Olympic-themed knowledge contest series concludes

Updated：2007-10-29 ">
Giant Chinese knot

(BEIJING, October 27) -- The closing ceremony for an Olympic-themed knowledge contest series highlighted the morning on Saturday at the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park. Families came from around the country, including Beijing, Dalian, Xi'an, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, to take part in the festivities, sponsored by Olympic sponsor Hengyuanxiang (Group) Co., Ltd.

Officials present awards to winning familiesPhoto Gallery>>

At the closing ceremony Saturday morning, the organizing committee for the activities presented the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) with a gift of an oversized Chinese knot, which was made up of 2,008 smaller, red Chinese knots forming the "Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing" -- the emblem of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

BOCOG Executive Vice-President Jiang Xiaoyu accepted the gift on BOCOG's behalf.

The knowledge contests and Chinese knotting activities kicked off in May and were part of an annual Olympic-themed activity series. Aimed at promoting Olympic knowledge and the Olympic spirit among families, the activities attracted participation from 10 million children and parents across 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions.

Participants turned in more than a quarter of the one million distributed knowledge questionnaires and 30,000 varying Chinese knots to the organizing committee.

Representatives of the winning families

Family representative presents gift to BOCOG

Showing off their red Chinese knots

Olympic tickets to begin Phase 2 domestic sales on October 30

Updated：2007-10-27

View the Phase 2 policies

(BEIJING, October 27) -- The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) announced on Saturday that the second phase of domestic ticket sales for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games would start at 9:00 am, October 30 (GMT+8).

Differing from the Phase 1 sales, which relied on lottery drawings, the sales in this phase will use a "first come, first-served" policy within the scheduled time frame until the tickets are sold out.

1,850,000 tickets available

Roughly 1.85 million tickets to the Olympic sports competitions will be on sale in this phase, which will end in late January 2008. During the Phase 1 sales period from April 15 to June 30, all tickets to the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies and 1,590,000 tickets to the Olympic sports competitions were sold.

Outstanding payments from phase I, not qualified for phase 2

The eligibility requirements for Phase 2 remain unchanged from Phase 1. Any natural person who has an address in the territory of the People's Republic of China (excluding Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Province) and meets the ID requirements is eligible to request Olympic tickets through the designated channels.

Children aged two and under will enjoy free access to the venues but will have to share a guardian's seat.

Individuals who reserved tickets in Phase 1 but did not fulfill the payment obligation must first pay the outstanding amount before their Phase 2 ticket request can be processed.

Sales channels

The tickets will be sold through the following three channels: the Beijing Olympic Official Ticketing website; 1,000 BOCOG-designated Bank of China (BOC) branches; and the Beijing Olympic Ticketing Call Center, +8610 952008.

Applicants can choose to reserve the tickets through any of the three channels, as all three channels will be connected to the same database. According to the policy, paper application forms will not be valid for this phase.

Two-day payment deadline

Ticket reservations will be held for two days; a valid payment must be made for the tickets within two days, either online using a Visa card or in person at a BOC outlet. Otherwise, the ticket reservation will expire two days after the reservation was made, and the tickets will become available again in the ticket pool.

Those who successfully pay for the tickets will be notified to pick up the paper tickets in June 2008.

50-ticket max for each individual

Each individual is allowed to request two to five tickets for 10 competitions per order, depending on the demand for the competition. The bar is set at two tickets for competitions with the highest demand and three to five tickets for other competitions, with a maximum of 50 tickets per request in this phase.

To prevent ticket scalping, BOCOG will monitor the ticketing system and lock the accounts of suspected scalpers. Owners of locked accounts will only be able to view the status of the accounts and will not be allowed to purchase additional tickets.

Paralympic tickets sales

The Paralympic ceremony and sports tickets will also be available following the release of the policy regulating the sales of these tickets.

For further information, please contact +8610 952008, or visit the official ticketing website of the BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games http://tickets.beijing2008.com.

Campers bid Aloha, but Olympic memories linger (photos attached)

Updated：2007-08-16

(BEIJING, August 14) -- Aloha.

More than 300 students from around the world bid a tearful goodbye at Beijing No. 80 High School as the 2007 Good Luck Beijing Summer Camp drew to a memorable close.

