The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be celebrated from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony commencing at 08:08:08 pm CST (12:08:08 UTC) at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Some events, including football (soccer), sailing, and new 10 km marathon swimming events will be held in other cities of China. With the equestrian events being held in Hong Kong, this marks the second time the same edition of the Olympic Games has been hosted by two National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
The Olympic games were awarded to Beijing, People's Republic of China after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The official logo of the games, titled "Dancing Beijing," features a stylized calligraphic character jing ( meaning capital), referencing the host city. The mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa, each representing one color of the Olympic rings. The Olympic slogan, One World, One Dream, calls upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. Athletes will compete in 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than was on the schedule of the Athens games of 2004. Several new NOCs have also been recognized by the IOC.
The Chinese government sees the games as a chance for China to highlight its economic rise and emergence as a world power. Despite the efforts of the Communist Party to tightly manage press coverage of the event, there will likely be issues over the environment, human rights violations, and Tibetan independence. This being so, former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch has still boasted that the Beijing games will be "the best in Olympic history."
Host selection process
Main
article: 2008 Summer Olympics bids
Beijing was elected the host city on July
13, 2001, during the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, beating Toronto, Paris, Istanbul,
and Osaka. Prior to the session, five other cities—Bangkok, Cairo, Havana,
Kuala Lumpur, and Seville—submitted bids to the IOC but failed to make the
shortlist in 2000. The voting distributions were as follows.
2008 Summer
Olympics bidding results
City NOC Round 1 Round 2
Beijing China 44 56
Toronto Canada 20 22
Paris France 15 18
Istanbul Turkey 17 9
Osaka
Japan 6 —
After the first round of voting, Beijing held a significant lead over the other four candidates. Osaka received only six votes and was eliminated. In the second round, Beijing was supported by an absolute majority of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds.
Previously, Beijing had bid to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. It led the voting over the first three rounds, but ultimately lost to Sydney in the final round in 1993.
Development and preparation
2008 Summer Olympic venues and Olympic Park
By May 2007,
construction of all thirty-one Beijing-based Olympic Games venues had begun. The
Chinese government is also investing in the renovation and construction of six
venues outside Beijing as well as fifty-nine training centers. Its largest architectural
pieces will be the Beijing National Stadium, Beijing National Indoor Stadium,
Beijing National Aquatics Centre, Olympic Green Convention Centre, Olympic Green,
and Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center. Almost 85 percent of the construction
budget for the six main venues is being funded by US$2.1 billion (RMB¥17.4
billion) in corporate bids and tenders. Investments are expected from corporations
seeking ownership rights after the 2008 Summer Olympics. Some venues will be owned
and governed by the State General Administration of Sports, which will use them
after the Olympics as facilities for all future national sports teams and events.
It was announced on July 8, 2005 that the equestrian events are to be held in Hong Kong because of "uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone." The five venues outside Beijing will be located in Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Qinhuangdao.
Beijing
National Stadium
The centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics will be the
Beijing National Stadium, nicknamed the "Bird Nest" because of its nest-like
skeletal structure. Construction of the venue began on December 24, 2003. The
Guangdong Olympic Stadium was originally planned, constructed, and completed in
2001 for the Games, but a decision was made to construct a new stadium in Beijing.
Government officials engaged architects worldwide in a design competition. A Swiss
firm, Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG, collaborated with China Architecture
Design & Research Group to win the competition. The National Stadium will
feature a lattice-like concrete skeleton forming the stadium bowl and will have
a seating capacity of 80,000 people. Architects originally described the overall
design as resembling a bird's nest with an immense ocular—an opening with
a retractable roof over the stadium. However, in 2004, the idea of retractable
roof was abandoned for economic and safety reasons. The Beijing National Stadium
will be the site of the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the athletics
events and soccer finals. The stadium's designer Ai Weiwei has since withdrawn
his support for China's Olympic games, saying "he wants nothing to do with
them anymore".
Marketing
Emblem
The 2008 Summer Olympics
emblem entitled "Dancing Beijing" was unveiled in August 2003 in a ceremony
attended by 2,008 people at Qi'niandian — the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
in Beijing's Temple of Heaven. The emblem combines elements of traditional Chinese
society—a red seal and a calligraphic word for jing with athletic features.
