Sunday, August 31, 2008

Rohullah Nikpai Afghans First Olympic Medalist

Rohullah Nikpai Afghans first Olympic medalist Taekwondo

Bronze medal is like a gold to all Afghans as a thousands of jubilant packed Kabul's national stadium to welcome Rohullah Nikpai the nation's first Olympic medalist. Nikpai was cheered by crowds of people as he was driven in an open-topped truck from the international airport to the arena.

"Nikpai brought pride to Afghanistan," Vice-President Mohammad Karim Khalili said, as the athlete looked on.

A string of speakers praised Nikpai's abilities and presented prizes to him.

Earlier on Thursday, on a stopover in the Indian capital Delhi, supporters carried Nikpai on their shoulders through the airport terminal, and decked him with flower garlands.

"It is every athlete's dream to have a medal around his neck, and I feel proud that my dream has come true," said Nikpai.

"I hope this medal will bring a better future for my country, both in terms of peace and friendship.

"My message to all the Afghan youth is to conquer their aspirations," he added.

"It doesn't matter what field of sport or career they are in, what matters is showing the world that our flag can rise as well."

On landing in Kabul, he was met by Vice-President Khalili, while Afghan helicopters circled over the city dropping leaflets with his picture.

"He has made the Afghan people proud," read the leaflets.

Taekwondo is one of the most popular sports in conflict-hit Afghanistan, which boasts more than 700 clubs and 25,000 competitors.

Nikpai beat world champion Juan Antonio Ramos of Spain 4-1 in a play-off for the bronze medal in the men's 58kg category.

The nation - which sent a team of four to Beijing - counted its previous best Olympic finish as a fifth place in the wrestling in 1964.

Who Is Rohullah Nikpai
Rohullah Nikpai was born on June 15, 1987, Nikpai is an Afghan ethnic Hazara Taekwondo practitioner.

Nikpai started his training in Kabul, Afghanistan, at the age of 10. During the bloody conflict over the capital city, his family left the city and settled in one of Iran's many Afghan refugee camps. He soon became a member of the Afghan refugee Taekwondo team. He returned to Kabul in 2004 and continued his training at the government provided Olympic training facility. At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar Nikpai competed in the flyweight division where he was defeated by eventual silver medalist Nattapong Tewawetchapong of Thailand in round 16.

Nikpai competed in the 58 kg category at the 2008 Summer Olympics, defeating two-time world champion Juan Antonio Ramos of Spain to win the bronze medal, making him Afghanistan's first Olympic medalist in any event. Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai immediately called to congratulate Nikpai. He also awarded him a house at the government’s expense. "I hope this will send a message of peace to my country after 30 years of war," Nikpai said.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Olympic Swimmer Kirsty Coventry Get Cash Reward


President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe gave a $100,000 dollar reward to Zimbabwe's top Olympic swimmer Kirsty Coventry, who won all of Zimbabwe's four medals at the Beijing games and taking her country to 38th in the medal table.

She was given the money, worth £54,890, in a suitcase by the governor of the central bank. In a ceremony carried live on state television, Mr Mugabe called the swimmer "a daughter of Zimbabwe" and a "golden girl".

She smashed the world record to win gold in the women's 200 metres backstroke.

Who Is Kirsty Coventry
Kirsty Leigh Coventry was born on September 16, 1983 in Harare, Zimbabwe, Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens, Greece, Coventry won three Olympic medals: a gold, a silver, and a bronze and in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing she won four medals: a gold and three silver. She was subsequently described by Paul Chingoka, head of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, as "our national treasure". Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has called her "a golden girl," and awarded her US$100,000 in cash for her 2008 Summer Olympic Games performance.

Coventry attended Dominican Convent High School in Zimbabwe. In 2000, while still in high school, Coventry became the first Zimbabwean swimmer to reach the semifinals at the Olympics and was named Zimbabwe's Sports Woman of the Year.

As a student at Auburn University, Coventry helped lead the Tigers to NCAA Championships in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, she was the top individual scorer at the NCAA Championships and captured three individual titles including the 200 m and 400 m individual medley (IM), and the 200 m backstroke for the second consecutive season. She was named the College Swimming Coaches Association Swimmer of the Meet for her efforts. Other awards include 2005 SEC Swimmer of the Year, the 2004-2005 SEC Female Athlete of the Year, and the 2005 Honda Award Winner for Swimming.

