China

Living In China For Westerner

2008-12-05T00:02:00.000-08:00

Make your life in china easier. Living in china for stranger can be daunting tasks, especially if you don’t speak Chinese and try to find your way around. I try to give you some advise as a native Chinese.

Living in china for stranger can be daunting tasks, especially if you don’t speak Chinese and try to find your way around. I try to give you some advise as a native Chinese.

Whether you think of do a world tour around china, or relocate to live there for a couple of years, you might have hundreds of question before you make any move. Question like:

* Is there any culture shock?
* Is English popular in China?
* How friendly are Chinese people to foreigner?
* What kind of social life does a foreigner can expect in China?
* What is public transportation in china like?
* What is the easiest way to make Chinese friend?
* Which city to live?
* Which currency should I bring to China?
* Is it better to bring the travellers Cheque or Credit card?
* Can I Live with a Chinese family while study?
* Can I teaching English (other foreign language) on Tourist visa?
* How much can I expect to earn when working in China?
* Is it easy to dating a Chinese? Or do Chinese people disapprove of mixing that way?

I have list the answer on my site.

The important thing to remember is never trust stranger, try bring cash with you as little as possible, contact is extremely important in China, have a basic Chinese goes a long way.

Author: Li zhang

Andy Lau To Sing Theme Song For Paralympics

2008-09-08T22:56:00.000-07:00

Andy Lau (Center) of China's Hong Kong and other artists perform the song "Everyone is No.1" ahead of the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games at the National Stadium in Beijing, China, Sept. 6, 2008. The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games will open at 20:00 Beijing time here Saturday

China Opens Beijing Paralympic Games 2008

2008-09-08T22:48:00.000-07:00

With a dazzling and emotional show that highlighted the value, dignity and dream of life, the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opened in the Chinese capital on Saturday night, rallying the world under one shared dream of "transcendence, integration and equality" for the disabled.

At the order given in Chinese by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Philip Craven, nearly 100,000 spectators in the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, in north Beijing, clapped their hands simultaneously to give a unique and resounding "go" signal to the world's premier sporting event for elite athletes with disabilities.

With a dazzling and emotional show that highlighted the value, dignity and dream of life, the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opened in the Chinese capital on Saturday night, rallying the world under one shared dream of "transcendence, integration and equality" for the disabled.

A record 4,000-plus athletes from 147 countries and regions, 10 times the figure at the Games' debut in Rome 1960, marched into the stadium amid thundering cheers from the stands, before Chinese President Hu Jintao declared the Games open at 22:36 Beijing time.

"These Games will have more athletes, more competing nations, and more sporting events than ever before," said Philip Craven in his opening ceremony speech, calling them "milestones in Paralympic history."

The three-hour ceremony climaxed when Hou Bin, China's triple Paralympic high jump champion with only one leg, lit the cauldron for the Games.

With a dazzling and emotional show that highlighted the value, dignity and dream of life, the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opened in the Chinese capital on Saturday night, rallying the world under one shared dream of "transcendence, integration and equality" for the disabled.

Fireworks are displayed at the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games held in the National Stadium in Beijing, China, Sept. 6, 2008.

With the torch on his wheelchair, the 33-year-old Hou used both hands to pull himself up along a hanging rope to the rim of the steel-latticed Bird's Nest to accomplish his laborious mission. Though suspended by wires, he had to halt and gasp for several times, with the entire crowd cheering him on loudly.

The Paralympic flame, first lit at the 600-year-old Temple of Heaven in south Beijing on Aug. 28, was relayed through 11 Chinese cities -- including ancient capitals Xi'an and Luoyang and modern metropolises Shanghai and Shenzhen -- in nine days, covering a distance of 13,181 kilometers and involving 850 torchbearers.

With a dazzling and emotional show that highlighted the value, dignity and dream of life, the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opened in the Chinese capital on Saturday night, rallying the world under one shared dream of "transcendence, integration and equality" for the disabled.

Fireworks are displayed during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, in Beijing, China, Sept. 6, 2008.

Shortly before the cauldron was set ablaze, the IPC flag, which carries the IPC logo of red, blue and green curves -- a new design adopted just in 2003 and used at a Paralympics for the first time, was escorted into the stadium by a team of eight Chinese Paralympic gold medalists, and hoisted next to the Chinese national flag.

On behalf of all athletes and officials, Chinese athlete Wu Chunmiao and goalball referee Hao Guohua, holding a corner of the IPC flag, took the Paralympic oath, vowing to keep the Games competition fair and clean.

"Over the next 11 days, the heroines and heroes will undoubtedly be the athletes," said the IPC president.

The Paralympians, many in wheelchairs or on crutches and often seen supporting each other on the track, were ushered into the stadium minutes after the opening ceremony began at 20:00 Beijing time sharp.

All smiling broadly, they waved hands, hats and flags to the stands, and posed for pictures with team guides or volunteers.

The parade sequence was decided by the number of strokes of the first character of the delegations' Chinese names, and Guinea, whose name begins with a two-stroke character, became the leader.

As is customary, the host delegation entered last. Having surprisingly topped both the gold and overall medal tally at the Athens 2004 Paralympics with 63 golds, 46 silvers and 32 bronzes, China sent in the largest delegation of 547 members and 332 athletes to these Games.

Members of the Paralympic Delegation of China parade into the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, Sept. 6, 2008.

Wang Xiaofu, a 20-year-old amputee swimmer who won three golds with three world records at the Athens Paralympics and will compete in seven events this time, carried the flag and spearheaded the team.

While the Chinese Paralympians, who will compete in all the 20 sports and 295 of the total 472 events at these Games, are eager and set to deliver on the home field and repeat their glory four years ago, they will meet strong contest from traditional Paralympic powerhouses like Britain, Canada, the United States and Australia.

Throughout the 1.5-hour march-in, the athletes were constantly applauded and saluted by the enthusiastic crowd, in which sat all top leaders of China and dozens of foreign dignitaries, including German President Horst Koehler, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and International Olympic Committee Honorary President Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Seated on the floor of the stadium, the athletes joined the spectators to enjoy an hour-long art performance titled "Flying with the Dream."

The show, carefully prepared over nearly two years, was staged in a fairy-tale setting which had the entire stadium floor draped in blue and placed a glittering "white jade plate," 72 meters in diameter, in the center.

A young man who sings in a magnetic voice, an angel-faced 12-year-old girl who has a crazy love for ballet, and 320 pretty young women dressed in pure white silk gowns who float on the stage like fairies ... all looked so perfect and romantic until the large screens in the stadium revealed the cruel truth: the singer was born into total darkness, the ballet girl lost her left leg in the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake, and the 320 dancers are all with hearing impairment.

But sadness and sympathetic tears were the least things the artistic directors desired, and the spectators would simply marvel at the miracle of life and the undying power of dreams, when they hear the blind singer say "If I could see for only three days, the people I want to see most are my dad, my mom and all of you", see the girl in wheelchair keep practicing ballet with her arms and the remaining leg and pose beautifully on the shoulders of an able-bodied danseur, and witness the deaf dancers whirl and swing gracefully and in clockwork precision under the guidance of 50 sign language teachers.

