Sports!

The Olympic Games are not only a platform for competition and entertainment, but they can also serve to inspire people, even those of us who will never be Olympic athletes. During each installment of the Olympic Games, there are many inspirational stories and athletes that emerge, and though the Games haven’t begun, the 2008 Beijing Olympics is already no exception to this trend. Let’s discuss some of the inspirational athletes that will aspire to compete in this year’s Olympic Games.

Recently, Oscar Pistorius of South Africa has become a huge story due to his battle to be included in the running for participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. You may have already heard of him, or even seen clips of him in action on television or elsewhere. If so, you’d know him immediately. Why? Because he was born without fibulas in either of his legs, and is a double-amputee as a result.

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During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, much of the spotlight will be on the National Aquatics Center, and with good reason. At the National Aquatics Center, gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded in 42 events in categories like swimming and diving. Obviously, if you’re a fan of water sports, the National Aquatics Center is where the action will be this summer at the Beijing Olympics.

The National Aquatics Center was inaugurated on January 28, 2008, after four years of construction. The groundbreaking happened in December of 2003, and construction began immediately after on the state of the art facility. By the end of 2005, the concrete structure was finished and the steel structure was nearly finished being installed. In August of the following year, the first of the air cushions was installed, and by the end of the year, membrane structures were also introduced on the outside of the National Aquatics Center. In 2007, decorating, municipal engineering works, and electro-mechanical equipment was completed and installed, finishing the construction of the facility.

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One of the early stories of the 2008 Beijing Olympics has been the plight of double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius of South Africa. Born with a condition called congenital absence of the fibula in both of his legs, Pistorius has learned to be a world class sprinter with the help of carbon fiber “blades” that allow him to run much in the manner of an able-bodied athlete.

In January of 2008, the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) had ruled that since his carbon fiber blades supposedly gave him an advantage over his able-bodied counterparts that he could not race against them in competitions, including the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Much of the IAAF’s reasoning was based on a German professor’s research, which led to a belief that the carbon fiber blades, dubbed “Cheetah” blades, were unfair because of their energy efficiency. However, Pistorius and his lawyers had their own independent tests conducted that claimed that the contrary was true, and that all the carbon fiber blades accomplish is to put Pistorius on “equal ground” with able-bodied competitors.

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There are few Olympic sports which have the historic tradition that Olympic boxing has built over the years. Great boxers such as Oscar de la Hoya, George Foreman, and “The Greatest” himself, Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) have fought and succeeded on the international stage at the Summer Olympic Games. Nowadays, it lives on as one of the more popular, and sometimes controversial, Olympic sports. Whether you’ll be watching along with 13,000 other fans at the Worker’s Indoor Arena, or watching from the comfort of your own home, let’s prepare yourself for boxing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with this basic history and explanation of Olympic boxing.

Surprisingly, the first modern Olympics didn’t include boxing as an Olympic sport. The reason? It was considered too violent. However, in 1904 boxing debuted at the St. Louis Olympic Games, albeit only as a demonstration sport. In 1908, boxing was included as a medal sport in London, but was once again, not a part of the Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden four years later. Finally, in the 1920 Olympic Games, boxing returned to stay (there were no 1916 Olympics).

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Each edition of the Olympic Games showcases some of the finest athletes in the world doing what they do best while representing their home countries. This year’s Games in Beijing, China, will be no different. There are so many great athletes, both male and female, that it can be hard to know who to look out for. Here’s a few of the athletes on the male side that you’ll want to keep an eye on during the Beijing Olympic Games.

Yao Ming is a Chinese basketball player who has blossomed to one of the best players in the entire world, and most likely the best player at his position anywhere. Yao has succeeded in the NBA, becoming the first Chinese player to do so, and has experienced international success in the past, being named to All-Tournament teams at the Olympics and World Championships. Yao’s ultimate goal is to bring a gold medal to China, and the fact that this year’s Olympics are in his own home country only intensifies this desire. At over seven feet fall, Yao possesses uncommon agility, shooting ability, and passing, and will be playing his best basketball when the Olympic Games begin in Beijing. Don’t miss a moment of Yao and company on the court!

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With an event that is as large in magnitude, tradition, and importance as the Summer Olympic Games, it’s understandable that not even a huge city can hold it on its own. Each Olympic Games has co-host cities that assist in holding events, and Beijing’s 2008 Olympic Games are no exception. If you would like to know more about the co-host cities of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, look no further!

The co-host cities of the 2008 Beijing Olympics include Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Qinhuangdao. These cities were selected to assist with the hosting of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games not only for their proximity to Beijing, but also for their distinctive features and beauty.

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Each of the Olympic Games always comes complete with (sometimes) adorable mascots. Although the mascots from one Olympics to another vary in quality and how they are received by the fans of the Games, the tradition of having mascots to represent the spirit of the Olympics lives on.

For this year’s Summer Olympics in Beijing, there are five mascots, each colored to represent one of the Olympic rings. Collectively, they are known as Fuwa. Fuwa not only are supposed to represent the Olympic rings, but also the five elements recognized by many Chinese people- the earth, sky, sea, fire and forest.

Individually, the mascots are named Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini. The syllables of their names are repeated to have a rhyming effect, which symbolizes a traditional way of referring affectionately to a child in China. When you put their names together, they become a sentence that translates to “Welcome to Beijing”, which adds another level of meaning to the mascot name game.

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As we get closer and closer to the newest exciting installment of the Olympic Games, the athletes themselves are also preparing for the biggest event of their lives. While cities, fans, and organizers are preparing to host, attend, or enjoy the Olympic Games, the athletes are doing preparation of their own to attempt to be recognized as among the world’s best athletes. Before we watch the athletes take center stage in the Beijing Olympics, let’s take a look at what Olympic athletes go through to get themselves in position to be the best in the world.

Olympic athletes have different lives depending on what kind of sport they participate in. Gymnasts, for example, begin their training at a very young age, many times as toddlers. After they show the aptitude and interest in gymnastics, their training is more and more serious as they spend much of their time perfecting their techniques and getting ready for competitions. Gymnasts must be very hard-working and dedicated, as they train full-time while attending classes or working with tutors to acquire their education.

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The 2008 Beijing Olympics will take place, depending on the event, in a variety of breathtaking and state of the art venues. These locations are not just representing the pinnacle of modern architecture and design, but will also become the places where athletic and Olympic history is made in the Summer Olympic Games. If you want to become more familiar with just where some of the most important moments of the Beijing Olympics will take place, read on.

First and foremost is National Stadium, which is located in Beijing on the Olympic Green. The stadium seats nearly 100,000, and will be home to the Opening as well as Closing Ceremonies. The National Stadium contains a shopping center and a beautiful “green area” outside the stadium, and is notable for its modern and distinctive design, which has earned the National Stadium the nickname of the “Bird’s Nest”. National Stadium will host some of the most-watched events of the entire Beijing Olympics, including track and field events.

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As the 2008 Beijing Olympics draw closer, the spotlight falls on the athletes who will be competing on the sports world’s biggest stage in another edition of the Summer Olympic Games. While we all watch in awe as these athletes ply their trades and do things that most of us can only dream of, it’s important to remember the dedication and determination involved in becoming an Olympic level athlete. You will only be even more impressed by these great individuals when you come to understand what it takes for them to reach the Olympic Games.

One important thing to keep in mind is that no one just becomes an Olympic athlete. You can’t simply make it to the highest level of competition on natural talent alone. Every last athlete competing in each edition of the Olympics is successful based upon not only natural talent and ability, but years of hard work, preparation and planning. Since the Olympics only come every four years, athletes will have to train for several years just to get one opportunity to be the best in the world at their sport of choice.

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