IOC chief optimistic about Beijing Olympics

IOC chief optimistic about Beijing Olympics


GENEVA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- International Olympic Committee (IOC) head Jacques Rogge said on Monday that he was "very optimistic" about the success of the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.

Rogge was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a new attached building to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, the official Swissinfo website reported.

Rogge told assembled guests that there remained a few elements to refine for the Beijing Olympics, but he was optimistic that the games would be a success.

The IOC's priorities for the moment were anti-doping activities and curbing illegal betting, which had become a "major problem," Rogge said.

Swiss Sports Minister Samuel Schmid, present at the inauguration, also expressed his hope that the upcoming Games would bring moments of "intense joy," according to the Swissinfo report.

Olympic torch relayed in Xining

Olympic torch relayed in Xining



XINING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic torch relay kicked off in Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province, on Tuesday morning in showers.

Thousands of young students and local residents gathered at the Central Square where the relay started up, holding a forest of the five star red flags and flags printed with the Beijing Olympics emblem.

Indonesia eyes badminton golds in Beijing Olympics

Indonesia eyes badminton golds in Beijing Olympics

JAKARTA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian athletes have been ready to compete in the Olympic Games in August, eyeing particularly on gold medals in badminton and weight lifting, the country's sport minister Adiyaksa Dault told Xinhua here Tuesday.

The minister said that more than 30 Indonesian athletes would take part in seven sports during the Games from August 8 to 24.

"We have been well performed for the Beijing Olympics. Our athletes are ready for the Games," Dault told Xinhua.

Indonesia has high hopes to win gold medals from badminton at mix-double, he said, adding that it is also possible to grab a gold in weight lifting.

He said that it was also possible to get gold medals from men's games in badminton. "They said they will struggle as strong as possible," he said.

"We will only send to Beijing athletes who have the possibility of winning medals," said Dault.

Rita Subowo, chairperson of Indonesian sports committee (KONI) said that Indonesian athletes had started preparation for the Games since the beginning of this year.

Up to now, 24 athletes have been qualified to the Games and the total number could be over 30, she said, and they would compete in Badminton, weight lifting, archery, athletic, tennis, canoeing and sailing.

Bryant heads U.S. basketball team to Beijing Olympics

Bryant heads U.S. basketball team to Beijing Olympics

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Xinhua) -- NBA's MVP Kobe Bryant from Lakers will spearhead the 12-man USA Olympic men's basketball team announced on Monday in Chicago for the Beijing Games this August.

Lebron James (Cleveland), Dwyane Wade (Miami), second time Olympians, and Olympic debutant Chris Paul (New Orleans) were also included in the squad, which the USA Olympic Committee hopes to capture the gold medal in Beijing after a bronze-medal showing in Athens four years ago.

They were joined by Carmelo Anthony (Denver), Jason Kidd (Dallas), Dwight Howard (Orlando), Michael Redd (Milwaukee), Deron Williams (Utah), Carlos Boozer (Utah), Chris Bosh (Toronto) and Tayshaun Prince (Detroit).

Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski is head coach of the USA team. Serving as assistant coaches are Syracuse University coach Jim Boeheim, New York Knicks head mentor Mike D'Antoni and Portland Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.

"This has been, to say the least, an extremely difficult selection process. The 33 players who committed to be part of the USA national team program and have been involved in our various training camps and competitions the past two summers deserve recognition and acknowledgment for their contributions and for their commitment to their country," said Jerry Colangelo, managing director of USA Basketball and chairman of the NBA's Phoenix Suns.

"It's already been proven that a group of all-stars does not necessarily ensure that you're going to win," he said, "You need scorers, you need size, you need distributors, you need role players and we've stayed true to that."

The team features six guards and five forwards with Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic the only regular center named in the team.

"Our team has excellent athleticism and great versatility. We have players who are experienced in the international game thanks to the last two summers' training and competitions. I feel really good where we are, we have the foundation in but we have a lot work ahead, "Krzyzewski said.