There were some 420 disabled artists among the 5,000-strong performers at the opening ceremony, according to Zhang Jigang, the executive artistic director. "In them you could only find the beauty of dreams, joy of participation and sharing, and the happiness and dignity of being."

"Flying with the dream, flying to the heaven of love," sang Chinese pop singers Han Hong and Andy Lau, when they jointly presented the Games' theme song "Flying with the Dream."

Pushing the festive atmosphere to culmination, some 2,000 kids, all in lovely animal cartoon costumes -- including the Games' cow-image mascot "Fu Niu Lele" -- swarmed into the Bird's Nest and danced in wild ecstasy. Some excited spectators cooperated by imitating the animal sounds, particularly the cow moos.

"The Beijing Paralympic Games is a grand gathering for people with a disability from across the globe," said Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG), at the opening ceremony.

"It educates people to the power of love, and encourages people to devote more understanding, respect and support to people with a disability," he said. "Through the Paralympic Games, the humanitarian spirit is raised to new heights, and the cause for people with a disability is promoted far and wide."

Among the world's disabled population of over 600 million, some 83 million live in China.

At a welcoming luncheon of the Beijing Paralympics earlier on Saturday, President Hu of China pledged that the country would take the Games as an opportunity to better protect the rights and interests of the disabled, and ensure they share the benefits of economic and social development as equal members of the society.

Though the Paralympic Games and the Olympic Games have been taking place in the same year ever since 1960, and using the same venues in the same host city since Seoul 1988, it is the first time that one same organizing committee with exactly the same personnel has taken charge of the preparations for both Games.

"The Beijing Paralympic Games is testimony to the trust the world has rested on China. The Chinese government and people have supported the preparatory work of the Beijing Paralympic Games with immense enthusiasm," said Liu, adding that the BOCOG has spared no efforts to achieve the goal of "Two Games, Equal Splendor."

In the seven-year run-up to the Games, tens of thousands of barrier-free facilities, including ramp, blind walkway, voice prompt system and guidance handrail, were put in place, while parking lots, public transit stations, elevators and public toilets were renovated to improve accessibility for the disabled. The changes took place not only at Games venues, but also tourist attractions such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.

And less than two weeks from the closing of the Beijing Olympic Games on Aug. 24, 44,000 volunteers, more than 80 percent of whom had served the Olympics, were ready for the Paralympics. Some 1 million others in the city also chose to stick to their Olympics-period duty -- helping the Games organizers in security, transport, information and lodging services.

With stunning speed and amazing efficiency, the Chinese capital completed a near perfect conversion from the Olympic host to the Paralympic host, changing Games logos, emblems, slogans and mascot patterns in almost every noticeable corner -- Games venues, media centers, roadside banners and posters, reserved traffic lanes, and even flower arrangements on the Tian'anmen Square.

While IOC President Jacques Rogge reserved his judgment of the Beijing Olympics -- "These were truly exceptional Games!" -- for the last sentences of his closing speech, his Paralympic counterpart foresaw the success of the Beijing Paralympics even before the cauldron started to burn.

The Beijing Olympic Games were "marvelous," and the Paralympic Games would sure be "stupendous," the IPC chief told the world in his opening speech.

And he told China and the Beijing Organizing Committee: "I would like to thank you all for this great work."

Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Pictograms Unveiled

2008-09-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

(BEIJING, May 23) -- The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) unveiled the pictograms for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games at the Beijing Olympic Media Center on Wednesday, on the occasion of the Month for the Publicity of the 17th National Help-the-Disabled Day.

The pictograms will be widely used in the road signal system, in the symbols and decorations in and outside the venues, as well as in the guides for athletes and spectators. They will also be used in TV broadcasting, in promotion, in advertising and in marketing, to enrich the public experience of the Paralympic Games. Being important components of the image of the Paralympics, the pictograms must reflect the Paralympic sports clearly and in keeping with the other visual elements of the Beijing Paralympics such as the emblem and the color system, and act as carriers of the concepts of the Paralympic Games and of the culture of the host county.

The pictograms of the Beijing Paralympic Games have adopted the creative concepts and design styles of the pictograms of the Beijing Olympic Games, while taking into account the characteristics of the Paralympic sports and the experience of the previous editions of the Paralympic Games. They have done so to maintain the continuity of the image design style, which is a crucial consideration because of the limited time interval between the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The pictograms of the Beijing Paralympic Games use the structure of the Chinese seal script as their basic form, while incorporating the pictographic charm of the oracle bone writing (jia gu wen) and the bronze-ware script (jin wen) with the simplification of modern graphics. The design not only features the particular movement and dynamism of each sport, but is also easy to recognize, remember and use. Through the skillful application of the striking contrast between white and black, the pictograms of the Beijing Paralympic Games demonstrate distinct features of movement, graceful charm of dynamism and rich cultural connotations, and arrive at a harmony and unity of "form" and "content".

The pictograms of the Beijing Paralympic Games cover all 20 individual sports, namely archery, athletics, boccia, cycling, equestrian, football 5-a-side, football 7-a-side, goal-ball, judo, power-lifting, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, volleyball (sitting), wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.

BOCOG started the research, creation and appraisal of the pictograms for the Beijing Paralympic Games in May 2006.The Central Academy of Fine Arts, a member of the Design Group for the Pictograms of the Beijing Olympic Games, was responsible for their design, creation and testing. Numerous design experts, Paralympics specialists and representatives of disabled athletes offered their valuable opinions and suggestions during the process. In December 2006, the BOCOG Executive Board officially approved the design scheme of the pictograms and submitted them to the international sports federations (IFs). As of the end of February 2007, all IFs reviewed and approved the pictograms and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) officially approved them in April 2007.

China Unveils More Olympic Coins

2008-09-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

China's central bank unveiled on Wednesday a second set of gold and silver coins to commemorate the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The second set consists of eight commemorative coins, two made with a third ounce of gold, one with five ounces of gold, four with an ounce of silver, and one with a full kilogram of silver.The brass-alloy coins, which are legal tender and can be used as normal currency, were put on the market by the China Gold Coin Incorporation the same day.

All the coins carry the logo of the Beijing Olympics on one side. Images on the other sides vary from Olympic mascots, dragons, the Great Wall to the Summer Palace, as well as martial arts scenes and dragon boat racing.

China released the first set of Beijing Olympics gold and silver commemorative coins in September 2006, and a third set will be issued in 2008.Finland began the practice of Olympic Game hosts issuing commemorative coins back in 1952

China's central bank unveiled a second set of gold and silver coins to commemorate the 2008 Beijing Olympics June 20, 2007. This photo shows a coin made from five ounces of gold.

China's central bank unveiled a second set of gold and silver coins to commemorate the 2008 Beijing Olympics June 20, 2007. This photo shows a coin made from from a kilogram of silver.

