2008 Summer Olympics

Games of the XXIX Olympiad, held in Beijing in 2008

The 2008 Summer Olympics ( chinese : 2008年夏季奥运会 ; pinyin : Èr Líng Líng Bā Nián Xiàjì Àoyùnhuì ), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad ( chinese : 第二十九届夏季奥林匹克运动会 ; pinyin : Dì Èrshíjiǔ Jiè Xiàjì Àolínpǐkè Yùndònghuì ) and besides known as Beijing 2008 ( chinese : 北京2008 ; pinyin : Běijīng èr líng líng bā ), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008 in Beijing, China. [ carbon ] A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees ( NOCs ) competed in 28 sports and 302 events, one consequence more than those scheduled for the 2004 Summer Olympics. [ 2 ] It marked the beginning clock China had hosted the Olympic Games, and the third gear prison term the Summer Olympic Games had been held in East Asia, following the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. These were besides the second gear Summer Olympic Games to be held in a communist state, the inaugural being the 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union ( with venues in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Estonia ). Beijing was awarded the 2008 Games over four competitors on 13 July 2001, having won a majority of votes from members of the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) after two rounds of vote. [ 3 ] The Government of the People ‘s Republic of China promoted the 2008 Games and invested heavy in new facilities and enchant systems. 37 venues were used to host the events, including twelve constructed specifically for the 2008 Games. The equestrian events were held in Hong Kong, making these the third Olympics for which the events were held under the legal power of two different NOCs. [ five hundred ] The sailing events were contested in Qingdao, while the football events took place across several different cities.

Reading: 2008 Summer Olympics

The official logo for the 2008 Games, titled “ Dancing Beijing “ ( 舞动北京 ), created by Guo Chunning ( 郭春宁 ), featured the chinese character for capital ( 京, stylized into the form of a human being ) in reference point to the host city. The 2008 Olympics were watched by 3.5 billion people worldwide, and featured the longest distance for an Olympic Torch relay. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] The 2008 Games besides set numerous world and Olympic records, and were the most expensive Summer Olympics of all time, and the second most expensive overall, after the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. [ 10 ] [ 11 ] The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and numerous external presses as outstanding, fascinate, and by many accounts, “ the greatest ever in the history of Olympics ”. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics, making it the first city ever to host both the Summer and Winter Games. An unprecedented 87 countries won at least one decoration during the 2008 Games. Host state China won the most gold medals ( 48 ), and became the seventh different team to top an overall Summer Olympics decoration run, winning a entire of 100 medals overall. The United States placed irregular in the amber decoration count but won the highest number of medals overall ( 112 ). The one-third space in the gold decoration reckoning was achieved by Russia. These besides became the first Olympic Games involving Montenegro and Serbia ( as a classify states in 2006 ) and Nepal ( as a democracy, besides in 2006 ), adenine well as the last Olympic Games involving Libyan Arab Jamahiriya ( dissolved in 2011 ) and Netherlands Antilles ( dissolved in 2010 ). These games saw the restitution of the Summer Olympics to Asia after 22 years, the last being 1988 in Seoul .

arrangement [edit ]

bid [edit ]

Beijing was elected as the horde city for the 2008 Summer Olympics on 13 July 2001, during the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, defeating bids from Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka. Prior to the session, five early cities ( Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and Seville ) had submitted bids to the IOC, but failed to make the short circuit list chosen by the IOC Executive Committee in 2000. After the first polish of vote, Beijing held a significant lead over the other four candidates. Osaka received entirely six votes and was eliminated. In the second circle, Beijing was supported by a majority of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds. [ 15 ] Toronto ‘s bid was its one-fifth failure since 1960 ( fail bids for 1960, 1964, 1976 and 1996 Games, losing to Rome, Tokyo, Montreal and Atlanta ). [ 16 ] Members of the IOC did not disclose their votes, but news program reports speculated that broad international support led to China ‘s excerpt, specially from developing nations that had received aid from China to construct stadiums. The size of China, its increased enforcement of dope controls, and sympathy concerning its passing of the 2000 Summer Olympics to Sydney were all factors in the decision. [ 17 ] Eight years earlier, Beijing had led every round of voting for the 2000 Summer Olympics before losing to Sydney by two votes in the final round. [ 18 ] Human rights concerns expressed by Amnesty International and politicians in both Europe and the United States were considered by the delegates, according to IOC Executive Director François Carrard. Carrard and others suggested that the choice might lead to improvements in human rights in China. In accession, many IOC delegates who had once been athletes expressed concern about inflame and air quality during the Games, considering the high levels of air contamination in Beijing. China outlined plans to address these environmental concerns in its bid application. [ 17 ]

