Chinese Olympic victory uniforms unveiled

Updated:2008-07-16

The suits for Chinese medalists at the Beijing Olympics were unveiled on July 15, 2008.

Photo Gallery>>

(BEIJING, July 15) -- Chinese medalists at the 2008 Olympic Games will wear tailored uniforms featuring the colors red and yellow and a "lucky cloud" pattern, according to Xinhua.

Red and yellow are the dominant colors of the Chinese national flag.

Designed by the Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology and made by Worldwide Olympic Partner Adidas, the suits were selected from more than 2,000 entries in an international design contest over a year's time.

Models showcase the suits.

Ma Jilong, director of the sports equipment center under the General Administration of Sport of China, lauded the uniforms for their elegance and aesthetic quality.

Adidas has tailored the uniforms for every competing Chinese athlete, manufacturing an unprecedented 17 sizes for heights ranging from 1.40m to 2.26m. The suits are handmade.

The suits for Chinese medalists at the Beijing Olympics were unveiled on July 15, 2008.

It was reported that every athlete will be given two suits, one for the victory ceremony and the other for their personal collection.

Olympic diving champion Gao Min gave a thumbs-up to the outfits, saying they feature the auspicious atmosphere of the Olympic Games and reflect the spirit of Chinese athletes.

Olympic flame leaves Jilin City for Yanji

Updated：2008-07-15

(JILIN CITY, July 15) -- Last torchbearer Wang Jinjun, director of Jilin Chemical Fiber Group, lit the cauldron at 3:23 p.m. on Tuesday, marking the end to the Olympic Torch Relay in Jilin City. The city of Yanji will host the Olympic flame next.

The launching ceremony was held at 2:00 p.m. amid thunderous applause from local spectators. Skater Wang Chunli, the first torchbearer, carried the torch from Jilin Municipal Square to start the Jilin leg of the Olympic Torch Relay.

Wang, who was born in 1983, has claimed more than 10 gold medals in Chinese national competitions and has also done well in international competitions.

A total of 108 torchbearers participated in the 7.7km-long relay.

Hair and make-up for victory ceremony hostesses

Updated：2008-07-12

Examples of hostesseshair and make-up

Photo Gallery>>

(BEIJING, July 11) -- BOCOG Cultural Activities Department director Zhao Dongming, BOCOG executive vice-president Cui Ning, Olympic champion Yang Yang, and television celebrity Yu Sheng were on hand to inspect the make-up and hairstyles that victory ceremony hostesses would be donning for the Olympic Games on Saturday morning.

Zhao Dongming thanks the volunteers.

"First, I'd like to thank the entire team of cosmetic artists and all the victory ceremony volunteers their hard work," said Zhao. The leader is quite satisfied with the group's participation.

Close inspection of hostesses'hairstyles

Flag raisers

The make-up and hairstyles of the volunteers must be compatible with the concept of sports, while still reflecting the spirit of Chinese youth. Although they are required to be simple, the make-up and hair should be distinct enough to look good on TV.

Yang, as a previous Olympic champ, has had first-hand experience with victory ceremony hostesses. She believes that the hair and make-up of the hostesses should be natural, and not so overbearing as to drown out the main reason for the celebration, the athletes themselves.

Male flag raisers will be dressed in attire that brings out the beauty of strength, health and youth.

The make-up artists will take into account suggestions made by the visitors today to re-think the appearances of the volunteers.

According to reports, the professionals can create even the most complicated of the four designated hair designs in 5-10 minutes.

(Photo credit: Zhang Yu)

Olympic Torch Relay in Changchun ends

Updated：2008-07-14

(CHANGCHUN, July 14) -- Last torchbearer Wang Chunlu, a Winter Games short-track silver medalist, lit the cauldron at Changchun World Sculpture Park at 10: 04 a.m. on Monday to end the Changchun leg of the Olympic Torch Relay. The cities of Songyuan and Jilin will host the torch on Tuesday.