The open arms of the calligraphic word symbolizes the invitation of China to the
world to share in its culture. IOC president Jacques Rogge was very happy with
the emblem, saying, "Your new emblem immediately conveys the awesome beauty
and power of China which are embodied in your heritage and your people."
Fuwa
The Fuwa (Chinese: ; pinyin: Fúwá; literally "good-luck
dolls") were unveiled as the mascots of the games by the National Society
of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on November 11, 2005, at an event marking
the 1000th day before the opening of the games.
The Fuwa consist of five members that incorporate fish, giant panda, fire, Tibetan antelope, and swallow designs. They correspond with the five elements of Chinese philosophy: water, metal, fire, wood, and earth. The Fuwa each have as their primary color one of the colors of the five Olympic Rings. The five Fuwa are named Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. When the first syllable of each of the five names are said together, the result is the phrase (Beijing huanyíng ni) which means "Beijing welcomes you".
Tickets
The Beijing Olympic
Organizing Committee publicized in early August 2006 that it will sell over 7
million tickets for various sporting events and ceremonies to the general public.
The chief of the committee expressed her hopes that all Chinese people would have
a chance to come to the games. The committee has, therefore, set low ticket prices
so as to encourage the Chinese people to become more involved in the Olympics.
On April 14, 2007, tickets to the general public went on sale through the Beijing Organizing Committee for domestic tickets (which will account for 75% of the sales) and through each nation's NOC for overseas ticket sales. By June 2007, 2.2 million tickets—about a third of the supply volume—had already been sold
Slogan
Both the 2008 Olympic emblem and slogan appear side by side in this image.On June
26, 2005, The Beijing Olympic Committee announced that the slogan for the 2008
Olympics will be "One World, One Dream" The slogan calls upon the whole
world to join in the Olympic spirit and build a better future for humanity. It
was chosen from over 210,000 entries submitted from around the world.
Merchandising
Since early 2007, licensed Olympics merchandise stores have been in business throughout
China. More than 800 official stores were in operation at the end of July 2007.
Since August 2007, Olympic merchandise has been made available online, with more
than 5000 products available via the official merchandising website, which include
apparel, mascot dolls, key-chains and commemorative chopsticks. In November 2007,
overseas Olympic E-shop provide online access to customers all over the world
to Licensed Products of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Olympic lawmaking
The
Beijing municipal authority has declared that more than 70 local laws and decrees
would be made before the 2008 Summer Olympics which would banish local people
who don't have hukou (residency permits) of Beijing. It would also banish vagrants,
beggars, and people with mental illness from the city. The municipal authority
also made it clear that it would strengthen border control, call for a "special
holiday", or forcible shutout, to make Beijing citizens stay at home during
the Olympics. It also seeks to strengthen controls over Chinese and foreign NGOs
and forbid any protests during the games. The government has also strengthened
its laws relating to prosecution of those deemed to be disseminating material
not beneficial to the state.
The Geneva-based group, Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions has claimed that 1.5 million Beijing residents will be displaced from their homes for the Olympics event. Beijing's Olympic organizing committee and China's Foreign Ministry have put the number at 6,037. As of May 2005, 300,000 residents have been evicted in preparation for the games. Police in Beijing placed many people under arrest for protesting against the evictions.
The Beijing government has issued new mandates that require police officers in the city to act more appropriately. The government has circulated pamphlets urging officers to desist from using foul language, lose their arrogance, and not hang up on people who call to report crimes. They have been told that violators will be reprimanded. By doing this, Beijing hopes to clean up its image in time for the games.
A drive has also been launched to improve the poor English translations common on Chinese signage, labeling etc. in readiness for the Olympics.
Public transport
Beijing
Subway
Several expressways encircle the center of the city, providing
for quick transportation around the city and between venues.Anticipating a huge
rush during the games, Beijing's subway system is currently undergoing a major
expansion which will increase its capacity to more than twice its existing size.
The system currently is composed of four lines and 64 stations. An additional
seven lines and more than eighty new stations are being constructed, including
a direct link to Beijing Capital International Airport. In the airport itself,
eleven unmanned trains, each transporting a maximum of 83 passengers, will expedite
the movement of people throughout the new terminal building. Most of them are
scheduled to operate from June 30, 2008, one month before the beginning of the
games. In January 2007, the BOCOG announced that the Metro cars will be fitted
with video screens showing the latest news and events during the games. Additionally,
cellphone signals would be made available, so that people can use their communication
devices in the metro stations or underground.