2008 Summer Olympics bidding results

City

Nation

Round 1
Round 2
Beijing
China
44
56
Toronto
Canada

Paris
France

Istanbul
Turkey

Osaka
Japan

—

Costs [edit ]

The Oxford Olympics Study 2016 estimates the output cost of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics at US $ 6.8 billion in 2015-dollars and monetary value overproduction at 2 % in real terms. [ 19 ] This includes sports-related costs lone, that is, ( one ) operational costs incurred by the organizing committee to stage the Games, for example, expenditures for technology, transportation, work force, administration, security system, provide, ceremonies, and checkup services, and ( two ) direct capital costs incurred by the server city and state or individual investors to build the competition venues, the Olympic village, external broadcast center, and media and press center, which are required to host the Games. Indirect capital costs are not included, such as for road, railing, or airport infrastructure, or for hotel upgrades or other business investment incurred in planning for the Games but not directly related to staging the Games. The Beijing Olympics ‘ cost of US $ 6.8 billion compares with costs of US $ 4.6 billion for Rio 2016 and US $ 15 billion for London 2012. The average monetary value for the Summer Games since 1960 is US $ 5.2 billion. On 6 March 2009, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games reported that total outgo on the Games was “ broadly equally much as that of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games ”, which was equivalent to about US $ 15 billion. They went on to claim that excess revenues from the Games would exceed the master target of $ 16 million. [ 20 ] other reports, however, estimated the sum costs from $ 40 to $ 44 billion, which would make the Games “ far and away the most expensive ever ”. [ 21 ] [ 22 ] [ 23 ] Its budget was belated exceeded by the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which suffered from major cost overruns ; the 2014 Winter Olympics costed roughly US $ 50 billion in private and populace support. [ 24 ]

Venues [edit ]

By May 2007 the construction of all 31 Beijing-based Olympic Games venues had begun. [ 25 ] The taiwanese government renovated and constructed six venues outside Beijing, and constructed 59 train facilities. The largest structures built were the Beijing National Stadium, Beijing National Indoor Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Center, Peking University Gymnasium, Olympic Green Convention Center, Olympic Green, and Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center. about 85 % of the construction budget for the six main venues was funded by $ 2.1 billion ( RMB¥ 17.4 billion ) in bodied bids and tenders. Investments were expected from corporations seeking ownership rights after the Olympics. [ 26 ] Some events were held outdoor Beijing, namely football in Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Tianjin ; sailing in Qingdao ; and, because of the “ uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone ”, the horseman events were held in Hong Kong. [ 27 ] The collector’s item of the 2008 Summer Olympics was the Beijing National Stadium, nicknamed “ The Bird ‘s Nest ” because of its nest-like bony structure. The stadium hosted both the orifice and shutting ceremonies, vitamin a well as the athletics competition. [ 28 ] construction of the venue began on 24 December 2003. The Guangdong Olympic Stadium was originally planned, constructed, and completed in 2001 to help host the Games, but a decision was made to construct a new stadium in Beijing. [ 29 ] In 2001, the city held a bidding serve to select the best arena design. several criteria were required of each invention, including flexibility for post-Olympics consumption, a retractable roof, and abject care costs. [ 30 ] The entry list was narrowed to thirteen concluding designs. [ 31 ] The bird ‘s nest model submitted by architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron in collaboration with Li Xinggang of China Architecture Design and Research Group ( CADG ) was selected as the top design by both a professional panel and by a broader consultation during a populace exhibition. The choice of the design became official in April 2003. [ 30 ] construction of the stadium was a joint venture among the original designers, project architect Stefan Marbach, artist Ai Weiwei, and a group of CADG architects led by Li Xinggang. Its $ 423 million monetary value was funded by the state-owned corporate conglomerate CITIC and the Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Company. [ 30 ] [ 32 ] The 2008 Beijing Olympics caused traditional Hutong neighborhoods to be cleared to construct mod Olympic stadiums. In an feat to ensure success for the Games, the government invested billions in building new infrastructure, although clearance to tiny, outdated neighborhoods in Beijing called hutongs resulted ( Petrun ). Jim Yardley, a New York Times reporter interviews Pan Jinyu, a 64-year-old local anesthetic house physician : “ They [ the government ] do n’t want foreigners to see this scar old face. ” Feng Shuqin and her conserve, Zheng Zhanlin, have lived in their house for 50 years, and the family has owned the property before the Communists took restraint in 1949. The government, trying to clear the area, has offered them to move with a compensatory sum of US $ 175,000, but the class insists the down is worth US $ 1.4 million ( Yardley ). Michael Meyer, an american who lives in the hutongs, reported that 500,000 residents were relocated from their homes before the Olympics began ( Meyer ) .

