity to join the Beijing Games," said Gao Hong, vice director with the Basic Education Department of the Education Ministry
The tickets will be given out mainly in 556 schools nationwide, he said. Because of the high ticket price, many people, especially students, couldn't watch the Games live. "It's already difficult for my parents to support my studies. How dare I expect to watch the Olympic Games in Beijing," Ma said. When hearing the news his school would choose five students to see the Games live in the capital, Ma applied and won.
"I will cherish the experience and share it with my classmates after I go back," said Ma, who was busy learning more about the Olympic Games. According to the schedule, Ma will leave for Beijing with another 189 students from around the region on Aug. 11. Many of the students are Muslims. "These students were chosen according to their performance of study and sports activities," said Shi Liwen, an official with the Education Department of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. She added the results were publicized in schools and were under supervision.
According to the Olympic education program tickets project, students from Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Liaoning and Hebei will watch Games in their home cities, and students from the other 27 provinces and regions will be organized to come to Beijing. To ensure sound accommodation and transport for the students, 10 high schools in Beijing with excellent facilities have been designated as hosts to receive them. Beijing Hui School will serve the Ningxia students. "We have prepared well and are ready to serve them," said Cao Xiaodong, the school deputy head.
The school has vacated dormitories, bought new sheets and quilts and electric anti-mosquito gadgets for the Ningxia students. It also installed digital cable TV in every dormitory. Similar to their Ningxia peers, the Beijing Hui School students didn't need to wait hours to buy a ticket.
"Our school is one of the 556 model schools for the Beijing 2008 Olympic education program. We have more than 900 tickets," Cao said. "All our students, if they want, are able to watch the Olympic Games." University students in the Olympic host and co-host cities will also get some cheap tickets. Students from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and the earthquake-hit Sichuan Province will be invited to attend the Games.
"Low-price tickets embody the true meaning of mass sports, and everybody has the chance to participate," said David Tool, a U.S. teacher with the Beijing International Studies University.
"The low price ticket project is an important part of the 2008 Beijing Education Program," said Education Ministry official Gao. In fact, it is also a measure to fulfill the commitment in the host city's contract, which requires China to promote education of Olympic knowledge among 400 million youth nationwide, he added.
Several months ago, the teenager assumed he would just watch the long-dreamed Games on television at his home, a small village in the arid region. "Thanks to an education program, I got three tickets for volleyball, baseball and athletics," said the excited 16-year-old.
Following the practice of previous Olympics, China has set aside about 1 million Olympic tickets, priced at 5 yuan (73 U.S. cents) and 10 yuan, for primary and secondary school students nationwide. The tickets are stamped "Olympic education program tickets."
"Tickets will be distributed to students through provincial education departments to ensure students from all over China will have the opportunity to join the Beijing Games," said Gao Hong, vice director with the Basic Education Department of the Education Ministry
The tickets will be given out mainly in 556 schools nationwide, he said. Because of the high ticket price, many people, especially students, couldn't watch the Games live. "It's already difficult for my parents to support my studies. How dare I expect to watch the Olympic Games in Beijing," Ma said. When hearing the news his school would choose five students to see the Games live in the capital, Ma applied and won.
"I will cherish the experience and share it with my classmates after I go back," said Ma, who was busy learning more about the Olympic Games. According to the schedule, Ma will leave for Beijing with another 189 students from around the region on Aug. 11. Many of the students are Muslims. "These students were chosen according to their performance of study and sports activities," said Shi Liwen, an official with the Education Department of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. She added the results were publicized in schools and were under supervision.
According to the Olympic education program tickets project, students from Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Liaoning and Hebei will watch Games in their home cities, and students from the other 27 provinces and regions will be organized to come to Beijing. To ensure sound accommodation and transport for the students, 10 high schools in Beijing with excellent facilities have been designated as hosts to receive them. Beijing Hui School will serve the Ningxia students. "We have prepared well and are ready to serve them," said Cao Xiaodong, the school deputy head.
The school has vacated dormitories, bought new sheets and quilts and electric anti-mosquito gadgets for the Ningxia students. It also installed digital cable TV in every dormitory. Similar to their Ningxia peers, the Beijing Hui School students didn't need to wait hours to buy a ticket.