According to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, a new five-level emergency alert system for extreme weather and security threats will be implemented in the airport. This system is designed to ensure smooth and safe transportation for the estimated three million domestic and overseas visitors who will flock to Beijing for the games in August 2008.
On the ground, Beijing is set to designate thirty-eight official public transit routes that will link the Olympic venues. During the games, 2,500 large-size buses and 4,500 minibuses will be operated by a total of 8,000 drivers to transport people across various venues. Prior to the games, public transport will be optimized in order to reduce the existing 110 overlapping routes.
Smoking is banned in the 66,000 cabs, the violation of which would lead to a fine of 100 to 200 yuan (13 to 26 USD). Beijing authorities are thus trying to make the event a non-smoking event.
Sports
The programme for the
Beijing 2008 Games is quite similar to that of the Athens Games held in 2004.
The 2008 Olympics will see the return of 28 sports, and will hold 302 events (165
men’s events, 127 women’s events, and 10 mixed events), one event more
in total than in Athens.
Overall nine new events will be held, which include two from the new cycling discipline of BMX. Women will compete in the 3000m steeplechase for the first time. In addition, marathon swimming events for men and women, over the distance of 10 kilometers, will be added to the swimming discipline. Team events (men and women) in table tennis will replace the doubles events. In fencing, women's team foil and women's team sabre will replace men's team foil and women's team epee.
This pictogram depicts Athletics.In mid-2006, video gamers
held talks with the Chinese government in hopes of allowing video games to be
a demonstration sport at the games. Demonstration events have not been held at
any Olympic Games (Summer or Winter) since 1992.
On August 7, 2006, a day before the 2-year countdown to the Beijing Games, the Beijing Organizing Committee released pictograms of the 35 Olympic disciplines. Each pictogram is designed so that people of nations around the world can recognize the different sports being played at the Olympic Games. This set of sport icons is named the beauty of seal characters, due to each pictogram's likeness to Chinese seal script.
The following are the sports to be contested at the games. The Olympic sport of aquatics has been split into its constituent disciplines of diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, and water polo. The number of events to be contested in each sport is indicated in parentheses.
Archery (4)
Athletics (47)
Badminton
(5)
Baseball (1)
Basketball (2)
Boxing (11)
Canoeing (16)
Cycling (18)
Diving (8)
Equestrian (6)
Fencing (10)
Field
Hockey (2)
Football/Soccer (2)
Gymnastics (18)
Handball (2)
Judo (14)
Modern pentathlon (2)
Rowing (14)
Sailing (11)
Shooting
(15)
Softball (1)
Swimming (34)
Synchronized swimming (2)
Table tennis (4)
Taekwondo (8)
Tennis (4)
Triathlon (2)
Volleyball
(4)
Water polo (2)
Weightlifting (15)
Wrestling (18)
Torch relay
2008 Olympic Torch Relay
The plans accepted by the IOC
for the Olympic torch relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing. The
relay, with the theme "Journey of Harmony", will last 130 days, carrying
the torch 137,000 km (85,100 mi.) – the longest distance of any Olympic torch
relay (though most of it is by air). The relay will begin on March 25, 2008, in
Olympia, Greece. From there, it will travel across Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium
in Athens, and then to Beijing, arriving on March 31. From Beijing, the torch
will follow a route passing through every continent except Antarctica. The torch
will visit cities on the Silk Road, symbolizing ancient links between China and
the rest of the world. A total of 21,880 torchbearers will be selected from around
the world by various organizations and entities.
The BOCOG also plans to carry the flame to the top of Mount Everest. In June 2007, construction began on a 108 km (67 mi) long "highway" scaling the Tibetan side of the mountain. The $19.7 million blacktop project will span from Tingri County of Xigazê Prefecture to the Everest Base Camp. Environmental concerns about the effects of the road on the fragile Himalayan region have been expressed by the media, but denied by the Chinese government.
The original scheduled route agreed in April included a stop in Taipei just before heading for Hong Kong. Taiwan's government, however, later rejected this proposal, claiming that such arrangement would make the Taiwan relay be seen as part of China's domestic route, rather than the international route. Recent negotiations have led the IOC to officially take Taipei off the torch relay. Both China and Taiwan have blamed each other for injecting politics into the event.