transport [edit ]

A map of the Olympic venues in Beijing. respective expressways encircle the center of the city, providing for immediate transportation system around the city and between venues. To prepare for Olympic visitors, Beijing ‘s exile infrastructure was expanded. Beijing ‘s airport underwent a major renovation with the accession of the new Terminal 3, designed by architect Norman Foster. [ 33 ] Within the city itself, Beijing ‘s metro was doubled in capability and length, with the addition of seven lines and 80 stations to the previously existing four lines and 64 stations. Included in this expansion was a modern radio link connecting to the city ‘s airport. A evanesce of thousands of buses, minibuses, and official cars transported spectators, athletes, and officials between venues. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] In an effort to improve air quality, the city placed restrictions on structure sites and gas stations and limited the use of commercial and passenger vehicles in Beijing. [ 36 ] From 20 July through 20 September, passenger vehicle restrictions were placed on alternate days depending on the terminal finger of the car ‘s license plate. It was anticipated that this measure would take 45 % of Beijing ‘s 3.3 million cars off the streets. The boost public transportation network was expected to absorb the requirement created by these restrictions and the inflow of visitors, which was estimated at more than 4 million extra passengers per day. [ 37 ]

market [edit ]

The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem was known as Dancing Beijing. The emblem combined a traditional chinese red seal and a representation of the calligraphic character for “ capital ” ( 京, besides the moment character of Beijing ‘s Chinese name ) with athletic features. The open arms of the calligraphic word symbolized the invitation from China to the global to share in its polish. IOC president Jacques Rogge was preferably pleased with the emblem, saying, “ Your modern emblem immediately conveys the amazing beauty and power of China which are embodied in your inheritance and your people. ” [ 38 ] The official motto for the 2008 Olympics was “ One World, One Dream “ ( 同一个世界同一个梦想 ). [ 39 ] It called upon the unharmed universe to join in the Olympic spirit and build a better future for humanness, and was chosen from over 210,000 entries submitted from around the world. [ 40 ] Following the announcement of the motto, the idiom was used by international advocates of Tibetan secession. Banners reading “ One World, One ambition, rid tibet ” were unfurled from versatile structures around the ball in the jumper cable up to the Beijing Olympics, such as from the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. [ 41 ] The mascots of Beijing 2008 were the five Fuwa, each of which represented both a color of the Olympic rings and a symbol of chinese culture. In 2006, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games released pictograms of 35 Olympic disciplines ( however, for some multidiscipline sports such as motorbike, a individual pictogram was released ). [ 42 ] [ 43 ] This typeset of sport icons was named the beauty of seal characters, because of each pictogram ‘s compare to chinese seal script. [ 43 ]

front of the Games [edit ]

Four primary colors were used in the stigmatize of the Games : China Red, Yellow, Lime Green, and Sky Blue, which were used to represent China, sun, land, and body of water, respectively. [ citation needed ]

Media coverage [edit ]