International campers will not forget their good times in the Olympic City and no doubt they will tell their schoolmates, friends and family members about their China experience and prepare to meet again in the crossroads of the East.

Campers thanked the Beijing Municipal Education Commission and the Media and Communications Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and wished the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games a resounding success.

During their four-day stay in China's Olympic City, the young campers attended some Good Luck Beijing sport events, toured the city's scenic spots and cultural relics and spent one day as guests in ordinary Beijing families. Campers participated in games, showed off typical products from their native countries, felt the charm of the Olympic host city and experienced the preparatory efforts underway for next year's Olympics.

Greek and Chinese students sing Greek songs as the camp draws to an end.

Greek and Chinese students sing Greek songs as the camp draws to an end.

Saying good-bye is difficult.

The campers watch 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships on August 11.

The campers cheer for Slovenian athletes at 2007 World rowing Junior Championships.

Focusing on the Bird's Nest

The campers visit Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall.

Norwegian students pose for a picture in front of the board marking the countdown to the 29th Olympics.

On August 13, the campers ascend Great Wall

Campers tour Chinese Ethnic Culture Park.

Campers learn how to make dumpling at a Beijing family.

Egyptian students in a mini fashion show.

Campers wear tee-shirts with signatures.

Good Luck Beijing summer camp closes (photos attached)

Updated：2007-08-15

(BEIJING, August 14) -- The four-day summer camp of the 2007 Good Luck Beijing sport events drew to an end on Tuesday and the participants were excited about their experience in the host city of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Over 300 students and teachers from 17 countries and regions spent an unforgettable time in Beijing.

On Tuesday evening, they treated each other to a wonderful performance in which they displayed their artistic gifts. The songs of the Beijing June 1 Elementary School Choir and the dances of the Kenyan and Congo students drew peals of applause from the audience, in which there were many fellow campers.

Calligraphy works, Chinese paintings, clay figurines, paper-cutting pieces, instantly-made kites and many other traditional handicrafts made by local students impressed the visitors from afar.

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Earlier in the morning, the campers ascended the Badaling section of Great Wall. A "mini-expo" brought together the art works and other typical things of the participants. African students showed beautiful sculptures of African giraffes and hippopotamuses, while costumes of Indian students delighted the eyes.

Beijing Hujialou Central Elementary School passed on its skills of waving auspicious Chinese knots to its Spanish partner school, and visitors from Riga Mezciema Elementary School of Latvia learnt martial arts from their counterparts of Hongzhi High School.

Olympic Clay Target Field ready (photos attached)

Updated：2007-08-17

(BEIJING, August 16) -- The Clay Target Field (CTF) has been delivered to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.

Located at Shijingshan District in west Beijing, the venue will produce five gold medals in clay target competitions, including men's trap, women's trap, men's double trap, men's skeet and women's skeet.

The 2008 shooting program will have three events: rifle, pistol and clay target.

Olympic competition begins August 9 through 17, 2008 as shooters will vie for a total of 15 gold medals.

Shooting first appeared as an Olympic sport in 1896. Women were first allowed to compete in 1968, when Mexico, Peru and Poland entered one female contestant each. In 1984, the International Shooting Federation introduced separate events for women. Between 1984 and 1992, the number of women's events has gradually increased.

In addition, several of the events on the program remained open to both men and women. Since the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, men's events have been separated from women's.

Bird's eye view of CTF from its stands

Starting point decorated after the model of Great Wall

Clay target storage

CTF stand

Workers are weeding the lawn.

Olympic ticketing policies expounded

Updated：2007-08-02

(BEIJING, August 1) -- In an exclusive interview with the official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games recently, Rong Jun, director of BOCOG Ticketing Center explained in detail the policies and procedures of ticket sale for the Games.

Payment for the first phase to be completed in September

The first phase of the ticketing process was featured by public application and lottery distribution.

The major part of the first phase wound up on June 30, when over 700,000 orders for more than five million tickets were submitted, which showed the wide interest and enthusiasm for the Olympics?

The second part of the first phase will take place in July and August. During this period, the orders will be analyzed and checked. BOCOG is expected to start the process of lottery and allocation in early August. The results will be released to the public and those who are confirmed as successful buyers will be notified through email or post. If they pay within a required time, they will finally receive their tickets.

