Athletics: Liu steals the limelight

August 8, 2008 | By International Olympic Committee : Olympic News In News and Information | Comments(0)
If the Olympic Games were being held anywhere other than China this year there would be no doubting which event would be top of the bill when it comes to the track and field programme. Surely there can be nothing to match a 100 metres race featuring three of the only four men to have run under 9.80sec?
 
Hopes of a nation
 
 
But mention the name Liu Xiang, China’s first-ever male Olympic athletics champion, and strange things happen in the People’s Republic. He is quite possibly the most famous man in the country and the mere sight of him in public can cause a commotion. The Shanghai-born 25-year-old won the 110m hurdles in Athens in 2004, but he will be under pressure this time from Cuba’s Dayron Robles, who snatched the world record from Liu this summer.
 
Holy grail
Meanwhile Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay of the United States will be seeking sprinting’s equivalent of the holy grail. Down the years the 100 metres title has been taken by some of the most legendary names in sport, including Jesse Owens in Berlin in 1936 and, in Mexico City in 1968, Jim Hines, the first man to break the 10-second barrier. More recently Carl Lewis won it twice on his way to his record-equalling nine gold medals.
 
LEWISCarl Carl LEWIS
 
OWENSJesse Jesse OWENS


Women’s focus of attention
Along with Croatia’s world high jump champion Blanka Vlasic, Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo will be the focus of attention on the women’s side after her astonishing 800 metres performances this season. The slightly built 18-year-old has run only a few 800m races, but her time of 1min 54.99sec is a long way ahead of anyone else this season and the fastest in the event for almost 11 years.
 
Faint-hearted anti-feminists
Jelimo’s time is more than 20 seconds faster than that of Lina Radke when the German won the gold medal in 1928, the first time women were part of the Olympic track and field programme. Unfortunately the sight of several women dropping to the ground in exhaustion after the race in Amsterdam convinced the faint-hearted anti-feminist movement that races of more than 200m were not suitable for the fairer sex, and the women’s 800m did not return to the Olympic arena until 1960 in Rome.

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Johnson & Johnson with the Terracotta Army

August 8, 2008 | By International Olympic Committee : Olympic News In News and Information | Comments(0)
Worldwide Olympic TOP Partner Johnson & Johnson has teamed up with the China Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Army Museum to exhibit several of the famed Terracotta Warriors in the Johnson & Johnson Olympic Games Pavilion during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.  Visitors to the Johnson & Johnson Pavilion on the Beijing Olympic Green will have a chance to see authentic Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warrior statues and other relics as part of the exhibit planned in collaboration with the Museum. 
 
A mausoleum filled with treasures
The Terracotta Warriors were created under China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who began work on his mausoleum immediately upon ascending to the throne at the age of 13 in 246 B.C. When finished, the mausoleum was filled with invaluable treasures and sacrificial objects, including roughly 8,000 life-size clay Warriors and Horses dressed for battle. After the Emperor’s death in 210 B.C., the Terracotta Warriors and other treasures remained buried for more than 22 centuries.
 
 
 
 
Caring for a healthier world
The Warrior exhibit will be one of many high-tech, interactive experiences in the Pavilion that demonstrate how the Company celebrates the spirit of caring to create a healthier world. Special water and plant features will help create an eco-friendly structure that will provide a cool, green oasis in the heart of the Olympic Green throughout the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. “Johnson & Johnson is privileged to share the history and majesty of the Terracotta Warriors with the world as we gather in Beijing for the 2008 Games,” said Brian Perkins, Corporate Vice President, Johnson & Johnson.
 
Legacy to future generations
“As guardians of one of China’s most treasured historical icons, the Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Army Museum is dedicated to ensuring that the cultural legacy of the Warriors can be passed on to future generations,” said Cao Wei, Deputy Cirector at the Museum. “We celebrate this unique opportunity to bring the Warriors to Beijing and share them with the world in partnership with Johnson & Johnson and BOCOG.”
 
