tagged w/ 2008 Beijing Olympics
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Beijing has become the country's sex capital. There are reportedly more than 10 million prostitutes working in China in the shadows of the Olympics Games - hidden in the back rooms of the Olympic host city's hair salons and karaoke bars.
One bar owner from Huaxiang said: "Nobody is alone for long in our house. That is a karaoke tradition of ours!"
The market for sex pills is booming in Beijing as well. The latest trend is a pill with chemicals supposedly derived from chimpanzees.
Sex shop owner Zhang said: "One of these pills works for up to six hours. You have to take it three hours before. It gives the man unbelievable stamina. Plus, it uses ingredients from chimpanzees so it gives you a beguiling scent!"Beijing has become the country's sex capital. There are reportedly more than 10... more
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Jaeger
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3 years ago
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In China, people who have never before seen a live sporting event are filling stadium seats. Chinese officials are worried that budding fans don't know how to cheer, so volunteers are offering lessons.In China, people who have never before seen a live sporting event are filling stadium... more
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I stopped watching badminton coverage for 35 seconds to post this article. According to a recent survey, the Beijing Olympics is negatively effecting office productivity by at least 10%. And more young workers reported to watching coverage of the games whilst on the clock than older workers. I stopped watching badminton coverage for 35 seconds to post this article. According... more
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ultimately, we are all residents of the same globe and share one thing in common: the human condition. The games this year have gotten both sides of controversy, but amid all that rumble, this is just a nice story to listen & see and let it sink in nicely.
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very poetic and inspirational. nice ride!
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BBC /Meet Beijing resident Meng Jie, who's cycling around China on a bicycle in the shape of the five Olympic rings.
"I believe the five rings bring the whole world together under the sky"
"Everywhere I go people are interested in the bicycle and gather around it"ultimately, we are all residents of the same globe and share one thing in common: the... more
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As the Czech Republic's Katy Emmons was on the verge of winning the first gold medal of the 2008 Olympic Games on Saturday, there was at least one person in the venue more nervous than she — her husband and fellow Olympic shooter, American Matt Emmons.
"Whenever you’re watching the other one, you’re always more nervous than the one shooting," Matt Emmons said.
Matt and Katy Emmons are living an Olympic fairy tale. They met in 2004 in Athens, where Katy won bronze and Matt not only won gold, but also made history … albeit not the kind he was hoping to make.
Matt entered the finals of the 50m rifle 3 position final with a huge lead, and essentially only needed to hit the target to win. But instead of securing his second gold of the games, he aimed at the wrong target, received a score of zero, and plummeted to eighth place.
Katy, who was watching the match, felt so bad for Matt that she approached him at a beer garden later that day to console him. The chemistry between the two was instant. They began dating, and the couple married in 2007.
Beijing is their first Olympics competing as husband and wife.
"I think it’s wonderful having my teammate, my wife, with me every day, and that’s perfect," Matt said. "But it would be less stress sometimes, because you’re worried about the other one when they’re competing. So instead of just worrying about yourself, now there’s another person."
[continued]As the Czech Republic's Katy Emmons was on the verge of winning the first gold... more
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During the first week of the Beijing Olympics, the Darfur Olympics effort aims to bring attention to the Chinese government's continued relationship with the Sudanese government that supports and funds the Janjaweed militia in Darfur.During the first week of the Beijing Olympics, the Darfur Olympics effort aims to... more
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A daily double. Michael Phelps swam into history as the winningest Olympic athlete ever with his 10th and 11th career gold medals -- and five world records in five events at the Beijing Games.
A day after etching his name alongside Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis with gold No. 9, Phelps set a standard all his own when he won the 200-meter butterfly Wednesday morning. An hour later, he swam the leadoff of a runaway victory by the U.S. 800 freestyle relay team, which shattered the old world mark by more than four seconds.
"He is just another person, but maybe from a different planet," said Alexander Sukhorukov, who swam the anchor leg for the second-place Russians.
In his signature stroke, Phelps had a problem with his goggles. But that didn't keep him from touching first in the fly.
No such worries in the relay. Seemingly impervious to fatigue, the gangly, 23-year-old American set a blistering pace of 1 minute, 43.31 seconds that got the Americans rolling toward a winning time of 6:58.56 -- the first team ever to break the 7-minute barrier.