There will be an open and fair lottery

During the first phase, any events that are oversubscribed will be subject to a lottery to decide the distribution of the tickets. This is in line with the practice of recent Olympic Games. The Beijing Olympics have been attracting much attention and the lottery process is seen as a good way to ensure an open, fair and transparent distribution of tickets

The booking data undoubtedly call for a lottery to distribute the tickets of the opening and closing ceremonies and other "hot" events. Furthermore, the lottery process shall not only target a certain event or a competition, but also specifically priced tickets. For instance, the tickets for specific seats of the opening ceremony shall be categorized to ensure their fair distribution.

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) will invite supervisors and third party notaries to witness the process, and the media will also be given an opportunity to record it.

The second phase begins in October

During the second phase, which begins in October, the ticketing principle is "First Come, First Served". The public can make bookings on line, contact BOCOG Call Center (952008) or book through the designated outlets of the Bank of China, which number over 1,000 across the country.

The Call Center, launched in March, will sell tickets from the beginning of October. Payment will be made through VISA Card. Non-VISA-Card-holders must go to Bank of China outlets to make payment. BOCOG will keep their orders for 48 hours. After that, the computer system will automatically cancel the order.

During the third phase, on-site ticketing will be launched in April 2008 to sell the remaining tickets.

Tickets can be available in June or July

The tickets booked during the first two phases are expected to be delivered to buyers in June or July next year. As most of the Olympic venues will be completed by the end of this year, the staff of the BOCOG Ticketing Center will go to every venue to check the exact seats and allocate the bookings. Then they will forward the data to the ticket printers, who are expected to print them out between April and June. That means that in June and July all effectively subscribed tickets will reach their buyers. The designated outlets of the Bank of China will be the only places where the tickets can be obtained faultlessly.

Ticket design under way

The design of the Olympic tickets is under way. Their look will be in line with the general image of the Olympic Games. The tickets show not only where the spectators will be seated, but also the sport pictograms to indicate the competitions they will watch.

The false proof technologies used make the tickets unique collection objects. The name of the spectator will be printed on the tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies, making them personalized and collectable.

2007 FIVB World Grand Prix to kick off on August 3 (photo attached)

Updated：2007-08-01

The 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix is scheduled to kick off on this Friday, the 3th of August,2007. The first three Pools of the preliminary will be held in three destinations of Tokyo (Japan), Verona (Italy) and Rzeszow (Poland).

Friday 3rd August is the D-Day: twelve of the world strongest Women's teams will start to compete for the 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix, a unique annual showcase for Women's Volleyball, which will end with a Final Round in Ningbo, China, from 22nd to 26th of August. With three gold medals in a row (2004/2006) and other three first places in '94, '96 and '98, Brazil is the top squad of the tournament and will start its journey from Italy.

The 2007 World Grand Prix lasts for 4 weeks with a total of 65 matches. During the first, second and third weeks each team will play 9 matches in total. Preliminary rounds will be organized in Japan, Italy, Poland, Macau, Hong Kong, Taipei, Russia and Chinese Taipei. Classification in the preliminary rounds is decided by the number of points gained by the teams participating in the same group. The classification in the general ranking of the preliminary rounds of the 2007 WGP is decided by the total number of World Grand Prix Points (GPP) gained by the teams in the preliminary matches. The host team China plus the top five ranked teams after the preliminary rounds will qualify to play in Ningbo over 5 days (15 matches) with a round robin system to decide the 2007 World Grand Prix Champion.

World Champion Ekaterina Gamova. Russia will start its World Grand Prix in Poland

Tokyo (Japan), Verona (Italy) and Rzeszow (Poland) will host the first three Pools from Friday to Sunday 5th August. The Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo is hosting Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan and Kazakhstan for Pool A. The PalaOlimpia in Verona will welcome Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Italy and the Netherlands for Pool B. Pool C with China, Poland, Russia and the U.S.A. is going to play in Na Podpromium in the Polish city of Rzeszow.

The second weekend (10th - 12th August) is scheduled in Tokyo, Japan (Pool D: Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Netherlands), in Khabarovsk, Russia (Pool E: Cuba, Kazakhstan, Russia, U.S.A.) and in Hong Kong, China (Pool F: China, Dominican Republic, Italy, Poland).