"Our school is one of the 556 model schools for the Beijing 2008 Olympic education program. We have more than 900 tickets," Cao said. "All our students, if they want, are able to watch the Olympic Games." University students in the Olympic host and co-host cities will also get some cheap tickets. Students from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and the earthquake-hit Sichuan Province will be invited to attend the Games.
"Low-price tickets embody the true meaning of mass sports, and everybody has the chance to participate," said David Tool, a U.S. teacher with the Beijing International Studies University.
"The low price ticket project is an important part of the 2008 Beijing Education Program," said Education Ministry official Gao. In fact, it is also a measure to fulfill the commitment in the host city's contract, which requires China to promote education of Olympic knowledge among 400 million youth nationwide, he added.
Friday, 25 July 2008
Stampede for Olympics tickets
BBC News, Beijing
Thousands of people have descended on ticket booths across the Chinese capital, Beijing, to get their hands on the last batch of Olympic tickets.
Police had to call in reinforcements at one sales centre near the main Olympic venues to hold back surging crowds. Tickets for high-profile events were snapped up in a matter of hours.
A total of 820,000 tickets went on sale from 0900 local time, but some people had been queuing for days. Buyers have been restricted to two tickets each. The biggest scrum appeared to take place at the booth near the main Olympic venues, where crowds had to be held back by police. Many waiting were drenched in sweat by the time they finally made it to the front of the queue. One man said he had managed to jump the queue at a particularly chaotic moment.
This sales centre was selling tickets for a number of high-profile events, including the much-sought-after 110m hurdles final. Chinese athlete Liu Xiang is the reigning Olympic champion in this event and tickets sold out in just half an hour. Tickets for diving events, another sport in which China excels, were gone in just a few hours. There were more orderly line-ups at other Olympic venues.
At the Workers' Stadium, where tickets for Olympic football matches were on sale, people had been queuing since Thursday. Many had brought stools to sit on, and something to eat and drink, as they waited in a queue that was several hundred metres long. Others shared cigarettes or stood in line fanning themselves as the morning temperature began to rise.
"We've been here all night. It wasn't too bad," said Song Lihua, as she stood holding an umbrella to shade herself from a sun that was struggling to break through the morning smog. Ms Song was near the front of the queue, but still expected she would have to wait another four or five hours. "They are too slow," she shouted, a call repeated by others. "There are only three tickets windows open." Others who had just arrived were amazed - and slightly depressed - to find so many people already waiting.
"The queue's too scary," said student Xie Gu, who had come up to Beijing from southern Zhejiang Province to get an Olympic ticket. The 20-year-old said he was going to walk to the end of the queue to see how long it was before deciding whether or not to stay.
Thousands of people have descended on ticket booths across the Chinese capital, Beijing, to get their hands on the last batch of Olympic tickets.
Police had to call in reinforcements at one sales centre near the main Olympic venues to hold back surging crowds. Tickets for high-profile events were snapped up in a matter of hours.
A total of 820,000 tickets went on sale from 0900 local time, but some people had been queuing for days. Buyers have been restricted to two tickets each. The biggest scrum appeared to take place at the booth near the main Olympic venues, where crowds had to be held back by police. Many waiting were drenched in sweat by the time they finally made it to the front of the queue. One man said he had managed to jump the queue at a particularly chaotic moment.
This sales centre was selling tickets for a number of high-profile events, including the much-sought-after 110m hurdles final. Chinese athlete Liu Xiang is the reigning Olympic champion in this event and tickets sold out in just half an hour. Tickets for diving events, another sport in which China excels, were gone in just a few hours. There were more orderly line-ups at other Olympic venues.
At the Workers' Stadium, where tickets for Olympic football matches were on sale, people had been queuing since Thursday. Many had brought stools to sit on, and something to eat and drink, as they waited in a queue that was several hundred metres long. Others shared cigarettes or stood in line fanning themselves as the morning temperature began to rise.
"We've been here all night. It wasn't too bad," said Song Lihua, as she stood holding an umbrella to shade herself from a sun that was struggling to break through the morning smog. Ms Song was near the front of the queue, but still expected she would have to wait another four or five hours. "They are too slow," she shouted, a call repeated by others. "There are only three tickets windows open." Others who had just arrived were amazed - and slightly depressed - to find so many people already waiting.