The Olympic Torch Relay kicked off in Changchun at 8:08 a.m. Altogether 218 torchbearers carried the Olympic flame along this nine-km-long journey.

Wang Jiaqi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was the first torchbearer.

Changchun is the capital of Jilin Province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China. The city has a population of 7.4 million.

Get your own Olympic gold

Updated：2008-07-13

Souvenir medallion, style one

Photo Gallery>>

"Chinese seal" gold Olympic souvenir series

(BEIJING, July 12) -- Recently, a series of gold and silver commemorative souvenirs were put on the market to welcome the upcoming Olympic Games.

These medallions fully embody the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games emblem, "Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing."

Souvenir medallion, style two

Souvenir medallion, style three

The official emblem incorporates traditional Chinese calligraphic artistry with athleticism to form a harmonious symbol for the Beijing Games.

The high-quality souvenirs are made of 99.9% pure gold and silver. Officially inspected and authorized, the medallions will definitely be treasured as an important part of the Beijing Games.

These special medallions embody Chinese spirit, style and enthusiasm, as well as the Olympic concepts of friendship and harmony to promote excellence by encouraging society to go faster, higher and stronger.

(Photo credit: Zhang Yu)

Souvenir medallion, style four

Souvenir medallions reflecting Olympic Torch Relay

Souvenir medallion, style five

Olympic torch leaves Heilongjiang for Jilin

Updated：2008-07-13

(QIQIHAR, July 13) -- Last torchbearer Fu Tianyu lit the cauldron at 9:50 a.m. on Sunday, marking the end of the Qiqihar leg of the Olympic Torch Relay. The torch has left Heilongjiang Province for Jilin Province and Jilin, the capital city, will host the Olympic flame on Monday.

Fu Tianyu was born in 1978. She made notable contributions to the Chinese women's short-track skating team's victory at the 2012 Winter Olympics.

Fu Tianyu was born in 1978 and made notable contributions to victory of China's women's short-track skating team at the 2012 Winter Olympics.

Liu Yan, female skating champion of the 10th National Games, carried the flame from the Party Office Center Square at 8:10 a.m. as the first torchbearer of the Qiqihar leg of the Olympic Torch Relay, the last stop in Heilongjiang Province.

A total of 208 torchbearers participated in the 7.5 km-long relay. Liu Jianrong, director of a local heavy equipment enterprise; Liang Chunsheng, a local teacher; Liu Yukun, an athlete with a disability; and Ma Liang, a hammer athlete, are among the 208 torchbearers.

Qiqihar is a major city in Heilongjiang Province. Close to Qiqihar are numerous wetlands and the Zhalong Nature Reserve, famous for being home to numerous red-crowned cranes.

Russia's Isinbayeva breaks own pole vault record

Updated：2008-07-12

(BEIJING, July 12) -- Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva broke her own world record in the pole vault by 0.2 m, jumping 5.03 meters at the Golden Gala in Rome on Friday. The previous record (5.01m) was set when she won the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

Yelena Isinbaeva during the IAAF Golden Gala in Rome. (Photo credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Photo Gallery>>

Isinbayeva is considered the world's best female pole vaulter. The Russian has dominated the pole vault since clinching the 2004 Olympic title, winning eight straight gold medals in indoor and outdoor championships and was elected IAAF Female Athlete of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

Isinbayeva experienced physical and psychological problems in the past three years, and so didn't seemingly make much improvement. However, though Friday was her first competitive appearance this season, Isinbayeva proved to be in excellent form, clearing 4.70m and 4.85m on her first attempt. After emerging victorious with her first two jumps, the Russian decided with her new coach Vitaly Petrov to switch to a record height. She cleared it with ease on her second attempt.

Isinbaeva celebrates with coach Vitaly Petrovin after setting new world record at IAAF Golden Gala. (Photo credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

When the 26-year-old Russian was asked whether she could improve even more by an IAAF reporter after the game, she responded confidently. "I think you know the answer," she said. "You saw I was not near at the bar, I was higher."