The third weekend (17th - 19th August) is foreseeing in Osaka, Japan (Pool G: Japan, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia), in Taipei, Chinese Taipei (Pool H: Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Dominican Republic, Italy) and in Macau (Pool I: China, Cuba, Netherlands, U.S.A.).

(Credit: FIVB. Click here for further information.)

Beijing's first new venue delivered (photos attached)

Updated：2007-07-28

(BEIJING, July 28) -- The Shooting Center of the State General Administration of Sport was handed the gold key to the Beijing Shooting Range Hall by the venue's management group Saturday morning. The handing over of the key symbolized the official delivery of the Beijing Shooting Range Hall.

During the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the venue will host a total of 10 Shooting events. It will also likely be the venue of the first gold medal awarded at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Present at the delivery ceremony were officials from the State General Administration of Sport, the City of Beijing, and Mr. Wang Yifu, head coach of the Chinese national shooting team.

Construction of the venue broke ground on July 13, 2004. The venue, with a total surface area of 45,645 sq m, contains qualification competition halls, a final competition hall, a storehouse, a room for armed police use, a heating and ventilation equipment room, and an electric transformer room.

Scene of the press conference

The qualification competition hall contains 10m, 25m, and 50 m target ranges. The final competition hall contains sealed 10m, 25m, and 50m target ranges.

The venue has a total seating capacity for 8,600 spectators, with 2,170 permanent seats and 6,430 removable seats. The qualification competition halls can seat 6.100, and the final competition hall can seat 2,500.

The Beijing Shooting Range Hall was designed to reflect the shape of a hunting bow. This design takes into consideration the origins of the sport of shooting—hunting in the forest. The Shooting Hall's qualification competition halls and the final competition hall are connected by the venue's main entrance, which contributes to the venue's "bow" shape.

Post-Games, the venue will host important international and Chinese shooting competitions and serve as the training base for the Chinese national shooting team and youth training grounds.

Parts of the venue might be used as a national defense teaching facility. Additionally, the venue may be used to promote shooting as a sport to the public and to promote the Olympic spirit.

The Beijing Shooting Range Hall

The Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park delivered (photos attached)

Updated：2007-07-28

(BEIJING, July 28) -- The new Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, built for the Games of the 29th Olympiad, was officially delivered Saturday morning.

On August 8, the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park will host the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships, this year's very first "Good Luck Beijing" sport event in Beijing.

During the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, 32 gold medals will be awarded at the venue, which will host the Rowing, Canoe/Kayak -- Flat-water, Canoe/Kayak -- Slalom, and marathon swimming events.

Construction of venue began during the first half of 2005. With a building area of 31,850 sq m, it occupies the largest surface area of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games venues.

Scene of the press conference

The venue has a seating capacity of 37,000, with 1,200 permanent seats and 25,800 temporary seats, including 10,000 standing room only seats.

The Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park is the world's only first-class rowing-canoeing venue that contains both flatwater and slalom courses.

The water surface area of the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park occupies 6.35 million sq m, and the green surface area occupies 5.8 million sq m, with green coverage of over 82 percent. Combined with the forestry of the surrounding areas, the rowing-canoeing park is a natural "oxygen bar."

After the Olympic Games, the venue will be converted into an attractive, world-class resort for swimming and recreation -- the largest of its kind in the northeastern part of Beijing.

A bird's eye view

Brazil's women's soccer team revenge against the U.S.

Updated：2007-07-27 From：Xinhuanet

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Three years after being defeated by the United States in the Athens Olympic Games final, Brazil's women's soccer team had its revenge on Thursday, as it won 5-0 and the Pan American Games' gold medal.

The scenario for the revenge could not be better for the Brazilians. The match was attended by a crowd of almost 60,000 fans in Maracana, Rio's legendary stadium, where the men's soccer team has played landmark matches.

But unlike the men's squad, the Brazilian women had never achieved expressive results, and many considered the U.S. team as a favorite in Thursday's final.

Pushed by the fans, the Brazilians pressured for the goal since the beginning of the match, but the U.S. players were close to scoring in the 12th minute of the first half. But in the 18th minute, team star Marta Silva converted a penalty shot. From then on, the U.S. players seemed to be completely lost.