The 2008 Games were the first gear to be produced and broadcast wholly in high definition by the host broadcaster. [ 44 ] In comparison, American broadcaster NBC broadcast lone half of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics in HD. [ 45 ] [ 46 ] In their wish for the Olympic Games in 2001, Beijing stated to the Olympic Evaluation Commission that there would be “ no restrictions on media reporting and drift of journalists up to and including the Olympic Games. ” [ 47 ] however, some media outlets claimed that organizers ultimately failed to live up to this commitment. [ e ] According to Nielsen Media Research, 4.7 billion viewers cosmopolitan tuned in to some of the television receiver coverage, one-fifth larger than the 3.9 billion who watched the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. american broadcaster NBC produced entirely two hours of on-line streaming video for the 2006 Winter Games but produced approximately 2,200 hours of coverage for the 2008 Summer Games. CNN reported that, for the first time, “ live on-line video rights in some markets for the Olympics have been individually negotiated, not part of the overall ‘broadcast rights. ‘ ” The new media of the digital economy was said to be growing “ nine times faster than the rest of the advertising market. ” [ 49 ] The international european Broadcasting Union ( EBU ) provided live coverage and highlights of all arenas only for certain territories on their web site, Eurovisionsports.tv. [ 50 ] many national broadcasters besides restricted the see of on-line events to their domestic audiences. [ 51 ] The General National Copyright Administration of China announced that “ individual ( sic ) and websites will face fines equally eminent as 100,000 yuan for upload recordings of Olympic Games video recording to the internet ”, [ 52 ] part of an extensive political campaign to protect the pertinent intellectual place rights. [ 53 ] [ 54 ] The Olympic Committee besides set up a distinguish YouTube impart at Beijing 2008. [ 55 ]

root song [edit ]

The composition song of the 2008 Summer Olympics was “ You and Me, ” which was composed by Chen Qigang, the musical conductor of the orifice ceremony. It was performed during the open ceremony by taiwanese singer Liu Huan and British singer Sarah Brightman. [ 56 ] [ 57 ] The theme birdcall was in the first place going to be a song called “ therefore much love, so far away ( Tanto cupid, tan lejos ) ” written by Cuban singer-songwriter Jon Secada and peruvian singer-songwriter Gian Marco under production from Cuban manufacturer Emilio Estefan Jr. from EMI. [ 58 ]

Torch relay [edit ]

2008 Olympic Torch in Vilnius, Lithuania The plan of the 2008 Olympic Torch was based on traditional scrolls and used a traditional chinese design known as the “ propitious Clouds ” ( 祥云 ). The common mullein was designed to remain fall in 65 kilometers per hour ( 40 miles per hour ) winds, and in rain of up to 50 millimeter ( 2 in ) per hour. [ 59 ] The relay, with the theme “ Journey of Harmony ”, was met with protests and demonstrations by pro-Tibet supporters throughout its travel. It lasted 130 days and carried the torch 137,000 kilometer ( 85,000 myocardial infarction ) —the longest distance of any Olympic flashlight relay since the custom began at the 1936 Berlin Games. [ 60 ] [ 61 ] The torch relay was described as a “ public relations disaster ” for China by USA Today, [ 62 ] with protests against China ‘s human rights phonograph record, particularly focused on Tibet. The IOC subsequently barred future Olympics organizers from staging international torch relays. [ 63 ] The relay began 24 March 2008, in Olympia, Greece. From there, it traveled across Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, and then to Beijing, arriving on 31 March. From Beijing, the torch followed a path passing through every celibate except Antarctica. The blowtorch visited cities on the Silk Road, symbolizing ancient links between China and the rest of the populace. A sum of 21,880 torchbearers were selected from around the global by versatile organizations and entities. [ 64 ] The international helping of the relay was debatable. The month-long world tour encountered wide-scale anti-Chinese protests. After trouble in London involving attempts by protesters to put out the flare, the common mullein was extinguished in Paris the take after sidereal day. [ 65 ] The american leg in San Francisco on 9 April was altered without anterior warning to avoid such disturbances, although there were still demonstrations along the original route. [ 66 ] The relay was far stay and simplified after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake hit western China. [ 67 ]
route of the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay The fire was carried to the top of Mount Everest [ 64 ] on a 108 kilometer ( 67 mi ) long “ highway ” scaling the Tibetan side of the mountain, built particularly for the relay. The $ 19.7 million blacktop project spanned from Tingri County of Xigazê Prefecture to the Everest Base Camp. [ 68 ] In March 2008, China banned mountaineers from climbing its side of Mount Everest, and later persuaded the nepalese government to close their side as well, formally citing environmental concerns. [ 69 ] It besides reflected concerns by the taiwanese government that Tibet activists may try to disrupt its plans to carry the Olympic common mullein up the world ‘s tallest bill. [ 70 ] The originally proposed road would have taken the blowtorch through Taipei after leaving Vietnam and before heading for Hong Kong. however, the government of Taiwan ( then led by the independence -leaning democratic Progressive Party ) objected to this proposal, claiming that this route would make the part of the relay in Taiwan appear to be character of the torch ‘s domestic journey through China, preferably than a stage on the international route. [ 71 ] This dispute, a well as chinese demands that the masthead and the national anthem of the Republic of China be banned along the route led the government of Taiwan to reject the proposal that it be part of the relay path. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait subsequently blamed each early for injecting politics into the consequence. [ 72 ]

calendar [edit ]

