Changing China
Giant on the move
China opens Paralympic Games
Beijing opened the Paralympic Games in spectacular fashion on Saturday, the crowd at the Bird’s Nest roaring in approval at the lavish performance overseen by renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou.
Particularly well received was a moving ballet performance by a young girl who lost a leg in May’s massive Sichuan earthquake.
Check out the photos and click here to read Ben Blanchard’s view from the Bird’s Nest…
Farewell from the Bird’s Nest
Well, not quite the Bird’s Nest, but from the Reuters office at the Main Press Centre, just down the road.
Thanks for coming by and making this blog such a lively place during the Olympics. It might not quite be the end — the blog will still be here, the comments will remain open and we may well have a few more posts on Games-related issues — but I’m on my way out of Beijing (the office is being dismantled around me, as you can see).
Thanks too to China for hosting such a great Games, and to all my colleagues from Reuters text and pictures who posted here.
Destiny of the Bird\’s Nest and the World Economy
Bird\’s Nest is an architectural achievement besides the glory it has brought to the Olympics and China. What will happen to the $450M structure? It would be a shame to let it just fade in history. Perhaps this blog and all blogs related to the Bird\’s Nest should direct their comments to creative ideas on how to make use of the Bird’s Nest for the 21st century.
As a starter, I would suggest to the Chinese government (major world traders and UN) to consider offering (asking) it for housing a meaningful UN presence at the Bird’s Nest and an economical stimulus program which is designed to stimulate the weakened global economy and to sustain a healthy world economical development for decades to come.
For this purpose, a recent article, entitled, Global Barter Stimulus Program,
http://www.mwsearch.com/GlobalBarterStim ulusProgram.html,
is a relevant proposal in which it has Presented an idea of stimulating and sustaining the global economy via a country to country large scale bartering program to immediately guarantee credits and trades to each other to stimulate the economy of the participating bartering countries and the global commerce. The use of the Bird’s Nest for such an idea by setting up a permanent world bartering arena, inviting global major trading countries to participate (rotating and continuous) and stimulating global commerce may be a timely idea with immediate effective impact to the global economy. Hence, it may be a worthy proposal for China, major world traders and UN to consider. Bloggers\’ wisdom are called to add their comments to accelerate the realization of a meaningful proposal. Then perhaps, the Bird’s Nest will become a giant hatching nest to hatch deals to sustain global economy and world economical development.
Dr. Wordman, NY, USA
Http://www.mwsearch.com/GlobalBarterStim ulusProgram.html
Snapshot Beijing, 7: Bolt breaks the unbreakable world record
My abiding memory from these Games will be watching Usain Bolt give everything he had to break a world record most of us had thought unbreakable.
Michael Johnson’s time of 19.32 in the 200 metres had never been seriously challenged before the Jamaican sprinter, a headline writer’s dream, decided it was finally time to get down to some serious work.
Bolt had won the 100 metres, and broken the world record, with ridiculous ease on the Saturday to set the Games alight. He was running so well that he had time to ease up well before the line and still record a commanding win.
I think above the players had practiced heavely and its confidence will give them a prizes.
Olympic fever hits London
Riding a wave of sporting euphoria after its best Olympic performance in a century, Britain accepted Olympic host-nation status from China on Sunday with a huge street party in front of Buckingham Palace.
Owen Wyatt catches up with Olympic gold medallists Michael Phelps and Bradley Wiggins as London throbbed with 40,000 partygoers at a live concert to start the countdown to the London 2012 Olympics.
Britan is the next host nation to organize the Olympic 2012,is really auspicious matter to the Briton.The sports lovers from every corner of the world will remain eager as well as avid that, how the sports person of Britain will perform in Managing the numbers of medals? Also it will be asked that,whether the scoring of Britain will be significant as compared to China or not? It is although expeced that,Britain must do better as being host-nation.
Beijing 2008: Were these the best Games ever?
The Beijing Olympic Games closed on Sunday, as China passed on the flame to London.
Former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch was in the habit of describing each Games as “the best ever”, with the notable exception of Atlanta in 1996.
His successor Jacques Rogge does not go in for such superlatives. He described Athens in 2004 as “unforgettable, dream Games” and on Sunday he pronounced the verdict on Beijing, saying they had provided “an exceptional Games”.
These were truly the greatest games of all time. The passion, energy, time and imagination put into it’s organization and execution was truly legendary! These games provided for me the greatest memories that any olympics ever will because they had elements to them that all others will lack. The controversies, the competition between the current and future superpower, the unbelievable record shattering performances from the athletes, and the most stunning opening and closing ceremonies. It’s not just any olympics where a 5000 years old society with 1.3 billion people opens up to the world! oh and the paralympics were just as memorable.
Beijing podcast — day 16
Join us for the 16th and last podcast from the Beijing Olympics. We cast an eye back over the best moments of the Games, discuss Beijing’s world ranking and look ahead to quite a contrast with the next Olympics in London.
Julian Linden, Belinda Goldsmith, Nick Mulvenney and Robert F Woodward join me for the festivities. And Laura, that line at the start is really only a joke…
http://mediacdn.reuters.com/blogs/2008-0 8-24/14.25.01-88da3667cdfb347b1020c5ecfc 6f268c.flv
Snapshot Beijing, 2: Matthias Steiner
Continuing our look at the golden moments from the Games, Sophie Hardach tells us what it was like watching the heart-wrenching story of weightlifter Matthias Steiner unfold.
Sophie writes:
Story of day 15: Mitcham’s amazing dive
Matthew Mitcham did two surprising things in Beijing. He scooped a gold medal from the apparently invincible Chinese diving team and told anyone who asked that he is gay.
Mitcham broke down in tears after a nearly perfect last dive edged him above the Chinese favourite into top place. It was the eighth and last medal in a sport that the host nation utterly dominates and was expected to sweep.
Mitcham is as fearless talking about his personal life as he is on the board.
Beijing Games: picture of the day
Rickey Rogers writes: Pictures of sports idols don’t get much better than this one. Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona kisses the hand of modern-day Brazilian idol Ronaldinho.
The rivalry between their countries, their differences in personality and the arrogance for which Maradona is known all make this fraction of a second one that in the sports world speaks volumes.
The original caption reads: Former Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona kisses the hand of Ronaldinho of Brazil after the medal ceremony for men’s soccer at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 23, 2008. REUTERS/Alfred Cheng Jin
is not good…really a…maradona – ronaldinho ..hehehe..is good ..hehe..ronaldinho – maradona
Spare a thought for He in gymnastics row (Update)
Whatever the results of the investigation into the date of birth of He Kexin, China’s double Olympic gold medallist, I hope we don’t lose sight of the fact that even in the event of any subterfuge the gymnast herself would not be the one to blame.
The International Olympic Committee has asked the gymnastics federation to check He’s date of birth of following claims that she might be under the minimum age to compete.
He herself was given a pretty rough ride by reporters during press conferences at these Games, with at least one journalist trying to catch her out by asking her what her star sign was.
She has also been asked to “prove” in a press conference that she really was 16. You can’t help wondering how she was supposed to do that.
Stryde Hax’s evidence is completely worthless. He wasn’t even aware of the birthplace discrepancy until someone who could read Chinese pointed it out to him. Other than the fact that the Chinese gymnasts look young, is there ANY actual evidence that they ARE underage? Anything?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtB5VLxOB sQ
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so cool…