Medals
2002 Commonwealth Games medals
* Gold in the 200 m IM (2:14.53)

2004 Olympic medals
* Bronze in the 200 m IM (2:12.72) - Zimbabwe's second Olympic medal
* Gold in the 200 m backstroke (2:09.19)
* Silver in the 100 m backstroke (1:00.50)

2005 World Championship medals
* Gold in the 100 m backstroke (1:00.24)
* Gold in the 200 m backstroke (2:08.52)
* Silver in the 200 m IM (2:11.13)
* Silver in the 400 m IM (4:39.72)

2007 All-Africa Games
* Gold in the 200 m IM (2:13.02 CR)
* Gold in the 400 m IM (4:39.91 CR)
* Gold in the 50 m freestyle (26.19)
* Gold in the 800 m freestyle (8:43.89 CR)
* Gold in the 50 m backstroke (28.89 AR)
* Gold in the 100 m backstroke (1:01.28 CR)
* Gold in the 200 m backstroke (2:10.66 CR)
* Silver in the 100 m breaststroke (1:11.86)
* Silver in the 4x100 m medley (4:21.60 NR)
* Silver in the 4x200 m freestyle (8:38.20 NR)

2007 World Championship medals
* Silver in the 200 m backstroke (2:07.54)
* Silver in the 200 m IM (2:10.74)

2008 Olympic Medals
* Silver in the 400 m IM (4:29.89 AR)
* Silver in the 100 m Backstroke (59.19)
* Silver in the 200 m IM (2:08.59 AR)
* Gold in the 200 m Backstroke (2:05.24) WR

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Thursday, August 21, 2008

US Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor Gold At Beach Volleyball

Kerri Walsh Misty May-Treanor womens beach volleyball gold Beijing Olympics

Women's beach volleyball duo Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor of United States retained their crown with victory over China's Tian Jia and Wang Jie in 2008 Beijing Olympics. May-Treanor and Walsh won 21-18 21-18 to maintain their record of not having lost a set in the tournament.

Walsh sealed the match with a smash to knock out the pre-event favourites in difficult rain-sodden conditions.

China's Xue Chen and Zhang Xi claimed bronze when they beat Brazil's Renata Ribeiro and Talita Rocha 21-19 21-17.

The Americans said afterwards that they used the weather conditions to their advantage.

"The rain makes it better," said Walsh. "We felt like warriors out there. The pressure of playing the hosts made it pretty intense."

"Ever since the ball dropped in Athens, we've wanted to repeat as Olympic champions," May-Treanor added.

"No one has ever done it before."

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Jan Frodeno Gold In Men's Triathlon

Jan Frodeno triathlon gold 2008 Beijing Olympics

Beijing Olympics - Jan Frodeno gave the German gold in a thrilling men's triathlon clocking one hour 48:53 seconds, a well-timed sprint clearing with 50m to go to finish ahead of Canada's Simon Whitfield and New Zealand's Bevan Docherty

Great Britain's Alistair Brownlee had been among the leading group for much of the run before fading to 12th place.

Fellow Brit Will Clarke was two places behind Brownlee with Tim Don, suffering from a virus, failed to finish.

Don, who had hoped to among the medals in Beijing, was struggling with illness in the build-up to the race and withdrew early.

Whitfield looked to have time his sprint finish to perfection, breaking from a group that included Frodeno, Docherty and pre-race favourite Javier Gomez of Spain.

But Frodeno stuck with him and, with just 50m to the line, had the legs to out-sprint the Canadian to claim the gold.

"My advantage was that I wasn't one of the big favourites. They had all the media attention," said Frodeno.

"I knew this was going to be a tough race, the 10 km run was going to be the hardest of my life, but I just realised this is what I have been dreaming of, this is my only chance," he added.

It was a fitting end to a fantastic race in which Brit Brownlee more than played his part.

he 20-year-old set the agenda on the 40km bike ride after a hugely impressive swim and looked in contention for a medal as he initially formed a six-man breakaway group in the 10km run.

But he just did not have the legs to keep up with the experienced Frodeno, Whitfield, Docherty, Gomez and Ivan Rana, falling off the pace before crossing the line 86 seconds behind the winner.

"I got to 7km on the run and there was nothing left," said Brownlee. "I've got to find a way of getting 12 places better in time for London."

Clarke was always playing catch-up after a disappointing 1.5km swim in a race which was competed in blistering heat.

"I just didn't do it on the swim," he said. "I wasn't fast enough so I had to do too much on the bike and that meant I came to the run tired. I have to go back and do lots of work on my swimming."

Who Is Jan Frodeno
Jan Frodeno was born on August 18, 1981 in Cologne, Germany, Frodeno is an Olympic triathlon champion from Germany. He won gold in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Frodeno started out as a swimmer in South Africa at the age of 15, and he entered into triathlon in 2000. He then went to Germany to compete in the Bundesliga, and qualified for the national team in 2002. He currently trains at the Olympic Training Centre in Saarbrucken. Before his Olympic victory, his best result was placing sixth in the 2007 World Championships, and winning the German Championship the same year. He had previously also placed second and third in various races of the World Cup from 2005 to 2008.

His gold medal win at the 2008 Summer Olympics was a surprise. He beat out race favorite and 2008 World Champion Javier Gomez. In the final meters of the race, he sprinted against 2000 Olympic champion Simon Whitfield. The victory came the day after his twenty-seventh birthday.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Wimbledon Champion Rafael Nadal Take Olympic Gold

Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal beats Fernando Gonzalez

Wimbledon Champion Rafael Nadal win the men's tennis gold in the Olympic by beating Chile's Fernando Gonzalez 6-3 7-6 6-3 and kept up a remarkable year for Spanish sport. The gold medal was the first ever for Spain in Olympic tennis.

"I just want to enjoy this moment because I'm having an unbelievable year," Nadal said. "It's more than my best dreams so I want to enjoy the moment. I know how difficult it is to win these things. Winning here for me is unbelievable."

