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2008 Summer Games

August 8-24th, 2008 - Beijing, China

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The 2008 Summer Games will be held in Beijing, China, from August 8 through August 24, 2008. The 2008 Summer Games are officially known as the “Games of the XXIX Olympiad”. Because of the number 8 being the symbol of prosperity in Chinese culture, the 2008 Summer Games’ opening ceremony will take place at 08:08 p.m. and 8 seconds. Some of the 2008 Summer Games sporting events include football (soccer), sailing, beach volleyball, and swimming’s new marathon 10 kilometer race. These 2008 Summer Games events will be held in other coastal cities in China. The equestrian events will be held in Hong Kong, and this marks the second time the same Olympic Games have been hosted by two National Olympic Committees.

The official logo of the 2008 Summer Games is the “Dancing Beijing”, a calligraphic character, Jing, indicating the 2008 Summer Games host city. The 2008 Summer Games mascots are five Fuwa (the literal translation-good luck dolls). Each color (red, blue, green, yellow, and black) represents colors in the Olympic rings. 2008 Summer Games’ motto is “One World, One Dream”.

Beijing was elected as the 2008 Summer Games host city on July 13, 2001, beating out Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka. The Chinese government has been and is currently investing in the renovation and construction of 36 gyms and stadiums, and 59 training centers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 300,000 houses have been demolished and residents relocated to make room for all the new facilities. The largest architectural pieces will be the Beijing National Stadium (site of the 2008 Summer Games opening and closing ceremonies), Beijing National Indoor Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Centre, Olympic Green Convention Centre, Olympic Green, and the Beijing Wukesong Green Culture and Sports Center. $2.1 billion dollars in US corporate bids and tenders are expected to fund almost 85% of the construction budget for the six major venues in the 2008 Summer Games host city. Five other venues outside the 2008 Summer Games host city, Beijing, will be located in Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Qinhuangdoa.

Here is a list of the venues and which events will take place at the 2008 Summer Games.

New Venues

Beijing National Stadium - Athletics, Football

Beijing National Aquatics Center - Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, and Synchronized Swimming

National Indoor Stadium - Artistic Gymnastics, Trampolines, Handball

Beijing Shooting Range Hall - Qualifications and finals 10-, 25-, and 50-meter range shooting events

Wukesong Indoor Stadium - Basketball

Laoshan Velodrome - Cycling (track)

Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park - Rowing, Canoe/Kayak (flat-water racing and Slalom Racing)

China Agricultural University Gymnasium - Wrestling

Peking University Gymnasium - Table tennis

Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium - Judo and Taekwondo

Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium - Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics

Existing venues

Olympic Sports Center Stadium - Football, Modern Pentathlon (running and equestrian)

Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium - Handball

Workers' Stadium - Football

Workers' Indoor Arena - Boxing

Capital Indoor Stadium - Volleyball

Fengtai Softball Field - Softball

Ying Tung Natatorium - Water Polo, Modern Pentathlon (swimming)

Laoshan Mountain Bike Course - Cycling (Mountain Bike)

Beijing Shooting Range Clay Target Field - Shooting

Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium - Volleyball

Beihang University Gymnasium - Weightlifting

Temporary venues

Olympic Green Convention Centre - Fencing preliminaries and finals, and Modern Pentathlon (fencing and shooting)

Olympic Green Hockey Field - Hockey

Olympic Green Archery Field - Archery

Olympic Green Tennis Centre - Tennis

Wukesong Baseball Field - Baseball

BMX Field - Cycling (BMX)

Triathlon Venue - Triathlon

Urban Road Cycling Course - Cycling (road race)

The 2008 Summer Games sporting event program is comparable to the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, and there are 28 sports, featuring 302 events (165 men’s, 127 women’s, and 10 mixed). The 2008 Summer Games have one more event than the Athens Olympic Games. There are nine new events in the 2008 Summer Games; including two from the cycling- BMX races, a 3000m women’s steeplechase race (obstacle race), and marathon swimming events for men and women over 10 kilometers. 2008 Summer Games team events for men and women in table tennis will replace the doubles events.

Here is a list of sports happening at the 2008 Summer Games.

Aquatics (46 total)        Baseball (1)             Gymnastics (18)           Softball (1)

Diving (8)                    Basketball (2)           Handball (2)                Table tennis (4)

Swimming (34)             Boxing (11)               Hockey (field) (2)       Taekwondo (8)

Synchronized swimming (2) Canoeing (16)       Judo (14)                     Tennis (4)

Water polo (2)               Cycling (18)             Modern pentathlon (2) Triathlon (2)

Archery (4)                   Equestrian (6)           Rowing (14)                Volleyball (4)

Athletics (track and field) (47) Fencing (10)      Sailing (11)             Weightlifting (15)

Badminton (5)                  Football (soccer) (2) Shooting (15)          Wrestling (18)

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOOC) publicized in early August 2006 that it will sell over 7 million tickets for several sporting events and ceremonies. The BOOC set admission prices for the various events at a “cheap” rate to implore the Chinese to become involved in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Other 2008 Beijing Olympic tickets (besides 2008 Summer Games tickets available to the public) are set aside for sponsors, officials, and members of the IOC. In September 2006, tickets contracted to corporate clients and members of the IOC went on sale. 2008 Beijing Olympic tickets for the general public will not go on sale until early 2007.