What do the Olympic rings signify?

According to most accounts, the rings were adopted by Baron Pierre de Coubertin
(founder of the modern Olympic Movement) in 1913 after he saw a similar design on an
artifact from ancient Greece. The five rings represent the five major regions of the
world: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Every national flag in the
world includes at least one of the five colors, which are (from left to right) blue,
yellow, black, green, and red. It is important to emphasize that Pierre de Coubertin
never said nor wrote that the colors of the rings were linked with the different
continents

The Olympic Flag made its debut at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. At
the end of each Olympic Games, the mayor of that host-city presents the flag to the
mayor of the next host-city. It then rests at the town hall of the next host-city for
four years until the Opening Ceremony of their Olympic Games.

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will
serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of
friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate
circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most
popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the
Olympic Flame.

Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing

affection for children in China. 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 -- they say "Welcome to
Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young
ambassadors for the Olympic Games.

Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from
every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can
see the five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- all
stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese
folk art and ornamentation.
The medley world record holder seems to be heading towards the same track that
caused havoc for Australian runner Tamsyn Lewis prior to the Athens Games.

Lewis was caught up in a war of words with Jana Rawlinson, when the hurdler
labelled Lewis a ''bikini babe''.

According to experts, Rice's steamy shoot so close to the Beijing Games is a risk that
will place increased pressure on her to perform while former triathlon champion Nici
Andronicus believes it will also make her a target.
"It's not a distraction (to Rice) but it's a distraction to the other competitors because
it puts a giant cross on your shoulders, and they will do everything they can to bring
you down,'' the Daily Telegraph quoted Andronicus, who was a regular swimsuit
cover girl during her career, as saying.

Brand managers and strategists say that the raunchy images will only cause harm to
the 19-year-old's wholesome image with media buyer Harold Mitchell adding that the
photos should be a one-off on Rice's part.

Media strategist Barry O'Brien believes Rice's family could find themselves under
pressure as a result of the raunchy shoot, yet dismissed concerns it would ruin her
career.

"It can backfire, but I don't think it's going to neck her career. She's a great talent
and, if she wins a gold medal, they'll be lining up 10 deep,'' he said.

BEIJING 2008

Games of the XXIX Olympiad

From the 8th August to 24th August 2008
One World, One DreamThe Beijing Games will show the world what the
Olympic Games really are: a gathering of young people who share the same
goal and the same enthusiasm for sport. As well as inviting the finest
athletes in the world to compete against each other, the Games will also
provide a stage for China to present itself to the world during 16 days and
17 nights of sporting celebration.

Muscles taut and face locked in concentration, this is Rebecca Romero, who will be
representing Britain in the Olympic games later this month.
With a carefully placed arm and thigh to protect her modesty, she appears to be in
perfect physical condition ahead of what will be a gruelling race in Beijing.

The 28-year-old, who won a sliver medal in rowing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens,
only took up cycling seriously in March 2006 after doctors recommended the sport to
combat muscle fatigue she was experiencing.
After reinventing herself as one of the world's top cyclists she will now seek to make
history in China as the first British woman to win Olympic medals in two separate
summer sports.
Romero's previous experience of cycling consisted of working in a bike shop as a
teenager.

The athlete, who modestly describes herself as 'generally a lazy person', is now
favourite to win the gold medal in the 3000m individual pursuit race in which she is
already world champion.

Discover the Olympic Museum with its wealth of memories which will keep
your passion for Olympism burning.
Young and old, individually, as a family or in a group, come and witness the
many different exhibition zones, all packed with history and emotion.
'I am a really sore loser and I probably will be gutted if I get anything less than the
gold medal in Beijing,' she said.

Romero also suggested she might be tempted to take up a third sport after the
Games.

She said: 'I might think about raising the bar a bit more. It might have to be a
winter sport as I might not be able to wait for another Olympic cycle.'
Only one other Briton has achieved the feat of winning medals in two sports.