Having eased to the first set, Nadal saved two set points in the second to force a tie-break, which he won 7-2.

Early breaks of serve in the third set gave Nadal vital momentum and from that point Gonzalez was on the back foot.

Nadal won it on his fourth match point, when Gonzalez's attempt to return his forehand drive went into the net.

Gonzalez added silver to his singles bronze and doubles gold from Athens 2004.

"The Olympics means really a lot to me," he said. "I'm little bit sad about the match, but all things considered, I'm really happy."

Nadal was already assured of taking over the number one ranking on Monday for the first time, ending Roger Federer's reign after four-and-a-half years.

Hel has won 38 of his past 39 matches, including victories over Federer in the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Men's singles has traditionally been an upset-filled event at the Olympics, and Nadal is the first player ranked in the top five to win gold.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Friday, August 15, 2008

Roger Federer Still In Contention For Olympic Gold Medal

Roger Federer 2008 Beijing Olympics Tennis Sports Update

BEIJING - A dream of Olympic gold medal is still alive for Roger Federer in joining Swiss teammate Stanislas Wawrinka beating American twins Bob and Mike Bryan and get the privileged in the final of the men's doubles Olympic competition.

The fourth-seeded Swiss pair collapsed to the ground and hugged each other after beating the top-ranked duo in the tournament, 7-6 (6), 6-4.

"I'm very excited," said Federer, who was knocked out of the single's on Thursday. "Having beaten the best in the world and going for gold — this is a big moment in my career."

An Olympic medal is one of the few glories that has eluded Federer, who holds 55 titles that include 12 Grand Slam trophies. Federer's best Olympic showing was a singles semifinal appearance at the 2000 Sydney Games.

The Swiss star, who is struggling to overcome a yearlong slump, came to Beijing knowing he would lose the No. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal next week after 4½ years on top.

Federer seldom plays doubles, but put on an inspired performance packed with well-placed winners that had the world's best doubles team swinging their rackets at the air as balls sped by.

The Bryan brothers, who have been playing tennis since the age of 2, have won 48 titles together but never an Olympic medal. The twins reached the doubles quarterfinals in Athens four years ago.

It was the second match of the day for the Swiss players, who just a few hours earlier beat Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi of India 6-2, 6-4 in a rain-delayed quarterfinal.

"They both came up guns-a-blazing," Paes said. "We got stuck with Roger just playing unbelievable tennis."

It was a turnaround from the night before, when Federer put on a lackluster performance in his singles quarterfinal against James Blake and was eliminated in straight sets.

Federer and Wawrinka will face unseeded Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson in the final Saturday. The Swedes beat French duo Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra 7-6 (6), 4-6, 19-17.

Their third set tiebreaker went back-and-forth with head-to-head battles at net for 36 games, setting an Olympic men's record for most games in a set. The old record was 34 games.

The second-seeded Venus and Serena Williams, both eliminated in singles Thursday, also completed a suspended second-round doubles match and beat Ayumi Morita and Ai Sugiyama of Japan 7-5, 6-2.

Another set of sisters, Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine, beat Italian pair Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone 6-1, 3-6, 7-5.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

US Softball Team Runs 18 Olympic Winning Streak

US softball team 2008 Beijing Olympics

BEIJING – The US softball team running its Olympic winning streak to 18, forced to play two games in one day beating Canada 8-1 when the US softball team scored four unearned runs in the sixth inning.

After beating Japan, 7-0, the Americans resumed their suspended game with Canada from Thursday trailing, 1-0, in the fourth inning.

The three-time defending gold medalists were five outs away from suffering their first loss since the 2000 games, when Canadian shortstop Jennifer Salling made two errors and pitcher Dione Meier hit a batter with the bases loaded to force in the tying run and threw a wild pitch to give USA a 2-1 lead.

Cat Osterman pitched three no-hit innings for USA (4-0), which added four insurance runs in the seventh.

Jessica Mendoza hit a pair of two-run homers, Natasha Watley homered leading off the game and Crystl Bustos banged another one over the wall in the win over Japan.

Earlier Friday, the Canadians defeated China 1-0, their first win in Olympic play over the host nation and one that all but assured Canada (3-1) a spot in next week's medal round.

Lauren Bay Regula pitched out of a none-out, bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning when Canada survived a debatable interference call against shortstop Jennifer Salling on a rundown that put the Chinese in scoring position.

In the evening session, Australia (1-2) played Taiwan (1-2) and Venezuela (0-3) faced the Netherlands (0-3).

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Monday, August 11, 2008

Michael Phelps Wins 2nd Gold In Swimming

Michael Phelps gold swimming Beijing Olympics

BEIJING – Michael Phelps winning his second gold of the Beijing Olympics and his teammates set a record in winning the 4x100 freestyle relay, barely beating France in three minutes, 8.24 seconds. Michael Phelps is trying to win eight golds at the Beijing Games. “You could tell I was pretty excited, “I lost my voice and I was definitely pretty emotional out there." said Phelps.