"The queue's too scary," said student Xie Gu, who had come up to Beijing from southern Zhejiang Province to get an Olympic ticket. The 20-year-old said he was going to walk to the end of the queue to see how long it was before deciding whether or not to stay.
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Olympics hostesses complete training
BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Training of the 337 would-be hostesses for the Olympic victory ceremonies will end on Saturday, when the Chinese college beauties graduate from boot camp.
"I've always dreamed of being a guide hostess for the table tennis athletes at the Olympic venue," said Yang Xu, 19, one of the 300-odd young women selected from more than 5,000 candidates in Beijing and Shanghai colleges as part of the Olympic volunteers. Just like others, the slim, 170 cm tall Yang has been trained for three short terms with five kinds of courses, including body-shaping exercises, dancing, manners, ceremony processes and basic Olympic-related knowledge.
"It has been a tough job. We are often asked to keep a good-looking standing gesture on the standardized 5-centimeter-high heels for more than one hour, so that my T-shirt has been drenched with sweat even in the air-conditioned room," yang said. "Our teacher sometimes was seen taking a pack of broken heels for repair, a measure of our suffering," the young woman said with a bitter smile. The beauties had fought off furious competition to secure their chance to "enjoy the beautiful suffering" in the temporary "charm school", a vocational school in Beijing's northern Changping District.
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the 29th Olympiad (BOCOG) selected 297 beauties from a dozen Beijing colleges such as the Communication University of China, the University of International Relations, and Beijing Technology and Business University, said Wang Ning, deputy division chief of the Sport Representation and Victory Ceremony Division of the Culture and Ceremonies Department, BOCOG. The other 40 were selected from more than 1,700 candidates from Shanghai top-level universities, Wang added. All the girls were picked by experts from various professions, including models, body-shaping teachers, journalists, singers, dancers and athletes, based on specific standards of their body shapes and facial features, Wang said. A hostess needs to be a college student with good education background. She needs to be between 168 to 175 cm and good looking, which was specified in statistics of the sizes of bust, waist, hip and even mouth, nose, and eye, Wang said, but she refused to reveal the numbers.
"It was only a reference for the experts and some girls failing to accord with the size were also selected because of their beauty and passion," Wang said. Yang Xu said she had been in a selection process since last May. The previous rounds were done in her college, Beijing Yixian Professional Education Institute. "It is a chance, a god-given chance, to be more accurate, as China has been longing to host the Olympics for 100 years. I simply want to be part of it for the experience and to improve myself," Yang Xu said. Her feeling was exactly shared by many other women, including apair of 19-year-old twins named Li Ziye and Li Xiaoye.
The twins had always been eye-catching among the hundreds of beauties. They said they will probably be the hostesses for the first gold medal of the Games as athlete guides at a shooting venue. They had undergone a strict timetable from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., regulating their life from getting up in the morning to falling asleep at night. They are scheduled to run in the morning and have classes all day until 8:30 p.m.. The training was hard work but there were lighter moments, said the elder sister Li Ziye. She said they were trained to smile with eight teeth exposed and look at the camera flashes without blinking. "We should not blink even if tears come out," Li Ziye said, with eyes opened wide.
"People always confused by us. I was always blamed by the teacher when my sister did something wrong. Some even thought there was a mirror when we were sitting face to face," the younger one Li Xiaoye said, chuckling. Many girls have made good friends during these days because of the shared experiences. "I've made many new friends here. They helped me a lot, which touched me sometimes deeply," Yang Xu said. "The victory ceremony will be the faces of China's Olympics as a necessary part of the Games," said Cai Fuchao, vice mayor of Beijing, at a start-up ceremony for volunteers on Sunday. The ceremonies had been designed with many traditional Chinese elements, the deputy division chief Wang Ning said.
The hostesses had been trained to be beauties both inside and outside, Wang said. The young women, with a classical Chinese temperament, would send messages of Chinese implicit beauty in each simple move as taught in the classes, she said. Their silk costumes were also designed with traditional Chinese cultural images such as blue-and-white porcelain, embroidery and jade. The ladies were not only beauties, but well-educated beauties, said Wang who had added classes like security, making-up skills and handling the media.