China's central bank unveiled a second set of gold and silver coins to commemorate the 2008 Beijing Olympics June 20, 2007. This photo shows two coins made from a third ounce of gold and four made from an ounce of silver

Athletics Day 1 Evening Session Review: Ups And Downs At The National Stadium

2008-09-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

Diane Roy celebrates.

(BEIJING, September 8) -- Just like the morning session, the evening had 22 heats along with six finals which included the first track final of the Athletics competition. World and Paralympic records were set in the National Stadium and the Women's 5000m - T54 was marred by an accident.

Unfortunately for some participants of the Women's 5000m - T54 (wheelchair athletes with different levels of spinal cord injuries and amputations), a collision in the last lap, less than 100m from the finish line, caused six athletes to fall and abandon their race. The accident involved all three medalists from the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, Wakako Tsuchida of Japan, Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland and Cheri Blauwet of the United States. Only five athletes finished the race and Diane Roy of Canada appeared to have taken the first Track gold medal in 11:54.03, setting a new Paralympic record. A close second was Shelly Woods of Great Britain with 11:54.29, while American Amanda McGrory came in third with 11:54.84. It was later announced that these results may not hold and the race is expected to be rescheduled on Tuesday.

Karim Betina of Algeria stole the show early in the Men's Shot Put - F32 (wheelchair athletes with different levels of cerebral palsy) when he broke the world record (9.92m) with just his second attempt (9.94m). It was just no stopping him after that as his throws kept improving and he landed the gold medal with a world record-breaking throw of 10.65m. Tunisia's Mourad Idoudi threw to a distance of 10.40m and picked up the silver, while third place went to Betina's teammate Mounir Bakiri with 9.37m.

China had to settle for fifth place in the Women's Long Jump - F42 (ambulant athletes with different levels of amputations and other disabilities including les autres) when Zhang Haiyuan, former world record holder, failed to repeat her winning performance of 2004 (Athens, Paralympics) and only managed a jump of 3.44m. Poland's Ewa Zielinska came in third with 3.62m, behind Annette Roozen of the Netherlands who secured the second spot with 3.63m. The gold medal went to Australian Christine Wolf who set a world record with her jump of 3.73m.

In the Men's Javelin - F35/36 (ambulant athletes with different levels of cerebral palsy), the clear favorite was China's Guo Wei. Cheered on by his home crowd, Guo Wei's first attempt at 54.92m broke his own world record in the F35 class and he did it again in his second throw with 56.07m which won him the top spot. Through the multi-classification event point system, Guo Wei was crowned gold medalist with 1283 points. In second place was Pawel Piotrowski of Poland who also got pass the old world record mark but his throw of 42.88m and 1158 point only earned him a Silver medal while Nicholas Newman of South Africa came in third with 42.48m and 1147 points.

Jackie Christiansen of Denmark won the gold and created a world record in the Men's Shot Put F44 (ambulant athletes with different levels of amputations and other disabilities including les autres). Christiansen blew away the competition with his throw of 17.89m and earned himself 1117 points. The second spot went to Australian Paul Raison with 15.83m and 988 points while Gerdan Fonseca of Cuba took bronze with 15.65m and 977 points.

Men's Discuss F33/34/52 (wheelchair athletes with different levels of cerebral palsy and different levels of spinal cord injuries and amputations) was the first final to begin and the last to end with a stellar display of strength and skill from all the athletes. In this multi-classification field event medals are awarded according to a point system. A new F52 world record (20.47m) ensured Aigars Apinis of Latvia the gold, with 1097 points. Chris Martin of Great Britain set the F33 Paralympic record with 28.37m (1074 points) and Roman Musil of the Czech Republic came in third with 27.11m (1026 points).

"Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius competes at the Bird's Nest

Records were broken in some of the heats as well. In the Men's 100m - T11 heats, Lucas Prado of Brazil bettered his own world record of 11.26s when he sprinted to the finish line in a quick 11.19s, while Kurt Fearnley of Australia qualified for the finals of the Men's 5000m - T54 setting a Paralympic record of 10:13.21. South African Oscar Pistorius, better known as the "Blade Runner" also set a Paralympic record in the Men's 100m - T44 heats in 11.16s.

Paralympics New Focus Of International Media

2008-09-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

Media accreditation for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, which is being billed as a "Games of Equal Splendour" and is expected to attract an unprecedented degree of media coverage, is under discussion for those who want to cover the September 6-17 event next year.

"Some 4,000 journalists, in comparison to 3,000 or so who covered the recent editions of the Paralympics Games, will come to cover the 2008 Paralympics and many of them are from the domestic media," said Zhang Qiuping, director of the Paralympics Games Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).

At previous Paralympics, the media did not need to register in order to cover the Games, but this time BOCOG is making it a necessity.

In recent years, China has become more aware of the needs of people with disabilities due in part to the country's rapid economic growth and the success of athletes at international events such as the Paralympics. This has led to more interest in the Games from Chinese media.

Since China first participated in the 1984 Paralympics, co-hosted by Stoke Mandeville, UK, and New York, the world has seen China's dramatic rise at the sporting event.

It finished 16th in the overall medal tally at the Barcelona Paralympics in 1992, then rose steadily over the years to lead the tally in Athens with 141 medals, including 63 golds.

The recently hosted 7th National Games for the Disabled in Yunnan Province saw 91 new world records broken and packed stadiums at marquee competitions like wheelchair basketball, swimming and athletics.

"We will send our largest delegation, maybe larger than that of any other country, to the 2008 Paralympics," said Jia Yong, director of the Sports Department at the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF).

"Now we are not sure how many gold medals we can get, because after the Athens Games, things have changed a lot. Our goal is not to get the most medals, but to take part in more sports."

China is strong in swimming, table tennis and power lifting, which do not require much in the way of training resources, Jia said, but lags in more sophisticated sports like equestrian and sailing.

Related sports organizations are trying new ways to develop these sports. Guangdong Province and Qingdao city are now helping train athletes for equestrian and sailing events, respectively.

A comprehensive training center for the disabled athletes will be completed in July in Beijing.

To make sure more Chinese disabled athletes can qualify for the 2008 Games, China has already sent some 1,500 people to participate in international events and some 400 have already secured Olympic berths.

China Cups And Country

2008-09-02T00:15:00.000-07:00

China has perhaps one of the most beautiful, most historic and most immense cultures in the world. China is home to almost 1.5 billion people with an almost equal distribution of males and females. The political affiliation of China has caused a lot of pressure from other countries. China is one of the last communist countries. Land and water mass totals nearly 10 million square kilometres, China is almost as large as the United States.

The history associated with China is rich and filled with knowledge. Being such an old civilization, China has am enormous number of citizens. This large number of people has resulted in a story involving population control that the world has watched unfold. China has a one-child policy. Only one child per family is allowed to those falling under China citizenship. This controversial policy has made China into one of the oldest nations in the world: China has a huge, growing population of people over the age of 70.