Welshman Paul Radmilovic won medals in swimming and water polo in the 1920s,
two sports which are arguably more closely related than cycling and rowing.

In the modern Olympic era, the only athlete to have achieved it is American Tim
Shaw, who won a swimming silver medal in Montreal in 1976 and a water polo silver
in Los Angeles eight years later.

Triple jumper Phillips Idowu and swimmer Gregor Tait also posed naked for award-
winning photographer Nadav Kander.

The images will be used as part of an advertising campaign for Powerade, the official
sports drink of the Beijing Games.

Idowu, 29, who has been hailed as one of Britain's best hopes of a track and field
gold medal, said: 'This is definitely one of the more unusual shoots I've taken part
in, but also one of the most enjoyable.

'Nadav made us all feel really comfortable, and we had a lot of fun. The Inner Gear
for an athlete - how we train, what we eat, drink and when we sleep - is as
important as what we wear, and it's great that a campaign like this brings it to life.'

Cathryn Sleight, marketing director for Coca-Cola Great Britain which produces
Powerade, added: 'Everyone is used to seeing athletes in competition or winning, but
we wanted to give people the chance to see the real make-up of an athlete and their
muscle and power, celebrating the body and spirit and the hard work that goes into
training for all athletes whatever your level.'
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. A fish is also
a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good
life.

The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese
paintings of the past. Among Fuwa, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in
water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.

Spreading Traditional Chinese Good Wishes Wherever They Go

In the ancient culture of China, there is a grand tradition of spreading good wishes
through signs and symbols. Each of Fuwa symbolizes a different blessing -- and will
honor this tradition by carrying their good wishes to the children of the world.
Prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck will be spread to every continent
as Fuwa carry their invitation to Beijing 2008 to every part of the globe.

At the heart of their mission -- and through all of their work -- Fuwa will seek to
unite the world in peace and friendship through the Olympic spirit. Dedicated to
helping Beijing 2008 spread its theme of One World, One Dream to every continent,
Fuwa reflect the deep desire of the Chinese people to reach out to the world in
friendship through the Games -- and to invite every man, woman and child to take
part in the great celebration of human solidarity that China will host in the light of the
flame in 2008.
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.
An athlete jogs at the Olympic Village in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 5,
2008. The Olympic Village, located in the Olympic Green in north Beijing and
divided into three sections of the international area, residential area and
operations area, houses about 16,000 athletes, coaches and their entourage
from over 200 countries
Athletes arrive at the residential area of Olympic Village in Beijing, capital of
China, Aug. 5, 2008. The Olympic Village, located in the Olympic Green in
north Beijing and divided into three sections of the international area,
residential area and operations area, houses about 16,000 athletes, coaches
and their entourage from over 200 countries and regions coming for the
Olympics

Photo taken on Aug. 5, 2008 shows a scenic spot at the residential area of
Olympic Village in Beijing, capital of China. The Olympic Village, located in
the Olympic Green in north Beijing and divided into three sections of the
international area, residential area and operations area, houses about
16,000 athletes, coaches and their entourage from over 200 countries and
regions coming for the Olympics.
Athletes have dinners in a restaurant at the residential area of Olympic
Village in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 5, 2008. The Olympic Village,
located in the Olympic Green in north Beijing and divided into three sections
of the international area, residential area and operations area, houses about
16,000 athletes, coaches and their entourage from over 200 countries and
regions coming for the Olympics.

Olympic torch relay on Great Wall

Torchbearer carries the flame along a section of the Great Wallin Badaling, outside
Beijing, a day before the start of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
1) No world records will be set

Hoping to see some world records broken at the 2008 Summer Olympic
Games? Don’t hold your breath. Health and sporting experts predict that
because of Beijing’s serious air-quality problem, outdoor events will be run at
times well off the record pace because the smog will impact the athletes’ lung
capacity. Just how bad is the Beijing smog? It’s two to three times higher than
what the World Health Organization deems safe. The Chinese have taken
several measures to combat their air pollution, including relocating 200
factories, taking 60,000 buses and taxis off the road and expanding the
subway system, and ordering 340 factories around the Games’ sites to close
during the Olympics. Still, their actions may be a case of too little, too late.