"All of them can communicate in English without any problem, and some even can speak other foreign languages such as Spanish," Wang said. They had all been arranged to each single post in every venue and each of them know her duties well. "We have labored so much, simply to give for a few minutes a good impression at the Olympic victory ceremony as we want to show the most beautiful aspect of oriental ladies across the world," said the twin sister Li Ziye, with a gentle smile.
"I've always dreamed of being a guide hostess for the table tennis athletes at the Olympic venue," said Yang Xu, 19, one of the 300-odd young women selected from more than 5,000 candidates in Beijing and Shanghai colleges as part of the Olympic volunteers. Just like others, the slim, 170 cm tall Yang has been trained for three short terms with five kinds of courses, including body-shaping exercises, dancing, manners, ceremony processes and basic Olympic-related knowledge.
"It has been a tough job. We are often asked to keep a good-looking standing gesture on the standardized 5-centimeter-high heels for more than one hour, so that my T-shirt has been drenched with sweat even in the air-conditioned room," yang said. "Our teacher sometimes was seen taking a pack of broken heels for repair, a measure of our suffering," the young woman said with a bitter smile. The beauties had fought off furious competition to secure their chance to "enjoy the beautiful suffering" in the temporary "charm school", a vocational school in Beijing's northern Changping District.
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the 29th Olympiad (BOCOG) selected 297 beauties from a dozen Beijing colleges such as the Communication University of China, the University of International Relations, and Beijing Technology and Business University, said Wang Ning, deputy division chief of the Sport Representation and Victory Ceremony Division of the Culture and Ceremonies Department, BOCOG. The other 40 were selected from more than 1,700 candidates from Shanghai top-level universities, Wang added. All the girls were picked by experts from various professions, including models, body-shaping teachers, journalists, singers, dancers and athletes, based on specific standards of their body shapes and facial features, Wang said. A hostess needs to be a college student with good education background. She needs to be between 168 to 175 cm and good looking, which was specified in statistics of the sizes of bust, waist, hip and even mouth, nose, and eye, Wang said, but she refused to reveal the numbers.
"It was only a reference for the experts and some girls failing to accord with the size were also selected because of their beauty and passion," Wang said. Yang Xu said she had been in a selection process since last May. The previous rounds were done in her college, Beijing Yixian Professional Education Institute. "It is a chance, a god-given chance, to be more accurate, as China has been longing to host the Olympics for 100 years. I simply want to be part of it for the experience and to improve myself," Yang Xu said. Her feeling was exactly shared by many other women, including apair of 19-year-old twins named Li Ziye and Li Xiaoye.
The twins had always been eye-catching among the hundreds of beauties. They said they will probably be the hostesses for the first gold medal of the Games as athlete guides at a shooting venue. They had undergone a strict timetable from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., regulating their life from getting up in the morning to falling asleep at night. They are scheduled to run in the morning and have classes all day until 8:30 p.m.. The training was hard work but there were lighter moments, said the elder sister Li Ziye. She said they were trained to smile with eight teeth exposed and look at the camera flashes without blinking. "We should not blink even if tears come out," Li Ziye said, with eyes opened wide.
"People always confused by us. I was always blamed by the teacher when my sister did something wrong. Some even thought there was a mirror when we were sitting face to face," the younger one Li Xiaoye said, chuckling. Many girls have made good friends during these days because of the shared experiences. "I've made many new friends here. They helped me a lot, which touched me sometimes deeply," Yang Xu said. "The victory ceremony will be the faces of China's Olympics as a necessary part of the Games," said Cai Fuchao, vice mayor of Beijing, at a start-up ceremony for volunteers on Sunday. The ceremonies had been designed with many traditional Chinese elements, the deputy division chief Wang Ning said.
The hostesses had been trained to be beauties both inside and outside, Wang said. The young women, with a classical Chinese temperament, would send messages of Chinese implicit beauty in each simple move as taught in the classes, she said. Their silk costumes were also designed with traditional Chinese cultural images such as blue-and-white porcelain, embroidery and jade. The ladies were not only beauties, but well-educated beauties, said Wang who had added classes like security, making-up skills and handling the media.
