tagged w/ 2008 Beijing Olympics
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Farmers in Baoding face ruin from a man-made drought: thousands of Chinese farmers face ruin because their water has been cut off to guarantee supplies to the Olympics in Beijing, and officials are now trying to cover up a grotesque scandal of blunders, lies and repression.
In the capital, foreign dignitaries have admired millions of flowers in bloom and lush, well-watered greens around its famous sights. But just 90 minutes south by train, peasants are hacking at the dry earth as their crops wilt, their money runs out and the work of generations gives way to despair, debt and, in a few cases, suicide.
Accounts differ of what happened next. Some farmers say the price of water was raised by 300% to put it beyond their reach. Others simply say that their irrigation channels ran dry. As subterranean water levels fell, their wells collapsed, fields were abandoned, mud-brick farm houses stood empty.
About 31,000 people around Baoding are said to have lost their homes or land.Farmers in Baoding face ruin from a man-made drought: thousands of Chinese farmers... more
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Tim Brabants added to the UK's 'Great Haul of China', by winning gold in the men's K1 1000m canoeing event.
Team GB now has 18 gold medals at this Olympics, making it the most successful in modern times.Tim Brabants added to the UK's 'Great Haul of China', by winning gold... more
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rwylie
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3 years ago
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The Queen has recorded a personal message of congratulations to the extremely sucessful British Olympic team, which now has an amazing 19 gold medals at this year's games.
In a new twist, she delivered her message whilst participating out each sport in which Britain won a gold, such as boxing, cycling...okay only kidding, but wouldn't it be great?The Queen has recorded a personal message of congratulations to the extremely... more
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rwylie
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3 years ago
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NBC has never shied away from using Olympic athletes' love lives as sub-plots and conversation fodder for their announcers, but when it comes to Matthew Mitcham, an openly gay athlete, NBC takes a more "don't ask, don't tell" approach.NBC has never shied away from using Olympic athletes' love lives as sub-plots and... more
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The pyrotechnics and fake pomp and circumstance of the Beijing Olympics will bring the competition to an end, but the genocide in Darfur that so many seem to have put out of their consciousness goes on.
"The Beijing Olympics have left the world's human rights groups frustrated and angry - convinced that China has been let off the hook for serious abuses, and adamant that future hosts like Russia must be held to a higher standard.
Western activists also are disappointed that among the thousands of athletes at the games, few have made even low-key efforts to speak out about political repression or China's economic ties to Sudan, where violence has raged in Darfur.
"Even if there was an athlete that wanted to speak out on issues of human rights, he might be silenced by whatever IOC official is mediating that press event," Darfur activist and former U.S. Olympian Joey Cheek said in an e-mail Wednesday to The Associated Press.
Cheek, co-founder of a group of athletes known as Team Darfur, had his visa revoked by Chinese authorities hours before he was to embark for Beijing. Team Darfur athletes who are in Beijing have acceded to International Olympic Committee curbs on political comment, resulting in what Cheek called "massive suppression of any voice that the government doesn't want heard."
Prominent human-rights groups have castigated the IOC and the games' major corporate sponsors for their reluctance to place any public pressure on China on such issues as political dissent and press freedom.
"The Chinese government's own voluntary pledges to improve human rights, allow public protests and guarantee 'complete freedom to report' made meeting these self-set human rights benchmarks one of the tests for a successful Olympics," Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch said in an e-mail from New York. "That is a test that both Beijing and the IOC have failed."
She said the Beijing games, rather than bequeathing a positive legacy, "may leave in place permanent technological surveillance and monitoring networks that make doing human rights work even more dangerous and difficult for Chinese citizens."
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are calling on the IOC to establish a more rigorous process for assessing the human-rights records of countries which bid for and host future Olympics."
The IOC has met with Amnesty and Human Rights Watch, but IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies indicated their proposals would likely be rebuffed.
"We're a sports organization. ... we stay clearly within our role, which is to bring sport to host countries," she said Wednesday. "We're not an organization that is best placed or has the capacity to deal with human rights issues"."
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With all due respect to Giselle Davies regarding this remark:
"We're a sports organization. ... we stay clearly within our role, which is to bring sport to host countries," she said Wednesday. "We're not an organization that is best placed or has the capacity to deal with human rights issues."