In a brilliant performance, Brazilians continued to play aggressively, scoring its second goal in the 29th minute, and then three other goals in the second half, as the crowd exulted.

Brazilian team's performance in the Pan Am Games was above all expectations. The team won all of its matches, scored 33 goals and did not let a single goal. These results, analysts said, place Brazil among the strongest contenders for the gold medal in the Beijing Olympics.

Thursday's match has also confirmed Marta as the best player in the world. Marta, who holds FIFA's 2006 World Player of the Year award, scored twice against the U.S. and led the Brazilians to the victory. She scored 12 goals in the Pan Am Games.

China Agricultural University Gymnasium nearly ready (photos attached)

Updated：2007-07-27

(BEIJING, July 26) -- The China Agricultural University Gymnasium, the venue for Olympic wrestling events, is nearly ready for use -- one year ahead of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.

Located in northwestern Beijing, the complex spans close to 24,000 square meters and offers seating capacity for 8,500 fans - 6,000 of which are permanent seats.

Inside the venue will be three mats for Olympic wrestling competition. An auxiliary lobby will also be available for the athletes during the Games.

The venue is slated to be a multifunctional sport facility after the Games.

The exterior of the venue (Photo credit: CNSphoto)

The interior of the venue (Photo credit: CNSphoto)

The interior of the venue (Photo credit: CNSphoto)

Disabled sports training base to be completed

Input Date:07/26/2007

Chinese Disabled Sports integrated training base in Shunyi yesterday after Shayu formally completed, This is our first dedicated disabled sports training base is the nation's first central government investment "Agent System" pilot project all of the Olympic events on the disabled and people with special set-building functional requirements for design. Residual training base total project covers 358 acres, with a total construction area of 64,382 square meters. Athletes from the apartment and research buildings, a comprehensive training hall, natatorium, the blind door saloon, athletic training and strength Museum, athletic field and bleachers, bicycle training site, such as steel corridor projects comprising nine units, will be for the national disabled sports delegation preparations for the 2008 Paralympic Games use.

Singing for the Olympics (photos attached)

Updated：2007-07-27

(BEIJING, July 26) -- The song We Are Ready will soon be ready. As the Olympics draw near, famous musicians, athletes and singers gathered at the Great Bell Temple to strike the ancient Yongle Bell on July 26.

The recording of the forceful toll, which is often named the "Sound of Beijing", will be used in the song We Are Ready, which was made especially for the one-year countdown to the XXIX Olympiad.

The composition and production of the song involved hundreds of singers who have participated in the selection for the Olympic songs.

According to an official from the BOCOG, We Are Ready has incorporated the themes of our times with a strong sense of happiness and confidence conveyed through the well-written lyric and the strong rhythm.

The MV (music video) of the song will be filmed in Beijing and Hong Kong and released on August 4 through the Wireless Music Chart and other major media in China.

It is reported that there will be a series of celebrations for the one-year Olympic countdown.

Canada wins two diving gold at Pan Am Games

Updated：2007-07-27 From：Xinhuanet

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Canada won two gold medals in Thursday's diving tournament at the Pan American Games.

World champion Alexandre Despatie, who was beaten in Wednesday's 3m synchronized springboard, finally proved his strength, winning the men's 3m springboard title with 503.65 points.

It was a hard victory for Despatie though, as runner-up Cesar Castro of Brazil was just less than 10 points behind him.

Troy Dumais, an American Olympian, finished third at 484.25 points.

The women’s 10m platform synchronized diving gold went to Canadian pair Emilie Heymans and Marie-Eve Marleau who finished the competition with a total of 327.30 points.

Mexican combination Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz Galicia finished second at 325.14 points. The bronze medal was taken by Americans Haley Ishimatsu and Mary Beth Dunnichay at 297.54.

"Finally it's over. We were under pressure, the wind was blowing hard, but we were prepared for the event. We are very happy for having the same result of Santo Domingo," said Heymans, who also won the title four years ago in Santo Domingo.

Paola Espinosa of Mexico said their performance surpassed the expectations: "I'm very happy with our result. I'm sure we did beyond all our coaches' expectations, and we're extremely happy with that. We missed the gold for a small difference of points, but we did our best and fortunately we got a good place on the podium."