"All of them can communicate in English without any problem, and some even can speak other foreign languages such as Spanish," Wang said. They had all been arranged to each single post in every venue and each of them know her duties well. "We have labored so much, simply to give for a few minutes a good impression at the Olympic victory ceremony as we want to show the most beautiful aspect of oriental ladies across the world," said the twin sister Li Ziye, with a gentle smile.
Chinese armed forces ready for Olympics
BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) -- After five years' training, China's armed police are in place and ready for the Olympic security tasks, according to the consensus from nationwide meetings on Wednesday. Chinese armed forces held the meetings to pledge their efforts for the success of the Olympic security tasks. About 49,000 armed police attended the meetings at 873 places around the country, including the major one in Beijing.
During the Games, armed police will undertake 12 security tasks. These include guarding Olympic venues, guaranteeing VIP safety, handling emergencies and fighting terrorists, among others. Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu attended the meeting in Beijing and urged the armed police to faithfully fulfill their tasks and leave no loopholes.
Li Jinai, head of the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, required all armed police to fully understand the importance of the security tasks for the Games and spare no effort to attain the goal of safe Olympics. Beijing has deployed nearly 110,000 personnel, including police, army troops and volunteers to ensure the security of the Olympiad, while mobilizing the whole society, according to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games.
During the Games, armed police will undertake 12 security tasks. These include guarding Olympic venues, guaranteeing VIP safety, handling emergencies and fighting terrorists, among others. Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu attended the meeting in Beijing and urged the armed police to faithfully fulfill their tasks and leave no loopholes.
Li Jinai, head of the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, required all armed police to fully understand the importance of the security tasks for the Games and spare no effort to attain the goal of safe Olympics. Beijing has deployed nearly 110,000 personnel, including police, army troops and volunteers to ensure the security of the Olympiad, while mobilizing the whole society, according to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games.
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Beijing launches anti-pollution traffic control measures
BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Sunday saw the start of two months of vehicle control in Beijing to ease traffic pressure and improve air quality for the Olympic Games. Beijing's drivers found much fewer vehicles on the road and a much smoother drive in the morning, partly because it was on the weekend but largely because of the vehicle restrictions. According to a short-term traffic rule effective from July 20 through Sept. 20, vehicles with even and odd plates run on alternate days in the metropolis, which boasts 3.29 million vehicles.
Traffic was smooth during the morning peak hour. From the Liuliqiao Bridge on the southwest third ring road to Beitucheng on the northeast of the north third ring road, a normally one-hour-plus drive took only half an hour in the morning. Lin Fengjiang, who has an odd-number car plate, said he opted for the bus because of the restrictions. "It's ok with me. The bus runs very fast today. It's even more time-efficient than driving a car," said the office worker.
Yao Zhenping, assistant to the general manager of the Beijing Public Transport Holdings Group, said monitoring showed that more than 95 percent of the buses reached the stops according to the timetable, something that was impossible on congested roads. The city authorities said the restriction, along with an earlier ban on the use of vehicles which failed to meet emission standards, would drive 2 million cars off the roads to ease traffic and improve air quality for the Games. With the restriction rule, an additional 4 million people were expected to resort to the public transport system due to the vehicle use control, according to the city government.
The restriction rule was applied to both vehicles which registered in Beijing and non-Beijing vehicles which drove on Beijing's streets during July 20-Sept. 20 period. But those vehicles which were used to transport fresh vegetable into Beijing were free of the rule, said the city government. Car emissions have been considered as one of the major sources of air pollution in Beijing. The atmospheric pollution in Beijing is caused by a combination of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter, which largely came from exhaust emissions, environmentalists said.
He Kebin, a professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering of Tsinghua University, said almost all major indicators of Beijing's air quality had met the requirements of the Olympic Games except for the indicator of the inhalable particulate matter. "Vehicles contribute more than 50 percent of the pollution caused by the inhalable particulate matter, so the restriction of vehicle use is the most effective way to solve the problem," said He. Environmental experts estimated that the vehicle-use restriction and the ban on the use of vehicles which failed to meet emission standards will cut car emission by 63 percent, or about 118,000 tonnes of pollutants, for Beijing in the next two months.
