THE MEMBERS

The first membership list of the IOC in 1894 included a total of 15 individuals, but the number today is currently 110, including the President and the Executive Board. At present, the IOC also has one Honorary President, 25 honorary members and 2 honour members. The composition of the IOC’s general membership today is reflective of the important part that is also played by the other segments of the Olympic family. This is demonstrated via the current Olympic Charter stipulation that 15 representatives of the different Olympic family constituents (individuals holding leadership positions within an IF, NOC or athlete members of the Athletes’ Commission) can become IOC members. Forty-four of the IOC’s current members have taken part in the Olympic Games as athletes, of whom 26 are medallists. In more recent years, the IOC membership has also evolved in terms of gender. In 1981, Pirjo Häggman and Flor Isava Fonseca were the first women to be elected as IOC members, and today there are 16 in the IOC, of whom Mrs Gunilla Lindberg is Vice-President, while the others are members or honorary members.

THE PRESIDENTS

It is a common misconception that, as the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin was also the first IOC President. Instead, following the original stipulation that the President should be from the country hosting the upcoming Games, it was the Greek Demetrius Vikelas who was the first IOC President. The original rule was quickly replaced, however, and modifications to it can be found in the various editions of the Olympic Charter. As a result, the number of individuals who have held the position of IOC President has been few, and the period of their presidency has varied considerably. Today, in accordance with Rule 20 of the Olympic Charter, the President is elected by secret ballot for a period of eight years, with the possibility of a single extension of four years.

What is OCOGs?

The Organisation of the Olympic Games is entrusted by the IOC to the NOC of the country of the host city as well as to the host city itself. The NOC forms, for that purpose, an Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG), which, from the time it is constituted, communicates directly with the IOC, from whichit receives instructions. The OCOG executive body includes: the IOC member or members in the country; the President and Secretary General of the NOC; and at least one member representing, and designated by the host city. The OCOG must undertake its work in accordance with the Olympic Charter and the Host City Contract concluded between the IOC, the NOC and the city. Some of the aspects of an OCOG’s work include:
• to give equal treatment to every sport on the programme and ensure that competitions are held according to the rules of the IFs;
The Olympic Movement/February 2008 Page 4/4
• to choose and, if necessary, create the required facilities, competition sites, stadiums and training halls, and to arrange for the equipment required;
• to accommodate the athletes, their entourage and the officials;
• to organise the cultural events that are an essential element of the celebration of the Olympic Games.

Games of the Olympiad

Games of the Olympiad

1. Athens 1896
2. Paris 1900
3. St Louis 1904
4. London 1908
5. Stockholm 1912
6. Antwerp 1920
7. Paris 1924
8. Amsterdam 1928
9. Los Angeles 1932
10. Berlin 1936
11. London 1948
12. Helsinki 1952
13. Melbourne/Stockholm 1956
14. Rome 1960
15. Tokyo 1964
16. Mexico City 1968
17. Munich 1972
18. Montreal 1976
19. Moscow1980
20. Los Angeles 1984
21. Seoul 1988
22. Barcelona 1992
23. Atlanta 1996
24. Sydney 2000
25. Athens 2004
26. Beijing 2008
27. London 2012

Winter Games

1. 1924 Chamonix
2. 1928 St Moritz
3. 1932 Lake Placid
4. 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
5. 1948 St Moritz
6. 1952 Oslo
7. 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo
8. 1960 Squaw Valley
9. 1964 Innsbruck
10. 1968 Grenoble
11. 1972 Sapporo
12. 1976 Innsbruck
13. 1980 Lake Placid
14. 1984 Sarajevo
15. 1988 Calgary
16. 1992 Albertville
17. 1994 Lillehammer
18. 1998 Nagano
19. 2002 Salt Lake City
20. 2006 Turin
21. 2010 Vancouver
22. 2014 Sotchi

The Congress !!

By taking a look at the outcome of previous congresses, the answer to this question speaks for itself. The Varna 1973 Congress rethought concept of amateurism. The new eligibility rule for the Olympic Games authorised the financial and material assistance which had in the meantime become indispensable to elite level training, while only personal profit derived from a sports activity remained prohibited. The Baden-Baden 1981 Congress paid unprecedented attention to the concerns of the athletes. For the first time, the athletes themselves played a leading role in a Congress. The Congress in Baden-Baden thus paved the way for the creation of the IOC Athletes' Commission, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006. The 1994 Centennial Congress in Paris proved trend-setting in an area of great interest today: protection of the environment, with the environment being declared as an essential component of Olympism.