Kosuke Kitajima of Japan defended his 100-meter breaststroke Olympic title in a record time of 58.91 seconds, and Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe shaved two tenths of a second off the 100-meter backstroke record to win her semifinal in 58.77 seconds.

The first positive doping test at the Beijing Games also was announced Monday. Spanish cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno was ousted from the games after testing positive for EPO, a blood-boosting hormone that enhances endurance.

The International Olympic Committee said Moreno, who was to compete in the women’s individual time trial, was tested in the athletes’ village on July 31 and left China later that day before the result was in.

Moreno is the first athlete caught under the IOC’s Beijing drug-testing program, which includes a record 4,500 doping controls.

In the swimming pool, Phelps’ hopes of breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven golds in a single games appeared doomed when the French team took the lead of the relay at the 250-meter mark.

They were 4.03 seconds under world-record pace at 350 meters before Jason Lezak, the oldest American male swimmer at 32, rallied over the closing strokes. Nearly a body length behind Alain Bernard at the final turn, he overtook the Frenchman at the wall by a fingertip.

After winning seven straight golds in the event, the Americans were beaten by Australia and South Africa at the last two Olympics.

“I’ve been on the last two relays where we come up short," Lezak said. “To be honest with you I got really tired of losing. I finished real strong."

The US team shattered the world record of 3:12.23 they set Sunday in the preliminaries. Australia won bronze in 3:09.91.

Phelps, who swam the first leg, thrust both arms toward the roof after Lezak’s incredible finish.

“I was going nuts," Phelps said. “As soon as (Lezak) came off that last wall, I started going crazy. We’re a team. We went in as a team and now we’re exiting as a team — and we’re going out with that gold that we needed to get back."

Phelps also advanced to the 200 freestyle final, qualifying fourth-fastest in his semifinal in 1:46.28, a day after he shattered the 400 individual medley world record to win his first gold medal. The American lost his heat to teammate Peter Vanderkaay, whose time of 1:45.76 made him the leading qualifier for Tuesday’s final. Park Tae-hwan of South Korea was second-fastest, followed by Jean Basson of South Africa.

Coventry broke the record of 58.97 set by Natalie Coughlin at last month’s US trials. The two are the fastest going into Tuesday’s final.

In the men’s 100 breaststroke, Kitajima rallied from third after 50 meters to break the 59.13 world record set by Brendan Hansen of the United States two years ago.

“It was perfect," Kitajima said.

Libby Trickett captured her first Olympic gold in the women’s 100 butterfly in 56.73 seconds, just 0.12 off the world record, and Rebecca Adlington of Britain rallied in the final meters to overhaul Katie Hoff of the United States and take the gold in the 400 freestyle in 4:03.22.

Hoff was second in 4:03.29, Joanne Jackson of Britain won the bronze in 4:03.52.

Medals will also be awarded Monday in weightlifting, with the women competing in the 58-kilogram category and the men at 62 kg, and in the women’s individual foil in fencing. Shooting will hold the men’s 10-meter air rifle and the women’s trap finals, while the men will compete for the 10-meter platform synchronized diving gold.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Nicole Cooke Rides Great Britain First Gold

Nicole Cooke gold medal Beijing Olympics

Great Britain's first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics claimed by Nicole Cooke in a women's cycling road race. Cooke time of three hours, 32 minutes and 24 seconds gives her finish to perfection, powering off the front and away from Emma Johansson and Tatiana Guderzo in the sprint to the line.

Cooke, 25, was in a group of five that pulled away from the peloton in the final stretch to the finish.

"We did it, it was perfect. It's a dream come true," said Cooke, who became the first Welsh person to win Olympic gold for 36 years.

Having finished a disappointing fifth at the Athens Olympics in 2004, her delight as she crossed the line first was obvious as she leap off her bike and whooped with delight, racing to hug her team-mates.

"I came over the line and there was so much - I was just so happy and there were so many emotions that were coming out all at once. I made so much noise because I guess that's just the person I am.

"I want to thank all the people who have been there from the start. I have worked so hard, I am so happy.

"I don't think it has sunk in yet. I still feel like the normal Nicole from before the race. But it's just so exciting."

Emma Pooley, who played a crucial pacemaking role in Cooke's gold-medal bid, came 23rd while the third member of the British team Sharon Laws, who broke her leg six weeks ago but recovered in time to make the trip, finished in 35th.

"We all knew that we were good riders, but the best chance that we had was to ride as a team," added Cooke, the 2002 Commonwealth Games road race champion and two-time winner of the World Cup series.

"Emma was going for her own bid for glory, but it meant that I could ride defensively and also save myself. I think it put the other teams on the back foot."

Simon Clegg, Team GB's chef de mission, added: "Nicole has just secured Team GB's first medal - and what a medal. It's not only gold but it's Britain's 200th gold medal from the modern Olympic Games.

"Emma and Sharon did an awesome job in supporting Nicole in her race for gold."

The 126km race was run in appalling conditions, with heavy rain making the road treacherous in places.

On the final, 9km climb on the second of two laps of the grueling 23.8km Badaling loop, a number of attacks came but Guderzo was the first to hold off the peloton.