He added that team defense will decide whether his team can win the gold medal.

The United States got a disappointing bronze medal in Athens Olympics in 2004, and also finished third at the world championship in Japan two years ago.

The United States will begin its first training in Las Vegas on Friday and play a series of exhibition games against other NBA players, as well as other countries' teams in July and August.

The U.S., placed in preliminary Group B in Beijing, opens play against host China on August 10. Among the Group, they will also play African champion Angola, world champion Spain and two qualifiers who will be determined through July 14-20 FIBA world Olympic qualifying tournament.

Italy chooses Rossi as flag bearer at Beijing Olympics

Italy chooses Rossi as flag bearer at Beijing Olympics

ROME, June 24 (Xinhua) -- World champion canoer Antonio Rossi has been chosen to carry the Italian flag at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, the Italian national Olympic committee (Coni) said on Tuesday.

"I am very honored to have been chosen as our flag bearer. I will be the standard bearer of a very strong team which is sure to give us all a lot of excitement," Rossi said after learning of Coni's decision.

"We are all aiming high and I, personally, hope to get a nice medal," he added.

According to Coni chairman Gianni Petrucci, the choice of Rossi "is in recognition of an athlete whose behavior has always been ethically impeccable, who has always been correct and loyal and whose statements have always been extraordinarily fair and measured."

"Aside from his behavior, we must not forget his excellent record as a sportsman. It is an honor to have an athlete like Antonio Rossi as Italy's representative," Petrucci added.

Rossi, 39, has already taken part in four Olympic Games winning a total of five medals, three of them gold, while in the kayak world championships he has won three gold medals, three silvers and one bronze medal.

As Italy's flag bearer, Rossi will be following in the footsteps of diver Klaus Dibiasi, high jumper Sara Simeoni, sprinter Pietro Mennea,rower Giuseppe Abbagnale and, in 2004, gymnast Jury Chechi.

Brazilian Daniel will play tennis in Beijing Olympics

Brazilian Daniel will play tennis in Beijing Olympics


BRASILIA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Brazil confirmed Tuesday that Marcos Daniel will travel to Beijing to compete in the tennis tournament in the coming Olympic Games.

Daniel, the No. 2 player in the country, will travel to China along with compatriot Thomaz Bellucci as he was awarded an Olympic spot by the International Tennis Federation.

Daniel was guaranteed his spot at the Olympics after 10 other players within the top 56 rankings of the International Tennis Federation failed to register by the June 9th deadline to play in Beijing.

As a result, Daniel was awarded one of the 10 spots.

He was chosen also because Brazil has only one other player traveling to Beijing.

For the Olympic tennis competition, there is quota of four players per country. However, Brazil only had one at the time, Bellucci.

"I am very happy. I have been working very hard and long to get to the level where I am at today. Now my hard work is paying off. The classification to Beijing is incredible news. It is a dream come true," said Daniel, a native of Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul.

Daniel is currently ranked 570th in the world by the ATP.

Brazilian women's soccer captain will miss Beijing Olympics due to injury

Brazilian women's soccer captain will miss Beijing Olympics due to injury

BRASILIA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- The captain of Brazilian women's national soccer team, Aline Pellegrino, confirmed on Monday that she will be forced to sit out of the Beijing Olympics due to a knee injury.

Pellegrino, who twisted her right knee and tore a ligament last week in a match against the United States in South Korea, had hoped that the diagnosis would allow her to play in the Olympics. However, the team doctor claimed that her injury will not heal in time for her to play.

Brazil's head coach Jorge Barcellos lamented the loss of Pellegrino, but said he believed that the team will be able to play at a high level even without their star fullback.

Pellegrino scored one of Brazil's two goals against Ghana that led to their guaranteed spot in the Beijing Olympics.

She is currently in Brazil where she will undergo further exams and is expected to go through an surgery. The player will need an estimated six months to fully recover.

