Beijing Olympics closing ceremony: Artistic performance Live Video Download

Posted by Iflove Featured Stories on August 25, 2008 at 12:53 am

Beijing 2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony Revealed: The following is a preview of the artistic performance staged at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday night.

The closing ceremony focuses on the theme of “harmony, friendship and joy,” and consists of three chapters.

CHAPTER 1: REUNION

Beijing 2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony

Exciting drumbeats summon people to gather under the Olympic flag; beautiful and melodious silver bells glistening with bright radiance light up the dream in people’s hearts.

The beautiful melody arouses the upsurge of the joyful celebrations; the glittering bright light makes the joyful atmosphere reach the climax.

CHAPTER 2: MEMORY — EXTINGUISHING THE OLYMPIC FLAME

Beijing 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony

This performance is the highlight of the whole ceremony. By means of brand new space of visual image and original form of body performance, the spectacular moments in the 16 days of Beijing Olympic Games are shown magically to the world audience.

When the holy flame of the Games is extinguished, a “holy Olympic flame burning forever” performance conveys to the whole world the Olympic spirit of man’s pursuit of “Citius, Altius, Fortius.” It lauds the spirit of the athletes who strive to excel during the Beijing Olympic Games, and also highlights the precious memories of the Games.

CHAPTER 3: CARNIVAL

2.17pm

Beijing 2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony

At the moment of passionately celebrating the successful conclusion of the Beijing Games, famous Chinese and foreign artists take the stage in succession and sing together, sending the best wishes from Beijing with songs and building a bridge of friendship with dances. All athletes revel in the stadium and celebrate friendship.

Olympic Dream Helps Chinese Kids Beat Pain in Drive for London
Aug. 25 (Bloomberg) — Zhang Jing has practiced vaults and somersaults since she was 3 years old and spends 5 hours a day straining bone and muscle at a Beijing sports school, dreaming of winning a gold medal at the London Olympics.

Watching her schoolmates He Kexin and Zhang Yining secure four of China’s Games-high 51 golds at the Beijing Games has spurred the 14-year-old to push harder for her goal.

“When I see my school friends getting into national teams and becoming champions, I want to join them,” said Zhang, after hopping from the balance beam. “My back aches a lot in training but when I think about standing on the podium, I just perk up.”

Zhang is one of 400,000 pupils practicing at more than 3,000 sports schools in China. They will graduate into state-of- the-art training setups, backed by a government that says it will maintain the same level of sports funding even after the Olympic flame went out in the Bird’s Nest stadium last night.

Zhang’s generation will compete for places on the 2012 team with Olympic rookies who won more than half of the host’s titles in Beijing. Put it all together and China’s finish atop the gold-medal standings for the first time may not be a one-off driven by home advantage.

“They will do even better at London,” Peter Ueberroth, the U.S. Olympic Committee chairman, told reporters. “What this is, is a signal to the world.”

A world that had gotten used to the U.S. dominating since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

`Spectacular’

Either the U.S or the Soviets held the top place in the gold-medal table since 1948. The Americans matched their 36 golds at Athens four years ago in missing out on the No. 1 spot for the first time since 1992. In total medals, they improved to a Games-leading 110 — 10 more than China.

“We’ve done everything we need to perform here,” said Steve Roush, the U.S. committee’s chief of sports performance. “Hats off to China, they had a spectacular Games.”

Zhang’s Beijing Xiannongtan Athletics Technique School receives 600 applications for every 100 places each year — an indication that the conveyor belt of talent isn’t about to stop.

China has spent $4.5 billion on sports in the past decade, while sports ministry funding of 800 million yuan ($117 million) a year will be maintained and may increase if lottery revenue rises, Liu Peng, China’s top sports official, said at a news conference yesterday. Even so, analysts doubt the spending splurge can continue.

Focus Remains

China put in “unlimited resources and effort for the Olympics,” said Chris Renner, president of Beijing-based Helios Partners China, which advises Olympic sponsors. “The focus will still be there but there’s just no way they can sustain the kind of money they’ve poured into it this time.”

In Beijing, China furthered its dominance of sports it led in Athens — winning 29 of the 52 golds in weightlifting, diving, shooting and artistic gymnastics. It claimed first titles in archery, rowing, sailing, boxing and men’s fencing.

Those successes owed something to China’s “Plan for Olympic Glory,” formulated in 2002, in which the government called for full-time national teams, increased support and more overseas experience for athletes, and upgraded facilities. Thirty-eight foreign coaches brought expertise in 17 sports.

“We’ve been working hard for two years now,” said Frenchman Christian Bauer, who helped Zhong Man secure China’s first men’s fencing gold. “Zhong is a good student.”

What impresses Uebberoth is the speed of China’s ascent. The most populous nation only rejoined the Olympics in 1984 after a 32-year hiatus, winning 15 golds and 32 total medals in the Los Angeles Games.

`Dedication’

“I live on the beach and watch beach volleyball and it takes 20 years to get a player,” said Ueberroth. “And they were silver — almost a gold — and bronze in women’s. They have dedication, a high degree of discipline and dedication.”

China still has ground to make up in sports offering the most medals. Its post-2000 Olympics “Project 119” — targeting the 119 gold medals then available in track and field, swimming, rowing, kayak and sailing — produced four golds in Beijing, the same as in Athens. Liu Xiang’s withdrawal from the 110-meter hurdles left the home team without a track win.

“We excel in few of the biggest events,” said Liu, the China team chief. “There is still a huge gap between China and outstanding teams like the U.S. We must be humble, cautious and keep a sober mind.”

There are about 1.3 billion other reasons why China may find it hard to sustain its performance in London and beyond. In the past 60 years, only Australia in 2004 has won more medals four years after performing in front of its own fans.

Crowd Factor

“I really felt the heat from the audience,” said Liu Zige, a 19-year-old rookie who broke the 200-meter butterfly record to secure China’s only swim gold.

Some of that audience will be striving for a ticket to the London Games. Zhang, the gymnastics hopeful, watched Liu collect her gold medal, along with schoolmates He and Zhang, and returned to the gym with renewed vigor.

“I can see so much pride on their faces when they become champions and I am so envious,” Zhang said, walking back to the beam to prepare for her next routine. “I want to be a champion and, yes, now I believe I can.”

Beijing 2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony Revealed: The following is a preview of the artistic performance staged at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday night. Editing by James Charles

Beijing 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony: The greatest show on earth?