The majority of the income of China is made through the exportation of goods to other countries. Only a small number of Chinese citizens are actual farmers. Over the centuries, China has depleted a majority of the country natural resources. In addition, China has a growing pollution problem and suffers from the deterioration of the surrounding environment. This problem is exaggerated by the exponential growth of the population when compounded with the exponential degradation of the soil. This is one of the reasons for the poverty limit being over 10%.

In 1733, in another part of the world, Josiah Spode was born into a pauper’s life. His father taught him a trade that would serve him well after his father’s death when Josiah Spode was only 6 years old. However, this death only seemed to inspire the young Spode. Spode became an apprentice to one of the most reputable potters of that day. There, Spode would stay until his 21st birthday. Shortly after, Spode would start his own business. Perhaps the greatest legacy Spode left for the world today was his discovery of the recipe for Fine Bone China.

Today, England still remains the leader in Fine Bona China. With traditional family recipes being passed from one generation to the next, England offers sophistication and superb quality to all the Fine Bone China it produces. The Fine Bone China produced offers a dignified excellence to the purchaser. Even today Fine Bone China manufacturers pride themselves in bringing us simply the best of what England has to offer in collectibles and tableware.

As is obvious, China is a word that brings forth images of true beauty and true grace. Whether you consider the country or creation of tableware and collectibles, China is a marvellous example of human spirit and fulfilment. Whether you choose to explore a possible vacation of the beautifully, exotic China or if you choose to decorate your home and dinner table with the best china in the world, China will forever hold special meaning to our spirit.

About the Author:
Steve Thomas writes about China and maintains a China resource website at www.chinaa.co.uk

2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games Medals

2008-08-25T03:16:00.000-07:00

2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games Medals

Summer Games Medals

Total Medals
Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	36	38	36	110
2	China	51	21	28	100
3	Russia	23	21	28	72
4	Britain	19	13	15	47
5	Australia	14	15	17	46
6	Germany	16	10	15	41
7	France	7	16	17	40
8	South Korea	13	10	8	31
9	Italy	8	10	10	28
10	Ukraine	7	5	15	27
11	Japan	9	6	10	25
12	Cuba	2	11	11	24
13	Belarus	4	5	10	19
14t	Spain	5	10	3	18
14t	Canada	3	9	6	18
16	Netherlands	7	5	4	16
17	Brazil	3	4	8	15
18	Kenya	5	5	4	14
19	Kazakhstan	2	4	7	13
20	Jamaica	6	3	2	11
21t	Poland	3	6	1	10
21t	Hungary	3	5	2	10
21t	Norway	3	5	2	10
24	New Zealand	3	1	5	9
25t	Romania	4	1	3	8
25t	Turkey	1	4	3	8
27t	Ethiopia	4	1	2	7
27t	Denmark	2	2	3	7
27t	Azerbaijan	1	2	4	7
30t	Czech Republic	3	3	0	6
30t	Slovakia	3	2	1	6
30t	Georgia	3	0	3	6
30t	North Korea	2	1	3	6
30t	Argentina	2	0	4	6
30t	Switzerland	2	0	4	6
30t	Uzbekistan	1	2	3	6
30t	Armenia	0	0	6	6
38t	Slovenia	1	2	2	5
38t	Bulgaria	1	1	3	5
38t	Indonesia	1	1	3	5
38t	Sweden	0	4	1	5
38t	Croatia	0	2	3	5
38t	Lithuania	0	2	3	5
44t	Mongolia	2	2	0	4
44t	Thailand	2	2	0	4
44t	Zimbabwe	1	3	0	4
44t	Finland	1	1	2	4
44t	Greece	0	2	2	4
44t	Nigeria	0	1	3	4
44t	Chinese Taipei	0	0	4	4
51t	Mexico	2	0	1	3
51t	Latvia	1	1	1	3
51t	India	1	0	2	3
51t	Austria	0	1	2	3
51t	Ireland	0	1	2	3
51t	Serbia	0	1	2	3
57t	Belgium	1	1	0	2
57t	Dominican Republic	1	1	0	2
57t	Estonia	1	1	0	2
57t	Portugal	1	1	0	2
57t	Iran	1	0	1	2
57t	Trinidad and Tobago	0	2	0	2
57t	Algeria	0	1	1	2
57t	Bahamas	0	1	1	2
57t	Colombia	0	1	1	2
57t	Kyrgyzstan	0	1	1	2
57t	Morocco	0	1	1	2
57t	Tajikistan	0	1	1	2
69t	Bahrain	1	0	0	1
69t	Cameroon	1	0	0	1
69t	Panama	1	0	0	1
69t	Tunisia	1	0	0	1
69t	Chile	0	1	0	1
69t	Ecuador	0	1	0	1
69t	Iceland	0	1	0	1
69t	Malaysia	0	1	0	1
69t	Singapore	0	1	0	1
69t	South Africa	0	1	0	1
69t	Sudan	0	1	0	1
69t	Vietnam	0	1	0	1
69t	Afghanistan	0	0	1	1
69t	Egypt	0	0	1	1
69t	Israel	0	0	1	1
69t	Mauritius	0	0	1	1
69t	Moldova	0	0	1	1
69t	Togo	0	0	1	1
69t	Venezuela	0	0	1	1

Henry To Miss Beijing Olympics

2008-08-20T22:42:00.001-07:00

Henry To Miss Beijing Olympics

ATHENS triple gold medal winner Jodie Henry is expected to announce this morning that she will not defend her Olympic titles in Beijing.

Henry has struggled with motivational and physical problems in recent times, and met national head coach Alan Thompson yesterday to discuss whether she would be ready to compete at next month's Olympic selection trials in Sydney.

While Thompson confirmed that he told Henry to "sleep on" a few questions he posed, he added she had not told him her decision yet, and that she was scheduled to do so today.

But late yesterday Henry's management company issued a statement saying that the 24-year-old would make an announcement in Brisbane this morning regarding her future. It is believed the announcement would not be a retirement one, but instead would say that due to her illness and the resulting impact it has had on limiting her training, she would not be ready to compete at the trials, and as such cannot make the team to Beijing.

Henry, who won gold in the 100 metres freestyle and anchored two relays to gold in Greece in 2004, has been plagued with problems in recent times.

The first were motivational, and saw her move late last year from long-time coach Shannon Rollason in Canberra to her home city of Brisbane. She first joined Simon Cusack at Indooroopilly, only to discover he trained in a 25m pool, which led her to swap coaches again, this time joining Rollason's former assistant Drew McGregor, at her old pool, Chandler.

But following her return north, Henry began suffering from a debilitating "mystery illness" which was only recently diagnosed as an imbalance in the muscle group around her pelvis.

"Let me first say that this is not the end of Jodie Henry," Thompson said. "She is definitely not retiring from swimming."

. She would inform him today whether or not she would compete at the Sydney trials.

"I think the emotions that I see in Jodie are frustration but also relief," he continued. "She's frustrated that this has happened in an Olympic year and so close to the trials. But what is a great relief to her is that they have finally found an answer.

"They went through a raft of doctors and specialists, and underwent so many tests, all trying to find out what the problem exactly was, and to now finally know, and start treating the problem, it is a great relief for her.