The Olympic Torch is based on traditional scrolls and uses a traditional Chinese design known as the "Cloud of Promise" (??). The torch is designed to remain lit in 65 kilometer-an-hour winds, and in rain of up to 50 millimeters-an-hour.
Participating NOCs
This map
depicts the NOCs that competed at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. A vast majority
of these nations are expected to return for the 2008 games.Whilst qualifying competitions
in various disciplines are well underaway, it is not yet completely certain which
National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will participate. Most NOCs participate regularly,
although various circumstances could cause a nation to be absent from the games,
as was the case for six NOCs at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Nevertheless, placements
in various qualifying races can help predict which nations and how many athletes
will be at the games; for example, Steven Roush, chief of sport performance for
the United States Olympic Committee expects the United States to bring about 600
competitors to the games, their largest Olympic team thus far.
North Korea and South Korea are considering sending a united team to the 2008 Olympics. In the past, the two nations have walked together in the parade of nations during the opening ceremonies, but have never competed as one team. The two NOCs met with IOC president Jacques Rogge on September 5, 2006, to discuss the possibility of creating such a combined team. In early 2007, Korean Olympic Committee President Kim Jung-kil and North Korean Olympic Committee President Mun Jae-duk met to further discuss the logistics of sending a unified team. South Korea advocates selection of athletes based on performance, while North Korea hopes for equal representation of athletes if the two indeed send a joint team. The NOCs failed to reach an agreement on representation, but said they would have further discussions in the future.
The Marshall Islands gained NOC status in February, 2006, and is expected to participate in the Games. Tuvalu representatives met with IOC president Jacques Rogge in 2005, who indicated that Tuvalu was likely to be voted a full-fledged Olympic member at the IOC meeting in 2007.[ At the 119th IOC session, the Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee was accepted as a new National Olympic Committee.
In May 2006 (just after the 2006 Winter Olympics), the citizens of Montenegro voted in a referendum to sever their political union with Serbia. The states of Serbia and Montenegro, which participated at the 2004 Games jointly as Serbia and Montenegro, will now compete separately. The Montenegrin Olympic Committee was accepted as a new National Olympic Committee at the 119th IOC session along with Tuvalu. A dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles was to have taken place in July 2007, giving Curaçao and Sint Maarten—like Aruba—a status aparte. This status would have permitted the new nations to create NOCs, allowing them to compete separately at the games. However, the dissolution was postponed until December 2008, four months after the scheduled 2008 Olympics. Even if the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles takes place in December 2008, any newly formed NOCs will have to wait until the 2012 Olympics to participate in the Summer Games.
Calendar
The following calendar for the 2008 Olympic
Games is the most recent version of the games schedule, last updated 2007-03-29.
Each blue box represents an event competition, such as a qualification round,
on that day. The yellow boxes represent a medal-awarding final for a sport. The
number in each box represents the number of finals that will be contested on that
day.
? Opening ceremony ? Event competitions ? Event finals ? Closing
ceremony
August 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th
19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th T
Ceremonies ? ?
Archery 1 1 1 1 4
Athletics
2 4 6 6 5 3 6 7 7 1 47
Badminton 1 2 2 5
Baseball 1 1
Basketball 1
1 2
Boxing 5 6 11
Canoeing 2 2 6 6 16
Cycling 1 1 2 1 3 1 2 3 2 1
1 18
Diving 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8
Equestrian 2 1 1 1 1 6
Fencing 1 1 1
1 2 1 1 1 1 10
Field hockey 1 1 2
Football (soccer) 1 1 2
Gymnastics
1 1 1 1 4 4 4 1 1 18
Handball 1 1 2
Judo 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 14
Modern pentathlon
1 1 2
Rowing 7 7 14
Sailing 2 1 2 2 2 2 11
Shooting 2 2 2 2 1 2 1
2 1 15
Softball 1 1
Swimming 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 1 34
Synchronized swimming
1 1 2
Table tennis 1 1 1 1 4
Taekwondo 2 2 2 2 8
Tennis 2 2 4
Triathlon
1 1 2
Volleyball 1 1 1 1 4
Water polo 1 1 2
Weightlifting 1 2 2 2
2 2 1 1 1 1 15
Wrestling 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 3 18
August 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 302
Concerns
and controversy
Concerns over the games include the potential for boycotts
from pro-Tibetan organizations. China has also been battling problems with air
pollution both in the city of Beijing and in neighboring areas, which the Beijing
Organizing Committee (BOCOG) says it hopes to remedy before the games.