Posted by Iflove Featured Stories on August 24, 2008 at 11:52 pm

Finanally, China Wins, with most gold medals. Yes. Beijing Olympics grab golds for NBC: Record ratings for NBC Universal’s coverage of the Olympic Games. Harnessing our wavesFOR AN Irish team that travelled to Beijing more in hope than expectation, the 2008 Olympics have certainly surprised and will now go into the record books as one of the most successful in our sporting history. A silver and two bronze medals put the Irish team in 62nd place in the final table, a very satisfactory achievement, particularly for boxing which seems to consistently outperform some of the more celebrated Olympic sports.

Despite yielding more medals for Ireland than any other sport since 1924, boxing in Ireland has always been a poor relation in terms of funding and facilities. That situation was partly addressed for Beijing through the Sports Council’s high-performance strategy but the displays of medal winners Kenny Egan, Paddy Barnes and Darren Sutherland owed as much to their own determination, honesty and skill than any injection of cash.

Although Ireland’s medal haul was confined to boxing, it would be wrong to casually dismiss the performances of some of the other Irish competitors just because they won’t be returning with medals. Canoeist Eoin Rheinsech finished only one place outside the first three in his event while track athlete Paul Hession, walkers Robert Heffernan and Olive Loughnane, and swimmer Andrew Bree also performed with distinction.

However, these achievements cannot disguise some very disappointing displays by high-profile competitors. Track and field is always the showpiece of the Olympics and most of the funding for Irish teams is targeted towards our elite athletes. The return from this investment in Beijing has been very poor. Many of the athletes failed to come anywhere near their personal best times, a benchmark most would have considered a minimum requirement in China. Those failures should lead to a comprehensive review of all our Olympic programmes for the 2012 games in London. And a good starting point in any detailed analysis of the Beijing games would be Britain itself. The outstanding British performance in Beijing has vindicated a long-term strategy - introduced after Sydney 2000 - to identify and then provide increased funding for sports that could deliver medals in 2008 and 2012.

The next challenge facing Britain will be on a completely different scale. Following the Chinese as hosts will be far more daunting than producing Olympic champions. The Beijing games have been a spectacular triumph for the Chinese who have prided themselves in staging an Olympics that will be remembered more for sublime sporting moments, brilliant organisation and state-of-the-art facilities than political protest and overbearing security.

Hosting the Olympics is now such a mammoth exercise that it is only really suitable for major world cities which already have much of the required infrastructure in place. Even by those standards, Beijing must have surpassed the hopes of the members of the International Olympic Committee who take their leave of the Chinese capital with their Olympic brand endorsed as truly the greatest show on earth.

Finanally, China Wins, with most gold medals. Yes. Beijing Olympics grab golds for NBC: Record ratings for NBC Universal’s coverage of the Olympic Games. Harnessing our wavesFOR AN Irish team that travelled to Beijing more in hope than expectation, the 2008 Olympics have certainly surprised and will now go into the record books as one of the most successful in our sporting history. A silver and two bronze medals put the Irish team in 62nd place in the final table, a very satisfactory achievement, particularly for boxing which seems to consistently outperform some of the more celebrated Olympic sports.

Beijing 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony: The greatest show on earth? Leave Views.

London 2012 Olympic Games Approaching: London handover performance at Beijing Olympics closing ceremony

Posted by Iflove Featured Stories on August 24, 2008 at 11:08 pm

Beijing 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony Revealed: The following are the highlights of the London 2012 Olympic Games handover performance at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday night.

London 2012 presents a spectacular eight-minute cultural performance heralding the start of the four-year countdown to the next Olympic Games.

The dramatic transformation of the bus into a stage for the headline performers as the roof opens out into petal-shaped sections. The scene inside is predominantly green with lush grass and a hedge cut into the shape of the London skyline. This reflects the greenness of London and the UK — from green fields, Royal Parks and country gardens to famous sports fields: the green lawn courts of Wimbledon, the new Wembley and Lord’s Cricket Ground — all of which are venues for the London 2012 Games.

The transformation of the famous London bus also provides a powerful example of the urban and practical being transformed into the dynamic and spectacular, symbolizing London’s vision to use the power of the Games as a catalyst for change.

Appearance of three great Team GB cycling Olympians chasing the bus — Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and Shanaze Reade — enable the people to celebrate the central role of athletes in the London Games, the unprecedented success of Team GB at the Beijing Games, and particularly the outstanding medal haul of the Team GB cyclists.

A handover of a treasured English football by a child of the world to a child of London that takes place by the bus — a symbolic gesture reflecting the importance of friendship and young people to the Olympic Movement.

The dramatic appearance of singer Leona Lewis and guitarist Jimmy Page on high-rising elevators, emerging from within the bus. Jimmy performs one of the most famous guitar riffs in the world — a riff which he wrote. Jimmy and Leona then create a unique duet playing the Led Zeppelin classic, “Whole Lotta Love.”

The child of London gives the football to worldwide soccer icon David Beckham, who kicks the ball to athletes gathered in the stadium for the closing ceremony. This symbolizes the power of sport to unite the world and the importance of sport for young people, a central theme of the London 2012 Games.

Beijing 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony Revealed: The following are the highlights of the London 2012 Olympic Games handover performance at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday night.

Beijing Draws Games to an End in dramatic fashion, Olympics Becomes a Visionary Feast

Posted by Iflove Featured Stories on August 24, 2008 at 10:52 pm

Beijing 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony Revealed: Beijing Draws Games to an End in dramatic fashion, Olympics Becomes a Visionary Feastny. David Beckham holds a ball aloft at the closing ceremo. As promised, David Beckham and a double-decker bus featured in today’s closing ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games, along with Leona Lewis, Jimmy Page and Boris Johnson. But they were a minor diversion, only briefly interrupting the second act of Zhang Yimou’s Great Patriotic Pageant.

Beijing 2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony

The evening opened with a countdown, an explosion of fireworks, and a potted reprise of the sort of Busby Berkeley-meets-House of Flying Daggers extravaganza invented by Zhang, the great film director, for the opening ceremony, this time involving a mere 200 drummers.

Early on there was an unscheduled collision involving a wayward monocyclist - whose machine, ingeniously enough, was a single large wheel inside which he sat and pedalled - and a small group of figures got up to resemble a dancing troupe from one of the 56 ethnic minority groups of whom the Chinese have made such play over the last fortnight. They got up, dusted themselves down, and carried on playing their parts.

During the entry of the flags, carried by athletes, Chris Hoy did his job with manly resolve and no evident sign of Scottish nationalist sentiment (indeed, he had responded earlier in the day to a Scottish politican’s suggestion that the country might consider going it alone in the Olympics by remarking tartly that it could only be taken seriously when Scotland started investing money in sport).