The vehicle-use restriction won applause from Beijing residents. According to a survey conducted by the Beijing Social Facts & Public Opinion Survey Center, 94.8 percent of the respondents supported the rule, which was 5.9 percentage points higher than last year's approval rate. During Aug. 17 to 20 of 2007, Beijing had carried out a four-day test run of even-odd traffic control to clear the city's air. Also on Sunday, Beijing started implementing another two-month-long measure to ease traffic pressures and reduce air pollution -- the change working hours.
The city government said it encourages people to work flexible hours or work at home if possible. Working hours for companies will be set from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Public institutions will begin work at 9:30 a.m., one hour later than normal. Shopping malls will open no earlier than 10 a.m. and stay open longer, until 10 p.m. or even later. Over the past years, Beijing has been working aggressively in a bid to improve its oft-criticized air quality. Beijing municipal government said it had poured more than 140 billion yuan (20.5 billion U.S. dollars) since 1998 into more than200 projects dedicated to improving the city's air quality.
Such efforts have paid off. The Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau said the city's air quality had been continuously improving since 1998. The "blue sky" days, or days with fairly good air quality, for the entire year of 2007 had jumped to 246 from 100 recorded in 1998, said the bureau. In 2007, the densities of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in Beijing's air were 60.8percent, 39.4 percent, 10.8 percent and 17.8 percent lower than in1998, according to the bureau.
Traffic was smooth during the morning peak hour. From the Liuliqiao Bridge on the southwest third ring road to Beitucheng on the northeast of the north third ring road, a normally one-hour-plus drive took only half an hour in the morning. Lin Fengjiang, who has an odd-number car plate, said he opted for the bus because of the restrictions. "It's ok with me. The bus runs very fast today. It's even more time-efficient than driving a car," said the office worker.
Yao Zhenping, assistant to the general manager of the Beijing Public Transport Holdings Group, said monitoring showed that more than 95 percent of the buses reached the stops according to the timetable, something that was impossible on congested roads. The city authorities said the restriction, along with an earlier ban on the use of vehicles which failed to meet emission standards, would drive 2 million cars off the roads to ease traffic and improve air quality for the Games. With the restriction rule, an additional 4 million people were expected to resort to the public transport system due to the vehicle use control, according to the city government.
The restriction rule was applied to both vehicles which registered in Beijing and non-Beijing vehicles which drove on Beijing's streets during July 20-Sept. 20 period. But those vehicles which were used to transport fresh vegetable into Beijing were free of the rule, said the city government. Car emissions have been considered as one of the major sources of air pollution in Beijing. The atmospheric pollution in Beijing is caused by a combination of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter, which largely came from exhaust emissions, environmentalists said.
He Kebin, a professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering of Tsinghua University, said almost all major indicators of Beijing's air quality had met the requirements of the Olympic Games except for the indicator of the inhalable particulate matter. "Vehicles contribute more than 50 percent of the pollution caused by the inhalable particulate matter, so the restriction of vehicle use is the most effective way to solve the problem," said He. Environmental experts estimated that the vehicle-use restriction and the ban on the use of vehicles which failed to meet emission standards will cut car emission by 63 percent, or about 118,000 tonnes of pollutants, for Beijing in the next two months.
The vehicle-use restriction won applause from Beijing residents. According to a survey conducted by the Beijing Social Facts & Public Opinion Survey Center, 94.8 percent of the respondents supported the rule, which was 5.9 percentage points higher than last year's approval rate. During Aug. 17 to 20 of 2007, Beijing had carried out a four-day test run of even-odd traffic control to clear the city's air. Also on Sunday, Beijing started implementing another two-month-long measure to ease traffic pressures and reduce air pollution -- the change working hours.
The city government said it encourages people to work flexible hours or work at home if possible. Working hours for companies will be set from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Public institutions will begin work at 9:30 a.m., one hour later than normal. Shopping malls will open no earlier than 10 a.m. and stay open longer, until 10 p.m. or even later. Over the past years, Beijing has been working aggressively in a bid to improve its oft-criticized air quality. Beijing municipal government said it had poured more than 140 billion yuan (20.5 billion U.S. dollars) since 1998 into more than200 projects dedicated to improving the city's air quality.