The Olympic Movement in Society
The role of the Olympic Movement in society and in all regions of the world is the guiding concept of the 13th Congress. Under this umbrella, the five themes are:

- The Athletes
- The Olympic Games
- The Structure of the Olympic Movement
- Olympism and Youth
- The Digital Revolution

The themes, chosen by the 2009 Congress Commission, will include discussions and debates on the success of the Olympic Games, the Olympic values, the social and professional life of athletes during and after high-level sports participation, good governance, ethics of the world of sport, and youth and communication in the digital age.
The themes, chosen by the 2009 Congress Commission, will include discussions and debates on the success of the Olympic Games, the Olympic values, the social and professional life of athletes during and after high-level sports participation, good governance, ethics of the world of sport, and youth and communication in the digital age.

Paralympic Sports

• Archery
• Athletics
• Boccia
• Cycling
• Equestrian
• Football 5-a-Side
• Football 7-a-Side
• Goalball
• Judo
• Powerlifting
• Rowing
• Sailing
• Shooting
• Swimming
• Table Tennis
• Volleyball Sitting
• Wheelchair Basketball
• Wheelchair Fencing
• Wheelchair Rugby
• Wheelchair Tennis

Light the Passion..

Beijing Olympic and Paralympic torch relay theme song and two theme songs for the volunteer programs were unveiled Wednesday, the 100-day countdown to the Olympic Games, at Tai Miao at the Beijing Working People's Culture Palace.

The trio songs, "Light the Passion, Share the Dream" "I am A star" and "Smile Beijing", which jumped out from nearly 80,000 contested songs, were finally released at the Fourth Olympic Songs Contest on Wednesday evening.

The "Light the Passion, Share the Dream" for the Olympic torch relay, was composed by Chris Baobida and written by Huang Xiaomao, who compared the Olympic flame to the eternal starlight, symbolizing that people, led by the light, will be united to realize the dream of friendship, hope and harmony.
One of the theme songs for the volunteers -- I am A Star – was created by famous Hong Kong music men Emil Chau and Lam Jik. Lam regards in his lyrics the volunteers to the bow and the wind, which are source of the power and success.

"It is the volunteers who are the real Olympic stars," Chau said.

Another volunteer theme song "Smile Beijing" was created by Chen Ying, who works for the Beijing Olympic Volunteers Committee. Chen expressed his hope that everyone would remember the sentence "Volunteers' smile is the best calling card for Beijing."
This song was also carried to the space by China's first lunar probe satellite Chang'e-1, which sent back the signal of the song on Dec. 4, 2007.

Temple of Heaven

The flame for the Beijing Paralympic Games will be lit on August 28 at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, as announced here in Beijing on Friday, August 22.

The nine-day Paralympic torch relay will be held from August 29 until the start of the 13th Paralympic Games, Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice-president of BOCOG, said at a press conference.
To meet the requirements of hosting equally splendid Olympic and Paralympic Games, Jiang said, the unique torch relay for the Paralympics will display the spirit of self-reliance, spread knowledge of the Paralympic Games, and raise awareness of people with disabilities.
Under the theme of "Transcendence, Integration and Equality," a total of 850 torchbearers will go on a journey of over 13,000km through an eleven-city route that has been designed to include areas that represent the modernity and ancient timelessness of China.