She repeated there her well-quoted intention that her career goal was to "eclipse Sergei Bubka's mark of 35 world records."

The Russian sensation has set 12 outdoor world records and 10 indoor world records, and is the only woman to clear 5 meters.

Isinbayeva's stunning performance puts huge pressure on rising US vaulter Jenn Stuczynski, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the world after setting the American mark of 4.92m at the U.S. Olympic trials.

Isinbayeva said she was propelled to the new mark by competition from Stuczynski, as she felt the American was eclipsing her.

"Everybody was saying 'Ah OK, Isinbayeva is finished, we have a new star, so today I was really angry," she said.

Although Stuczynski didn't participate in Rome, the two vaulters will duel this summer in the 2008 Olympic Games.

Long-distance runner Lagat aims at twin gold medals in China's first Olympics

Updated：2008-07-09

(L-R) Silver medalist Leonel Manzano, gold medalist Bernard Lagat and bronze medalist Lopez Lomong (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Photo Gallery>>

(BEIJING, July 8) -- On winning the men's 1500-meter championship on the last day of the US track and field trials, Bernard Lagat qualified for a position on the US Olympic team to run in both the 1500-meter and 5000-meter races in the Beijing Games, which open August 8.

Lagat finished the 1500-meter event at the trials with a time of 3:40.37, just 0.53 second faster than second-place runner Leonel Manzano.

Manzano, who is a loyal fan of the champion, was quoted on the official website of USA Track & Field as saying: "Barnard is an incredible competitor. Every time that guy goes out everybody has a lot of respect for him. He is the man."

Lagat, a Kenyan-American, started competing for the US in early 2005, and won two gold medals in the 1500-meter and 5000-meter races at the 2007 World Championships. His personal best in the 1500-meter race is 3:26.34, which he posted at Brussels in August of 2001, according his official biography on the website of the International Associations of Athletics Federations.

Earlier this month, Lagat qualified for the men's 5000-meter competition with a time of 13:27.47. He was quoted on the USATF website as saying the pressure on him has eased a bit since qualifying for the US team heading to Beijing.

The 33-year-old athlete won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Games. Lagat has now become America's overwhelming favorite in the men's long-distance races. "The Olympics are the biggest meet. Everyone dreams about going to the Olympics, and to be here on Team USA is unbelievable. I'm going to take the same hunger I had in 2004 and try and bring home the gold," he was quoted as saying on the USA Track & Field site.

The third place in the men's 1500-meter qualifying race was seized by Lopez Lomong with a time of 3:41.00.

Long-distance runner Lagat aims at twin gold medals in China's first Olympics

Updated：2008-07-09

(L-R) Silver medalist Leonel Manzano, gold medalist Bernard Lagat and bronze medalist Lopez Lomong (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Photo Gallery>>

(BEIJING, July 8) -- On winning the men's 1500-meter championship on the last day of the US track and field trials, Bernard Lagat qualified for a position on the US Olympic team to run in both the 1500-meter and 5000-meter races in the Beijing Games, which open August 8.

Lagat finished the 1500-meter event at the trials with a time of 3:40.37, just 0.53 second faster than second-place runner Leonel Manzano.

Manzano, who is a loyal fan of the champion, was quoted on the official website of USA Track & Field as saying: "Barnard is an incredible competitor. Every time that guy goes out everybody has a lot of respect for him. He is the man."

Lagat, a Kenyan-American, started competing for the US in early 2005, and won two gold medals in the 1500-meter and 5000-meter races at the 2007 World Championships. His personal best in the 1500-meter race is 3:26.34, which he posted at Brussels in August of 2001, according his official biography on the website of the International Associations of Athletics Federations.

Earlier this month, Lagat qualified for the men's 5000-meter competition with a time of 13:27.47. He was quoted on the USATF website as saying the pressure on him has eased a bit since qualifying for the US team heading to Beijing.