"Come on! Come on!" he screamed at teammates Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay.
The previous record of 7:03.24 was set by the Americans at last year's world championships. Russia took the silver, more than five seconds behind the Americans, who mainly had to make sure they didn't jump in the water too soon. Australia won the bronze.
"Safe start! Safe start!" Phelps yelled at Berens before he dove in.
After a six-gold performance at the 2004 Athens Games, Phelps needed only five days in Beijing to surpass Spitz, Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi as the winningest Olympian ever.
Phelps is now all alone at the top of the career golds list, with three more chances to stretch his lead before he leaves China. He'll swim in the 200 individual medley, 100 fly and 400 medley relay.
"There is still something left in the tank," Phelps said. "I've got three races left, so there had better be something left in the tank."
In the fly, Phelps was second at the first flip, then pushed it into another gear, his long arms gobbling up huge chunks of water as he literally sailed along atop the surface. He finished in 1:52.03, breaking his mark of 1:52.09 from the 2007 worlds.
Phelps barely smiled as he looked at the board, breathing heavily and hanging on the lane rope. Hungary's Laszlo Cseh really pushed it at the end, but settled for silver in 1:52.70. Japan's Takeshi Matsuda took the bronze in 1:52.97.
Phelps rubbed his eyes and said climbing from the pool, "I can't see anything." A pair of leaky goggles kept him from even seeing the wall as he touched.
"My goggles kept filling up with water during the race," Phelps said. "I wanted a world record, I wanted 1:51 or better, but in the circumstances not too bad I guess."
Still, he had two more golds and two more records before lunchtime, leaving him just three wins away from beating Spitz's record of seven gold medals in a single games.
He's also keeping pace with Spitz on the record front. Spitz set world standards in all of his wins at Munich; Phelps is now 5-for-5 in China.
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[Hey current users! Get on that webcam and send Michael some congratulations! Post videos under this story!]A daily double. Michael Phelps swam into history as the winningest Olympic athlete... more
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"Olympic organisers admitted today that they are using volunteers to fill swathes of empty seats at competition venues as concerns grow at the failure of ticket holders to attend events.""Olympic organisers admitted today that they are using volunteers to fill swathes... more
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There's a nice video at the likn, I couldnt find how to post it (flash)
Tai-chi and bikes.
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Good perspective when he shares the road with the bus.
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By Mike Lopresti, Gannett News Service
BEIJING — As an out-of-towner on a bicycle, trying to fight four city buses for the same lane, my life flashed before me outside the gates of the Forbidden City. With Chinese subtitles.
But let's not get ahead of the story.
The idea Tuesday was to party like it was 1969. You might remember pictures from Peking back then. More people on bicycles than you could shake a red book of the thoughts of Chairman Mao at.
To relive the good old days, the solution seemed obvious. Commute from the Olympic media center to downtown on a bike. Twelve miles, door to Gate of Heavenly Purity.
One problem. They don't make morning rush hours like they used to back in Mao's salad days. According to the Olympic information desk, in 1978 there were 77,000 vehicles in Beijing. This year, there are three million.
So instead of the Cultural Revolution, we'd be getting southern California. But away we went anyway, a small gaggle of Americans. Besides, there was a story on the Olympic News Service about a grandmother who came on the back of a tricycle 1,440 miles from the Hunan province to see the badminton competition.
And even that wouldn't make it embarrassing if I chickened out, except she's 97.
My bicycle cost $40. One speed, and no foot brakes, but they threw in a bell.
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There's a nice video at the likn, I couldnt find how to post it (flash)
Tai-chi... more
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Picture this, you've worked all your life to become an Olympic athlete, trained to the limit and not only are you there, but the games you are competing in are being held in your home country.
Now imagine forgetting the time of your event and subsequently been banned from all other races.
Unfortunately for China's rower, Zhang Liang, this isn't all a dream but a rather unlucky mishap that has forced him to forfeit any more of his races.