Protests
and potential boycotts
Students for a Free Tibet campaign to protest the
2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.Boycotts and protests have occurred at past Olympic
Games by groups of protesters, activists, and political groups who have had grievances
against the host countries or another participating nations. In some cases, these
activities have been sanctioned by member states, such as in the 1980 and 1984
Summer Olympics.
While no state has indicated a willingness to go to the 2008 games, some groups are initiating independent campaigns to do so and other notable groups have called for protests. It has been reported that Chinese intelligence services were monitoring the activities of foreigners suspected of plotting demonstrations during the Olympics. In addition to monitoring NGOs that are concerned with domestic Chinese issues, the Chinese intelligence is also monitoring possible terrorism-related activities and anti-American demonstrations.
Pro-Tibetan independence groups, such as Students for a Free Tibet, have initiated a campaign to protest the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. The group plans to protest for Tibetan independence and objects to the Chinese government's use of the Tibetan antelope (chiru) as one of its five mascots. The Tibetan People's Movement has also demanded representation of Tibet with its own national flag. Hollywood actor Richard Gere in his position as the chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet called for the boycott of the games to put pressure of China to make Tibet independent.
The press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders is advocating a boycott of the 2008 games in Beijing, citing its abridgment of press and personal freedoms and the positive effects of earlier Olympic boycotts. After its first official visit to China during January, 2007, the Manila Times reported that it had ended its call for boycott after a meeting with the Chinese authorities. However, as of October 2007, its website is clear that a boycott is still in effect. The organization expresses concerns for violations of free speech and human rights in China. It hopes that international pressure and petition can effect the release of prisoners of conscience, and hold China to promises made to the IOC, regarding improvements in human rights.
Activists working to address the ongoing violence in Darfur, Sudan, have called for pressure to be exerted on China because of their financial and diplomatic support for Omar al-Bashir, who is responsible for the Sudanese government's proxy militias in Darfur. These advocates, which include actress Mia Farrow, NBA athlete Ira Newble, and Sudan researcher Eric Reeves, have organized a global advocacy campaign called Olympic Dream for Darfur. The campaign's goal, using a symbolic Torch Relay, grassroots advocacy, and media attention, is to urge the Chinese government to use their considerable influence with Khartoum to persuade Sudan to consent immediately to a true and robust U.N. operation in Darfur. Some activists in Taiwan have begun to refer to the Beijing Olympics as the "Genocide Olympics" in The China Post as a way of connecting Beijing's close political and economic ties to the Sudanese regime. The Chinese government, in turn, has criticised the activists for "politicising" the Olympics and outlined its plans to help the Sudanese economy. Calls for sustained pressure and possible boycotts of the Olympics have come from former French presidential candidate François Bayrou, actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow, Genocide Intervention Network Representative Ronan Farrow, author and Sudan scholar Eric Reeves and the The Washington Post editorial board. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, founder of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, sent a letter to Hu Jintao on April 2, 2007 to discuss and possibly end China's involvement in the conflict.[ Additionally, a group of 106 lawmakers in the United States have circulated a letter calling for the US to boycott the coming Olympics because of China's support of the Sudanese regime and the forced relocation of 300,000 Chinese poor to make room for the games. Congresswoman Maxine Waters introduced a similar resolution in early August 2007.
On September 28, 2007, the Nobel Peace Prize laurate Desmond Tutu urged China to intervene in the ongoing protests in Myanmar. "China, you have leverage - tell those brutal men to stop their brutality," Tutu said at the Goteborg Book Fair in Gothenburg, Sweden. Archbishop Emeritus Tutu said that if China did not take a stance against the military rulers in Myanmar he would "join a campaign to boycott the Beijing Olympics".
Class discrimination
The new toilet facilities built in the Beijing
stadiums can no longer be used by regular Chinese citizens living or working in
the area. Concerns have been raised by Communist party officials that the hygiene
issues of local citizens would affect the Beijing Olympic image. There is now
a penalty of 100 to 500 yuan imposed on any Chinese locals caught using the bathrooms.