 Find out more about Johnson & Johnson

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Movers and shakers in the world of sport

August 8, 2008 | By International Olympic Committee : Olympic News In News and Information | Comments(0)
The 120th IOC Session today voted on several positions in the IOC Executive Board (EB) and elected two new members.
 
Executive Board elections
Yu Zaiqing, an EB member since 2004, was elected IOC Vice-President. He steps in for Gunilla Lindberg, whose term of office has expired. Denis Oswald, René Fasel, Mario Vázquez Raña and Frank Fredericks have been elected because of their respective roles and functions with Olympic summer sports, winter sports, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the IOC Athletes’ Commission.
 
A new female EB member is Nawal El Moutawakel, Olympic 400m hurdles champion at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and Minister of Youth and Sport in Morocco. Richard Carrión, Chairman of the IOC's Finance Commission, has been re-elected to the EB for a new four–year term of office.
 
Two new IOC members
Sergey Bubka, Olympic champion and President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, has been re-elected as an IOC member. His previous IOC membership was connected to his function as Chairman of the IOC Athletes’ Commission. Dr Ugur Erdener, President of the International Archery Federation (FITA), was elected as a new IOC member.
 
The Session also selected Durban in South Africa as host city for the 123rd IOC Session in 2011.

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The voice of the athletes at the heart of the IOC

August 8, 2008 | By International Olympic Committee : Olympic News In News and Information | Comments(0)
Two days after being selected by his peers as the new Chairman of the IOC Athletes' Commission, double silver Olympic medal winner Frank Fredericks was today elected to the IOC's Executive Board.
 
With the resounding support of the IOC membership (92 votes in favour, 8 against), Fredericks - known by his friends and colleagues as Frankie -  will now take the voice of the athletes to the core of the IOC's decision-making body.
 
Fight against doping
"I am humbled and honoured," said Frankie, as his election was announced. "I will rely on my fellow athletes for guidance to ensure the voice of the athletes stays up-to-date and active in the IOC and that we remain constant in the fact that the Olympic Games are for athletes. I will continue to support the fight against doping, because it is athletes who cheat but also athletes who are cheated. Thank you for your support, and I will do my best to serve you well."

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‘Heroes’ on the big screen

August 8, 2008 | By International Olympic Committee : Olympic News In News and Information | Comments(0)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s latest TV public service announcement ‘Heroes’ will be shown to thousands of Olympic fans during the Olympic Games on the giant Panasonic ASTROVISION screens in the Olympic stadiums and venues.
 
Federer, Yao Ming, Liu Xiang
Legendary Olympic athletes including Roger Federer, Yao Ming, Laure Manaudou, Liu Xiang and Yelena Isinbayeva are among the stars of the IOC’s public service announcement entitled “Heroes”.
 
 Discover the video
 
Bubka:”Positive role models”
Sergey Bubka, Chairman of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, commented: “When I was growing up there were many athletes to look up to, and so I know young people need to have positive role models. To get so many of the world’s best known athletes together for the 'Heroes' advert shows the athletes' commitment to the Olympic Movement and the Olympic values, and on behalf of the IOC I am grateful to them for giving up time out of their busy training schedules for the project. We hope that the 'Heroes' advert will really capture the imagination and inspire young people around the world.”
 
The ‘Heroes’ public service announcement and the first PSA of the campaign, entitled ‘Teens’ have also been played by rights holding broadcasters and on third party websites around the world, on the Panasonic screens in Times Square, NYC and in locations across Japan.
 
The Best of Us
The theme of the promotional campaign is "The Best of Us" - a simple, powerful idea that transcends cultures and borders, motivating young people around the world to participate in sport by proving that sport can bring out the best of them. The campaign was launched in 2007 and will continue to run beyond the Beijing Games.
 