2) Baseball is gone, but handball continues

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games may not be the last Olympics to feature
baseball, but they’ll be the last for a while. The 2012 Games will not include
America’s sport (but the 2016 or 2020 Games might), much to the chagrin of
former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. His Cuba squad has won three of four gold
medals in baseball since it became an official Olympic sport in 1992, and the
former pitcher has condemned the “rich and powerful masters” of the
Olympics for getting rid of a sport at which Cuba has excelled. When you’re
not watching baseball this summer, however, check out the competition in
handball. Similar to soccer, the players in this medal sport since the 1970s
use their hands rather than their feet. This summer’s Olympic Games will
include 10 handball teams, including the unlikely qualifier Iceland.

3) The torch has already been extinguished several times

The Olympic Torch may be able to withstand 65 km/h winds and rain up to a
rate of 50 millimeters per hour, but it’s already been snuffed out a handful of
times on its 129-day, 137,000-kilometer relay that began in March. Because
the relay has faced protesters demonstrating against China’s less-than-stellar
human rights record (and pro-Chinese groups demonstrating against the
demonstrators) on nearly every leg of its journey, the Torch has been
extinguished for safety reasons. Additionally, out of respect for the victims of
China’s Sichuan earthquake, the torch relay was stopped for three days in
May.

4) You can’t eat dog at this year’s Olympics

If you were planning to attend the 2008 Summer Olympic Games to feast on
man’s best friend, you’ll be disappointed. Chinese officials have announced
that canines won’t be offered on menus at specified Olympic restaurants. Dog
meat was also banned at the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea. Additionally,
in an effort to maintain order at the Games, the Beijing organizing committee
has released a list of rules for those attending the events to follow. Attendees
are prohibited from spitting, being rude, standing in the seating sections,
waving flags of nations other than those competing, and carrying such items
as crossbows, daggers, fireworks, guns, radioactive material, laser pointers,
and musical instruments.
 5) The Games have forcibly moved 1.5 million people

While the Chinese government may be condemned globally for its treatment
of Tibet and of citizens who practice Falun Gong, it’s not making many friends
in Beijing either. Geneva’s Centre of Housing Rights and Evictions says that
more than 1.5 million Chinese citizens have been displaced due to the 2008
Summer Olympic Games -- a claim the government denies. Even worse, the
Beijing police is said to have imprisoned countless residents for protesting the
evictions.

Beijing Prepares for Olympic Opening Friday

Crowds of supporters await the arrival of the Olympic torch to Tiananmen Square, 06
Aug 2008

Beijing Prepares for Olympic Opening Friday

The excitement is mounting in China as that nation prepares for the official start of
the 2008 Olympic Games.

Thousands of excited Chinese on Wednesday celebrated the arrival of the Olympic

torch in Beijing. The vice president of China's Olympic Committee, Li Furong, was the
last one to carry the torch as it arrived at a lighting ceremony in the historic
Forbidden City.

The opening ceremony will be held Friday in Beijing's "Bird Nest" national stadium. The
games are set to open at 8:08 p.m. local time (1208 UTC). The event will be
broadcast to an estimated one billion television viewers around the world.
Chinese police removing a protester from a light pole, after he placed a
Chinese police removing a protester from a light pole, after he placed a "Free Tibet"
banner near the Olympic stadium, 06 Aug 2008

Also Wednesday, China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, said two Americans and two
British nationals were ordered to leave the country for demonstrating in favor of a
free Tibet. The activists were detained for displaying giant "Free Tibet" banners near
the main Olympic stadium in Beijing.

Separately Wednesday, China revoked the visa of U.S. Olympic gold medalist and
Darfur anti-violence campaigner Joey Cheek. White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino
said the U.S. was disturbed to learn about the refusal.