It is OBVIOUS you are not in an organization that has the capacity to deal with nor to care about human rights. And that is damned sad as I always thought the true spirit of sports was brotherhood. It is obvious however, it is now nothing more than a money making machine for selfish people who only care about winning at any cost. Shame on her for that remark.
*To whoever is going into this post and changing it. Please stop it. Thank you.The pyrotechnics and fake pomp and circumstance of the Beijing Olympics will bring the... more
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"Despite persistent questions about the ages of several members of the Chinese women’s gymnastics team that won the gold medal, the International Olympic Committee said Friday there is still no proof anyone cheated and believes the controversy will be “put to rest.”
The IOC asked the International Gymnastics Federation to investigate “what have been a number of questions and apparent discrepancies,” spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. But all of the information the Chinese gymnastics federation has presented so far supports its insistence that its athletes were old enough to compete.
“We believe the matter will be put to rest and there’s no question ... on the eligibility,” Davies said. “The information we have received seems satisfactory in terms of the correct documentation — including birth certificates".”
CNN refer the article from AP, however they change the title to “Are they old enough? IOC seeks probe into China gymnasts' ages“.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olym...nese.ap/index.html?cnn=yes
Yahoo is more shameless. It changed the title to “IOC asks for investigation of China’s gymnasts”. They also deleted some essential parts of the article, but they just kept the story of the investigation without stating the conclusion.
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/g...GUTedb6L_7Q1Zl4?slug=ap-gym-underagechinese&prov=ap&type=lgns"Despite persistent questions about the ages of several members of the Chinese... more
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Is He Kexin 16 or 14? Doctors and forensics experts say bone growth could reveal how old the Olympic medalists really are. How do you tell the age of a Chinese gymnast? Don't bother with those government-issued passports or birth certificates.
Go for the X-rays.
The science of determining age is has been honed by decades of treating patients with growth disorders, identifying youthful homicide victims and determining the deportation status of illegal immigrants.
"It would be relatively easy," said Dr. David Senn, a forensic odontologist at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center who has analyzed numerous X-rays of immigrants apprehended at the border.
The science is based on measuring the growth of bones and teeth as children mature. Decades of data have been distilled into detailed tables recording the precise size and shape of skeletal components broken down by age, sex and race.
The task is so straightforward that Dr. Peter Hampl, president of the American Board of Forensic Odontology, said the Chinese government should just consent to X-rays and let the films speak for themselves.
"If there is nothing to be afraid of, let their kids be X-rayed," he said. "It's almost incriminating if they don't."
It may seem strange that amid the outsized pageantry of the Beijing Games, the biggest controversy has surrounded three tiny Chinese gymnasts whose combined weight is 216 pounds.
The ages of He Kexin, Yang Yilin and Jiang Yuyuan came into question weeks ago after the discovery of online registration records listing birth dates that would make all three girls 14 years old. Olympic rules require that a gymnast be at least 16 during the year the Games are held. The government attempted to put the issue to rest by producing passports that declared the girls met the age requirement.
The controversy reached Olympian proportions after the Chinese team beat the American gymnasts in the team competition. In addition to the team gold, He edged American Nastia Liukin for the top prize in uneven bars by a tiebreaker, and Yang won the bronze medal in that event and in the all-around competition.
After new complaints surfaced, the International Olympic Committee announced Friday that it was asking the International Gymnastics Federation to reexamine the Chinese gymnasts' age.
Instead of searching through documents, the matter could be settled with X-rays, said Dr. Gil Brogdon, a professor emeritus of radiology at the University of South Alabama in Mobile and author of the textbook "Forensic Radiology."
Bones fuse together according to a well-documented schedule. For girls between the ages of 13 and 17, the best places to look are the knee, wrist, elbow and iliac crest on the pelvis, he said. The younger they are, the more obvious the evidence.
"A Caucasian girl is going to fuse her knee centers at about age 15; they're going to fuse their iliac crest at about age 16; and part of the elbow will start fusing around 13 or 14," he said. "That's the way you do it."
Teeth are also useful. U.S. immigration authorities often rely on dental X-rays to determine for deportation purposes whether an illegal immigrant is an adult or a minor.