Hamm and Horton selected to Olympic gymnastics squad

Hamm and Horton selected to Olympic gymnastics squad

PHILADELPHIA — After naming Paul Hamm and Jonathan Horton to berths on the U.S. Olympic men's gymnastics team Saturday, a five-man selection committee prepared to settle into a hotel meeting room for a long night to study scores and determine the rest of the makeup of the team.

The U.S. men won the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Games, but fell to 13th in 2006, and are starting to climb back. They finished fourth in 2007. The desire to get back on the podium in Beijing is strong.

"We'll be looking at who handles the pressure really well and who jumps in to fight through things," said men's program director and committee member Dennis McIntyre, adding they'll meet again Sunday morning before announcing the six-man team and two alternates later in the afternoon.

Hamm was named to the team without even competing at trials. He injured his hand at nationals three weeks ago and was forced to withdraw from that event. He petitioned the committee to be named to the team. The defending Olympic all-around champion was considered a lock to make his third Olympics. He watched in the stands at both days of trials.

"I know I'm on the team, but I still have to prove myself at the end of July," said Hamm who needs to prove his readiness by July 22. "I have to get back in shape. I don't feel probably the same Jonathan feels right now. He was out there all four days of competition for the trials process and he knows he is healthy and is going to be on that Olympic team. For me, something could still happen.

Johnson, Liukin bound for Beijing after trials

PHILADELPHIA — As the crowd cheered and red, white and blue confetti rained down upon them, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin looked at each other, tears filling their eyes.

They'd made it.

All those years of training, all those sacrifices, they were paid back in full Sunday night with a ticket to the Beijing Olympics.

"We looked at each other for the longest time," Liukin said. "Shawn said to me, 'Can you believe it?' "

The world's two best gymnasts earned guaranteed spots on the U.S. team for the Beijing Games with a 1-2 finish at the Olympic trials — the same places they had at the national championships two weeks ago. Johnson finished the two-day competition with 127.65 points, while Liukin had 125.85.

"It feels amazing to finally have it be reality," Johnson said. "To know I have a spot, to have earned it, to know it's actually real is 100 times greater."

Now the fight is on for the remaining four spots on the team. Four gymnasts and three alternates will be chosen July 20 after a selection camp at the Karolyi ranch in Texas. The training squad for that camp is Chellsie Memmel, Samantha Peszek, Jana Bieger, Chelsea Davis, Ivana Hong, Mattie Larson, Corrie Lothrop, Alicia Sacramone, Bridget Sloan and Shayla Worley.

Really, though, the battle might be for only one spot. Sacramone is considered a lock, one of the world's best on vault and floor. Peszek has been steady all year and is prized for her consistency.

Then there's Memmel, the feel-good story of nationals and trials. She was barely an afterthought a month ago after missing most of the last two years with a blown-out shoulder. But she finished third at both nationals and trials with performances that the rest of the world is sure to notice — she closed the competition with a high-flying floor routine that had the entire arena rocking.

"Did I want to be named? Yeah, of course," said Memmel. "I feel that I belong. I finished the last four competitions in the top three, so I hope they think of me as part of the team."

Johnson and Liukin are the best thing gymnastics has going — in the United States or anywhere in the world. Johnson is the reigning world champion, a bundle of power and personality that has people comparing her to Mary Lou Retton. Liukin puts the art in artistic gymnastics, a lithe blend of beauty and grace who has won seven medals at the world championships since 2005.

"We're such good friends, and we've shared so many different experiences," Johnson said. "To finally know, as teammates, we're going to Beijing together and we're on the same path is a great feeling."

Hamming it up

Morgan Hamm was selected for the U.S. men's gymnastics team for Beijing on Sunday, along with Kevin Tan, Joseph Hagerty and Justin Spring.

Paul Hamm, the reigning Olympic champion and Morgan's twin, and Jonathan Horton were chosen Saturday after the conclusion of the Olympic trials.

