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Last updated on February 1, 2009
2008 Olympics
Beijing
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games kicked off on Aug. 8, 2008, with a
spectacular opening ceremony that many observers called unparalleled.
Prior to the games, however, China was dogged by its abysmal human-rights
record, a deadly crackdown on Buddhist monks, nearly intolerable air
quality, attempts to censor some journalists reporting on the Games, and
continued ties to the Sudanese government. These incidents combined to set
low expectations for peaceful Games.
By most accounts, however, China exceeded expectations in running the
Games, proving the country as a powerhouse on many levels. With each event
being tightly choreographed, China left little room for spontaneity or
chance. The price tag of the Games exceeded $2.2 billion, and China spent
about $40 billion preparing for the Games, cementing its economic
dominance. Air quality didn't seem to be an issue with marathoners or
cyclers.
China won a record 51 gold medals, and a total of 100 medals. The U.S.
followed with 36 golds and a total of 110 medals, and Russia claimed 23
golds and 72 total medals. Some 10,500 athletes representing 204 countries
competed in 302 events spread out over 28 sports.
American swimmer Michael Phelps undoubtedly emerged as the star of the
Games, living up to the pre-Games hype. He won eight gold medals, breaking
the record set by Mark Spitz in the 1972 Summer Games. He also set a
record for the most golds in a single Olympics. Phelps participated in
eight events and set seven world records. The dynamic duo of Misty
May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, the U.S. women's beach volleyball team, won
its second consecutive gold medal and 108th-straight match. Jamaican
sprinter Usain Bolt earned the nickname "Lightning Bolt," breaking world
records in each of his three events: the 100 m, 200 m, and the 400 m
relay.
On the final day of the 2008 Summer Games, the U.S. men's basketball
team, once called the "Dream Team" before falling in the 2004 Olympics,
prevailed over Spain, 118 to 107, to take the gold medal and earning them
the new nickname the "Redeem Team."
The Games were not without controversy, however. The government was
criticized for stifling protests and dissent, going so far as to sentence
two women in their 70s to labor camp to prevent them from holding a
demonstration. The government selected three Beijing parks as protest
sites, but turned down every applicant who sought permission to stage a
demonstration. In addition, on the opening day of the Games, a Chinese man
stabbed and killed Todd Bachman, the father-in-law of Hugh McCutcheon, the
head indoor men's volleyball coach.
It's fair to say that the 2008 Summer Games ended as a public relations
success for China. The world witnessed stunning displays of athleticism,
fortitude, and pageantry with few glitches or scandals to mar the
grandeur. It came at great financial cost to China, but the world's
perception of China may prove to be invaluable for the world's most
populous country.
Information Please® Database, © 2008 Pearson Education,
Inc. All rights reserved.
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