The appearance of the athletes created the usual degree of mild interest in their leisurewear. The Italians seemed a mite overdressed in silver jackets and matching shoes, the French carried a string of tricolour bunting that made the centre of the Bird’s Nest look like a village fete in the Luberon, the United States athletes - men and women - had been issued with curious white flat caps, the Canadians opted for Pucci-print beach slacks, and there appeared to be an awful lot of Dutch - or maybe orange just has a sort of spreading quality.

The medal winners from the men’s marathon received their rewards and there was a stirring sight for Africa as the flags of Kenya, Morocco and Ethiopia were raised. Bouquets were presented to a dozen volunteers representing more than 70,000 young people whose unfailing politeness and good humour were even more impressive than the fireworks and the architecture which will be the image left by the 29th Games.

Jacques Rogge made a speech in which he praised “a truly exceptional Games”, the very words Juan Antonio Samaranch, his predecessor as president of the International Olympic Committee, famously used about Atlanta in his closing remarks in 1996, instead of calling it - as was his habit every four years - “the best Games ever”. At the time, this was taken as the most tremendous snub, which may not have been Rogge’s intention.

The British national anthem was sweetly sung by a young 28-voice choir, almost half of them visibly from ethnic minorities, a sign of the approach that won London the right to host the 30th Games. The mayor of Beijing handed the Olympic flag via Rogge to the mayor of London, who failed to drop it and, as he left the podium, indulged in a decorous orgy of mutual celebration with the British athletes while they donned their pink “See you in London” jackets.

Cue the double-decker bus - not a Routemaster but a cunning replica - with Hoy, Jamie Staff and Victoria Pendleton, all gold medal winners, cycling around it like a couple of London commuters. When the doors opened a file of dancing hoodies, crossing attendants, handicapped people, binge-drinkers and schoolgirls emerged, before the sides of the bus opened out to become a piece of suburban topiary from which Lewis ascended on a lift to sing Whole Lotta Love with guitar accompaniment from the venerable Page. They were joined by a cellist, a violinist and a tracksuited Beckham, who punted a football into the crowd - a bit of a slice, one thought, perhaps into row Z - before the sequence ended in a bit of business with illuminated umbrellas and the stately withdrawal of the bus. Remarkable.

And then the hosts regained control. With the aid of a vast human pyramid and a couple of actors standing at the top of a giant airport jetway, the flame went out, ending a Games in which, to freely adapt a thought from Rogge’s speech, the world looked at China, China looked at the world, and both sides drew their own conclusions.

· Closing ceremony brings an end to Beijing Olympics
· David Beckham, Leona Lewis and Boris Johnson all feature

Beijing Draws Games to an End in dramatic fashion, Olympics Becomes a Visionary Feast. So tell us what you think about Beijing Olympics. Who is your favorite sports star? What is your most memorable Olympic moment of the 2008 Beijing Games?

Olympic Closing Ceremony: Farewell Beijing, Farewell China, Farewell 2008

Posted by Iflove Featured Stories on August 24, 2008 at 10:29 pm

Beijing 2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony Revealed: After 16 days of triumph and tragedy, ecstasy and agony, doped-up horses and underage gymnasts (allegedly), we’re about to see the Beijing Olympics come to a close.

This means two things: first, we can go back to spelling “sports” with an “s” at the end. Second, we can stop setting our alarm clocks for those crucial 4:15 a.m. team dressage competitions. (OK, we’ll miss that last one).

Beijing 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony

But before we say goodbye to Beijing, Beijing says goodbye to us. That’s right, it’s time for our second-favourite Olympic ceremony: the closing ceremony.

If you’re a fan of digitally enhanced fireworks and lip-syncing nine-year-olds, well, hold on to your hat.

And if that’s not enough excitement for you, check here for our blow-by-blow account of all the festivities from magnificent National Stadium, beginning at 8 a.m. ET.

10:04 a.m. ET: And that is that. The Beijing Olympics are in the books. And what an Olympics: between Bolt’s casual dominance on the track, Michael Phelps’s eight gold medals in the pool, and Canada’s 18 podium finishes (more than anyone predicted), I think we’ll remember Beijing for a long time. And, contrary to what most everyone thought going in, it’ll be for all the right reasons.

9:55 a.m. ET: The cameras cut away for a minute, come back, and the fireworks are still going. Beijing is pulling a Usain Bolt right now: they’re looking to put so much distance between themselves and the next-best fireworks display of all time that they might never be touched.

9:53 a.m. ET: Maybe Jacques Rogge wouldn’t say this, but I will: that was the greatest fireworks display of all time. Wow.

9:45 a.m. ET: The only downside I can see right now to the Beijing Olympics is that every opening and closing ceremony from now on will look very lame by comparison. I wouldn’t want to be in Vancouver’s shoes right now.

9:36 a.m. ET: A row of seven attractive Chinese women in formal eveningwear come out to sing a traditional folk song. Let’s just say they have not mastered the ancient art of lip syncing.

9:25 a.m. ET: It’s that most somber of moments: the Olympic flame is extinguished. But dry those tears: after another stunning display of choreography that I won’t even try to describe, we’re treated to a huge fireworks display. Next, an ensemble of clean-cut young Chinese pop stars takes the stage for a song about — from what I can gather — how awesome Beijing is. Take that, High School Musical.

9:24 a.m. ET: So, just to recap: over the last two weeks in China we’ve seen a live performance of a sexually explicit Led Zeppelin hit, preceded by a women’s beach volleyball tournament. Somewhere, the ghost of Mao Zedong is really, really pissed.

9:14 a.m. ET: OK, this rocks. None other than Jimmy Page takes the stage to bang out Whole Lotta Love on his axe. Accompanying him on vocals is a very tall, very gorgeous woman who, for some reason, is standing on stilts (somewhere Robert Plant is nodding in approval). Then, just for kicks, David Beckham materializes and punts a soccer ball into a crowd of volunteers, who have no idea what to do. They all have a “I’m not touching that ball for fear of reprisal” look on their faces.

9:05 a.m. ET: Rogge’s bold statement notwithstanding, these really were a terrific Olympics. And none of the predicted disasters actually happened. Smog wasn’t an issue, protests were kept to a minimum… there wasn’t even a John Carlos-Tommie Smith moment from any of the athletes. Really, though, should we be that surprised? If I remember my university history courses correctly, college kids in 1968 did nothing but listen to Joan Baez records and memorize the Port Huron Statement. Now they’re consuming Solja Boy singles and The Hills.

