About 2008 Summer Olympics
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games is a major international multi-sport event which is being celebrated in Beijing (People’s Republic of China).
It starts August 8 (with football starting on August 6) to August 24, 2008 and followed by the 2008 Summer Paralympics from September 6 to September 17.
There are expected to compete 10,500 athletes a in 302 events in 28 sports.
The Olympic games were awarded to Beijing 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 stylised calligraphic character, referencing the host city.
The mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa, each representing both a colour of the Olympic rings and a symbol of Chinese culture. The
Olympic slogan, One World, One Dream, calls upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. Several new NOCs have also been recognised by the IOC.
About The Election
Beijing was elected the host city on July 13, 2001, 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 short list in 2000. After the first round of voting, Beijing held a significant lead over the other four candidates.
After winning the bid, Li Lanqing, the vice premier of China, declared “The winning of the 2008 Olympic bid is an example of the international recognition of China’s social stability, economic progress and the healthy life of the Chinese people.” 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.
Go to the Olympics
If you would like to go and see this years olympics you can buy tickets from here.
Beijing Olympic Games Live Stream
Watch live streams here: Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Live