In the follow calendar for the 2008 Summer Olympics, each blue box represents an event contest, such as a qualification round, on that day. The yellow boxes represent days during which medal-awarding finals for a sport were held. Each bullet train in these boxes is an event final, the number of bullets per box representing the number of finals that were contested on that day. On the leave, the calendar lists each sport with events held during the Games, and at the proper how many gold medals were won in that sport. There is a winder at the top of the calendar to aid the reader. [ 73 ]

All dates are Beijing Time (UTC+8)

Olympic and world records [edit ]

125 Olympic records including 37 worldly concern records were set in versatile events at the Games. In swimming, sixty-five Olympic float records including 25 world records were broken ascribable to the practice of the LZR Racer, a specify swim become developed by NASA and the Australian Institute of Sport. [ 74 ] entirely two swimming Olympic records remained integral after the Games .

Games [edit ]

Opening ceremony [edit ]

Opening Ceremony. The opening ceremony formally began at 8:00 prime minister China Standard Time ( UTC+8 ) on 8 August 2008 in the Beijing National Stadium. [ 75 ] The numeral 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in chinese culture, and here it was a triple eight for the date and one excess for prison term ( close to 08:08:08 promethium ). [ 76 ] The ceremony was co-directed by chinese film maker Zhang Yimou and Chinese choreographer Zhang Jigang [ 77 ] and featured a cast of over 15,000 performers. [ 78 ] The ceremony lasted over four hours and was reported to have monetary value over US $ 100 million to produce. [ 79 ] UNGA President Miguel five hundred ’ Escoto and leaders from 105 countries attended this ceremony .
Iliadis leads the greek team enters the Bird ‘s Nest as the foremost contingent Yao and Lin leads the host nation ‘s contingent march into the Bird ‘s Nest A full-bodied assembly of ancient taiwanese art and culture dominated the ceremony. It opened with the beat of Fou drums for the countdown. subsequently, a giant coil was unveiled and became the picture ‘s centerpiece. The official song of the 2008 Olympics, titled “ You and Me, ” was performed by Britain ‘s Sarah Brightman and China ‘s Liu Huan, on a big spinning rendition of the earth. [ 80 ] On the parade of nations segment, the Greek team, which hosted the previous games, enters first in honor of its condition as the Olympic birthplace. They were led by judoka Ilias Iliadis. meanwhile, the chinese team enters last as the host country, led by NBA ‘s Houston Rockets superstar Yao Ming and earthquake survivor Lin Hao, who was equitable 9 years honest-to-god. The last recipient in the Olympic Torch relay, former Chinese gymnast Li Ning ignited the caldron, after being suspended into the air by wires and completing a lap of the National Stadium at roof acme. [ 81 ]
Li returns to the ground after literature up the caldron on 9 August. He run through the stadium ‘s roof using the wires and at the projector, the flare came to the corners of the world, begin in Athens and ended in Beijing. After arrived at the caldron, he lits up and the fireworks exploded, marking the end of the orifice ceremony The unfold ceremony was lauded by spectators and diverse international presses as “ spectacular ” and “ fascinate ”. [ 82 ] Hein Verbruggen, chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for the XXIX Olympiad, called the ceremony “ a grand piano, unprecedented success. ” [ 83 ]

Sports [edit ]

The program for the Beijing Games was quite alike to that of the 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens. There were 28 sports and 302 events at the 2008 Games. Nine fresh events were held, including two from the new cycle discipline of BMX. Women competed in the 3,000-meter ( 9,843 foot ) steeplechase for the first prison term. open water swimming events for men and women, over the distance of 10 kilometers ( 6.2 nautical mile ), were added to the liquid discipline. team events ( men and women ) in mesa tennis replaced the doubles events. [ 84 ] In fencing material, the women ‘s team hydrofoil and women ‘s team sabre replaced men ‘s team foil and women ‘s team épée. [ degree fahrenheit ] Two sports were open only to men, baseball and packing, while one sport and one discipline were open merely to women, softball and synchronize swim. equestrian and interracial badminton are the entirely sports in which men and women compete together, although three events in the sail allowed the opportunity for both males and female participants. however, only male participants took part in all three events. [ 86 ] [ 87 ] The following were the 302 events in 28 sports that were contested at the Games. The number of events contested in each sport is indicated in parentheses ( in sports with more than one discipline, as identified by the IOC, [ 88 ] these are besides specified ) .
In summation to the official Olympic sports, the Beijing Organizing Committee was given particular dispensation by the IOC to run a wushu rival in tandem with the Games. The 2008 Beijing Wushu Tournament saw 128 athletes from 43 countries participate, with medals awarded in 15 separate events ; however, these were not to be added to the official decoration total since Wushu was not on the official program of the 2008 Summer Olympics. [ 89 ]