Her partner Titiana said: "Our next aim is to get a good result at the University Games in Thailand. I'm certainly happy with the silver medal and I'll practice even more to get better results in the next competitions."

Beach volleyball cheerleaders get a first-hand experience of performing (photos attached)

Updated：2007-07-26

(BEIJING, July 25) -- With the "Good Luck Beijing" 2007 FIVB Beach Volleyball Women's Challenger approaching, the various cheerleading squads preparing for the upcoming competition have stepped up rehearsals.

At the invitation of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the gymnastics center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the cheerleaders got their first opportunity to rehearse at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground, where the "Good Luck Beijing" beach volleyball event will take place.

Energetic and enthusiastic -- cheerleaders at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground

The Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground differs from the cheerleaders' normal training place. Here, every dance step and jump requires the cheerleaders to exert more energy because the sand affects their range of movement and synchronization.

As the cheerleaders rehearsed at the new venue, the BOCOG supervisors made suggestions to them about their timing and sequence based on their performances under these unique conditions.

The supervisors also emphasized the role of the cheerleading squads in getting spectators to interact with them and to cheer on the teams.

The enthusiastic rehearsal performance impressed the BOCOG and gymnastics center representatives.

Recognizing the shortcomings in their routines, the cheerleaders intend to increase lower body strength training and make adjustments to their choreography. The cheerleaders will add more upper body movements to their routines to improve interaction with spectators.

The cheerleaders plan to take full advantage of the opportunity they have been given to compete for a place on the "Good Luck Beijing" beach volleyball event cheerleading squad. The final team members will be announced in the near future on www.chinaddup.com.

Energetic and enthusiastic -- cheerleaders at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground

Energetic and enthusiastic -- cheerleaders at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground

Energetic and enthusiastic -- cheerleaders at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground

Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park to be delivered (photos attached)

Updated：2007-07-26

Photos taken on July 25 shows the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, the venue for Olympic rowing and canoe/kayak (Flat-water and Slalom) competitions.

In 2007, the park in northeast Beijing will see three sports events, including the World Rowing Junior Championships (Aug. 7-11), Good Luck Beijing 2007 Canoe/Kayak Slalom Open (Aug. 16-19), and Good Luck Beijing 2007 Canoe/Kayak Flatwater Open (Aug. 23-26).

Photo credit: CNSPhoto

Photo credit: CNSPhoto

Slope path for 'Good Luck Beijing' sailing venue nearly ready (photos attached)

Updated：2007-07-25

(BEIJING, July 24) -- The slope path at the venue entry is almost ready for the August 9 Good Luck Beijing Qingdao International Sailing Regatta.

Zimbabwe team sports out of 2008 Olympic Games

Updated：2007-07-26 From：Xinhuanet

HARARE, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe will not be represented in any of the team sports at next year's Olympic Games after the national women's hockey side ended the African Zone qualifying tournament winless in Nairobi, Kenya, at the weekend, The Herald reported on Tuesday.

The Zimbabwe women's side found the going tough at the week-long tournament where they only managed to score one goal and conceded 14 in four matches against hosts Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Ghana.

The women's Olympic Games qualifying tournament was held simultaneously with the men's competition in Nairobi.

Zimbabwe were not represented in the men's qualifiers after the Hockey Association of Zimbabwe failed to raise enough money to send a team.

The Zimbabwe women's team was only able to travel to Nairobi after they received some financial assistance from the Olympic Solidarity through the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee.

The failure by the team to make the grade at the Nairobi tournament will leave Zimbabwe without a representative side in any of the team sports during next year's Olympic Games in Beijing.

Beijing warming up for Olympics (photos attached)

Updated：2007-07-25

(BEIJING, July 25) -- Successful "Good Luck Beijing" sport events will lay a solid foundation for the 2008 Olympic Games, said Liu Jingmin, vice-mayor of Beijing and executive vice-president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).

The organization and operation system has been set up, which is characterized by multi-party involvement, close cooperation and common preparation, Liu told the local press recently.

42 pre-Olympic Games sport events have been scheduled between July 2007 and May 2008 in Beijing and co-host cities, with 26 of them planned for this year. Beijing will stage 23 such events and the rest will be held in Hong Kong (equestrian), Qingdao (sailing), Shenyang (football) and Qinhuangdao (football).

