Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
The Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event subdivided into summer and winter sporting events. The summer and winter games are each held every four years. Until 1992, they were both held in the same year. Since then, they have been separated by a two year gap.
Beijing
The 2008 Summer Olympics were held in Beijing, Peoples Republic of China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008.
Beijing is a city in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China. Beijing is China's second largest city, after Shanghai and has also been known in English as Peking.
The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem is known as "Dancing Beijing". The emblem combines a traditional Chinese red seal and a representation of the calligraphic character jīng.
The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Like the Five Olympic Rings, Fuwa - literally "good-luck dolls", also known as "Friendlies" will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace to children all over the world. Fuwa embodies the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals - the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow and the Olympic Flame. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature: the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky.
Each Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name : Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow. When you put their names together “Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni”, it means "Welcome to Beijing".
In China's traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. And so Beibei carries the blessing of prosperity. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.
Jingjing makes children smile and that's why he brings the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. 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.
In the intimate circle of Fuwa, Huanhuan is the big brother. He is a child of fire, symbolizing the Olympic Flame and the passion of sport. Huanhuan is outgoing and enthusiastic. He excels at all the ball games and represents the red Olympic ring.
Like all antelopes, Yingying is fast and agile. Strong in track and field events, Yingying is a quick-witted and agile boy who represents the yellow Olympic ring.
Every spring and summer, the children of Beijing have flown beautiful kites on the currents of wind that blow through the capital. Her golden wings symbolize the infinite sky and spread good-luck as a blessing wherever she flies. Among Fuwa, Nini is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring.
Building a better future for humanity
The slogan for the 2008 Olympics is "One World, One Dream". Slogan calls upon the whole world to join in the Olympic spirit and build a better future for humanity. It was chosen from over 210,000 entries submitted from around the world.
The opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing was held in the Beijing National Stadium, and began at 8:08:08pm on 8 August 2008.
The 2008 Olympics witnessed the return of 28 sports, and held 302 events (165 men's events, 127 women's events, and 10 mixed events).
Sports to be contested at these Games:
• Aquatics
o Diving Swimming
o Synchronized swimming Water polo
• Archery
• Athletics
• Badminton
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Canoeing
• Cycling
• Equestrian
• Fencing
• Field hockey
• Football/soccer
• Gymnastics
• Handball
• Judo
• Modern pentathlon
• Rowing
• Sailing
• Shooting
• Softball
• Table tennis
• Taekwondo
• Tennis
• Triathlon
• Volleyball
• Weightlifting
• Wrestling
A total of 1,881 individual athletes won medals. Chinese athletes won the most gold medals with 51 (100 total), and the United States won the most total medals with 110 (including 36 gold). American swimmer Michael Phelps was the most successful athlete, winning eight gold medals and setting a new record for most golds won in a single edition of the Olympics.