"She has still been able to train each day, but with varying degrees of pain, ranging from being an annoyance to unbearable pain. I don't know which way she will go, that is for Jodie to decide."

Chinese Lu Edges The Gold Medal At Men's Vault Final

2008-08-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

Chinese Lu Edges The Gold Medal At Men's Vault

Gold medal winner Lu Bin at the awarding ceremony

(BEIJING, December 2) -- Lu Bin of China took the gold medal in the vault final with a total score of 16.525 points on Sunday evening at the Good Luck Beijing 2007 Gymnastics International Invitational Tournament.

Flavius Koczi of Romania earned the silver medal, and Makoto Okiguchi came in third.

Lu Bin won four gold medals in total at the gymnastics invitational for the pommel horse, still rings, vault, and men's team events.

Final action of Lu's landing

Top winners at the awarding ceremony

Bronze winner Japanese Makoto Okiguchi in action

Bronze winner Japanese Makoto Okiguchi in action

Bronze winner Japanese Makoto Okiguchi in action

Silver winner Flavius Koczi of Romania in action

Top gymnast in men's vault qualifications Chinese Liang Mingsheng fells down in final

Top three winners at the awarding ceremony

Chinese Lu Edges The Gold Medal At Men's Vault Final

Ilchecko Takes Gold In Women's 10km Marathon Swimming

2008-08-19T22:45:00.000-07:00

Larisa Ilchenko poses with her gold medal.Larisa Ilchenko of Russia won the Women's 10km Marathon Swimming title at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on Wednesday.

Larisa Ilchenko clocked 1 hour 59 minutes and 27.7 seconds, followed by Keri-Anne Payne in second and Cassandra Patten in third. Both Payne and Patten are from Great Britain.

Larisa Ilchenko competes

Larisa Ilchenko gears up to the finish line

Larisa Ilchenko celebrates her victory

Polyakov Has High Hope Hor Beijing Olympics

2008-08-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

Kazakhstan

's Vladislav Polyakov poses with his gold medal following the award ceremony for the men's 50m breaststroke swimming finals at the 15th Asian Games in Doha December 3, 2006.

Athens Olympian Vladislav Polyakov said he would like a podium finish in the Beijing Olympic Games less than two years away after he overcame Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima to win the 50m breaststroke in Asiad here on Sunday.

Polyakov brought Kazakhstan the only second swimming gold in Asian Games history and the first here, pulling off the 50m breaststroke title in 28.29 seconds before Kitajima, who bagged silver with nine hundredths of a second behind.

The 23-year-old marketing major from the University of Alabama said he was proud to win for his country and has planned to do well in the Beijing Olympics.

"In Athens I was new and nobody knew me. I was surprised that I was qualified for the final and finished fifth," said the 23-year- old Polyakov, who came fifth in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke in the 2004 Olympics when Kitajima triumphed in both events.

"In Beijing, I will try to win a medal but the competition is very tough with Brendan Hanson, the world record holder in 100m and 200m," he said. "But I look forward to a podium finish."

"Everyone knows that it will be a high competition," he added.

China On Top At Gymnastics Worlds

2008-08-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

China

's Cheng Fei celebrates on the podium her gold medal won on the floor as her compatriot and gold medallist in the parallel bar event Yang Wei (L) looks on at the 39th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, October 21, 2006

Aarhus, Denmark - Yang Wei and Cheng Fei claimed two more gold as China lay the groundwork for the 2008 Beijing Games by bringing their tally to an unprecedented eight titles on the final day of the world gymnastics championships.

No one could match the Chinese as the United States suffered their worst world showing since 1999, with Japan's Hiroyuki Tomita, the defending all-around champion, failing to lift his Olympic title-winning team.

As the new judging system made its debut for the first time at a global competition, three new country's won their first ever world titles.Fifteen-year-old Vanessa Ferrari won Italy's first women's gold in the all-around as Elizabeth Tweddle won Britain's first with her uneven bars success and Australia's Philippe Rizzo on the high bar.

But the stars of the championships were the Chinese, and in particular Yang and Cheng who wrapped up the competition by winning the parallel bars and floor respectively on Saturday.Between them they helped their country to six titles out of the 14 on offer during the week.

Yang, 26, was the most successful man, winning three gold. He helped China defend their men's team title ahead of Russia and Olympic champions Japan. And after having to settle for second best so often in individual events at worlds he took the all-around gold ahead of title-holder Tomita and Germany's Fabian Hambuechen.

"This is the best result for us in the history of gymnastics. I wouldn't say I'm surprised though," said Yang, the all-around silver medallist at the 2000 Olympics and 2003 world championships.

"I can only congratulate the team and hope we do as good as this in Beijing." Cheng, 18, closed her championship with an acrobatic floor routine which gave her a third title.

Despite failing to make the all-around final she defended her vault crown and helped China win their first women's team title at the expense of the injury-hit US defending champions with Russia finishing third. Chen Yibing, 22, won rings gold, as Xiao Qin, 21, successfully defended the pommel horse on Friday.

Romania, after a slow start to their campaign, were lifted to second on the medals table by veteran Marian Dragulescu's floor and vault gold.

The Romanians finished with four medals - two gold, a silver and a bronze. The US were seventh best with five silver and one bronze, just ahead of Japan with three medals - two silver and a bronze.

Their men's team had their worst ever showing, failing to qualify for the team final after finishing 13th in preliminaries, with their only medal a bronze won by Alexander Artemev on the pommel horse.

The US women, who at the 2005 worlds, won nine medals - four gold, four silver and one bronze - were hit by injuries.

Chellsie Memmel was forced to withdraw from her all-around title defence because of a shoulder injury, while Anastasia Liukin was limited to the team event and her uneven bars defence.

Liukin was shocked by Tweddle on that apparatus and took silver, with Alicia Sacramone, failing to defend her floor title, and winning silver on the vault behind Cheng.

Again it was Cheng who ended the final US title hope on the floor. She scored 15.875 to push all-around silver medallist Jana Bieger (15.550) into silver medal position. "I did the best I could," said Bieger, the most successful American after also winning silver in the all-around and team.

Ferrari, who single-handedly lifted Italy to fourth on the medals table, took her second bronze Saturday a day after her third on the uneven bars. But she missed out on a medal on the beam as, like in the all-around final, she fell from that apparatus to finish sixth in an event won by Ukraine's Iryna Krasnianska.

Australia were third best as a result of 25-year-old Rizzo's gold and Prashanth Sellathurai's pommel horse silver on Friday. Rizzo scored 16.125 to push defending champion Aljaz Pegan of Slovenia into silver-medal position, 15.900, with Greece's Vlasios Maras taking bronze.

Earlier Yang took parallel bars gold ahead of Tomita, who had to settle for joint silver with South Korea's Yoo Won Chul. Tomita also finished second in the all-around after losing his title to Yang.