The International Olympic Committee's decision to have China host the Summer
Olympics has been controversial because of the country's poor human rights record.

The Beijing government's harsh crackdown on Tibetan protesters last March triggered
demonstrations around the world in the run-up to the Olympics.

But Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, repeated his support Wednesday
for the Beijing Olympics and offered his good wishes for the games.

High-tech to prevent rain from dampening Beijing Olympic ceremony

High-tech to prevent rain from dampening Beijing Olympic ceremony

Beijing has mobilized all its science and engineering capability, including
satellite monitoring and cloud seeding, to prevent rain from spoiling the
extensively expected Olympic opening ceremony on August 8 as historical
data indicate a 41 percent precipitation chance on that date.

The Beijing weather engineering office, under the Beijing Municipal

Meteorological Bureau, takes the lead in the Olympic weather modification
project.

The office doesn't bother to change a lot. It is asked to prevent rain from
falling during the three and half hours -- from 8:08 p.m. to around 11:30
p.m. -- onto the Bird's Nest, the open-air National Stadium which will
accommodate the opening ceremony.

A technology developed by American scientists, cloud seeding is achieved by

shooting shells or rockets containing silver iodide particles into clouds. The
icy particles freeze drops in the clouds, make the drops continue growing
and eventually fall out of the clouds.

The weather engineering office is weaving a defensive web from adjacent

provinces to the Beijing suburbs. Twenty-six control stations have been
deployed to fend off clouds or delay their movement.

The office hires 32,000 people, and recruits light aircraft, rockets and shells
to spread silver iodide crystals or dry ice in clouds 50 km upwind of Beijing.
Result estimates can be reported from control stations to the headquarters
within 10 minutes.

One silver iodide shell costs up to 88 yuan (US$12.75), one rocket is priced
at 2,000 yuan (US$290), and one aircraft trip spends much more. About 100
shells or four rockets are used in each single action, according to experts.

The office claimed to have eliminated a cloud by airborne spread of

infusorial earth on its top on June 2, 2005, which was not found
documented in an academic journal.

Meteorologists need to capitalize on radars and weather satellites to

monitor colossal storms, which are usually unpredictable, and set off early
warnings for Olympic weather services.

One main strategy of the meteorologists is to engineer weather in order to

keep the Olympics dry for at least the first three and half hours. Such
research and experiments have been conducted since 2001 when Beijing
successfully bade for the Olympic host.

Many meteorologists agree that cloud seeding technology is only effective

to small or mid-sized clouds and thus impossible to influence giant storm
systems, which can cover up to a hundred square kilometers. The
methodology is employed basically to speed up rain, delay rain, or change
the place where rain falls, one Beijing-based expert said.

Some meteorologists, meanwhile, argue the study on cloud formation and

large-scale weather conditions is insufficient to effective weather
modification. Others dispute on the negative impact of spreading silver
iodide in the sky on environment.

Yu Xinwen, a China Meteorological Administration (CMA) spokesman, said

here Monday that the statistical probability of 41 percent, based on the
meteorological data collected in the past 33 years, just offers a rough idea
on a historical chance of precipitation.

An instant case is the 15th Asian Games in December 2006 in Doha, Qatar.
In a country where rain has been rarely seen, a deluge soaked athletes and
spectators during the expensive and breathtaking opening ceremony.

However, Yu said, "It's possible to predict the weather at the opening night
one week in advance, and prediction accuracy will scale up leading to
August 8." He expected more precise predictions within two days before the
Olympics.

As historical data indicate, early August is often warm and humid, and might
not be an ideal timing for the Olympic opening. Many thought the Beijing
Olympic organizers deliberately chose the auspicious eighth day of the
eighth month. However, organizers said it was not the fact.

Fortune-conscious Chinese do care lucky numbers, among others 8 is the

best to represent prosperity and wealth. But decision makers were briefed
by meteorologists that the week beginning with August 8 usually falls in the
wettest period each year in Beijing.