"Of course, everybody who gets arrested says they are 17," Senn said.
He said he can pinpoint ages within 18 months using images of a person's wisdom teeth, which start forming around age 9 and are not fully developed until around 19. For the Chinese gymnasts, Senn said, he would also look at their second molars, which grow until age 15 or so.Is He Kexin 16 or 14? Doctors and forensics experts say bone growth could reveal how... more
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A nation that felt cheated in the WBC when they beat the eventual winner Japan twice before losing to them in the overall semifinal, got redemption by beating Japan twice and amazingly, beating Cuba twice to win gold in the Olympics...
But baseball is getting booted from the Olympics primarily because the very best players aren't involved because of the MLB season...
The United States team might be very much different if they had David Wright and Alex Rodriguez leading the way...
As would Japan if they had Ichiro, Matsuzaka, Fukudome, and Iwamura like they did when they won the WBC 2 years ago.
And team Dominican Republic, not participating in the Olympics this year (since they didn't quite qualify) A nation that felt cheated in the WBC when they beat the eventual winner Japan twice... more
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kozeki
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3 years ago
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Angel Valodia Matos, a Cuban tae kwon do athlete, has been hit with a lifetime ban after kicking referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden in the face.
Matos, who won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney games, was disqualified for taking too much time on the mat for a leg injury in a bronze medal match against Kazakhstan’s Arman Cilmanav. Fighters are allowed one minute to receive medical attention, and Matos’ time ran out.Angel Valodia Matos, a Cuban tae kwon do athlete, has been hit with a lifetime ban... more
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The official Olympics medals table is based on the number of gold medals and it puts China top and Great Britain third. But what happens if other factors are taken into account?
Great Britain is still right up there with the best of them, but it's interesting to see who's on top when funding and population are taken into account.The official Olympics medals table is based on the number of gold medals and it puts... more
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So there's been talk for years about what goes on inside the Olympic village each and every four years. "Is it really the sex-fest it is cracked up to be?" people seem to wonder, well now we've got the inside info from an ex Olympian. Yes is the answer to that question, the Olympics for this guy was "as much about sex as it was about sport".
"I am not implying, for one moment, that every athlete in Beijing is at it. Just that 99 per cent of them are. "
Jonathan Edwards attempts to quell the sexual escapades of the British swimmers in Sydney seems to have done nothing to dampen their spirits. So there's been talk for years about what goes on inside the Olympic village each... more
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Shortly after arriving in Beijing to attend the Olympics closing ceremony, Gordon Brown has met with British medal winners.
Among others, he met with Chris Hoy (pictured, right), who won a record-equalling three individual medals on the cycling track.
Shortly after arriving in Beijing to attend the Olympics closing ceremony, Gordon... more
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rwylie
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3 years ago
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Despite the fact the judges initial decision handed the win to the Chinese competitor, a review has overturned the decision in favour of Britain's Sarah Stevenson.
Stevenson hit out at the judges after a controversial quarter-final defeat by China's Chen Zhong in taekwondo's +67kg category.
After a cagey opening, Stevenson fell 1-0 behind the defending champion at the end of the second round.
But she landed a two-point kick to the head in the final round which the judges decided not to score.
"She didn't win - I won and that's it. The judges can take your dreams away," said the 25-year-old.
The four corner judges were called together by the referee at the end of the contest, but there was to be no change in their decision as Chen - who has won the last two Olympic titles in the category - went through.
The officials have now reversed the decision after video replays and now Stevenson will be fighting in the semi finals!Despite the fact the judges initial decision handed the win to the Chinese competitor,... more
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nhiks
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3 years ago
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It has been delighting fans for almost 40 years but Led Zeppelin's rock classic "Whole Lotta Love" has been deemed too racy by Olympics organisers.
After choosing the song for the closing ceremony on Sunday they decided that some of the lyrics would have to be omitted or re-written amid concerns that they could cause offence.It has been delighting fans for almost 40 years but Led Zeppelin's rock classic... more
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not sure if bikes and cars were ever to come this close together, but I guess this is a huge advertising push as it gives them a wider exposure. Juxaposition of creativiness? a bit to odd though.