Dragulescu, meanwhile, claimed his sixth world gold. A day after winning his third world floor title the 26-year-old from Bucharest took his third vault gold with a combined 16.487 after two jumps. Dimitri Kaspiarovich of Belarus took silver (16.312) with Hambuechen taking bronze

Lee Chong Wei Biography

2008-08-18T00:26:00.000-07:00

Profile

Athlete Biography

Lee Chong Wei

MAS - Malaysia

Date of Birth:	Oct 21 1982	Height(cm/ft in):	170cm / 5'7"
Gender:	Male	Weight(kg/lbs):	60 kg / 132 lbs
Place of Birth:	Georgetown (Malaysia)
Sport:	Badminton
Event(s):	Men's Singles

Historical Results

Competition Highlights: Note: A complete explanation of data type and depth can be found in the Additional Information section of the biography

Rank	Event	Year	Venue
Olympic Games
Last 16	Singles	2004	Athens, GRE
World Championships
3	Singles	2005	Anaheim, CA, USA
Quarterfinal	Singles	2006	Madrid, ESP
Last 16	Singles	2007	Kuala Lumpur, MAS
Asian Championships
1	Singles	2006	Johor Baharu, MAS
Quarterfinal	Singles	2007	Johor Baharu, MAS
World Grand Prix
1	Singles	2008	Aviva Singapore Open
1	Singles	2008	Proton Malaysia Open
1	Singles	2007	French Open
1	Singles	2007	Yonex Japan Open
1	Singles	2007	Philippine Open
1	Singles	2007	Djarum Indonesia Open
1	Singles	2006	Proton Eon Malaysia Open
1	Singles	2006	Swiss Open
1	Singles	2005	Realkredit Denmark Open
1	Singles	2005	Proton Eon Malaysia Open
1	Singles	2004	Chinese Taipei Open
1	Singles	2004	Proton Eon Malaysia Open
2	Singles	2008	Wilson Swiss Open
2	Singles	2007	Hong Kong Open
2	Singles	2007	China Open
2	Singles	2006	Hong Kong Open
2	Singles	2006	Macau Open
2	Singles	2006	Chinese Taipei Open
2	Singles	2004	Aviva Singapore Open
3	Singles	2008	Yonex All England Open
3	Singles	2007	Denmark Open
3	Singles	2007	China Masters
3	Singles	2006	Yonex Japan Open
3	Singles	2006	Yonex All England Open
3	Singles	2005	Hong Kong Open
3	Singles	2005	Yonex All England Open
3	Singles	2005	German Open
Sudirman Cup
6	Team	2007	Glasgow, GBR
Thomas & Uber Cup
3	Team	2008	Jakarta, INA
3	Team	2006	Japan

Lin Dan Biography

2008-08-18T00:19:00.001-07:00

Profile

Athlete Biography
Lin Dan

CHN - China

Date of Birth:	Oct 14 1983	Height(cm/ft in):	178cm / 5'10"
Gender:	Male	Weight(kg/lbs):	70 kg / 154 lbs
Place of Birth:	Longyan (China)
Residence:	(China)
Sport:	Badminton
Event(s):	Men's Singles

Historical Results

Competition Highlights: Note: A complete explanation of data type and depth can be found in the Additional Information section of the biography

Rank	Event	Year	Venue
Olympic Games
Last 32	Singles	2004	Athens, GRE
World Championships
1	Singles	2007	Kuala Lumpur, MAS
1	Singles	2006	Madrid, ESP
2	Singles	2005	Anaheim, CA, USA
Asian Championships
3	Singles	2008	Johor Baharu, MAS
World Grand Prix
1	Singles	2008	SCG Thailand Grand Prix Gold
1	Singles	2008	Wilson Swiss Open
1	Singles	2007	Hong Kong Open
1	Singles	2007	Denmark Open
1	Singles	2007	China Masters
1	Singles	2007	Yonex All England Open
1	Singles	2007	German Open
1	Singles	2007	Noonnoppi Korea Open
1	Singles	2006	Yonex Japan Open
1	Singles	2006	Hong Kong Open
1	Singles	2006	Macau Open
1	Singles	2006	Chinese Taipei Open
1	Singles	2006	Yonex All England Open
1	Singles	2005	Hong Kong Open
1	Singles	2005	China Masters
1	Singles	2005	Yonex Japan Open
1	Singles	2005	German Open
1	Singles	2004	China Open
1	Singles	2004	German Open
1	Singles	2004	Realkredit Denmark Open
1	Singles	2004	Yonex All England Open
1	Singles	2004	Swiss Open
2	Singles	2008	Yonex All England Open
2	Singles	2008	YONEX Korea Open
2	Singles	2006	Proton Eon Malaysia Open
2	Singles	2005	Proton Eon Malaysia Open
2	Singles	2005	Yonex All England Open
3	Singles	2007	French Open
3	Singles	2007	Yonex Japan Open
3	Singles	2007	Swiss Open
3	Singles	2006	China Open
3	Singles	2006	China Masters
3	Singles	2006	German Open
3	Singles	2005	Aviva Singapore Open
3	Singles	2004	Djarum Indonesia Open
3	Singles	2004	Yonex Japan Open
Sudirman Cup
1	Team	2007	Glasgow, GBR
1	Team	2005	Beijing, CHN
Thomas & Uber Cup
1	Team	2008	Jakarta, INA
1	Team	2006	Japan

OLYMPICS 2008: Lin Dan Outclasses Chong Wei For Badminton Gold

2008-08-18T00:05:00.001-07:00

BEIJING, Aug 17:

The much-coveted Olympics gold eluded Malaysia's reach again after Lee Choong Wei was left clutching the silver from a sound thrashing by China's Lin Dan in the showdown for the badminton men's singles crown.

The entire nation was riveted on the match waiting to celebrate finally a gold but the 41-minute bout was such an anti-climax.

Chong Wei was outclassed by the reigning two-time world champion who was in superb control all the way and led from start to finish to wrap the gold medal for his first time at 21-12, 21-8.

Lin Dan is the first world champion to be crowned Olympic champion.

Chong Wei conceded that it was his easiest defeat ever to Lin Dan after more than a dozen meetings.
"I felt some pressure but that was not a factor. I lost and I have no excuses. Lin Dan played very well tonight," said the 26-year-old Chong Wei, who is the first Malaysian singles to enter the Olympics final.

"I could not match his speed and I could not get around him no matter how. Coach asked to me speed up the game but I just couldn't," he said when asked what instructions he got from coach Misbun Sidek during the break.

Chong Wei's second finishing raises Malaysia's Olympic medal tally to two silvers and two bronzes.

In 1992, brothers Razif and Jalani Sidek clinched a bronze. In 1996, Cheah Soon Kit and partner, Yap Kim Hock -- now national head coach, got a silver, and Rashid Sidek added a single's bronze.

Asked if he will stay on for a third Olympics, Chong Wei said he will look to the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou for now.

"Though we didn't win gold, national badminton has achieved the pinnacle at this prestigious games. We will try again at London Olympics," said Badminton Association of Malaysia president Datuk Nadzmi Salleh.