close ceremony [edit ]

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

Medal postpone [edit ]

The rearward side of the medals of the 2008 Summer Olympics : silver medal ( left ), gold ( center field ), bronze ( mighty ). Each decoration has a closed chain of jade green Of the 204 nations that participated in the 2008 Games, 87 earned medals and 54 of those won at least one gold decoration, both of these figures setting new records for Olympic Games. [ 91 ] [ 92 ] There were 117 participating countries that did not win any medals. Athletes from China won the highest number of aureate medals of any nation at these Games, with 48, therefore making China the seventh nation to rank top in the decoration table in the history of the mod Olympics, along with the United States ( fifteen times ), France ( in 1900 ), Great Britain ( in 1908 ), Germany ( in 1936 ), the Soviet Union ( six times ), and the Unified Team ( in 1992 ). [ 91 ] The United States team won the most medals overall, with 112. Afghanistan, [ 93 ] Mauritius, [ 94 ] Sudan, [ 95 ] Tajikistan [ 96 ] and Togo [ 97 ] won their first always Olympic medals. Mongolia ( which previously held the record for most medals without a gold ) [ 98 ] and Panama [ 99 ] won their beginning gold medals. Four members of the water polo team from Serbia won the beginning decoration for their country under its modern name, having previously won medals representing Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro. [ 100 ] American swimmer Michael Phelps won a full of eight gold medals, more than any early athlete in a single Olympic Games, setting numerous worldly concern and Olympic records in the procedure. [ 91 ] Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt besides set records in respective different events, completing the 100 m final examination with a fourth dimension of 9.69 seconds, beating his own previous global phonograph record. [ 101 ] Gymnast Nastia Liukin won the all-around gold decoration in artistic gymnastics, becoming the third base american female to do so, following in the footsteps of Mary Lou Retton in 1984 and Carly Patterson in 2004. [ 102 ] These are the top ten nations that won medals in the 2008 Games. Host nation
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal1 China*4822301002 United States3639371123 Russia241323604 Great Britain191319515 Germany161114416 Australia141517467 South Korea13118328 Japan988259 Italy89102710 France7162043Totals (10 nations)194157186537

dais sweeps [edit ]

Participating National Olympic Committees [edit ]

Blue = Participating for the first time. green = Have previously participated. Yellow square is host city ( Participating nations= Participating for the beginning time.= Have previously participated. Yellow square is host city ( Beijing team sizes All but one of the 205 recognized National Olympic Committees ( NOCs ) that existed as of 2008 participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics, the exception being Brunei. [ 103 ] Three countries participated in the Olympic Games for their first time : the Marshall Islands, Montenegro and Tuvalu. [ 104 ] While not a full moon extremity recognized by the IOC and therefore not allowed to compete formally in the Olympics, the Macau Sports and Olympic Committee sent a delegating to participate in the Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008, being the alone unrecognized National Olympic Committee to have taken separate in the 2008 Summer Olympics. It besides coordinated efforts with the Chinese Olympic Committee to organize the flashlight relay through Macau. The Marshall Islands and Tuvalu gained National Olympic Committee status in 2006 and 2007 respectively, and 2008 was the first Games in which they were eligible to participate. [ 105 ] [ 106 ] The states of Serbia and Montenegro, which participated at the 2004 Games jointly as Serbia and Montenegro, competed individually for the first fourth dimension. The Montenegrin Olympic Committee was accepted as a fresh National Olympic Committee in 2007. [ 106 ] Neighboring Kosovo, however, did not participate. After the declaration of independence in Kosovo, the IOC specified requirements that Kosovo needs to meet before being recognized by the IOC ; most notably, it has to be recognized as independent by the United Nations. [ 107 ] [ 108 ] [ 109 ] however, it has since been recognised by the IOC in 2014 without fulfilling this standard and made its introduction in the 2016 games. [ 110 ] More than 100 sovereigns, heads of country and heads of politics angstrom well as 170 Ministers of Sport attended the Beijing Olympic Games. [ 111 ]