However a quartet containing Cooke, Johansson of Sweden, Christiane Soeder of Austria and and Denmark's Linda Melanie Villumsen Serup caught her up going into the final 10km.

At the bottom of the final climb, Cooke seemed to drop away from the other four riders as they turned the wet and slippy corner.

But she put on the gas during the lung-bursting slope to the finish and had enough in the tank to cross the line first.

"I knew (dropping back) was a risk but the corner was very wet. I knew I felt strong, I knew there was a hill and no-one would take it on - but I could," Cooke said.

"All congratulations to Nicole for a fantastic victory," said Olympics minister Tessa Jowell.

"What you can't perhaps quite sense at home is just the torrential rain that was falling on Beijing - and despite those incredibly tough weather conditions, she won. So it's a wonderful victory and a huge lift for Team GB."

Pre-race favorites Marianne Vos of the Netherlands, a former world road race champion, and Athens silver medalist Judith Arndt of Germany finished in a group of riders 21 seconds behind.

"Normally I'm good in the rain, but the problem was that it was really cold," said Vos. "We expected warm weather."

French great Jeannie Longo, 49, competing in her seventh Olympics, finished 33 seconds behind the winner in 24th.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

US Basketball Team Defeated China Behind Overwhelming Crowd

United States Olympic basketball team played China

The United States Olympic basketball team played China in the most awaited events in the Olympic Games beating the host country 101-70. The US basketball team were always expected to win. Among the spectators was President George Bush who took a surprise lead thanks to 7ft 6in Yao Ming, who plays for Houston Rockets.

The American class showed in the end with Dwayne Wade scoring 19 points.

To the great excitement of the crowd, the Chinese stayed with their illustrious opponents until well into the third quarter as the Americans missed a string of chances and limped to a 49-37 half-time lead.

However, with LeBron James scoring 18 points and Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard both contributing 13, the Americans eased clear of a tiring Chinese team.

More than a billion people were estimated to have seen the game on television.

US coach Mike Krzyzewski said: "More people were supposed to be watching this game than any other in basketball history, and we treated that as a great honor. Both teams responded to the magnitude of the event."

Yao, who scored 13 points, said: "It was a great game played in a fantastic atmosphere, with all the flags and cheering. Everyone was very proud."

Defending champions Argentina stumbled to a 79-75 loss to Lithuania despite 19 points from San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobli.

European champions Russia beat Iran 71-49 while Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points as Germany overwhelmed Angola 95-66.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Friday, August 8, 2008

Weightlifter Chen Xiexia Olympic Gold Record For China

Chinese weightlifter Chen Xiexia 2008 Beijing Olympic

Hosts China won their first gold medal of the 2008 Beijing Olympic on the opening day through the power arms of Chinese weightlifter Chen Xiexia who set an Olympic record. Xiexia took the 48kg class to huge cheers from the partisan crowd, clinching victory with a total of 212kg.

Turkey's Sibel Ozkan's total of 199kg earned silver, while Taiwanese lifter Chen Wei-Ling lifted 196kg for bronze.

Chen Xiexia, 25, lifted 95kg in the snatch and set a new record for the class with 117kg in the clean and jerk.

The 2004 Olympic champion, Nurcan Taylan of Turkey, was eliminated after three failed attempts in the snatch.

Wrapped in a Chinese flag, Chen sang along with the crowd to the national anthem after receiving her medal.

Her victory tempered the earlier disappointment for China when defending champion Du Li failed to get amongst the medals in the women's 10m air rifle event.

And it capped a dramatic 24 hours for the hosts after a dazzling opening ceremony.

"I have been thinking of winning a medal but never thought it would turn out to be the first gold medal for China," said an ecstatic Chen.

"I'm very happy and think I did a good job."

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

2008 Beijing Olympic Opens With Stunning Display Of Pageantry and Pyrotechnics

beijing stadium fireworks 2008 Beijing Olympic

BEIJING - China welcomed scores of world leaders to an opening ceremony with stunning display of pageantry and pyrotechnics watched by 91,000 people at the eye-catching National Stadium and a potential audience of 4 billion worldwide. It was depicted as the largest, costliest extravaganza in Olympic history, bookended by barrages of some 30,000 fireworks.

To the beat of sparkling explosions, the crowd counted down the final seconds before the show began. A sea of drummers — 2,008 in all — pounded out rhythms with their hands, then acrobats on wires gently wafted down into the stadium as rockets shot up into the night sky from its rim.

President Bush and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin were among the glittering roster of notables who watched China make this bold declaration that it had arrived. Bush, rebuked by China after he raised human-rights concerns this week, is the first US president to attend an Olympics on foreign soil.

Already an economic juggernaut, China is given a good chance of overtaking the US atop the gold-medal standings with its legions of athletes trained intensely since childhood. One dramatic showdown will be in women's gymnastics, where the US and Chinese teams are co-favorites; in the pool, Chinese divers and US swimmers are expected to dominate.

The run-up to the games had epic story lines — China investing $40 billion to build the needed infrastructure, reeling from a catastrophic earthquake in Sichuan province in May, struggling right up to Friday to diminish Beijing's stubborn smog. China's detentions of political activists, its crackdown on uprisings in Tibet and its economic ties to Sudan — home of the war-torn Darfur region — fueled relentless criticisms from human rights groups and calls for an Olympic boycott.