Such efforts have paid off. The Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau said the city's air quality had been continuously improving since 1998. The "blue sky" days, or days with fairly good air quality, for the entire year of 2007 had jumped to 246 from 100 recorded in 1998, said the bureau. In 2007, the densities of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in Beijing's air were 60.8percent, 39.4 percent, 10.8 percent and 17.8 percent lower than in1998, according to the bureau.
Windpower to provide a fifth of Olympics power supply
BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A wind power plant has become operational in suburban Beijing, considered a major step towards making 20 percent of the power supply to the city's Olympic venues during the games wind-generated.
The Guanting Wind Power Plant, beginning operation on Saturday, would not only help fulfil Beijing's promise of a "green Olympics", but symbolize the first-ever large-scale employment of wind power generation project in the Chinese capital, said a spokesman for the project. With an installed capacity of 64,500 kilowatts, the plant has 43 domestically developed wind power units at work.
Since its first unit went into operation on Jan. 20, the plant has supplied 35 million kWh of "green power" to Beijing. It is expected to supply 100 million-kWh electricity per year, enough to meet the daily demand of 100,000 households. The power plant could help cut yearly emission of carbon dioxide by 100,000 tonnes and save 50,000 tonnes of coal each year. The Beijing Olympics opens on Aug. 8.
The Guanting Wind Power Plant, beginning operation on Saturday, would not only help fulfil Beijing's promise of a "green Olympics", but symbolize the first-ever large-scale employment of wind power generation project in the Chinese capital, said a spokesman for the project. With an installed capacity of 64,500 kilowatts, the plant has 43 domestically developed wind power units at work.
Since its first unit went into operation on Jan. 20, the plant has supplied 35 million kWh of "green power" to Beijing. It is expected to supply 100 million-kWh electricity per year, enough to meet the daily demand of 100,000 households. The power plant could help cut yearly emission of carbon dioxide by 100,000 tonnes and save 50,000 tonnes of coal each year. The Beijing Olympics opens on Aug. 8.
Olympic Village opens unofficially
BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Olympics athletes' village "softly" opened here on Sunday as the advance contingents of 12 national Olympic committees were expected to check in.
"The advance men from 12 national Olympic committees are scheduled to check in at the village today," Yin Lei, an organizing committee staff at the village's arrival and departure center, told Xinhua. "We call it a soft opening," he said.
During the Aug. 8-24 Games, the village will be home to about 16, 000 athletes and officials. The 42-building complex in the north of the capital city also includes a hospital, a bank, shops, places of worship, restaurants, a swimming pool, and gyms.
Officially it will open to delegations on July 27, two weeks before the start of the Olympics. After the Paralympics in September, the village will be housing for the public.
"The advance men from 12 national Olympic committees are scheduled to check in at the village today," Yin Lei, an organizing committee staff at the village's arrival and departure center, told Xinhua. "We call it a soft opening," he said.
During the Aug. 8-24 Games, the village will be home to about 16, 000 athletes and officials. The 42-building complex in the north of the capital city also includes a hospital, a bank, shops, places of worship, restaurants, a swimming pool, and gyms.
Officially it will open to delegations on July 27, two weeks before the start of the Olympics. After the Paralympics in September, the village will be housing for the public.
Taiwan, Tibet leaders not on Beijing's Olympics guest list
REUTERS - July 20th
The Dalai Lama may be the guest of honour of US President George W Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other world leaders, but you won't find Tibet's exiled spiritual leader on the Beijing Olympics guest list. Also missing from the list is Ma Ying-jeou, the Harvard-educated, democratically elected president of self-ruled Taiwan which Beijing has claimed as its own since their split in 1949 amid civil war, despite a recent thaw in relations.The Dalai Lama's appearance could have helped repair China's international image, which was dented by a government crackdown following rioting among Tibetans in March -- the worst in the Himalayan region since 1989. But China fears he would steal Chinese President Hu Jintao's thunder.
"It's supposed to be Hu Jintao's Olympics, but it'll become the Dalai Lama's Olympics if he attends," a source familiar with government policy said requesting anonymity. The Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, had said during a visit to London in May that he hoped to attend the August 8-24 Games if talks between his envoys and China produced results. China has not rejected the Dalai Lama's overtures outright, but hopes were dampened when the closed-door talks ended with the government-in-exile accusing China of lacking sincerity. The Chinese government has blamed the Dalai Lama and his followers for instigating the March unrest and attempting to sabotage the Olympics, charges he has repeatedly denied.