Lin Dan delighted the home crowd with his sharp smashes that sent Chong Wei diving to the left and right and he was preening with confidence from easily reeling off point after point to stretch the gap from 7-1 to 13-5 to reach game point in the first at 20-10.

In the second, Lin Dan whipped up an 8-0 lead before he sent a hasty backhand into the net to break the duck for Chong Wei but he never lost his domination one bit and cried as he hugged his coaches and saluted the crowds after the victory.

The only thing he lost tonight were his shoes which he threw joyfully to the home fans.

"It was the best match I have played in my career," said Lin Dan, adding that he was mentally prepared to be satisfied with a silver because his Malaysian rival was currently among the world's best.

His win marks the second time China lifted the men's singles crown after Ji Xinpeng in Sydney in 2000 and erases Lin Dan's embarrassing first round exit from the Athens Games four years ago where he was also the favourites.

The victory also gave China a repeat of their three gold haul from Athens. Besides the men's singles, China won the women's singles and women's doubles.

Indonesia took the men's doubles title and South Korea the mixed double gold.

Lee Chong Wei vs Lin Dan Singles Final

2008-08-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

Lee Chong Wei vs Lin Dan Singles Final

BEIJING: Lee Chong Wei has secured at least a silver medal for Malaysia in the Beijing Olympics.

The national one shuttler and second seed for the men's singles event here defeated South Korean Lee Hyun-il 21-18, 13-21, 21-13 in the semi-finals Friday at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium.

Chong Wei will now take on top seeded Lin Dan from China in the final Sunday.The Chinese player beat his compatriot Chen Jin 21-12, 21-18 in the other last four men's singles clash.
By booking his place in the final, which will be played on Sunday, the 26-year-old Penangite now stands to pocket at least RM300,000 as an incentive from the Govvernment.

If he manages to win Malaysia's first ever Olympic gold, Chong Wei will pocket a whopping RM1mil.Malaysia has won a total of three Olympic medals thus far - one silver and two bronze medals - which were all delivered by shuttlers.Before the last four clash here, the record between Chong Wei and Lee was even for this year.

Chong Wei beat Lee in the Malaysian Open final in three games.When they next clashed in the Korean Open, Lee whipped Chong Wei in the second round and went on to beat world number one Lin Dan in a three-game thriller for the title.Chong Wei is the only Malaysian shuttler still in the fray in Bejing. The other Malaysians all failed to shine.

Veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah lost in the men's doubles first round to second ranked Koreans Lee Jae-jin-Hwang Ji-man.Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong lost in the last eight to Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia.

Wong Mew Choo lost in the quater-finals of the women's singles event 7-21, 27-29 to China's Lu Lan.Wong Choon Hann lost to Taiwan's Hsieh Yu-hsing 17-21,18-21 in the third round of the men's singles event.

Michael Phelps: Life In Fhe Fast Lane

2008-08-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

Michael Phelps: Life In The Fast Lane

The deep gulps of air and fighting back of tears as Michael Phelps stood proudly upon the podium as US anthem the Star Spangled Banner rang around the Water Cube said it all.

It is a sound the 23-year-old American swimmer knows all too well. After winning the Men's 200 meters Butterfly final -- Phelps's fourth gold medal of the Beijing Olympic Games, each on a world record time -- another superlative can justifiably be added to the growing list of adjectives used to describe this amazing athlete: legend.

Phelps powered his way into Olympic history at Beijing 2008 to become the first person to ever win 10 Olympic gold medals. "I just kept thinking wow, I'm the greatest Olympian of all time, It's a pretty great title. It's pretty neat, I'm definitely honored."

"Listening to the anthem, with the medal around your neck is an amazing feeling," said Phelps, after his tenth record medal. "I am almost at a loss for words. Growing up I always wanted to be an Olympian."

He is the classic wholesome all-American boy who, for an added twist of tension, even had the audacity to win the 200 meters Butterfly despite a goggle malfunction which affected his vision.

"When my goggles filled up there was nothing I could do. All I could do at that point was swim. I tried to see something at the 150 wall. I tried to see the T on the bottom to judge my turn. I was more or less trying to count my strokes, hoping I was dead on. I'm just disappointed because I know I can go faster than that."

(Photo credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Faster was precisely what Phelps and his colleagues in the USA Men's 4 x 200 Freestyle team did to add an 11th gold to his list an hour after clinching the all-important tenth. They shattered another world record – Michael's 30th - by slashing an amazing 4.68 seconds off their own previous world record.

His 11 gold medals in total stand two clear of the previous best – the nine-gold-medal club consisting of four athletes: Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, Ukrainian gymnast Larysa Latynina, US swimmer Mark Spitz and sprinter Carl Lewis.

"When you have an Olympic Gold medal, it stays with you forever. You're always an Olympic gold medalist. It's amazing and it definitely never gets old."

Indeed by the time the Beijing 2008 swimming competition concludes Phelps could also become the first person ever to win eight gold medals at a single Olympic Games, surpassing Mark Spitz's seven at Munich in 1972 and ratcheting up his overall tally to 14 gold medals.

Small wonder one of his friends sent him a cheeky text message after seeing Phelps step onto the podium for the tenth time: "Dude, how many times a day do I have to see your ugly face?"

At Athens 2004 Phelps took eight medals -- a feat only achieved by one other athlete, Russian gymnast Alexander Dityatin, in Moscow in 1980.

Perhaps the most staggering thing is that, at 23 years old, Phelps is feasibly young enough to add more Olympic medals to his collection should he decide to carry on until London 2012.

So who is Michael Fred Phelps and what makes him the greatest Olympian in history?

Born in Baltimore in the US state of Maryland, Phelps – known as the Baltimore Bullet -- suffered Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as a teenager and trained at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman, who was later an assistant coach to the US swimming team at Athens 2004.

He was a talented junior swimmer who became the youngest-ever US swimmer to compete in the Olympic Games when he represented his country at the age of 15 at the Sydney 2000 Games in the Men's 200 meters Butterfly. A few months later, at 15 years and nine months, he became the youngest man to set a swimming world record, again in the 200 meters Butterfly.

His first World Championship gold medal came in 2001, but the big breakthrough year was 2003, when Phelps won four gold medals and two silver at the World Championships in Barcelona.

At Athens 2004, Phelps extended that to six gold medals and two bronze (swimwear manufacturers Speedo offered Phelps one million dollars if he won all eight medals – an offer which has stayed on the table for Beijing 2008).

Indeed a succession of lucrative sponsorship deals meant Phelps could no longer train as an amateur, so when Bowman moved to coach at the University of Michigan in 2004, Phelps followed too and trained at a local swimming club in Ann Arbor called Club Wolverine.

Phelps has vowed not to work under any other coach than Bowman. "I don't think I would be where I am today with any other coach. He's always on top of things. We've been through a lot."

He maintained his grip as the world's No. 1 swimmer by winning four gold and two silver at the 2005 World Championships and then six gold medals at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Then came this week's incredible record-breaking feats.

The bad news for Phelps's rivals is that he hasn't lost his thirst for more titles.