Environmental issues
Concern has been raised over the air quality of
Beijing and its potential effect on the athletes. Although the Beijing Municipal
Government, in its bid file in 2001, committed to lowering air pollution, increasing
environmental protection, and introducing environmental technology, research data
show that even if the city were to dramatically cut down its emissions, pollution
would still drift over the neighboring provinces, from which 50 percent of Beijing's
air is believed to originate. At current levels, air pollution is at least 2 to
3 times higher than levels deemed safe by the World Health Organization. Marco
Cardinale of the British Olympic Association has stated that air pollution coupled
with heat and humidity makes it "very unlikely we'll see outstanding performances
in endurance sports." Several countries have also indicated that their athletes
will arrive at the games as late as possible to avoid exposure to pollution. Despite
this, Beijing, in its commitment to improve air quality, will remove 60,000 taxis
and buses from the roads by the end of 2007 and plans to relocate 200 local factories,
including a prominent steel factory, before the games begin. The Chinese government
has provided assurances that "blue skies are a requirement not only for Beijing,
but also for the places around it." The United States Olympic Committee has
also expressed its assurance that the air quality of Beijing will not be a concern
for the U.S. delegation to the games.
Meteorological findings in April 2007 also have suggested that, based on rainfall data from the past 30 years, there is a 50 percent chance of rain for the opening and closing ceremonies of the games. To combat the chance of poor weather, Beijing officials plan to seed clouds to induce rain several days before the games begin by shooting thousands of silver iodate pellets into the air using ground-based rockets. While the effectiveness of this method is questionable, Beijing is optimistic that it will reduce the chance of rainfall during the games, and plans to carry out several tests as a practice in the summer of 2007, one year before the games begin. Officials have also stated that inducing rain should also remove some of the pollution from the air.
Another issue of concern is that of Beijing's poor tap water supply. A high-ranking Beijing official has stated that tap water in the city should be avoided. The water coming out of the water plants is safe, according to Bi Xiaogang of the Beijing Water Management Bureau; the process of transporting the water throughout the city is what contaminates it. Beijing is suffering from a drought of 15 years as well as a lack of major fresh water sources elsewhere, so many locals drink bottled water instead of that from the tap. Officials of the city water authority have ensured, however, that "the safety and efficiency of the water system" will be maintained and that the recycled water supplied to the Olympic Village will be as clean as tap water.
Broadcasting
Likely
competitors in the Games, especially swimmers, have voiced dissatisfaction with
the IOC's decision to schedule some events to meet the requests of NBC, which
paid US$3.5 billion for exclusive United States broadcasting rights to the Summer
and Winter Games from 2000 through 2008. NBC requested that popular events, such
as swimming, athletics, basketball, and gymnastics, be broadcast live during television
primetime in the United States between 8:00 and 11:00 p.m. EDT (between 00:00
and 03:00 UTC) for maximum advertising revenue. This would require events to be
held in the early morning between 8:00 and 11:00 a.m., Beijing time. The IOC granted
the request for swimming and gymnastics but denied it for athletics and basketball.
The IOC has precedent for its decision: at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul,
some swimming, gymnastics, and athletics finals were held in the morning. Also,
at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, gymnastics finals were held in the afternoon
which allowed most of Europe to view gymnastics during their primetime.
In
the Philippines, for the first time since 1996, state-run television network NBN,
was not awarded the broadcast rights to the Beijing games. Instead, the IOC has
awarded the broadcast rights of the 2008, 2010 and 2012 Games to Solar Entertainment,
a major player in the country's cable television market. However, it is still
not known as to how Solar will broadcast the games, although it is likely that
Solar will broadcast the games on free TV through NBN, as with the Asian Games
in Doha in 2006. It is possible that it could partner with other major television
networks, such as RPN (another state-run network where it has a co-production
agreement on its primetime block) or ABS-CBN (a commercial and largest TV network
where it had previously co-broadcast boxing bouts, and former having broadcasted
the games in 1992 Summer Olympics). In 2004, NBN ran into funding issues, which
almost inhibited the network from broadcasting the Summer Games in Athens. The
IOC's decision likely reflects this issue.
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