Temple of Heaven - the torch lighting
The lighting ceremony of the Beijing Paralympic torch relay will take place at the Temple of Heaven at 10:30 a.m., August 28, 2008. The optical focus of a concave mirror will be used to light the Paralympic flame.
The Temple of Heaven is where ancient Chinese offered sacrifices to heaven. The lighting ceremony is in line with the Chinese concept of "integrity of man and heaven" and embodies a pursuit of "harmony between man and nature." It is also in conformity with the emblem of the Beijing Paralympics, which features "sky, earth and human beings."
Two simultaneous routes
Two separate relay routes will begin in Beijing and will meet again on September 5 to continue the flame's tour of the capital before the lighting of the main cauldron at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, on September 6.
The "Ancient China" route covers the historic cities of Xi'an, Hohhot, Changsha, Nanjing and Luoyang and showcases the long history of Chinese civilization and the beautiful panorama of the host country. The "Modern China" route passes through Shenzhen, Wuhan, Shanghai, Qingdao and Dalian and highlights China's post reform and opening-up achievements.
Each leg of the Paralympic relay will be similar to that of the Olympic torch relay. There will be an opening and closing ceremony in each city, and each torchbearer will run 50 meters. Sixty torchbearers will run a total of three kilometers in one-and-a-half hours in each city. As Beijing is the host city, the relay distance and time as well as the number of the torchbearers will be more than those of other cities.
"Sky, Earth, Human Beings" - torch relay symbols
The emblem of the torch relay follows that of the Paralympic Games - "Sky, Earth and Human Beings." The Paralympic torch relay has adopted the pattern, style and design of the Beijing Olympic torch relay, but the Paralympic torch, torch lamp, cauldron, torchbearers' and escort runners' uniforms will use the emblem of the Beijing Paralympic torch relay.
Quality torchbearers selected
People with disabilities will account for about 20 percent of the 850 torchbearers who have been selected by the relay cities, the China Disabled Persons' Federation, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), and Paralympic sponsors. Most of the selecting bodies have already completed their selection work.
These torchbearers include former medalists of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, other disabled athletes, Chinese nationals devoted to the care and support of people with disabilities, Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games volunteers, and representative members from organizations that support people with disabilities.
Timely information on Olympic website
The organizers will release official information including text, pictures, television, and audio signals for the Paralympic relay. All of these services are provided to the international media free of charge. Every day the official signal producing team will produce a minimum of five minutes of video content, ten pictures, five minutes of audio content and a press release in both Chinese and English. The official television signal will also be released via the global satellite network.
The torch relay's official website will be open for those who would like to obtain more information about the relay. The official pictures, audio content and press content, as well as TV signal forms will also be issued by the website. The website guarantees a timely release of information about torch relay arrangements.

The Paralympic

Nine Paralympic delegations, from Madagascar, Algeria, Lithuania, Belgium, Slovakia, Tunisia, Thailand, Iran and Latvia, held their respective flag-raising ceremonies in the Beijing Paralympic Village on August 31.
"The Paralympic Village will strive to show humanistic care and reflect respect for different cultures and religions, in hope of making every friend here feel at home," said Cheng Hong, deputy mayor of the Paralympic Village.

On the same day, Paralympic delegations from Macedonia, Portugal, Germany, Japan and Chinese Taipei also arrived in Beijing. The delegation from Chinese Taipei will hold its flag-raising ceremony in the village on September 1.
According to Deng Yaping, spokesperson for the Paralympic Village, the renovation left intact the basic division and distribution of major functional areas, such as the international zone and residential and operation spaces

Athletes with disabilities will make up the majority of Paralympic Village residents. To better accommodate their needs, barrier-free facilities and additional services have been incorporated into the structure and organization of the Paralympic Village.

For example, in order to provide more comfort and ease for Paralympic athletes, only the first through third floors of each apartment building will be used. Tactile guide paths have been installed on sidewalks and special purpose facilities, such as the wheelchair and prosthetics repair service center, have been established.

Final Medal List

Russian team pose during the medal ceremony

Elsewhere, as expected, world champions Russia won the Rhythmic Gymnastics All Around gold medal, scoring 35.550 points in the two-routine final. China earned silver with 35.225 points and Belarus took the bronze medal with 34.900 points.

There was further medal success for the United States -- which won its third Olympic Men's Volleyball title by coming from one set down to beat defending champion Brazil, 3-1. Each set was closely contested with Brazil taking the opener 25-20, but the US bounced to take the next two sets 25-22 and 25-21. The fourth set was a thriller which swung one way then the other before the US nailed victory 25-23.

The American team went the entire tournament without defeat and the result was no surprise as they had already beat Brazil 3-0 to win the FIVB World League for the first time this year. Earlier, Russia won its third Men's Volleyball medal in three consecutive Olympic Games, winning a second straight bronze by beating Italy 25-22, 25-19, 25-23.

Not such a good day for the US in Water Polo, though. Hungary reaffirmed it dominance of Men's Water Polo by claiming its third consecutive, and ninth overall, Olympic gold medal after defeating the United States 14-10. Earlier, Serbia beat Montenegro 6-4 to take the bronze medal.