"It was just a huge weight off my shoulders, relief," said Morgan Hamm, who tore a muscle in his chest eight months ago. "I feel like I've had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get here."

2007 Top Ten Olympic News Stories unveiled

(BEIJING, December 31) -- Following a month of public voting and panelist assessments, the 2007 Top Ten News Stories of the Beijing Olympic Games were unveiled Monday night. The most popular report involves volunteer recruitment for the Games.

Click here to view the 2007 top ten news stories

The results are as follows:

1) "Smile Wristbands for Olympic Volunteers are unveiled, 700,000 people register as volunteers"

2) "Jade-inlaid medals for the Beijing Olympics embody Chinese characteristics"

3) "Planned torch relay routes for the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics are released"

4) "Pictograms for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games are unveiled"

5) "With 21,888 torchbearers, the Beijing Olympic Games will have the largest number of torchbearers in the history of the Olympic Games"

6) "2007 'Good Luck Beijing' sport events examine Olympic preparation work comprehensively"

7) "Creative phase of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies ends"

8) "Beijing sends invitations to the world at the one-year countdown celebrations to the Beijing Olympic Games"

9) "17th CPC National Congress calls for successful Beijing Olympics and Paralympics in 2008"

10) "The slogan 'I participate, I contribute and I enjoy' becomes a feature of the campaign under the theme of 'Welcome the Olympics, Improve Manners and Foster New Attitudes'"

Also unveiled tonight were the Top Ten Wishes:

1) "I wish Liu Xiang will become an Olympic champion"

2) "I want to become a torchbearer for the Beijing Olympics"

3) "I wish I could watch the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies together with my family and friends"

4) "I wish the Olympics success"

5) "I want to pose for a photo in front of the newly-built Olympic venues"

6) "I wish the Chinese women's volleyball team will successfully defend their Olympic title"

7) "I wish for smooth road traffic"

8) "Count me as an Olympic volunteer"

9) "I want to be photographed with sport stars and get an autographed copy"

10) "I want to exchange Olympic pins with friends from other countries"

And the Top Ten Key Terms:

1) "Auspicious Clouds"

2) "Good Luck Beijing"

3) "One World, One Dream"

4) "Opening and Closing Ceremonies"

5) "Bird's Nest and Water Cube"

6) "Countdown"

7) "Ticket Lottery"

8) "Torch Relay Route"

9) "Olympic song"

10) "Beijing invites the world"

The "Top Ten" voting period ran from November 22, 2007 to December 21, 2007, Beijing time. A total of 1,063,954 web users took part in the voting, representing 49 countries and regions, including China, the United States, Britain, France, Russia, Japan, and Germany.

The campaign was organized by the Internet Affairs Bureau of the State Council Information Office, the Beijing Internet Affairs Office and the Media and Communications Department of BOCOG. It was sponsored by 13 well-known websites.

Participating NOCs Beijing Olympics

Participating NOCs Beijing Olympics

Though the qualifying competitions for various sports are well underway, it cannot be certain which of the current 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will participate in 2008. Most NOCs participate regularly, although various circumstances could cause a nation to be absent from the games, as was the case for six NOCs at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Nevertheless, placements in various qualifying events can help predict which nations and how many athletes will be at the games. Steven Roush, chief of sport performance for the United States Olympic Committee, expects that the United States will bring about 600 competitors to the games, their largest Olympic team thus far. Other delegations will be much smaller; Afghanistan, for example, will be represented by just four competitors.

South African swimmer Natalie du Toit, five time gold medallist at the Athens Paralympics in 2004, has qualified to compete at the Beijing Olympics, thus making history by becoming the first amputee ever to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Chinese Taipei Colombia Comoros DR Congo Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus

Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Great Britain Greece Grenada Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong, China Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati South Korea North Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos

Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg FYR Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico FS Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania

Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia St. Vincent & Grenadines São Tomé and Príncipe Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe