Site: Beijing, China
Dates: August 8, 2008 – August 24, 2008
The excitement is building for the 2008 Summer Olympics that will be held in Beijing, China from August 8, 2008 through August 24, 2008. The opening ceremony is scheduled to commence at 8 p.m. on August 8, 2008 and will center on prosperity in Chinese culture. Tickets to these events are going to be scarce and highly valued. Some events such as beach volleyball, sailing, and open water swimming will be held in Qingdao. Twenty-two venues have been selected to host the events, including eleven newly constructed venues. Due to concerns over disease, equestrian events will be held in Hong Kong.
The 2008 Olympics will feature 28 sports and 302 events. Nine new events will be held including the cycling discipline of BMX. Women will compete in a 3000m steeplechase. Marathon swimming events for both men and women covering a distance of ten kilometers are being added to the swimming discipline.
Some of the confirmed worldwide broadcasters of the 2008 Olympics include the following: ERT in Greece, CBC and Radio-Canada along with TSN and RDS in Canada, NBC Universal with NBC and its cable properties in the United States, BBC in the United Kingdom.
It is anticipated that most of the 202 nations that competed in Athens in 2004 will return for the 2008 Olympics in addition to the Marshall Islands, bringing the number to 203. It seems quite unlikely that Rome will participate, however, the entrance of Tuvalu is a possibility if the country receives National Olympic Committee approval prior to the IOC deadline. Serbia and Montenegro will be competing separately as these two nations voted in May 2006 to sever their political ties. South and North Korea will be discussing sending a team to the 2008 Olympics. Although the National Olympic Committee has accepted Macao, China, it is unlikely that it will participate.
There is some concern over boycotts, but this is tends to surface each time the Olympic Games are held. We can only wait to see if any of the boycotts are actually instituted.
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