In the Men's Handball final, France took gold 28-23 to deny Iceland what would have been its first ever Olympic gold medal. Iceland's Olafur Stefansson scored a team-high of five goals out of eleven attempts while Nikola Karabatic nailed eight goals for the French team. Spain beat two-time champions Croatia 35-29 to take their third Olympic Men's Handball bronze medal.

And that was just about that. The final medal table had China on top in terms of gold medals with 51, the USA second with 36, Russia third with 21 and surprisingly, Great Britain, fourth, with 19, ahead of fifth-placed Germany's 16. In terms of overall medals, the US collected 110, in comparison to China's 100 and Russia's 72.

So that was Beijing 2008 – a Games dominated, in the opening week, by the record-breaking feats of swimmer Michael Phelps, whose eight gold medals made him the winner of more gold medals in a single Games than anyone else. The second week belonged to the triple world-record breaking exploits of sprinter Usain Bolt.

It was, of course, an amazing Games for host China, which topped the medal table with some incredible performances on home soil – too many to list here but among them, its divers, weightlifters, table tennis and badminton players in particular.

All that is left is the Closing Ceremony to sit back and enjoy. How about doing this again sometime? Let's make a date for London in 2012.

Day 16 Review: US team 'redeemed' on final day of firsts

The Games of the 29th Olympiad are finally over and concluded with 12 finals including a new Olympic record in the Men's Marathon, China and Mongolia collecting their first-ever Olympic Boxing medals and Russia retaining its Rhythmic Gymnastics All Around crown.

But to most observers there was only one question that remained to be answered before the veil came down on Beijing 2008: could Team USA redeem their country's wounded pride at missing the Men's Basketball gold medal in Athens four years ago?

Indeed, even the star-studded NBA players in their ironically monikered "redeem team" joked they'd better not bother going home unless they had nice new gold medals safely tucked inside their suitcases – few major sports, if any, have one nation in the psychological grip that basketball has over the US public.

And the US Women's team, led by Lisa Leslie who scooped her fourth and almost certainly final consecutive gold medal, also retained their Women's Basketball title yesterday. So there was some pressure on the boys.

Redeemers, dreamers, daydream believers, call them what you will, today they were simply winners -- and Beijing 2008, alongside the big name footballers and tennis players who came here, was all the richer for having these major sporting stars in its midst.

They responded magnificently by weighing in with 118 points to Spain's 107. Not that it was ever a walk in the park against a determined Spanish team which, just like China had done in the US team's opening encounter of the Games, led early on.

But after a shaky start, Team USA soon built a seven point advantage by the end of the first quarter, then a half time of lead 69-61.

Inspired by Marc Gasol, Spain chipped away the US lead in the third and fourth quarters, reducing the deficit to just four points at one stage, but the "redeemers" pulled away for an 11 point victory margin that reflected the overall balance of the game.

As you might expect, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade were the top scorers for Team USA, weighing in with 20 and 27 points each.

Afterwards, Lebron James described the joy within the Team USA camp: "It means everything to me. We're the number one team. We've been so blessed with this opportunity. It's so rewarding to see your hard work pay off. This is something I've waited for, for four years."

Earlier, defending Olympic champion Argentina won the bronze medal after a comfortable victory against Lithuania 87-75 with Carlos Delfino top-scoring with 20 points for Argentina.

Closing Of Olympics

Kumar claims 66kg bronze

(BEIJING, August 20) -- India's Sushil Kumar claimed bronze in the Men's Freestyle Wrestling 66 kilogram class on Wednesday, August 20.

Kumar took three periods to beat Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhstan 2-1, 0-1 and 1-0.

Spiridonov finished fourth in the 66kg weight class in Athens, while Kumar took 14th place.

Williams sisters to fight Spain

Serena and Venus Williams of the United States will go against Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain in the Women's Doubles gold medal match on Sunday, August 17, at the Olympic Green Tennis Center.

The Williams sisters, gold medalists at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, will be aiming for a second gold medal here in Beijing.

Serena and Venus will try to follow in the footsteps of Gigi and Mary Jo Fernandez, who won back-to-back Olympic Women's Doubles titles for the United States, at Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996.

Medina Garrigues and Ruano Pascual ended China's hope for Tennis gold when they defeated Yan Zi and Zheng Jie 6-4, 7-6 (5) in their semifinal match.

Ruano Pascual played in the Women's Doubles final with Conchita Martinez of Spain in Athens in 2004, losing to Li Ting and Sun Tiantian of China.