It was reported that the Beijing organizers proposed the International

Olympic Committee (IOC) to kick off the Games, ideally, on August 15. The
final decision of the August 8 option from the IOC left Beijing the only
choice to prevent rain, at least around the sky of the Bird's Nest.

The urgency on weather engineering for the Olympic opening is based on

one assumption that the main sports venue has no roof. Architects did
include a controlled full roof in their original design. The roofless version,
which now stands in north of the city, allegedly saved taxpayers 300 million
yuan (US$43 million).

Source

Glamorous US swimmer Amanda Beard became the first athlete to cross the
boundary between sport and politics at the Beijing Olympics today when she
took part in a naked protest against the international fur trade

Ms Beard, a double Olympic Champion, posed for a nude picture as part of a publicity
campaign run by the animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA).

The swimmer, who is no stranger to showing a little skin - she posed naked for a
centerfold in Playboy Magazine last year - said she was determined to use the
Olympic platform as a stage for her views.

"What happens with animals when their skin is ripped from their bodies when they
are still alive, it's heartbreaking for me," she told reporters.

The Chinese authorities did their best to limit the impact of her protest, shutting
down a press conference which PETA had planned on the terrace of a hotel
overlooking the 'Water Cube' Olympic swimming venue.

After police turned organisers away from the hotel citing 'safety concerns', Ms Beard
was forced to present her message from the side of the main road outside the
Athlete's Village.

"It was very disappointing," said Jason Baker, PETA's Asia-Pacific director, "We weren't
making a political attack on the Chinese government and had sent our press release
in advance to the Beijing Committee, but apparently that was not enough."

Ms Beard, 26, said she had no intention of upsetting the Chinese authorities, but
wanted to convey her anti-fur message in China which is the world's leading fur
exporter.

"I'm not trying to be in everybody's face and be harsh or negative. I want to be calm
and yet get my voice out there. I'm doing it for all those animals who don't have a
voice," she said.

Although the Olympic rules prevent athletes from making political statements,
Swimming USA said that Ms Beard would not be censured for her actions.

"Each athlete has been allowed to do one pre-competition publicity appearance and
Amanda was only endorsing a campaign which she had signed up to before the
Games," a spokeswoman for Swimming USA said.

Officials are investigating reports that two Britons have been detained in
China after unfurling Tibetan flags and two banners outside the Bird's Nest
Olympic stadium in Beijing.

The protest group Students for a Free Tibet said four Tibet activists from
Britain and the United States were detained in Beijing after displaying two
140-square-foot banners outside the Olympic stadium.

The first read: "One World, One Dream: Free Tibet" in English, and the
second: "Tibet Will Be Free" in English and "Free Tibet" in Chinese.

The Free Tibet 2008 website said the two Britons arrested were Iain Thom,
24, from Edinburgh and Lucy Marion, 23, who grew up in Cambridge and
now lives in London. The pair were arrested at 7am local time (midnight
BST).

A spokesman for the British Embassy in Beijing said it was aware of reports
that two British nationals had been detained and officials were in touch with
the Chinese authorities.

The protest happened hours before the Olympic torch was due to arrive in
Tiananmen Square, and two days before the Olympics opening ceremony
takes place at the stadium.

The British Embassy spokesman said: "We are aware of reports of two
British nationals being detained near the national stadium in Beijing. We are
in touch with the Chinese authorities and are requesting immediate consular
access should this information be correct."

The Free Tibet 2008 website says Mr Thom is grassroots co-ordinator for
Students for a Free Tibet UK and has just finished working for Friends of the
Earth Scotland.

Ms Marion recently graduated from Bristol University. The website states

she visited Tibet in 2003 and has since been dedicated to standing in
solidarity with Tibetans in their struggle for freedom and human rights.

The website names the two Americans as Phill Bartell, 34, from Boulder,
Colorado and Tirian Mink, 32, a project manager from Portland, Oregon.