National engagement changes [edit ]

sag of the chinese Taipei Olympic Committee. Athletes from the Republic of China ( Taiwan ) competed at the 2008 Games as chinese Taipei ( TPE ) under the chinese Taipei Olympic masthead and used the National Banner Song as their official anthem. The engagement of Taiwan was briefly in doubt because of disagreements over the name of their team in the chinese speech and concerns about Taiwan border in the Opening Ceremony next to the particular administrative area of Hong Kong. A compromise on the name was reached, and Taiwan was referred to during the Games as “ chinese Taipei, ” quite than “ Taipei, China, ” as the mainland China government had proposed. In addition, the cardinal African Republic was placed between chinese Taipei and the particular administrative Regions during the march of nations. [ 112 ] Starting in 2005, North Korea and South Korea held meetings to discuss the hypothesis of sending a unite team to the 2008 Olympics. [ 113 ] [ 114 ] The proposal failed, because of disagreements about how athletes would be chosen ; North Korea was demanding a certain percentage representation for its athletes. A subsequent attack to broker an agreement for the two nations to walk together during the March of Nations failed a well, despite their having done so during the 2000 and 2004 Games. [ 115 ] On 24 July 2008, the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) banned Iraq from competing in the 2008 Olympic Summer Games because of “ political intervention by the government in sports. ” [ 116 ] [ 117 ] The IOC reversed its decision five days late and allowed the nation to compete after a pledge by Iraq to ensure “ the independence of its home Olympics panel ” by instituting fair elections before the end of November. In the meanwhile, Iraq ‘s Olympic Organization was to be run by “ an interim committee proposed by its national sports federations and approved by the IOC. ” [ 118 ] Brunei Darussalam was due to take function in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. however, they were disqualified on 8 August, having failed to register either of their two athletes. [ 119 ] The IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said in a statement that “ it is a great shame and very sad for the athletes who lose out because of the decision by their team not to register them. The IOC tried up until the concluding minute, noon Friday 8 August 2008, the day of the official first step, to have them register, but to no avail. ” [ 120 ] Brunei ‘s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports issued a press passing stating that their decision not to participate was due to an injury to one of their athletes. [ 121 ] Georgia announced on 9 August 2008, that it was considering withdrawing from the Beijing Olympic Games because of the 2008 South Ossetia war, but it went on to compete while the conflict was however ongoing. [ 122 ]

engagement of athletes with disabilities [edit ]

south african swimmer Natalie du Toit, whose left branch was amputated following a motor iceboat accident, qualified to compete at the Beijing Olympics. The five time amber medalist at the Athens Paralympics in 2004 made history by becoming the first amputee to qualify for the Olympic Games since Olivér Halassy in 1936. She was able to compete in the Olympics quite than the Paralympics because she does not use a prosthetic leg while swimming. [ 123 ] Polish athlete Natalia Partyka, who was born without a properly forearm, competed in Table Tennis in the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2008 Paralympic Games. [ 124 ]

Mascots [edit ]

The mascots of the 2008 Summer Olympics are the Fuwa, created by Han Meilin ( 韩美林 ). The mascots consisted of Beibei, a fish, Jingjing, a lesser panda, Huanhuan, an Olympic flame, Yingying, a Tibetan antelope, and Nini, a backbone martin kite. If combined, it would being Beijing Huanying Ni ( 北京欢迎你 ) or Beijing Welcomes You, which is a theme ( and a song ) for welcoming the athletes to Beijing several months before. They were featured in an enliven cartoon, 100-episode The Olympic Adventures of Fuwa, launched in 2007, a year before the games .