Second-guessed for awarding the games to Beijing, the International Olympic Committee stood firmly by its decision. It was time, the committee said, to bring the games to the homeland of 1.3 billion people, a fifth of humanity.

The games, said IOC President Jacques Rogge, "are a chance for the rest of the world to discover what China really is."

The story presented in Friday's ceremony sought to distill 5,000 years of Chinese history — featuring everything from the Great Wall to opera puppets to astronauts, and highlighting achievements in art, music and science. Roughly 15,000 people were in the cast, all under the direction of Zhang Yimou, whose early films often often ran afoul of government censors for their blunt portrayals of China's problems.

The show's script steered clear of modern politics — there were no references to Chairman Mao and the class struggle, nor to the more recent conflicts and controversies. The ceremony was taped for broadcast 12 hours later in the United States.

A record 204 delegations were set to parade their athletes through the stadium — superstars such as basketball idols Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming, as well as plucky underdogs from Iraq, Afghanistan and other embattled lands. The nations were marching not in the traditional alphabetical order but in a sequence based on the number of strokes it takes to write their names in Chinese. The exceptions were Greece, birthplace of the Olympics, which was given its traditional place at the start, and the 639-member Chinese team, which lined up last.

The American flag-bearer was 1500-meter runner Lopez Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, who spent a decade of his youth in a refugee camp in Kenya. He's a member of the Team Darfur coalition, representing athletes opposed to China's support for Sudan. On Friday he avoided any criticism and said the Chinese "have been great putting all these things together."

Abroad, human rights activists were less generous.

"The Chinese government and the International Olympic Committee have wasted a historic opportunity to use the Beijing Games to make real progress on human rights in China," said Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch.

For Chinese dissidents who have dared to challenge the Communist Party's monopoly on power, the start of the Olympics meant tighter surveillance and restrictions.

"It's not my Olympic Games," said Jiang Tianyong, a human rights lawyer. "It's not the games for the ordinary people."

By all indications, however, most Chinese have embraced the games, buying up tickets at a record pace, volunteering by the thousands for Olympic duties, nursing expectations of triumphs by their home team.

To their eyes, the omens were good. The ceremony began at 8 p.m. on the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008 — auspicious in a country where eight is the luckiest number.

"It not easy to meet with such a date," said Wang Wei, secretary general of Beijing Organizing Committee. "Hopefully this lucky day will bring luck."

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Basketball Star Yao Ming Flag Carrier Of China

Yao Ming 2008 Beijing Olympic

Yao Ming 7ft 6in (2.26 metre) NBA player and China's basketball superstar will carry the host nation's flag for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on Friday. Yao is one of the best known Chinese athletes globally.

Yao Ming also carried his country's flag at the 2004 Athens Games opening ceremony.

Meanwhile, world tennis number one Roger Federer will celebrate his 27th birthday by carrying the Swiss flag at the Beijing ceremony.

"After serious consideration, we have decided that Yao Ming will be the flag bearer," announced Cui Dalin, the deputy chief of China's Olympic team.

Yao, a centre for the Houston Rockets, is the NBA's tallest player. He carried the Olympic torch through Tiananmen Square on Wednesday.

Federer, who is due to lose his world number one ranking to Spanish rival Rafael Nadal later this month, said representing his country is a dream come true.

He also carried the Swiss flag at the 2004 Olympics.

"To carry the flag is one of the achievements you only dream about. It was one of the great moments in my career," he said.

After a long winning streak, his career has slumped this year, with losses at the French Open and Wimbledon to Nadal.

Who Is Yao Ming
Yao Ming was born on September 12, 1980, Yao Ming is a Chinese professional basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently the tallest player in the NBA, at 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m).

Yao, who was born in Shanghai, China, started playing for the Shanghai Sharks as a teenager, and played on their senior team for five years in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), winning a championship in his final year. He entered the 2002 NBA Draft, and after negotiating with the CBA and the Sharks to secure his release, was selected by the Houston Rockets as the first overall pick of the draft. He has since been selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game in all six of his seasons, and has been named to the All-NBA Team four times. However, the Rockets have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since he joined the team, and he has missed significant time due to injury in each of the past three seasons.

Yao is married to Ye Li, a former player for the China women's national basketball team. He is one of China's best-known athletes, with sponsorships with several major companies, and he has been the richest celebrity in China for five straight years. His rookie year in the NBA was the subject of a documentary film and he co-wrote, along with NBA analyst Ric Bucher, an autobiography of his life, titled Yao: A Life in Two Worlds.

Early Life And CBA Career
Yao was the only child of 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Yao Zhiyuan and 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m) Fang Fengdi, both of whom were former professional basketball players. At 11 pounds (5.0 kg), Yao weighed more than twice as much as the average Chinese newborn, and he grew to be 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) by age ten. At that age, he was examined by sports doctors, who predicted that he would grow to 7 feet 3 inches (2.20 m). Yao started playing basketball at age nine, and he went to a junior sports school at the same age.