8:58 a.m. ET: IOC boss Jacques Rogge declares the Beijing Olympics “truly exceptional.” Way to go out on a limb, sir. Also, a colleague reminds me that the Greeks also gave us souvlaki. So they’ve got that going for them too.

8:48 a.m. ET: As per tradition, the Greek flag is hoisted and the national anthem played. Those guys are really milking the whole “We invented the Olympics” thing. OK, so you gave us that and democracy. But what have you done for us lately?

8:39 a.m. ET: Another nice tradition: the medal ceremony for the final-day men’s marathon always happens at the closing ceremony. I’m not sure how gold medallist Sammy Wanjiru and the two others are even standing right now. I caught the beginning of the race, which happened last night our time, and the leaders ran the first 15 km in under 45 minutes. Three sub-15-minute 5 k’s in a row? I had to have three Gatorades IV’d into my arm just from watching that.

8:34 a.m. ET: OK, I know everyone’s pretty wiped after two weeks of competition, but could Team Canada have dressed up just a little bit for this? I haven’t seen this many tank tops and knockoff Zubaz pants since my last trip to Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo.

8:27 a.m. ET: One of the neatest traditions of the Olympics: in contrast to the orderly Parade of Nations, the athletes simply stroll into the stadium and mingle freely. This would be even more fun if the organizers suddenly broke out an open bar.

8:19 a.m. ET: I guess this qualifies as downsized: instead of the molasses-like Parade of Nations from the opener, each country just sends out their flag bearer to form a big circle in the middle of the stadium. Doing the honours for Canada is trampolinist Karen Cockburn, who won a silver medal. Great choice, but to be honest I was hoping Hickstead would get the nod.

8:15 a.m. ET: So far the closing ceremony looks (and sounds) a lot like the opener: lots of drumming, lots of guys running around with little Christmas lights pinned to their suits. Co-host Scott Russell mentions how he expected a downsized show compared to the opening ceremony. But if we’ve learned one thing from these Olympics, it’s that Beijing doesn’t do downsized.

8:10 a.m. ET: The choreographers aren’t fooling around this time. After making us wait for the much-anticipated fireworks display in the opening ceremony, they unleashed them right away this time. No word yet on whether they were CGI’d.
Again, it’s so hard to believe this Jesse is a professional sports writter on CBC, the writting of this article (so called sports-news, I guess) is so childish, immature beheaviour. It’s such a pity that CBC put his article up on the front page online. http://cbc.ca/sports/credit.html says that, Jesse holds an honours BA in history from the University of Guelph and a journalism-new media diploma from Sheridan College. Hard to believe actually you got history degree before, probably your biased views are based on your historic views? Come on, it’s now, not history, can’t you get out from your historic arrogance and get nowdays elegance?
Olympic Headlines
Beijing Games come to a close
The Beijing Games officially came to an end Sunday with the closing ceremony as China said goodbye to the world with a spectacular show featuring fireworks, song and dance and the athletes themselves.
Closing Ceremony: As it unfolded
A blow-by-blow account of the final festivities in Beijing.
Olympics opened up China, IOC chief says
As he praised Beijing for the way the Summer Olympics were run, the head of the International Olympic Committee said his organization cannot force change on a sovereign state.
YOUR VIEW: What is your most memorable Olympic moment of the 2008 Beijing Games?
What is your most memorable Olympic moment of the 2008 Beijing Games?
They said it - quotes from the Olympic Games
In a post recently I said:

“As for a cute chinese girl lip syncing - I suggest you talk to Mami Nixon for her opinion. ”

it should have read:

“As for a cute chinese girl lip syncing - I suggest you talk to Marni Nixon for her opinion. ”
In a post recently I said:

“As for a cute chinese girl lip syncing - I suggest you talk to Mami Nixon for her opinion. ”

The Beijing Olympics were amazing! The opening and closing ceremonies were highly entertaining. The Canadian athletes should be so proud. What a show. A minor issue…the outfilts the Canadian Team wore for the closing ceremonies looked remarkably like pajamas. I’m sure that they were comfy…but it left the team a little under-dressed for such a huge event.
CanadianBornChinese : “Underage gymnasts? Seems like CBC has an underage reporter.”

I totally agree. The mentioning of this over and over again is REALLY pathetic!!! Especially since when the IOC has said that they have no proof and don’t want it brought up anymore!

As a Chinese Canadian I feel so proud of China!! I kind of thought competing at home would give the Chinese athletes more pressure and would screw up but no I was wrong ..51 G0LD!

Olympic Closing Ceremony: Farewell Beijing, Farewell China, Farewell 2008. Beijing Olympiad’s closing ceremony Second-to-none, French TV Live Coverage. Editing by James Christ

Beijing Olympic Games closing ceremony, why it ends so quickly? I Wanna Watch Online

Posted by Iflove Featured Stories on August 24, 2008 at 10:07 pm

Excitement is building around the nation as the closing ceremony approaches. We’re currently accepting humorous riffs on the following topics, so please do e-mail in your contributions:

Over to London: Boris Johnson takes charge ot the Olympic flag Photo: Reuters
In perfect union: The Union Jack flag flutters in the Bird’s Nest during the handover ceremony Photo

Beijing 2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony

Whole lotta love: Leona Lewis and Jimmy Page belt out a rendition of the classic Lez Zeppelin number Photo: Getty Images
Get on the bus: A double-decker bus enters National Stadium during the handover from Beijing 2008 to London 2012 Photo: AP
Honoured guest: Prime Minister Gordon Brown reads a manual as he attends the closing ceremony Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Flying the flag: Chris Hoy carries the colours for Great Britain Photo: Getty Images
Lighting up: Firework displays illuminate the ‘Bird’s Nest’ National Stadium and surrounds Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Burning bright: The Olympic flame will soon be extinguished over the Bird’s Nest Photo: Reuters
Stadium finale: The Bird’s Nest Stadium in the build-up for the closing ceremony Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Golden moments: Performers get the closing ceremony under way
Bird’s eye view: The Olympic flame will go out over the Bird’s Nest Stadium today Photo: EPA
Send us your thoughts on the closing ceremony and Jim’s commentary.

2.25pm

Beijing 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony

And that, in a welter of fireworks, is the end of the Olympic flame in Beijing. Can’t wait for London…

2.24pm

Now comes the end of the flame. No Li Ning this time. The founder of China’s biggest sports wear business made so much cash from his appearance at the opening ceremony due to the rise in company stocks, he is presumably at home counting it. Instead a set of airline steps has appeared.

