The countdown to Beijing

The 2008 Summer Olympics kicks off on Aug. 8 in Beijing, and will conclude Aug. 24. The opening ceremony begins at 08:08:08 p.m. China Standard Time (15 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time) at the Beijing National Stadium.

Beijing was one of five cities to submit bids to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in hopes of holding the Olympics. Beijing was awarded the honor on July 13, 2001. On the IOC Web site, the IOC Evaluation Commission said that “a Beijing Games would leave a unique legacy to China and to sports. The Commission is confident that Beijing could organize an excellent Games.”

According to the IOC, about 10,500 athletes will compete in 302 events (165 men’s events, 127 women’s events and 10 mixed events) in 28 sports. Events will be held in 31 venues in Beijing and six venues outside the city.

USA Today reported that the number of total tickets available for the Olympics was 6.8 million. Domestic tickets completely sold out a month before sales were scheduled to end. In addition, Chinese residents bought all 70,000 tickets available for events in Beijing, plus tickets for the equestrian events in Hong Kong. Some tickets are still available for soccer preliminaries in cities outside Beijing.

China has a history of poor air quality, which in turn may affect some of the athletes’ competing in the summer games. Some athletes have decided not to participate. For example, marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia has pulled out of the event.

According to Reuters UK, the IOC has said that some endurance events might have to be shifted if the air quality is not good enough.

The Chinese government is scheduled to shut down manufacturing production 30 days prior to the start of the Olympics and will remain shut down until the games end.

Other problems facing the Summer Olympic Games include protests from Pro-Tibetan independence groups. According to the Students for a Free Tibet Web site, under Chinese occupation, Tibetans are denied their right to sovereignty and have been barred from competing in the Olympic Games on behalf of their country.

While the Olympic torch has been in transit, many protesters and demonstrators have followed. Tens of thousands of people in San Francisco (the only stop for the torch in the United States) boycotted the games, along with many protesters throughout Europe. MSNBC.com reported that the torch was extinguished five times in Paris due to “impassioned displays of anger over China’s human rights record, its grip on Tibet and support for Sudan despite years of bloodshed in Darfur.”