"I wrongly remembered my time as that of the third group, but actually it was the second group," Zhang explained.Picture this, you've worked all your life to become an Olympic athlete, trained... more
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It was meant to be a heartwarming moment, when 9-year-old earthquake survivor Lin Hao accompanied Yao Ming in leading China’s Olympic delegation into the stadium at the opening ceremony. Lin Hao was one of only 10 survivors from his school of 32, and rescued two of his classmates when he escaped the wreckage of his classroom.
Unfortunately for the Chinese news agency Xinhua and Chinese Olympic planning officials, something was wrong with his flag... (take a closer look).
Xinhua has since withdrawn the picture though at time of reporting it still appears on their website as well as several publications.It was meant to be a heartwarming moment, when 9-year-old earthquake survivor Lin Hao... more
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Sex might be the unofficial sport at the Olympics. It's at least a popular pastime. China's Reproductive Health Industry Association distributed 100,000 condoms to athletes as part of a bid by UNAIDS to encourage HIV protection. With 10,500 athletes living in the village for a couple weeks, that's about 9 condoms each. 18 if they choose to do it to another athlete. Free condoms have been offered to athletes at Olympic events since 1992.
I appreciate efforts to encourage safe sex to athletes during the Olympics... but how about to everyone all the time? Maybe condoms should be distributed free at airports, train stations, post offices...Sex might be the unofficial sport at the Olympics. It's at least a popular... more
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Despite less than mediocre performances during past Olympic games, Arab athletes and coaches say they are hoping to make their best showing yet in Beijing.
In nearly 100 years of Olympic competition, the combined tally of medals won by all Arab countries is 73.
At 22 countries, the Arab nations constitute almost 11 per cent of the total number of participating nations (204). However, the average number of medals won - 3.48 medals every four years - has been uninspiring.
In the last Olympic games in Athens, for example, Arab countries won only 10 of the 929 medals available - a little over one per cent.
Shouaa Ghada, a Syrian heptathlete who won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta games, told Al Jazeera Sports that she is hopeful that Arabs will be among the medallists this year.
"Algeria is heading in the right path [in terms of preparation]," she said, adding that she expected Sudanese runner Abubaker Kaki to bring a medal home.
Kaki, who became the youngest world indoor winner of the 800-metre final in March 2008, hopes to secure Sudan's first gold medal.
On June 6, 2008 he set a new World Junior record at the Bislett Games Golden League meeting in Oslo, Norway, finishing in 1:42.69.
(End of excerpt)
Full story at link by Nassir Yousef al-Jaber in Doha// Al Jazeera EnglishDespite less than mediocre performances during past Olympic games, Arab athletes and... more
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"They look like they have faces of stone. They’re scaring the visitors. Something needs to done," says Norwegian member of the International Olympic Committee, Gerhard Heiberg.
Gerhard Heiberg wants security to smile more.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is very satisfied with the volunteers at the Beijing Games. "They are helpful and smiling. The police and military, on the other hand, need to act differently. They have stony faces. They're seriously scaring the foreigners in Beijing. Something has to be done. The fact that they’re armed and look sinister, just makes things worse."They look like they have faces of stone. They’re scaring the visitors.... more
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Sights and sounds of Beijing on August 8th, where the last stop of Olympic Torch Relay was held at the Headquarter of Olympic Youth Camp, and continued on in the National Stadium as LI Ning air-walked to light the torch that launched the 2008 Olympic Games. Sights and sounds of Beijing on August 8th, where the last stop of Olympic Torch Relay... more
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*note: Spain won the Tour de France 2008.
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Spanish cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno has become the first athlete to fail a drugs test at the Beijing Olympics.
Moreno, who was entered for the women's road race and individual time trial, tested positive for the endurance-boosting drug EPO.
She could now face a two-year ban and, under a new International Olympic Committee rule, could also be banned from the 2012 London Olympics.
The IOC said it expected up to 40 positive drug tests during the Games.
The Spanish cyclist, also known as Maribel Moreno, was tested on 31 July and left the city before the Games began.
"She was quite different after being tested," secretary general of the Spanish Cycling Federation Eugenio Bermudez said.
"She was crying all the time and she insisted she wanted to go home."
Reports in Spain had earlier said the cyclist had pulled out after suffering an "anxiety attack".