A couple of dancers dressed as athletes are climbing up it, miming their farewells to Beijing. In the middle of the stadium a tower appears. There is sad music playing. And so, as images of the performances play on the roof, the flame dips. That is the end of a fantastic fortnight of sport, a wonderful, memorable, delightful confection of the sublime and the ridiculous. And that was just in the synchronised swimming.

2.17pm

Beijing 2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony

Ah, this is what they wanted. Not a grey haired geezer with a ponytail. From the middle of the bus up rises David Beckham. The crowd have now gone officially loopy. He hasn’t actually done anything yet and already no-one here can wait for London 2012 if he’s involved.

Tayyiba hands him the football and he boots it into the crowd of athletes. The crowd have now gone more than loopy. Not a bad sales job for London from a man who earns his crust in Los Angeles.

2.14pm

From out the middle of the upper deck emerges Leonie Lewis. I hope she’s paid the fare. And that’s Jimmy Page rising up too. They’re duetting Whole Lotta Love. No mention of giving every inch of my love, though.

Is that cultural sensitivity? Or would it have sounded a bit odd coming from a woman?

2.13pm

The bus has stopped and off it steps Tayyiba Dudhwala, carrying a football. She was chosen by a phone-in of Blue Peter viewers for the honour. Me, I voted for the cat.

Now this is good: the bus is transforming like the car on that advert for Citroen. Let’s hope it grows legs and does some complicated hip hop. No, it’s turned into a load of boxes on to which are projected views of some of the 2012 venues. Nice.

Consensus here is that Boris looked like a scruffy prep school boy.They’ve yet to decide the presentation game for London. He looked like he was lobbying for conkers.
2.12pm

In front of the bus skid in a bunch of cyclists. I’d recognise the thighs on that city gent anywhere. Oh yes it’s Chris Hoy. That’s a quick change, only a couple of minutes ago he was carrying in the union flag, at the head of the British athlete’s delegation.

Shenaze Reade was scheduled to be one of the other riders, but she was last seen after her crash in the BMX final on crutches. Her place has been taken by Rebecca Romero. And the third rider is Vicky Pendleton. Quite right to celebrate our new national sport…

2.10pm

Now a real bus has arrived in the stadium. That’s an old style double decker not a bendy bus. Presumably it was chosen at the behest of the Mayor, the renowned bendy-hater Boris.

2.09pm

It’s started: there’s a video of London scenes. In the foreground a bunch of people are walking the Abbey Road pedestrian crossing as made famous by the Beatles. Hasn’t this been ear-marked for removal to make way an Olympic traffic lane in 2012?

2.06pm

Now, after Rogge called on the youth of the world to unite in four years time in London, the hand over of the Olympic flag. To a chorus of children singing the Olympic anthem, down it goes from the flagpole. And here comes Boris Johnson to receive it. And now it’s being handed to him by the mayor of Beijing and…he’s dropped it. Only kidding.

Actually he’s flapping it around like he normally does his order papers. It’s London’s games now, and Boris has got to take it home on the seat next to him in economy (he doesn’t do upgrades). Wonder if Ken’s watching?

And here comes the London presentation. Let’s hope it doesn’t go on as long as Liu Qi…

1.57pm

Now it’s Jacques Rogge. Traditionally it is the job of the IOC President to pass judgment on the Games. “Sixteen glorious days we will cherish forever”. I think he liked them. And he is right.

In many ways the Beijing Olympics were the most successful in Olympic history. 39 world records were broken in the pool, at the velodrome and on the track. Commanding performances were delivered by Usian Bolt, Michael Phelps and the Chinese divers. And that is without mentioning Team GB, whose gold haul was all the more inspiring for being so unexpected.

Names like Rebecca Adlington, Victoria Pendelton and James DeGale, before these games largely unknown beyond the confines of their own front room, have been elevated into the sporting pantheon. It has been great.

1.46pm

We’re being presented to the new members of the IOC. Each one of them is waved on to the centre podium. Then it’s speech time. Not quite sure what happened to the promised party, but we’ve a scheduled nine-minute address from Mr Liu Qi, president of BOCOG.

Remember folks, as everyone stepping out of their chauffeur-driven Audis outside venues before stepping into their specially reserved seats will always tell you, the Olympic Games are all about the athletes.

1.38pm

A pause for the presentation of the medals for the marathon. Not many athletes get an audience like this for their medal moment. Oh look, Jacques Rogge is handing out the medals.

Would be hilarious if - after what he said about Usain Bolt’s celebration - one of the runners went all jiggly on the podium. Instead they look as you would imagine someone who has just run a marathon would look: in need of a lie-down…

1.36pm

Blimey, this is like the dash for the best seats after an Easyjet flight’s just been called. It’s chaos down there. Can’t see Britain. I assume they are all there unless they are boycotting in protest to Canada’s strides…

1.32pm

Was that Steve Waugh I just saw in the Aussie party? I think it was. Now all the Chinese journalists are taking the opportunity to have their photos taken with this all going on in the background.

And if you think it looks a bit disorganised down there, wait till you see the Canadians’ trousers. They really are a mess…

1.27pm

Many of the athletes have got video cameras and are recording themselves when they appear up on the giant screen. Seb Coe has said that at London he would like to see just the athletes in the ceremonials. Administrators are important, he added, but nobody wants to see people like him coming into the stadium on these occasions.

You can see his point. In among the honed and the sleek, the long limbed and the taut featured, the old blazers look a bit like party-pooping parents turning up at their kids’ eighteenths…

1.23pm

The China flag gets a big roar. And behind the flags are the athletes, in one big mass of medallist and defeated alike. They all look very happy.

Which, judging by what has been rumoured to have been going on in the athlete’s village since competition ended is no surprise. Though several of them do look a little tired…

1.19pm

Here come all the flags of the competing nations. Much quicker than the opening ceremony, they’re coming in together from all corners of the stadium. That’s Chris Hoy carrying Britain’s. He’s just ahead of Kenya. Actually, this Olympics, Chris Hoy has been just ahead of everyone.

1.16pm

Now there’s thousands of people jumping about on those metal blades that Oscar Pistorius wears. And still they drum their edams from on high…

1.14pm

There are more people on the pitch than live in Croydon. It’s magnificent, looks wonderful, but I haven’t a clue what it’s meant to be about.

Now the ladies with the illuminated heads have formed themselves into corridors, through which a bunch of blokes on illuminated wheels have come rolling in. And behind them are a bunch of carts, floating in to an ethereal chorus of heavenly voices. It’s the most extraordinary sight, yet I don’t recall eating mushrooms for lunch…

1.09pm

More drums, this time brought in on odd-looking homemade carts that resemble the kind of thing Jeremy Clarkson might knock up with a blow-torch in the Top Gear studio.