Viral campaign
In addition to the TV spots, the humorous, fictional ‘Puskitas’ ‘viral’ campaign has been made available on a number of websites, including www.olympic.org and www.nbcolympics.com as well as many popular community websites such as www.youtube.com.  The film features Puskitas, an underdog judo athlete, who amazingly wins his match and proceeds to celebrate in a very original way!  Puskitas is capable of overcoming the odds and ‘bringing out his best’ in order to achieve his goals.
The IOC’s Best of Us’ print campaign has run in several major print and web publications around the world, including Sports Illustrated Kids, Sports Illustrated, People and Time . In fact the campaign has appeared in nearly 60 million magazines and had over 30 million on-line impressions.     
 
Olympic Personal Trainer
In addition to all of these elements the IOC’s online ‘OIympic Personal Trainer’ has had thousands of views from Olympic fans and young athletes from around the world looking to benefit from the expertise and experience of Olympic legends including Sergey Bubka, Hicham El Guerrouj suggest adding Popov and one of the women- including their thoughts on questions like: "How do you set goals?" or "How do you learn from failure?" and "Why is teamwork important?".  Olympic Personal Trainer is featured on www.olympic.org.
All of the elements of the campaign are now available to view at: www.olympic.org/thebestofus
   
The ‘Best of Us’ campaign has been developed by the Voluntarily United Group of Creative Agencies (United), part of the WPP Group. This first phase of creative development was led by Sra Rushmore / United, Madrid.
 
The IOC will work with United on a multi-dimensional campaign approach, comprising TV, online, print, viral promotion, experiential and PR activities. The global campaign will be rolled out in a phased approach in the run-up to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and beyond.

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IOC President to meet with world leaders

August 8, 2008 | By International Olympic Committee : Olympic News In News and Information | Comments(0)
On the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, IOC President Jacques Rogge is to meet with some of the world’s major leaders, who are visiting Beijing for the opening ceremony.
Among the leaders Rogge will be meeting are Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Brazillian President Luiz Lula da Silva.
 
More world leaders – more than 100 sovereigns, heads of state and heads of government - will be attending the Beijing Olympic Games, as well as 170 Ministers of Sport.
As well as discussing the Beijing Games, Rogge will be using the meetings as an opportunity to raise issues of concern to the Olympic movement – the fight against doping, and the role of sport in education and in improving public health.


Sport’s role in improving health outcomes
“It is essential that we promote the central role of sport in modern society,” said Rogge today. “Everyday sport can deliver substantial social, environmental and economic benefits by reducing obesity and cardiac disease and creating a healthy society. The IOC wants governments to support elite sport and the Olympic movement – that’s essential – but we also want them to invest in public sports facilities.”
 
Just as vital is that the IOC and governments collaborate in the fight against doping by providing consistent funding for WADA, enabling co-operation between law enforcement and doping authorities; and application of the World Anti-Doping Code. This may require legislative change.
 
Doping – a problem to be tackled together
“Doping, and particularly steroid abuse, is a public health issue – it is not simply a matter for elite sport – it reaches down into amateur sports clubs, universities and high schools and causes physical and psychological damage to the user. This trickle-down effect is what should worry everyone. Moreover, steroid use and crime are inextricably linked – many acts of violent crime in society are thought to be connected to steroid use.”
President Rogge will continue to promote these issues, through both the IOC and collaboration with other Olympic organisations, in his regular schedule of visits and consultations with world leaders regarding their national sport agenda.  
There will be no opportunity for media to cover these meetings, but photographs and press releases will be distributed at a later date.
 
For media enquiries, please contact 
 
IOC contacts in Beijing:
 
Emmanuelle Moreau - Media Relations Manager + 86 158 1155 1830
Sandrine Tonge -Media Relations Coordinator               +86 135 5217 5720            
  
email: pressoffice@olympic.org;

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China to celebrate new might at Games party (Reuters)

August 8, 2008 | By Yahoo! Sports - Olympics News In News and Information | Comments(0)
China celebrates its ancient past and modern power at the Olympics opening on Friday, seeking to shift the global focus from rights criticisms to sport.

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