A statement on the cyclist's official website posted on Saturday said Moreno was in Spain recovering from "a strong anxiety attack suffered in the athletes' village".
"Even though her state of health is good she does not feel ready to justify or explain her reasons for leaving the village," the statement said.
Spain's government insisted it would take the strongest action possible to eradicate the problem.
"We are going to hunt down these shameless people who harm our athletes. We are going to clamp down totally and will take the toughest action," said Spain's sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky.
"I ask you Maribel, looking you in the eyes, 'who gave you the substance and where did you buy it?'
"Anyone involved will get the maximum punishment. We will find out who supplied the substances and, if necessary, jail them."
The Spanish Olympic Committee (SOC) said it was unaware of the positive test until being informed on Monday.
"This is a stain on Spanish sport," said SOC chief Alejandro Blanco said.
Seven Russian athletes were last week provisionally suspended by the IAAF for doping offences, but they had yet to arrive at the Games. *note: Spain won the Tour de France 2008.
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Spanish cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno has... more
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In order to produce an impeccable opening ceremony, Beijing instituted a "weather modification" department in charge of making sure it wouldn't rain over the roofless Olympic stadium. Did their 4,687 rocket launchers work?
"China's cunning multimillion-pound plan to manipulate the Olympic weather seems to be yielding results. While rain drenched the capital yesterday, the downpour that should have fallen on Friday night was averted; Olympic organisers fired a barrage of 1,110 rockets into the evening sky to make sure the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony was precipitation-free.
Friday saw the biggest effort yet, as the"weather changers" began firing rockets from a battery of artillery into the clouds above Beijing four hours before the opening ceremony and continued firing until 11.40pm, shortly before the finale.
The rockets were fired from 21 sites in the city, intercepting a potentially disruptive rain belt and triggering premature showers before they reached the capital. Baoding city, south-west of Beijing, received about 100mm (4in) of precipitation on Friday night but in the capital the rain held off, even though August is the rainy season in normally tinder-dry Beijing."
In order to produce an impeccable opening ceremony, Beijing instituted a "weather... more
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Garret Weber-Gale and Michael Phelps yell out as their team wins the gold in the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay final.
Lezak of the U.S. team was nearly a body length behind Alain Bernard of France as they made the final turn, he caught on in the last 40 meter like a spear and broke the World Record. France was only eight-one-hundredths of a second behind.
Watching on deck, Phelps thrust both arms toward the roof of the Water Cube, his quest to break Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals having survived what will likely be its toughest test. The Americans shattered the world record their 'B' team set the previous day in the preliminaries, finishing in 3 minutes, 8.24 seconds – nearly 4 seconds below the 15-hour-old mark of 3:12.23. "Unbelievable,“ said Phelps, who swam the leadoff leg. "Jason finished that race better than we could even ask for. I was fired up. Going into that last 50, I was like, 'Aw, this is going to be a close race'. Jason’s last 10 or 15 meters were incredible.“ The French were second in 3:08.32 – eight-one-hundredths of a second behind. Australia took the bronze in 3:09.91. The top five all went below the record set Sunday.
"Experience was better than talent,“ Frederick Bousquet of France said.
The Americans won the 4x100 freestyle relay at seven straight Olympics, but watched the Australians and South Africans take gold at the last two games.
"I’ve been on the last two relays where we come up short,“ Lezak said. „To be honest with you I got really tired of losing. I finished real strong.“
Garret Weber-Gale and Michael Phelps yell out as their team wins the gold in the... more
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Spain's Olympic basketball teams posed for an advert for the official sponsor of the Spanish Basketball Federation, making slit-eye gestures that could potentially upset their Chinese hosts. It's reported that no harm was intended by making what's arguably an insensitive mockery of Chinese people.
Do you think the Spanish just didn't think about what they were doing? Surely someone knows that this kind of thing doesn't belong in a full page advert?Spain's Olympic basketball teams posed for an advert for the official sponsor of... more
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The swimming competition at the Beijing olympics is so exciting! Rebecca Adlington gave a last second push in the 400m freestyle to beat American Katie Hoff for the gold. And her teammate Joanne Jackson took the bronze. Go team GB!The swimming competition at the Beijing olympics is so exciting! Rebecca Adlington... more
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