One of the drummers is hitting his drum while bouncing on a trampoline. That looks a laugh…

1.07pm

“With the torch of freedom march on! March on! March on!” Sorry, I was just getting into that. It’s getting very dramatic here. The house lights have gone down and the spotlights have gone up on a bunch of blokes in the middle of the pitch.

More drummers…and a lot of ladies in yellow with bells on their toes tinkling. The two blokes with the edams have been winched into the sky. And now the ladies’ hair is glowing. In cased you’re wondering, this is to symbolise the spirit of reunion and friendship…

1.02pm

We’re off. With fireworks galore. And the Chinese national anthem. For your benefit, the lyrics are printed in the matchday programme, so all together now: “Let’s stand up and fight for liberty and true democracy.”

Seriously, that’s what it says.

12.56pm

“Ladies and gentlemen,” shouts the master of ceremonies, “it is time to part-eee.” Blimey, Beijing’s turned into Ibiza. Let your hair down and party with the Party.

Oh. The party didn’t last long. The two blokes with the edams have given way to a military band playing a selection of Chinese marching ditties. Not the most conventionally toe-tapping way to kick start a knees up…

12.41pm

The warm up is working: it is very very warm in here. Luckily, our audience participation goodie bags contain a fan. Everywhere you look are people desperately trying to increase the air circulation by fanning.

Trouble is, the very action of waving your fan raises a sweat. Down on the pitch, which has been covered by a huge blue tarpaulin, a bloke prepares to strike what seems from where I’m sitting to be the world’s largest piece of edam. Oh no, it’s a drum. And the way he hit it, the guy is going to get hot.

12.12pm

I’m in position, 16 days on from the opening ceremony.16 days of Phelps, Bolt and British triumph.

16 days of world records disappearing faster than Boris Johnson’s bike if left unchained outsider the mayor’s office.

16 days of unalloyed triumph in terms of organisation and infrastructure. Though it’s been a bit disappointing for those charged with writing stories about smog: the Beijing pea-souper hasn’t materialised once.

We have been promised a much more light hearted closing wrap, less bombast, more humanity.

At the moment we are in the midst of the warm-up act, being entertained by what appears to be the Chinese equivalent of the Chuckle Brothers clowning around. One has just hit the other about the head with a step ladder. Now some people are falling off monocycles. Looking forward to the Chinese Rod Hull and Emu…
Extremely embarrassing. Leona Lewis? A PC street dance act? A Double decker? A 30 year old rock band? Do these sum up modern Britain?
After days of stunning entertainment we are offered an 8 minute show case for Great Britain and all we get is an old bus, an old footballer, an old guitarist and a single lost looking child who is asked to walk over the backs of adults all supposedly representing the youth of London. It was pathetic.
A boxing ring containing old guitarist a pop singer with tree trunk legs on top of a London bus festooned with umbrellas and an old footballer with only ONE football. Is this a foretaste of what we can expect in 2012 Olympics?
“I thought it was amazing! It was a big party of celebration of hardwork, friendship, and unity as it should be. Everyone looked genuinely happy to be there.”

Really? Then why did the children’s smiles look so forced?

The beginning, btw, is meant to represent all the minorities in China - to signify unity within a larger administration, as the Olympics signify.

Unity of all the minorities in China… whose bids for independence and fair treatment have been ruthlessly crushed thus far by the Chinese government.

And honestly? What was with the sea anemone in the middle of the whole thing? And the dancing statues?

It did seem like welcome to chavcapital of the world, cant wait for more international embarassment!!, AND in comparison with Beijing we are pathetic, come on lets get our act together
the UK part of the Olympic closing ceremony has been nothing short of diabolical. I’m so embarrassed. And now we offer up ‘We will rock you’ probably the lowest rating west end production in our history. I’m not sure how it would have been possible to put on a worse show. Well done London!
I thought it was amazing! It was a big party of celebration of hardwork, friendship, and unity as it should be. Everyone looked genuinely happy to be there.

The beginning, btw, is meant to represent all the minorities in China - to signify unity within a larger administration, as the Olympics signify.
the UK part of the Olympic closing ceremony has been nothing short of diabolical. I’m so embarrassed. And now we offer up ‘We will rock you’ probably the lowest rating west end production in our history. I’m not sure how it would have been possible to put on a worse show. Well done London!
Very embarrassing British performance. Is that the limit of our imagination: a poorly choreographed incomprehensible dance, an old song bowdlerised and inaudible and so-called celebrities? I fear that our opening ceremony in 2012 will be very different from Beijing. Horribly so.
Welcome to the chav olympics 2012.Is that really the best they could up with.
Extremely embarrassing. Leona Lewis? A PC street dance act? A Double decker? A 30 year old rock band? Do these sum up modern Britain?
Extremely embarrassing. Leona Lewis? A PC street dance act? A Double decker? A 30 year old rock band? Do these sum up modern Britain?
Unique,yes.Entertaining,no. If this is Mr White’s idea of an informative and illuminating picture of the closing ceremony then,as the old saying goes; “Me no Leica”

Beijing Olympic Games closing ceremony, why it ends so quickly? I Wanna Watch Online

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Ending: Were China Olympics the best Games ever?

Posted by Iflove Featured Stories on August 24, 2008 at 9:45 pm

Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games Revealed: The Beijing Olympic Games closed on Sunday, as China passed on the flame to London. But Were China Olympics the best Games ever?

Former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch was in the habit of describing each Games as “the best ever”, with the notable exception of Atlanta in 1996.

PHOTO: Fireworks explode during the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium, August 24, 2008.

Beijing 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony

His successor Jacques Rogge does not go in for such superlatives. He described Athens in 2004 as “unforgettable, dream Games” and on Sunday he pronounced the verdict on Beijing, saying they had provided “an exceptional Games”.

Perhaps that was a fitting phrase for an Olympics that began with an opening ceremony on an unparalleled scale and went on to provide highlights that will live on in the memory of all of us.

American swimmer Michael Phelps won eight gold medals, with a little help from his friends on the relay team, to break the record of seven at a single Games, achieved by Mark Spitz in 1972. Usain Bolt took the breath from all of us in the Bird’s Nest stadium when he won the 100 and 200 metres, breaking the world record in each.

Matthias Steiner broke our hearts by offering up his weightlifting gold to the wife he lost in a car crash, while Matt Emmons made us all gasp when for the second Olympics in succession he blew a certain gold medal with a ridiculous mistake on his final shot.

But were they the best Games ever? China provided us with a wonderful experience at and away from the venues and I will never forget the friendliness of the legions of volunteers, and the ordinary Chinese people too.