For China, the Games are supposed to showcase the prosperity and modernisation of what is now the world's fourth-biggest economy after three decades of economic reforms and rapid growth. Ma is a different story. China has mixed feelings for the Taiwan president, who is opposed to Taiwan formally declaring independence, a stance Beijing welcomes. But Ma has repeatedly urged China to politically reassess the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests -- anathema to the country's leaders. Beijing has sought to push Taiwan into diplomatic isolation and considers the island a province that must eventually return to the fold, by force if necessary.
"[Dignitaries] attending the Olympic opening are all heads of state, but China does not recognise Taiwan as a state," Taiwan political analyst Andrew Yang said by telephone. "How will [Hu Jintao] address Ma Ying-jeou? 'Taiwanese leader' won't be acceptable to the Taiwan people or Ma." Hawks in the Chinese government are opposed to the Dalai Lama's visit, worried that thousands of Tibetans would flock to Beijing by plane, train, bus or horseback to catch a glimpse of their revered god-king, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
There are more than 10 ministerial-level government and Communist Party bodies with a stake in blocking the Dalai Lama's return, including the local governments of Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, the Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Liberation Army and the paramilitary People's Armed Police.
For China, domestic stability during the Olympics is far more important than international applause. "Even if there are people who want to change things, they would have all sorts of worries," Wang Lixiong, a Chinese author and expert on Tibet, said in an interview. "In China, government officials do not hope for achievements but they hope to avoid committing mistakes," Wang said, referring to political risks for the leadership.
The Dalai Lama may be the guest of honour of US President George W Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other world leaders, but you won't find Tibet's exiled spiritual leader on the Beijing Olympics guest list. Also missing from the list is Ma Ying-jeou, the Harvard-educated, democratically elected president of self-ruled Taiwan which Beijing has claimed as its own since their split in 1949 amid civil war, despite a recent thaw in relations.The Dalai Lama's appearance could have helped repair China's international image, which was dented by a government crackdown following rioting among Tibetans in March -- the worst in the Himalayan region since 1989. But China fears he would steal Chinese President Hu Jintao's thunder.
"It's supposed to be Hu Jintao's Olympics, but it'll become the Dalai Lama's Olympics if he attends," a source familiar with government policy said requesting anonymity. The Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, had said during a visit to London in May that he hoped to attend the August 8-24 Games if talks between his envoys and China produced results. China has not rejected the Dalai Lama's overtures outright, but hopes were dampened when the closed-door talks ended with the government-in-exile accusing China of lacking sincerity. The Chinese government has blamed the Dalai Lama and his followers for instigating the March unrest and attempting to sabotage the Olympics, charges he has repeatedly denied.
For China, the Games are supposed to showcase the prosperity and modernisation of what is now the world's fourth-biggest economy after three decades of economic reforms and rapid growth. Ma is a different story. China has mixed feelings for the Taiwan president, who is opposed to Taiwan formally declaring independence, a stance Beijing welcomes. But Ma has repeatedly urged China to politically reassess the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests -- anathema to the country's leaders. Beijing has sought to push Taiwan into diplomatic isolation and considers the island a province that must eventually return to the fold, by force if necessary.
"[Dignitaries] attending the Olympic opening are all heads of state, but China does not recognise Taiwan as a state," Taiwan political analyst Andrew Yang said by telephone. "How will [Hu Jintao] address Ma Ying-jeou? 'Taiwanese leader' won't be acceptable to the Taiwan people or Ma." Hawks in the Chinese government are opposed to the Dalai Lama's visit, worried that thousands of Tibetans would flock to Beijing by plane, train, bus or horseback to catch a glimpse of their revered god-king, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
There are more than 10 ministerial-level government and Communist Party bodies with a stake in blocking the Dalai Lama's return, including the local governments of Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, the Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Liberation Army and the paramilitary People's Armed Police.
For China, domestic stability during the Olympics is far more important than international applause. "Even if there are people who want to change things, they would have all sorts of worries," Wang Lixiong, a Chinese author and expert on Tibet, said in an interview. "In China, government officials do not hope for achievements but they hope to avoid committing mistakes," Wang said, referring to political risks for the leadership.
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