Concerns and controversies [edit ]

The banner reads : “ Human Rights Abuse Can not Co-exist with Beijing Olympics ”, video taken during the opening of the Human Rights Torch Relay event A kind of concerns over the Games, or China ‘s host of the Games, had been expressed by versatile entities, including claims that China violated its pledge to allow open media entree, [ 125 ] assorted claims of human rights violations, [ 126 ] [ 127 ] its alleged continuous documentation of inhibitory regimes ( such as Zimbabwe, Myanmar, Sudan, and North Korea ), vent befoulment in both the city of Beijing and environs, [ 128 ] proposed boycotts, [ 129 ] [ 130 ] warnings of the possibility that the Beijing Olympics could be targeted by terrorist groups, [ 131 ] dislocation from Tibetan breakaway protesters, [ 132 ] and religious persecutions. [ 133 ] There were besides claims that several members of China ‘s women ‘s gymnastics team, including double amber decoration achiever He Kexin, were excessively new to compete under the International Gymnastics Federation ‘s rules for Olympic eligibility, but all were exonerated after an official IOC investigation. [ 134 ] [ 135 ] [ 136 ] jointly, the Beijing Olympics are associated with a kind of baffling topics : the ecological impact, residential translation due to construction, treatment of migrant workers, the government ‘s political position on Tibet, etc. [ 137 ] In the lead-up to the Olympics, the politics allegedly issued guidelines to the local media for their coverage during the Games : most political issues not directly related to the Olympics were to be downplayed ; topics such as pro-Tibetan independence and East Turkestan movements were not to be reported on, as were food guard issues such as “ cancer-causing mineral body of water ”. [ 138 ] As the 2008 Chinese milk scandal broke in September 2008, there was far-flung speculation that China ‘s desire for a perfect Games may have been a factor contributing towards the check recall of contaminated baby formula. [ 139 ] [ 140 ] The 2008 Olympics were hit by a count of doping scandals before and after the Games had commenced. Since seven russian track and field stars were suspended fair before the start of the Games for allegedly tampering with their urine samples, merely five of the seven who were due to take separate could participate. Eleven Greek weightlifters besides failed tests in the political campaign up to the Games and the entire bulgarian weight-lift team had to withdraw after eleven of their weightlifters besides failed tests. A small issue of athletes from other nations besides failed pre-Games tests. [ 141 ] [ 142 ] [ 143 ]

bequest [edit ]

Beijing 2008 caldron in 2013 The 2008 Summer Olympics have been broadly accepted by the universe ‘s media as a logistic success. [ 144 ] [ 145 ] Many of the worst fears about the Games failed to materialize : no terrorists struck Beijing ; no athlete protested at the dais ( though Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian tossed his bronze decoration in disgust over estimate ) ; and the atmosphere quality, despite being the worst in Olympics history, was not ampere bad as many had feared advance – ascribable largely to favorable weather patterns. [ 146 ] [ 147 ] many in China viewed the Olympics as “ an affirmation of a single nationalist dream ” and saw protests during the international torch relay as an abuse to China. [ 148 ] The Games besides bolstered domestic support for the taiwanese politics, and for the policies of the Communist Party, giving rise to concerns that the Olympics would give the submit more leverage to suppress political disagree, at least temporarily. [ 149 ] Efforts to quell any unrest ahead and during the Games besides contributed to a rapid expansion in the size and political clout nail of China ‘s internal security system forces, and this growth continued through the following years. [ 150 ] Reports besides indicated that the Olympics boosted the political careers of pro-Beijing politicians in Hong Kong, as many Chinese gold decoration winners campaigned on behalf of the pro-Beijing DAB during the 2008 election, [ 151 ] although any swerve towards greater identification by Hong Kongers with Mainland China appears to have been ephemeral. [ 152 ] The long-run economic impact of the Games on China and Beijing, in particular, is not so far net. Some sectors of the economy may have benefited from the inflow of tourists. early sectors such as manufacturing lost gross because of plant closings related to the government ‘s efforts to improve air choice. Four years after the Games, many of the specially constructed facilities were underused or even deserted. [ 153 ] It is generally expected by economists that there will be no permanent effects on Beijing ‘s economy from the Games. [ 154 ] One 2009 report found that countries that host the Olympics know a significant boost in trade, but this is besides the case for countries which merely bid to host : “ The profit, in early words, came from the signal that a country was open for business, not from the spend itself. ” [ 155 ] Seven years after the 2008 Games, Beijing was awarded the 2022 Winter Olympics. It will frankincense be the first gear city to host both the Summer and Winter Games .

See besides [edit ]

Notes [edit ]

References [edit ]

Scholia has a topic profile for 2008 Summer Olympics.

Summer Olympics

Preceded byAthens
XXIX Olympiad
Beijing
2008

Succeeded byLondon