One thing that did get me after a while is that this was a Games that was taken extremely seriously, by everyone (apart from Usain Bolt).

Faster, Higher, Stronger goes the Olympic motto, and China seemed determined to host a Games with those goals in mind. They did it too, but I sometimes longed for an Eric the Eel in the pool, or even a cock-up in the organisation, just to prove that not even the Chinese are perfect when it comes to running a big event.

The short segment given to London 2012 during the closing ceremony promised a much more modest scale and perhaps a touch of irony and self-deprecation, what with the umbrellas and a double decker bus. I almost expected Austin Powers to come somersaulting out.

For now, though, let’s focus on China. The Games were brilliant, but were they the best ever? Please let us know in the comments.

So tell us what you think about Beijing Olympics. Who is your favorite sports star? What is your most memorable Olympic moment of the 2008 Beijing Games?

Beijing Olympics Medal Count, China wins praises from International Olympic Committee for staging Games

Posted by Iflove Featured Stories on August 24, 2008 at 12:54 pm

Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games Revealed: China won effusive praise from the International Olympic Committee for staging Games that surpassed expectations. Human rights watchdogs also declared the Olympics to be all they had predicted, if not more.

Olympic medal count
    Gold Silver Bronze Total
1.     China   51 21 28 100
2.     United States   36 38 36 110
3.     Russian Fed   23 21 28 72

Potemkin protest zones China set up to assuage critics led to real arrests, journalists were roughed up and two elderly ladies were sentenced to labour camps—often only miles away from splendid Olympics venues where athletes dazzled the world.

“Of all the ways in which we tried to game out what rock bottom would look like, even we would not have anticipated that two septuagenarians would be sentenced to re-education through labour while the Games were going on,” said Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch.

“The Chinese government continues to give us an endless stream of material to work with and has an incredible tin ear,” she said in an interview.

The New York-based group was one of watchdogs to conclude that China had broken many of the human rights commitments that helped Beijing get the Games and that the IOC and foreign governments had simply looked the other way.

“Behind all of the pomp and glitter, an untold number of Chinese citizens are now languishing in labour camps, prisons or simply missing as a result of these Games,” said Jennifer Windsor, head of the Washington-based Freedom House.

Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based press freedom advocacy group, counted some 100 cases where journalists or bloggers covering China outside Olympics venues were harassed, detained and in a few cases, beaten or jailed.

“This repression will be remembered as one of the defining characteristics of the Beijing Games,” Robert Menard, the group’s secretary general, said in a statement.

Critics seized on China’s statement that none of 77 applications citizens had submitted to protest legally in designated Beijing parks had been approved. Among applicants detained for their petitions, Wu Dianyuan, 79, and Wang Xiuying, 77, were sentenced to one year of re-education through labour.

ONE NARRATIVE OR ELSE

Far from Beijing, the Muslim Uighur ethnic group in the western region of Xinjiang, scene of a deadly bomb attack before the Games, braced for tough times after the Olympics.

Supporters of Tibet, rocked by riots in March and April, also warned of a tightening of already harsh policies in the remote region. Ten activists from Students for a Free Tibet were still in detention as the Olympics ended and faced deportation for staging a series of peaceful protests in the Chinese capital.

Like Olympic medals in Beijing, there was plenty of blame to go around for the troubles, with the largest share going to the Chinese hosts and to the IOC, the rights groups said.

Reporters Without Borders said the IOC and its president, Jacques Rogge, bore “much of the responsibility for this failure” to uphold freedoms in Beijing, and had repeated their error by choosing Sochi in Russia as the 2014 Winter Olympics host city.

Asked about the protests over China’s human rights record, Rogge told Reuters: “We knew there would be criticism.” But he said the Games had helped change China and open it to the world.

“The Chinese definitely have experienced that they cannot live in splendid isolation,” he said on Thursday.

Host Beijing’s spokesman Wang Wei dismissed criticism as the work of biased foreign media who were ignoring the “true story”.

“People walking on the street are so happy, so optimistic about their own tomorrow. The athletes are happy about their performance, about the competition, about everything they see,” Wang told a news conference on Friday.

The abuses that to many outsiders tarnished China’s twin successes—staging a widely admired Olympics while leading the world in gold medals—spoke volumes about the host country, said Jamie Metzl, executive vice-president of the Asia Society.

“There is one narrative that is the accepted narrative. If you are on board with that narrative, you can fully enjoy the Games, you can get excited by the Chinese gold medals, you can be part of this national project,” he said in Beijing.

“If you question it in any way, you are on the side of the enemies of the Chinese state and you had better look out.”

Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games Revealed: Beijing Olympics Medal Count, China wins praises from International Olympic Committee for staging Games. China won effusive praise from the International Olympic Committee for staging Games that surpassed expectations. Human rights watchdogs also declared the Olympics to be all they had predicted, if not more.

David Beckham kicks football rolling towards London 2012 Olympics, farewell China

Posted by Iflove Featured Stories on August 24, 2008 at 12:44 pm

Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony Revealed: China unveiled an extravagant farewell to the Olympics on Sunday and David Beckham, the world’s most famous soccer player, said hello by kicking a ball to start the countdown to London 2012.

The appearance of Beckham on top of a red double-decker bus that unfolded into a hedge-clipped silhouette of London sent 91,000 fans into a frenzy in the futuristic Bird’s Nest stadium.

A grinning Beckham kicked the ball off the top of the bus into the hands of a delighted Games volunteer.

The London segment was woven into a spectacular closing ceremony that wrapped up a $43 billion Games designed to showcase China’s might, modernity and sporting prowess.

A ring of fireworks exploded round the rim of the stadium. Two giant drums were hoisted into the sky with two pairs of suspended drummers thumping out a hypnotic beat.

The stadium was turned into a kaleidscope of glittering colours with 200 acrobats taking giant leaps and somersaulting across a stage on spring-heeled stilts.

Launching a huge party to wrap up the greatest sporting show on earth, thousands of athletes poured in from all four corners of the stadium, blowing kisses and waving flags.

The towering figure of Chinese basketball player Yao Ming was seen grinning from ear to ear.

Beckham, brought up in east London, hailed Beijing’s success but told Reuters before the ceremony: “I’m sure we will be better than them, without a doubt.”

Britain’s eight-minute chance to tell the world what the London Games would offer the world in 2012 featured guitarist Jimmy Page, who launched into the riff from “Whole Lotta Love”.

He was joined in the Led Zeppelin classic by TV talent show winner and chart-topping singer Leona Lewis.