"This is something we've been preparing for over the past four years. The hard work is paying off and it's starting to show."

That is surely the understatement of Beijing 2008. Debate among sports columnists will rage about whether Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all time. Conjecture, of course ... but the record book is firmly on his side.

Full name: Michael Fred Phelps

Date of birth: June 30, 1985 (age 23)

Place of birth: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Strokes: Butterfly, Individual Medley, Freestyle, Backstroke

Height; 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

Weight; 195 pounds (88 kg)

Club: Wolverine, University of Michigan

For More information :-

http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/special/features/n214538178.shtml

Olympic Beijing China 08.08.2008

2008-08-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

Nobody Could Protest The Lego Olympics

2008-08-08T21:10:00.001-07:00

HKLUG Big Fans of Mini Sport City 2008

LEGO Sport City.
HKLUG presents LEGO Sport City. It is currently one of the most amazing LEGO productions ever in China. The theme of this city is the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Swimming Cube, Nest Sports Ground and Sport Village were built as a landmark of this LEGO city. 300,000 bricks and 4,500 mini-figures are used to construct a 3m x 8m artistic show. HKLUG would like to promote LEGO creative culture to local public as well as promote China to international by LEGO.

HKLUG – Hong Kong LEGO User Group
HKLUG was founded in 2007 with “Play Well; Play Pro” as the origin and the cornerstone for all its creativities promotions.

Supporting Casts
Coordinator: Hot
City Planner: Simon
Nest Sports Ground Designer: BreadMing
Swimming Cube Designer: Vincent
Sport Village Designer: ChiuKeung
Residence Building Designer: AndyBear
Equestrianism Designer: Hudson
Ancient Greek Designer: WaiKee
Helpers: Raymond, Kenny, Rex, Patrick, Mr. On, Mr. T, Boey, Hazel, SuperB, Vegeta, AntonyTam, BadLeo, DogJumpJump, Ivan, Schfio, Phantom, Habour, MingMing, Mic, AntonyLau, Queenie, Roni, Sabina, Rosanna, Iki, BoKingWan, Junnie, Yvonne, LHK

Nest Sports Ground

Swimming Cube

Sport Village

Residence Buildings

Equestrianism

Ancient Greek

Olympic Medals A Story In Globalization, And Business

2008-08-07T01:55:00.001-07:00

Olympic Medals A Story In Globalization, And Business

The first Olympic medal ceremony took place Thursday near Tiananmen Square, as the 6,000 gold, silver, and bronze medals were formally presented to organizers of the Beijing games.

Assembled in a mint in Shanghai and a product of Melbourne-based BHP Billiton Ltd., the metals themselves are a story in globalization. The gold and silver medals are comprised of silver from Australia (the gold medals are plated with gold from Chile) while the bronze medals are smelted from Chilean copper. A ring of Chinese jade from the Qinghai province adorns each.

The combined lode cost BHP, the world's largest mining company, over $1 million in raw materials. Although the company declined to comment on the specific values of the medals, the rising cost of commodities was not enough to deter the mining giant.

For one, the Olympic sponsorship was merely a drop in the bucket for BHP, a billion-dollar corporation. Second, for BHP, it's all about the big picture. Iron ore -- not gold, silver, or bronze -- is the BHP's primary product, and while the company and China have tussled in the past, China comprises 20 percent of BHP's business (already up from 12.5 percent when the agreement was announced in 2005). Apparently, a little Olympic goodwill can go a long way.

Obama Endorses Beijing Olympics

2008-08-07T01:48:00.000-07:00

Obama Endorses Beijing Olympics

Well, sort of. The seemingly ubiquitous presidential candidate has shelled out $5 million to join McDonalds and Anheuser-Busch as major advertiser during NBC's coverage of next month's Olympics.

The ad buy is the largest by any presidential candidate on network television in the last 16 years, AdAge reports:

While Rudy Giuliani's campaign did a tiny buy to air political ads on "Fox News Sunday" in consecutive weeks, the Obama campaign's spending on the high-rated and expensive Olympics top anything that has been done on network TV by presidential candidates in years

That's why many athletes are staying in South Korea and Japan for as long as possible to avoid Beijing's smog. The U.S. Olympic Committee is even providing protective masks for American athletes. And where does the IOC stand on ozone and particulate levels that might interfere with some of the outdoor events? Here's Gunilla Lindberg, an IOC vice president: Traditionally, campaigns target cheaper cable ads in crucial swing states. The last candidate to buck the trend was Bob Dole in 1996. Flush with youthful exuberance and record-breaking cash on hand, the Obama team thinks its campaign will meet a different fate than Dole's.

Beijing, IOC Growing Desperate On Air Pollution

2008-08-07T01:38:00.000-07:00

Beijing, IOC Growing Desperate On Air Pollution

With the 2008 Olympic Games just 10 days away, Beijing officials are scrambling to improve the city's awful air quality. One drastic measure that city officials are considering would essentially ban 90 percent of private-owned automobiles from the roads. This comes after an initial ban has already forced residents to drive every other day.

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Commmittee has been setting a "gold standard" for unfounded praise of the Chinese capital. Just look at this press release from early July:

The city feels ready; it looks ready, with the stunning venues all completed. The quality of preparation, the readiness of the venues and the attention to operational detail for these Games have set a gold standard for the future.

That's why many athletes are staying in South Korea and Japan for as long as possible to avoid Beijing's smog. The U.S. Olympic Committee is even providing protective masks for American athletes. And where does the IOC stand on ozone and particulate levels that might interfere with some of the outdoor events? Here's Gunilla Lindberg, an IOC vice president:

No, it doesn't really look so good, but as I said, yesterday was better. We try to be hopeful. Hopefully we are lucky during the games as we were with Atlanta, Athens and Barcelona."

Right. Barcelona and Athens were pure luck. That's why, according to the World Bank, Beijing boasted twice the particulate matter of either of those two former Olympic cities. Twice last week, the air-quality readings in the Chinese capital were nearly double the targeted levels for developing countries set by the World Health Organization.

Maybe the resourceful Chinese can turn things around by August 8, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

"Olympic" Torch Relay For Darfur Takes On China

2008-08-05T20:40:00.000-07:00

"Olympic" Torch Relay For Darfur Takes On China

A torch relay is making its way around the world, but it's not the official Olympics torch relay. It's a torch relay to highlight Olympic host China's connections to Darfur, the region of Sudan wracked with genocide. The torch relay, sponsored by Olympic Dream for Darfur, the Save Darfur Coalition, and others, has already traveled thousands of miles through past genocide sites in Rwanda, Cambodia, and Armenia.

On Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, the torch arrived in Washington, D.C., to make stops at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the White House, and the Sudanese embassy before finally converging on the Chinese embassy, as shown in this photo. From left to right at the podium are: radio personality Joe Madison (a.k.a. "the Black Eagle"); actress Mia Farrow; Motasim Adam of the Darfur People's Association of New York; Mohamed Yahya, a Darfurian with the Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy; and Olympic medalist Joey Cheek.