Beijing stages “Good Luck Beijing” sport events to warm up for the upcoming Olympics

This August will see the most extensive agenda. There will be Hong Kong equestrian competitions, Qingdao International sailing regatta, World Rowing Junior Championships in Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park of Beijing, the 2007 International Road Cycling Invitational Race, 2007 International Baseball Tournament, 2007 FIVB Beach Volleyball Women's Challenger, 2007 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, 2007 Junior World Wrestling Championship and three other events.

The competition rules and detailed schedules for this year's events have been made ready, and athlete registration has been launched, Liu said, adding that registration for hokey and baseball events have concluded already.

Intensive competitions have been arranged for August and September, because the weather and environment conditions are similar to that of next summers' Olympics, he explained.

Aiming at rehearsing what the Olympics will need, the organizing committee has elaborated general management policies covering as many as 35 areas, set forth the working standards and procedures in such fields as reception, services and etiquette, and pinpointed assessment items, Liu said.

The competition venues will be delivered for use one to three months in advance and the training venues, hotels, hospitals, logistics centers and arrival-departure facilities have been settled down. Marketing of the sports equipment has been completed and supply is underway. In addition, 11 of Beijing's districts and counties related to the events have made their logistics ready.

(Photo credit: Bjd.com.cn)

Tickets on sale for Good Luck Beijing events

Updated：2007-07-25

(BEIJIG, July 25) -- Tickets for the first batch of nine "Good Luck Beijing" sport events were put on sale on Tuesday.

All the nine events are scheduled for August 2007. They include World Rowing Junior Championships, International Hockey Tournament, FIVB Beach Volleyball women's Challenger, Canoe/Kayak Slalom Open, International baseball Tournament, UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, Junior World Wrestling Championship, International Archery Tournament, and Canoe/Kayak Flatwater Open.

Soon after the news was broken, extensive telephone inquiries about the beach volleyball event have been received, according to the ticketing department.

Tickets for the preliminaries cost 10 to 30 yuan and the finals 30 to 150 yuan.

Except for hokey, archery and baseball events, all other events have 10-yuan tickets.

Tickets for the beach volleyball quarterfinals will be sold at 30 or 50 yuan each, and tickets for the finals at 50 or 80 yuan each.

Spectators can buy tickets in three ways: purchase on the official website: http://www.goodluckbeijing.com.cn; call the hotline (8610)64068888/64069999/64170058/64170068 or straight from the Box Offices at the venues.

Reselling and/or trading of tickets is prohibited. Tickets must not be used for any purpose of politics, religion, commerce, advertising or promotion unless there is in advance a written approval by the Organizing Committee of the "Good Luck Beijing" Sport events, according to the official website.

A glimpse of the Beijing Olympic Village (photos attached)

Updated：2007-07-20

(BEIJING, July 20) -- What would the Beijing Olympic Village look like? It will be the world's "First Village" during the Olympic Games in 2008, a journalist of People's Daily says.

Occupying a space area of 66 hectares and located at the northeast corner of the Olympic central area, the village is adjacent to the Olympic Green in the north and the cluster of Olympic venues in south. During the Olympics in August next year, it will be home to over 16,800 athletes, coaches and officials of national teams.

The village is divided into residential and international quarters. The residential area, the main component, will not only have apartments, but also a clinic, a restaurant, a multi-functional library, an entertainment center, a leisure and exercise quarter which contains fitness, swimming, tennis, basketball and walking facilities.

Covering an area of 370,000 square meters, the residential area comprises 22 six-story buildings and 20 nine-story buildings of the same style, with a per capital living area of 22 square meters.

To ensure the athletes' sweet sleep, each bed has been designed to be 2.2 meters long, and a special stool will be added to the end of the bed for giants like Yao Ming, whose body length is 2.26 meters.

Each athlete room is equipped with a wideband line, a telephone, network and closed-circuit TV programs, an infrared burglar-proof warning device and a fingerprint cock. An ID card will be issued to every athlete who can buy things online and contact family members online free of charge, and there are also places for religious worship in the village.

The 20,000-square-meter Olympic Square in the international area will be the most eye-catching spot when the 200 or so flags of the member committees of the International Committee will be waving there.