Spain has never won an Olympic gold medal in Tennis, but has two chances to do so on Sunday as Rafael Nadal will be on the court for the Men's Singles final.

Yan and Zheng will take on Alona Bondarenko and Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine in the bronze medal match, also scheduled for Sunday.

INDIA's Vijendra....

BOXING

The first day of the Olympic Boxing tournament will see 24 bouts in the Round of 32, with 12 bouts respectively in both the Middleweight and Light-heavyweight divisions.

In the 75kg division (Middleweight), the main favorite is Russia's Matvey Korobov. Korobov, the gold medalist at the 2005 and 2007 Chicago World Championships, will run into Sweden's Naim Terbunja in his first bout. It is unlikely that Terbunja will make any trouble for Korobov.

Korobov has plans to turn professional after the Olympics: "I have spent a long time in amateur Boxing, and it is a long career. After the Olympics, I will relax and maybe I will become a pro after this Olympic Games," Korobov said after a training session in Beijing on August 6.

Another favorite Alfonso Blanco of Venezuela, the Middleweight runner-up in Chicago 2007 has a bye in the first round and will automatically advance to the Round of 16. The two Middleweight bronze medalists of Chicago, Artayev Bakhtiyar of Kazakhstan and Sergiy Derevyanchenko of Ukraine will face Morocco's Said Rachidi and China's Wang Jianzheng.

Light-heavyweight champion of Chicago 2007, Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan will fight for a place in the Round of 16 with Tajikistan's Kurbanov Djakhon, who finished 17th in Chicago. Russia's Artur Beterbiev, runner up in Chicago, will meet the unknown Kennedy Katende of Sweden, who has not attended any World Championships.

The first bout is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. local time.

HELP FOR TICKET BUYERS..

Most of Southern and Northwestern China has suffered from an extended period of low temperatures, snow, rain and freezing weather recently. The severely inclement weather has resulted in a range of inconveniences for many people in these parts of the country. Thus, the Beijing Olympic Ticketing Center has decided to postpone the deadline for the submission of Photo IDs and personal information to February 22, 2008, for Olympic ceremonies ticket buyers. The ticketing center will be closed during the public holidays of the Spring Festival, from February 6 to 12.

Those who have purchased tickets for the Olympic ceremonies can submit their photos and ID information at the Bank of China.

Any questions about the photos and ID information can be directed to the ticketing call center of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games or the customer service hotline of the Bank of China.

The number of the ticketing call center: 8610-952008

The number of the customer service hotline of the Bank of China: 8610-95566

Olympics tickets in Beijing.

More than 140,000 Olympic tickets (more than half of the remaining number of tickets available in Beijing) were sold at nineteen ticket booths across Beijing on July 25, the first day of the fourth phase of Olympics tickets sales. Fourteen Olympic venues in Beijing have sold all of their tickets.

Lines at ticket booths began appearing several days and nights before the start of ticket sales, demonstrating the high level of enthusiasm that people in the city are showing toward watching Olympic events.

Event tickets still available as of 8:00 p.m., July 25, include: Athletics and Baseball tickets at the main ticket booths of Beijing Olympic Center, Hockey tickets sold at the Olympic Green, Volleyball tickets sold at Capital Indoor Stadium, Handball tickets at Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium and Boxing tickets at Beijing Workers' Gymnasium.

It is expected that the remaining tickets will be quickly sold out on the second day of sales.

Ticket buyers are reminded to follow closely the updated ticket information available online at Tickets.beijing2008.cn

Chinese pupils create mosaics

An art contest featuring Olympic Games' posters is being carried out in 500 primary schools around China with an aim to spread Olympic culture among the country's young people.

Sponsored by the International Olympic Committee and the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), the campaign was launched on Thursday at Fuxue Primary School and will end on July 10. Participants can enter as individuals or groups.

Olympic posters are important symbols that represent the knowledge of the Games held by different countries. The theme of the posters so far has covered the Olympic torch, mascots, venues, sports and host cities, among others.

148 fiber optic light pipes

the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) Gymnasium,the venue for the judo and taekwondo events of the Beijing Olympic Games has been finished. Comprising a main gymnasium and a 50 m X 25 m standard-sized swimming pool, the gymnasium has a total building area of 24,662 sq m.