Yao first tried out for the Sharks junior team when he was 13, and he practiced for 10 hours a day to make the team. After playing with the junior team for four years, Yao joined the senior team of the Sharks at age 17, and averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds a game in his rookie season. However, his next season was cut short when he broke his foot for the second time in his career, which Yao said decreased his jumping ability by four to six inches (10 to 15 cm). The Sharks made the finals of the CBA in Yao’s third season and again the next year, but lost both times to the Bayi Rockets. When Wang Zhizhi left to become the first NBA player from China the following year, the Sharks finally won their first championship. During the playoffs in his final year with Shanghai, Yao averaged 38.9 points and 20.2 rebounds a game, while shooting 76.6% from the field, and made all 21 of his shots during one game in the finals.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Olympics Tennis First Round Roger Federer Against Dmitry Tursunov

Dmitry Tursunov Roger Federer 2008 Beijing Olympic Tennis Match

BEIJING – Top-ranked Roger Federer will play Russia's Dmitry Tursunov in the first round of the Beijing Olympics tennis tournament.

Rafael Nadal, who will replace Federer atop the rankings in the week after the Olympic tournament, drew Italy's Potito Starace in the first round and could meet either former No. 1-ranked Lleyton Hewitt or Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden in the second round.

No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic faces American Robby Ginepri and James Blake is against Chris Guccione of Australia.

On the women's side, top-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia drew Ukraine's Mariya Koryttseva and No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova takes on China's hope, Li Na.

Bjorkman and Koryttseva were among the 12 players granted special places in the Olympic tournament by the International Tennis Federation.

Who Is Roger Federer
Roger Federer was born on August 8, 1981, Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player, ranked World No. 1 for a record 238 consecutive weeks.

Federer has won twelve Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Open, five Wimbledon, four US Open), four Tennis Masters Cup titles, and fourteen ATP Masters Series titles. Federer holds many records in the game, including having appeared in ten consecutive Grand Slam men's singles finals (2005 Wimbledon Championships through the 2007 US Open) and 17 consecutive Grand Slam singles semifinals (2004 Wimbledon - present). He also holds the open era records for consecutive wins on both grass courts (65) and hard courts (56). He has a storied rivalry with Rafael Nadal.

Federer's success has prompted a number of tennis critics, legendary players, and current players to consider him to be the greatest tennis player in history. In 2008, he was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record fourth consecutive time.

Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland, to Swiss-German Robert Federer and South African Lynette Federer (née Durand). He grew up in suburban Münchenstein, ten minutes from Basel and close to the borders of France and Germany. In addition to tennis, he also played football as a boy and considered becoming a professional footballer before deciding to pursue a career in tennis. He continues to support FC Basel, his hometown club and is a fan of Italian club AS Roma. As a youngster, he enjoyed watching Marcelo Ríos in action. He especially liked Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Marcelo Rios and has cited them as idols.

Who Is Dmitry Tursunov
Dmitry Igorevich Tursunov was born on December 12, 1982 in Moscow, Russia, Tursunov is a Russian professional male tennis player. He was 12 years old when he moved overseas to further his prospects of becoming a professional player. Tursunov went to live in the U.S. and has lived there ever since.

Tursunov is an offensive baseliner with excellent groundstrokes from both sides and prefers to play on faster surfaces; he jokes about his lack of ability and success on clay courts. He is sponsored by Fila and Wilson.

Tursunov helped the Russian Davis Cup team win the 2006 Davis Cup, and reach the finals of the 2007 Davis Cup.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Final Torch Relay Of Olympic Flame Sets Off

Final Torch Relay of Olympic Flame Sets OffBEIJING - Two days before it officially launches the 2008 Beijing Olympic, torch bearers carried the Olympic flame on the final relay of its long and sometimes contentious global tour Wednesday - they were greeted by rapturous crowds in the Chinese capital.

The arrival of the torch in the capital marks one of the concluding steps in China's seven years of preparations for the games that have cost billions of dollars, and one which Beijing hopes will serve as the country's symbolic debut as a modern world power.

The torch will tour Beijing before ending up at Friday's opening ceremony for the games. It will be carried by a diverse group, including China's first astronaut in space Yang Liwei, movie director Zhang Yimou and basketball superstar Yao Ming.

"I'm very happy to be here," said Yang before the relay kicked off from the Forbidden City, home of Chinese emperors since the 15th century.

"That the torch is finally in Beijing is a realization of a dream we've had for a hundred years," Yang said, minutes before he took up the flame as its first torchbearer.

Overseas, the torch relay was disrupted by protests or conducted under extremely heavy security since it left Greece on March 24, turning an event that should have built up excitement for the games into something of a public relations disaster for the hosts.

The protests have mostly been in response to China's crackdown in March on anti-government riots in Tibet and to more general concerns over human rights issues in China.

The torch arrived back in the capital late Tuesday, after an emotional run in Sichuan province, the site of China's deadly May 12 earthquake which killed almost 70,000 people and left some 5 million homeless.

It was paraded Tuesday through about eight miles of the provincial capital of Chengdu. Hours later, a powerful aftershock struck other parts of Sichuan province in western China and nearby provinces, but it was not felt in Chengdu.