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(from coolhunter.com) Forget the sport..some of the most interesting things happening at the Beijing Olympics are coming from clever sponsors who have dreamt up creative ways to promote their brands at the mega global event. We're loving the offering from Mini Cooper, who have dragged traditional Chinese street transport into the 21st century with these great bike-powered Minis. Samsung has been equally creative, giving Olympics' fans a chance to view all of the action from their own "private" alien-like pods. Both of these offerings are a lesson to global brands: get creative and innovative in your marketing or risk being drowned out by the noise. - Laura Demasinot sure if bikes and cars were ever to come this close together, but I guess this is... more
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The title of world's greatest athlete is traditionally awarded to the gold medal winner of the Olympics Decathlon. This year, that highest honor is earned by Hawaii-born Bryan Clay, who won the silver medal four years ago.The title of world's greatest athlete is traditionally awarded to the gold medal... more
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It's celebrity day in the world of online video. Today's top five Current Virals include cameos from the likes of Bill Murray and Tiger Woods. See what else is buzzing around the web and suggest your own favorite virals below.
To watch the full versions of all five videos just click on the links in the comments section below.It's celebrity day in the world of online video. Today's top five Current... more
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Before the Olympics began, the HD television station Mojo ran a miniseries, "A Shot at Glory," which told the stories of eleven American Olympians. I enjoyed the series, but looking back, things did not go well for the athletes profiled. Consider:
- Wrestler Daniel Cormier had to drop out of the games after he was hospitalized just hours after weigh-in with kidney failure and other physical problems from cutting weight.
- Wallace Spearmon ran the finals in the 200m, but was disqualified for crossing into a competitor's lane.
- Boxer Gary Russell Jr., a medal threat for the United States, dropped out of the games when he passed out while trying to make weight.
- Gymnast Samantha Peszek sprained her ankle minutes before the women's qualification round, relegating her to one performance on the uneven parallel bars.
- Runner Tyson Gay injured his leg at the Olympic trials and didn't qualify for the 200m. He then didn't make the finals for the 100m, a race he was expected to medal in.
- Swimmer Kate Ziegler did not make the finals in any of her events, though she was expected to medal.
That's a pretty frightening record. To future Olympians, if you are approached to participate in this series, you might want to think twice.Before the Olympics began, the HD television station Mojo ran a miniseries, "A... more
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jenn5
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3 years ago
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The primary reason softball is getting ousted from the Olympics is this notion that the U.S. dominated the sports so much, that it was crazy to include it in the Olympics.
... if softball needed any kind of argument to state to the rest of the world, that it should belong, team Japan made that statement with an epic 3-1 upset over the U.S. in the softball gold medal game to take the gold away from the U.S. after 2 previous losses to the Americans over the past week.
The scale of upset this game was: really, really, really, really, really huge in upset scale.
The U.S. had given up 2 runs in 8 games total, throwing 2 no-hitters in the process, and 2 previous wins against Japan, the first one being 7-0 ending after the 5 inning mercy rule.
The U.S. was also running on a 22 game winning streak going into the game.
Yukiko Ueno, the winning pitcher giving up 1 run in a 7 inning complete game said マウンドで鳥肌が立った。このために４年間やってきた。肩、ひじの調整がうまくできた。点をやらないことだけを心掛けた。
Right now the biggest story celebrated in Japan.
But overall, shocking that the U.S. somehow did not get a gold medal in a sport that's getting axed because the U.S. was expected to dominate it thoroughly.
The link below is in English.
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/softball/recap?gameId=827The primary reason softball is getting ousted from the Olympics is this notion that... more
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kozeki
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3 years ago
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This isn't your daddy's Olympic games so why are you still watching the day's events on your lame TV set. But then, how does one keep up with the over 300 Olympic events in 28 sports? Well, the Beijing Olympics have been digitized for your delicious consumption. This means fans in China will be able to watch however, wherever, and whenever they please. China is #1 in the world with 253M internet users as compared to 220M in the US. More amazingly, recent statistics report that over 500M Chinese have and use mobile phones. We scour Beijing to see how the digital age is changing peoples' viewing patterns. We find that watching the Olympics is pretty much inescapable; it's everywhere--on mobiles and computers, in taxis, elevators and shopping malls, on subways, and even at gas stations.This isn't your daddy's Olympic games so why are you still watching the... more
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