Queen Elizabeth also sanctioned a choral version of “God Save The Queen” backed by lush string arrangements.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, his normally dishevelled blond hair carefully coiffed for the occasion, took over the Olympic Flag and waved it proudly, especially after Britain’s best gold medal performance for a century.

“This is a short, sharp shock that fires the starting gun for London,” said organiser Martin Green who rehearsed the British show for two weeks at a private airfield outside Beijing.

Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony Revealed: China unveiled an extravagant farewell to the Olympics on Sunday and David Beckham, the world’s most famous soccer player, said hello by kicking a ball to start the countdown to London 2012. Editing by Phelps Loong

36 interesting facts about Beijing Olympics medal count: China Fights United States

Posted by Iflove Featured Stories on August 24, 2008 at 12:15 pm

Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games Revealed: In honor of the 36 gold medals won by the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Fourth-Place Medal presents 36 interesting facts about the overall medal count:

1) China won the most gold medals at the Beijing Games with 51. They become the first country to crack the 50-gold mark since the Soviet Union in 1988. The most golds ever won in a single Olympics is 83 (United States, 1984).

2) It’s the first time since 1936 that a country other than the United States or the Soviet Union has led the medal count.

3) China won more golds in Beijing (51) than they did total medals in Atlanta (50).

4) ‘Project 119′ was a Chinese initiative designed toward winning golds in the medal-rich sports of swimming, track, rowing, kayaking and sailing. Reports are already crediting Project 119 with China’s dominance in the gold medal count, but Chinese athletes won just four golds in those sports. Their total was instead augmented by even better performances in Chinese-dominated events like diving, gymnastics and table tennis.

5) The United States won the same amount of golds (36) that they did in Athens, continuing a remarkable consistency that the nation has exhibited over the past half-century. American Olympic gold totals since 1952: 40, 32, 34, 36, 45, 33, 34, 83, 36, 37, 44, 38, 36 and 36. (The outlier of 83 was from the boycotted 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.)

6) The overall medal count was won by the United States for the fourth consecutive Olympics. The U.S. earned 110 medals, compared to China’s 100.

7) Per capita, China won one gold medal for every 25 million people in the country. The United States’ per capita rate was one gold for every 8.5 million. The tiny island nation of Jamaica, which won a staggering six golds in Beijing, had a per capita rate of one gold for every 450,000 residents. Had China won at that rate, the country would have earned 2,889 golds.

Greece won 16 medals as the host country in 2004. Four years later, the founders of the Olympics managed just four — their lowest total since 1992.

9) African countries won a total of 40 medals, the highest total in history for the continent.

10) Six countries won their first ever Olympic medals: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Mauritius, Sudan, Tajikistan and Togo.

11) Great Britain won 47 medals, the most in their history and a 17-medal increase from Athens. Expect an even higher total in 2012, when the Games will be held in London for the first time in 68 years. The last time Great Britain competed in a Summer Olympics on its home turf, they earned a disappointing three golds.

12) India has 17% of the world’s population. They won 0.31% of Olympic medals.

13) China: 19.8% of population, 10.4% of medals.

14) United States: 4.6% of population, 11.5% medals.

15) Jamaica: 0.041% of population, 1.15% medals.

16) Iceland was the least populous country to win an Olympic medal.

17) Indonesia was the most populous country not to win an Olympic medal (231 million residents, fourth-largest nation in the world).

18) Michael Phelps would have finished tied for 9th in the overall medal count, ahead of countries including France, Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Switzerland, Brazil and Mexico.

19) The rest of the world won seven golds in men’s swimming events. Phelps, of course, won eight.

20) The United States won the most golds (7) and most total medals in the track competition (23), despite having what was widely considered a disappointing meet

21) More proof that boxing is dead in the United States: the country earned just one medal (a bronze) in the 12 boxing events. Even after three straight disappointing boxing performances at the Summer Games, the U.S. has still won the most Olympic boxing medals (109) in history.

22) China won 8 out of 12 possible medals in table tennis and 7 of 8 possible golds in diving.

23) Great Britain won 7 of 10 golds in track cycling and won 12 medals overall. The rest of the world earned 18 medals in the sport.

24) National gold-medal sweeps: Basketball (USA), Beach Volleyball (USA), Rhythmic Gymnastics (RUS), Synchronized Swimming (RUS), Table Tennis (CHN) and Trampoline (CHN).

25) Sweden won the most medals (5) without getting a gold.

26) Armenia won 6 bronze medals, but no gold or silver ones.

27) Speaking of former Soviet states, members of the former Soviet Union won a total of 173 medals in Beijing.

28) In 1992, Cuba finished 5th in the gold medal count. In 2008, the nation finished 28th.

29) From 1980 to 2008, Jamaica won three Olympic golds. In a span of six days in Beijing, Usain Bolt won three.

30) Sweden was a fixture in the top-three of the overall medal count for the early part of the 20th century. In Beijing, the Scandinavian country finished 38th and was shut-out in golds for just the second time in history.

31) Panama and Mongolia won the first gold medals in their respective histories.

32) China won 27 gold medals in judged sports.

33) The United States won 4 gold medals in judged sports.

34) China’s “real” medal tally was 24/17/14/55.

35) The “real” medal tally for the United States: 32/31/27/80.

36) In all, 958 medals were handed out to athletes from 87 countries, the most medals and medal receipients in Olympic history.

Join the discussion. Here you’ll see the comments in the order that they were posted.

Umm, does anyone bother to check that half this list does not make sense? For example, #25 and 26 clearly counter each other.

The real medal count is based off of non judged events. Although the name may be misleading, his statistics for “Real Medal Count” (better named, Non Judged Medal Count) are accurate.

oops, i meant “real” medals,
and why would mr. Chase include that as facts? it’s simply his opinions,
and he should really revise some facts such as #2 and #25 and #26
wait, but that means it won’t fit the 36 mark. That means he’ll have to put more opinions on there about his “real” medals. *sigh

The real medal count is based off of non judged events. Although the name may be misleading, his statistics for “Real Medal Count” (better named, Non Judged Medal Count) are accurate.

Yea, it is extremely misleading. i mean.. the “REAL” medal count? are u kidding me? Maybe in his shallow American head
The real medal count is based off of non judged events. Although the name may be misleading, his statistics for “Real Medal Count” (better named, Non Judged Medal Count) are accurate.

Yea, it is extremely misleading. i mean.. the “REAL” medal count? are u kidding me? Maybe in his shallow American head

In honor of the 36 gold medals won by the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Fourth-Place Medal presents 36 interesting facts about the overall medal count. Compiled by Alice Lee

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Beijing 2008 Olympics Medal count

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