The original route of the torch in Chengdu was altered, taking it through an industrial part of the city rather than a more historic section that houses Tibetan communities, apparently out of concern that anti-government protests could mar the ceremony. Deadly riots against the Beijing government broke out in the capital of neighboring Tibet in March, and pro-Tibet activists have disrupted the torch relay overseas.

The Chengdu segment of the torch relay had originally been scheduled for mid-June but was postponed because of the massive May 12 quake, which killed almost 70,000 people and left some 5 million homeless. Chengdu was affected by the quake but it did heavier damage to areas north of the city.

Olympic organizers rescheduled the torch's run through Sichuan to support relief efforts there. There were two days of days of events that began Monday.

A huge stage was set up at the Forbidden City's Meridian Gate for lion dancers and other traditional dance performances. Despite the muggy heat, thousands of people lined Chang An Avenue, which runs through the heart of Beijing, to cheer on the torchbearers.

"I'm just so happy I couldn't sleep last night," said Liu Yuzhen, a 54-year-old retiree who was one of the dancers. "It's our torch and it's in Beijing. It's a chance of a hundred years and it's finally here."

From the Forbidden City, the torch was to pass landmarks such as the futuristic egg-shaped National Center for the Performing Arts and Tiananmen Square. The expansive square is iconic for its symbolism as the seat of the communist government, but also was the focus of pro-democracy demonstrations in 1989 that were violently crushed by security forces.

The torch will end the day's relay at the Temple of Heaven in south Beijing, where the emperor went to perform sacrifices for a good harvest. The Beijing leg will involve 841 torchbearers over three days and will also visit the Great Wall at Badaling, a site where prehistoric fossils of Peking Man were discovered.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Friday, August 1, 2008

First Philippine Gold In Olympics Worth P15 Million


MANILA, Philippines - P15 million cash incentive for the first Filipino athlete to win a gold medal in the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics, on Friday said Press Secretary Jesus G. Dureza. The Philippines will send 15 athletes who will compete in eight sports like boxing, taekwondo, shooting, archery, diving, swimming, athletics, and weightlifting.

"The President announced the incentives to those who will win gold medals. An amount of P15 million will be given to the first athlete to win a gold medal," he said.

Mr. Dureza said this was an increase from the P10.5 million cash pot offered previously.

The Philippines has yet to win gold in the Olympics. The country has been participating in the World Games for 84 years, or since 1924, but has come up with only nine medals, none of them gold.

Mr. Dureza explained that P5 million of the P15 million incentive was mandated by law. On the other hand, P4.5 million will be provided by the President while P5.5 million will come from the private sector.

The Press Secretary made the announcement during the courtesy call of Team Philippines in Malacanang Friday.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

Norwegian Cyclist Thor Hushovd Withdraws From Olympics

Norwegian cyclist Thor Hushovd Tour de France 2008 Beijing Olympic
Personal information
Full name: Thor Hushovd
Nickname: The Bull (or Bear) from Grimstad God of Thunder
Date of birth: January 18, 1978 (1978-01-18) (age 30)
Country: Norway
Height: 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight: 81 kg (180 lb/12.8 st)
Team information
Current team: Crédit Agricole
Discipline: Road
Role: Rider
Rider type: Sprinter
Professional team
2000–Crédit Agricole
Major Wins
Tour de France, 6 stages, points classification (2005)
Vuelta a España, 2 stages, points classification (2006)
Gent-Wevelgem (2006)

Norwegian cyclist Thor Hushovd had a very tough Tour de France that is why he has pulled out of the Olympics on Friday after struggling with illness.

"I wanted to compete in 2008 Beijing Olympic, but my team doctor told me I needed to rest. My health is more important."

Hushovd, who won the second stage in the Tour de France last month, took penicillin for 12 days during this year's race.

Hushovd added: "I'm going to rest and start training later to get in shape for the autumn races."

He will be replaced in the Norwegian team by Lars Petter Nordhaug.

Who Is Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd was born on January 18, 1978 in Grimstad, Hushovd is a Norwegian professional road bicycle racer, riding for Crédit Agricole. Hushovd is known for sprinting and time trialing. He is a former Norwegian time trial champion. He is the first Norwegian to wear the yellow jersey in Tour de France.

Before turning professional in 1998, Hushovd won the under-23 time trial world championship and the under-23 versions of Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Tours.

Hushovd is a member of Crédit Agricole. He was Norwegian time trial champion in 2004 and 2005 and road race champion in 2004. In 2006, Hushovd won seven UCI ProTour races and two stages of the Tour de France. Hushovd won the prologue in Strasbourg and wore the maillot jaune after the first day despite a cut arm. He continued with stitches and regained the maillot jaune after stage 2 with a third place finish. As the Tour started with Hushovd, it ended with his winning the last stage, beating Robbie McEwen in a sprint. In the 2006 Vuelta a España he won stage 6, wore the golden jersey for three stages and won the points classification.

At the 2008 Tour de France, Thor won stage two in a bunch sprint finish.

FYI - 2008 Beijing Olympic Sports

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