The 33-year-old athlete won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Games. Lagat has now become America's overwhelming favorite in the men's long-distance races. "The Olympics are the biggest meet. Everyone dreams about going to the Olympics, and to be here on Team USA is unbelievable. I'm going to take the same hunger I had in 2004 and try and bring home the gold," he was quoted as saying on the USA Track & Field site.

The third place in the men's 1500-meter qualifying race was seized by Lopez Lomong with a time of 3:41.00.

China to issue special 10-yuan notes to mark Olympics

Updated：2008-07-07 From：Xinhua

Photo Gallery>>

The People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank, is to issue a commemorative bank note with a face value of 10 yuan ($1.46) from Tuesday to mark the Beijing Olympic Games, the bank said in a statement on Sunday.

The PBOC said it would issue a total of 6 million such notes, which would be circulated in the currency market with the same denomination as the ordinary 10-yuan notes.

The new note, in cyan, is 148.5 millimeters long and 72 millimeters wide, according to the central bank. While the ordinary 10-yuan notes are in cobalt black, 140 millimeters long and 70 millimeters wide.

On one side is a picture of the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, the main venue for the Games in August. Above the picture is the emblem of the Beijing Games, "Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing". The picture of national stadium and the emblem are both set against the backdrop of the Temple of Heaven, one of the country's best-known landmarks.

This takes the place of the portrait of the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong and China's national emblem on the ordinary 10-yuan notes.

The other side features the famous ancient Greek marble statue of a discus-thrower, Discobolus, portraits of athletes and the Arabic numeral "2008".

These replace the drawing of the scenic Three Gorges, but the name of the PBOC in Chinese pinyin, Mongolian, Tibetan, Ugyur and Zhuang, remains in the top right corner.

The central bank also said it incorporated watermarks and other technologies to prevent counterfeiting of the notes.

A clear watermark appears on the picture of the National Stadium in the shape of the Arabic numeral "10" and the Games of XXIX Olympiad in the Chinese characters, said the bank.

(China Daily)

A walk in the park for 30,000 tourists

Updated：2008-07-07

Inside Olympic Forest Park (Photo credit: Li Wei)

Photo Gallery>>

"Bird's Nest" (Photo credit: Li Wei)

(BEIJING, July 7) -- In the northern part of Beijing lies China's largest city park – Olympic Forest Park, which hosted its first batch of visitors, 30,000 guests, recently.

Tourists can perch on the large artificial rocks scattered throughout the park to catch a glimpse of the 17 Olympic venues in the area, including the "Bird's Nest" and "Water Cube."

Olympic Forest Park covers 12 square kilometers of land. Sitting between North Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads, the park is divided into three sections: north, center, and south. During the Games, the park will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as 15 major competitive events.

From Olympic Forest Park, guests can get a close-up view of the IBC. (Photo credit: Li Wei)

View of Olympic Forest Park (Photo credit: Li Wei)

Lines 8 (Olympic Lateral), 10 and 5 will get tourists near the park. In addition, during Games-time, bus stops will be established on all four sides of the park, allowing 37 regular bus routes and 17 specific Olympic lines to deposit and pick up guests conveniently. The 17 Olympic lines will be free to ticket holders, and are divided into 8 regular lines and 9 express routes.

7 years after Beijing was awarded the honor of hosting the Olympics, all of the city's bid promises to clean up the environment have been fulfilled.

For example, in 2000, Beijing's green coverage rate was 41.9%; in 2007, that number reached 51.6%. Also, a 23,000 hectare green belt now runs through the city.

Sculptures in Olympic Forest Park (Photo credit: Li Wei)

Street lamps in the park (Photo credit: Li Wei)

Volunteer service point in the park (Photo credit: Li Wei)

Corner view of water system (Photo credit: Li Wei)

Lush greenery in Olympic Forest Park (Photo credit: Li Wei)

Olympic Village (Photo credit: Li Wei)

Beijing skyline (Photo credit: Li Wei)