The biggest highlight of the USTB Gymnasium lies in the installation of 148 fiber optic light pipes that are 530 mm in diameter -- more than any other Beijing Olympic venue so far. On days with strong sunlight, the light pipes will be able to meet the lighting needs for sports training in the gymnasium. At night, the light pipes will transmit light through the gymnasium' s roof, creating an attractive nightscape effect.

Beijing Olympic Opening ceremony

Photo Gallary Of Beijing Olympics

Jingjing

Jingjing makes children smile -- and that's why he brings the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. You can see his joy in the charming naivety of his dancing pose and the lovely wave of his black and white fur. As a national treasure and a protected species, pandas are adored by people everywhere. The lotus designs in Jingjing's headdress, which are inspired by the porcelain paintings of the Song Dynasty (A.D.960-1234), symbolize the lush forest and the harmonious relationship between man and nature. Jingjing was chosen to represent our desire to protect nature's gifts -- and to preserve the beauty of nature for all generations. Jingjing is charmingly naïve and optimistic. He is an athlete noted for strength who represents the black Olympic ring.

China Says..

我们认为同学们应该对这些竞赛场馆有更深一步的了解，而不应该对它们有个马马虎虎的印象。但是，从我的问卷中发现到大多数的学生们对北京奥运的竞赛场地一知半解，有的甚至一窍不通。他们的通常反应就是说奥运竞赛场地都是大同小异而不需要对它们有更深的理解，这就是错的想法。

因此我们将在这报告里，介绍并透彻地研究各竞赛场地独特的方面。我们将会从网上资料寻找有关北京奥运竞赛场地的地点，建筑面积，场地类型，赛事用途，座位数等资料。我们在报告里也会谈谈两个重要的竞赛场地。那就是国家体育场（鸟巢）和国家游泳中心。这两个竞赛场地在其它的广场之内是比较独特的。同时我们对其他重要比赛场馆也会作出研究，从赛场设施，科技，结构等方面入手，对他们如何体现“绿色奥运、科技奥运、人文奥运”提出看法。

Current Olympic Records: Athletics (Women)

Event	Name	NOC	Result	Date	Location
100m	Florence GRIFFITH JOYNER	USA	10.62	24 Sep 1988	Seoul, KOR
200m	Florence GRIFFITH JOYNER	USA	21.34	29 Sep 1988	Seoul, KOR
400m	Marie-José PÉREC	FRA	48.25	29 Jul 1996	Atlanta, GA, USA
800m	Nadezhda OLIZARENKO	URS	1:53.43	27 Jul 1980	Moscow, URS
1500m	Paula IVAN	ROM	3:53.96	26 Sep 1988	Seoul, KOR
5000m	Gabriela SZABO	ROM	14:40.79	25 Sep 2000	Sydney, AUS
10000m	Derartu TULU	ETH	30:17.49	30 Sep 2000	Sydney, AUS
Marathon	Naoko TAKAHASHI	JPN	2:23:14	24 Sep 2000	Sydney, AUS
100m Hurdles	Joanna HAYES	USA	12.37	24 Aug 2004	Athens, GRE
400m Hurdles	Faní HALKIÁ	GRE	52.77	22 Aug 2004	Athens, GRE
4 x 100m Relay	Romy MÜLLER	GDR	41.60	01 Aug 1980	Moscow, URS
	Bärbel WÖCKEL
	Ingrid AUERSWALD
	Marlies GÖHR
4 x 400m Relay	Tatyana LEDOVSKAYA	URS	3:15.17	01 Oct 1988	Seoul, KOR
	Olga NAZAROVA
	Mariya PINIGINA
	Olga BRYZGINA
20km Walk	Liping WANG	CHN	1:29:05	28 Sep 2000	Sydney, AUS
High Jump	Yelena SLESARENKO	RUS	2.06	28 Aug 2004	Athens, GRE
Long Jump	Jackie JOYNER-KERSEE	USA	7.40	29 Sep 1988	Seoul, KOR
Pole Vault	Yelena ISINBAYEVA	RUS	4.91	24 Aug 2004	Athens, GRE
Triple Jump	Inessa KRAVETS	UKR	15.33	04 Aug 1996	Atlanta, GA, USA
Shot Put	Ilona SLUPIANEK	GDR	22.41	24 Jul 1980	Moscow, URS
Discus Throw	Martina HELLMANN	GDR	72.30	29 Sep 1988	Seoul, KOR
Hammer Throw	Olga KUZENKOVA	RUS	75.02	25 Aug 2004	Athens, GRE
Javelin Throw	Osleidys MENÉNDEZ	CUB	71.53	27 Aug 2004	Athens, GRE
Heptathlon	Jackie JOYNER-KERSEE	USA	7291	24 Sep 1988	Seoul, KOR

It's official, the 2008 Olympics have begun and Beijing celebrated the start of the games with a spectacular opening ceremony. The ceremony began at 8 p.m. Friday (local time) at the National Stadium, also known as the bird's nest. Check out some pictures from the ceremony, to see the entire gallery, click on any image.
(CHINA OUT) A couple pose with their marriage certificate after they register for marriage at a marriage registry office on August 8, 2008 in Beijing, China. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese across the country got married today, an auspicious day when the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be held.
It's finally here ladies and gents. The Olympic ceremony, the one that was so hush-hush, kicked off the 2008 Beijing Olympics some time during the night when we were fighting off the effects of cheap wine and late night Scotch. You can see the replay tonight on NBC around 7:30 EST and it's scheduled to last a mind-numbing four hours. So, we thought we'd help all of you by supplying a few photos from the event so you're at least left confident a bathroom break and/or Tecate run won't make you miss the dudes roaming around the stadium floor with boxes. No really. Artists are draped in white boxes that move throughout the stadium floor.

USTB Gymnasium

(BEIJING, November 15) -- The University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) Gymnasium is completed. Comprising a main gymnasium and a 50 m X 25 m standard-sized swimming pool, the gymnasium has a total building area of 24,662 sq m.

The main gymnasium contains a 60 m x 40 m competition area and 8,012 spectator seats, including 4,080 permanent seats and 3,932 temporary seats. The venue will hold the Judo and Taekwondo competitions of the Olympic Games and Wheelchair Rugby and Wheelchair Basketball competitions of the Paralympic Games next year. The gymnasium meets all the competition requirements for these sports.

The USTB Gymnasium belongs to the Olympics, but moreover, it belongs to the university, emphasized Zhuang Weimin, the venue's designer. Zhuang, the dean of the Architectural Design and Research Institute at Tsinghua University, explained that since the early stages of designing the gymnasium, a major goal was to have the gymnasium complement its green surroundings.

The gymnasium takes full advantage of sunlight, rainwater, fresh air, and other renewable resources to address the power, air conditioning, and water supply needs, he said. The gymnasium also has a solar-powered hot water system, an adjustable frequency air conditioning system, and a reclaimed water system.

The biggest highlight of the USTB Gymnasium lies in the installation of 148 fiber optic light pipes that are 530 mm in diameter -- more than in any other Beijing Olympic venue so far. On days with strong sunlight, the light pipes will be able to meet the lighting needs for sports training in the gymnasium. At night, the light pipes will transmit light through the gymnasium' s roof, creating an attractive nightscape effect.

Throughout the entire construction process, making the gymnasium people-friendly was a top priority. Zhuang said that full consideration was given to making the venue accessible to people with a disability.

After the Games, the USTB Gymnasium will become the university's main education and entertainment venue. It will also be used for major international sports competitions.

Venue Of Olympics..

Venue: Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium
Location: Beijing Science and Technology University (Search the map)
Total land surface: 23,993 sq m

Olympic events: Judo, Taekwondo

Seating: 8,000

Paralympics events: Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby

Olympic dates: August 9-15 (Judo); August20-23 (Taekwondo)

Opening hours: Two hours prior to start of competition

Walking distances:

South gate to Gymnasium: approximately 200 meters

North gate to Gymnasium: approximately 300 meters

West gate to Gymnasium: approximately 400 meters

Western China

Like all antelopes, Yingying is fast and agile and can swiftly cover great stretches of land as he races across the earth. A symbol of the vastness of China's landscape, the antelope carries the blessing of health, the strength of body that comes from harmony with nature. Yingying's flying pose captures the essence of a species unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the first animals put under protection in China. The selection of the Tibetan Antelope reflects Beijing's commitment to a Green Olympics. His head ornament incorporates several decorative styles from the Qinghai-Tibet and Sinkiang cultures and the ethnic design traditions of Western China. Strong in track and field events, Yingying is a quick-witted and agile boy who represents the yellow Olympic ring.