2008 Beijing Olympics

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Quake May Have Saved Beijing Games

'Few people care about the torch relay these days'

(Newser) - By pushing human rights and torch relay news off the front pages, China's massive earthquake may have revived an Olympics deemed "in crisis" only 2 weeks ago by the IOC chief, the AP reports. "I'm sorry to say it, but this has turned things around," said another...

Bladerunner Sets Sights on 2012 Olympics

Training delayed, Pistorius thinks London more realistic than '08

(Newser) - Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius finally got the go-ahead to compete in the Olympics, but it took so long the 21-year-old Paralympic world record holder who runs on carbon fiber blades says he may not be able to make the cut for Beijing, and the London Olympics now appear more realistic....

Bladerunner Wins Appeal, Sets Sights on Olympics

Double amputee can compete in trials

(Newser) - Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee sprinter who wants the chance to compete in the Olympics on his carbon-fiber blades, has won his appeal. The Court of Arbitration for Sport revoked the IAAF's ban on the South African Paralympic champion, making Pistorius eligible to compete against able-bodied runners. The runner is eager...

Swimsuit Battle Heads to Court
 Swimsuit Battle Heads to Court 
May 16, 2008 12:24 PM CDT

Swimsuit Battle Heads to Court

Rival company claims Speedo too chummy with sport's leaders

(Newser) - Swimwear maker TYR Sport has filed suit against rival Speedo, alleging that the maker of the much-touted LZR Racer has an inappropriately close relationship with the sport's governing body. "There's a big issue with a lot of the comments out there coming through USA Swimming and (coach) Mark Schubert...

China Weighs Olympic Invitation for Dalai Lama

Effort at damage control marks shift by Beijing

(Newser) - Battered by backlash over the Tibet crackdown, China has proposed inviting the Dalai Lama to the Beijing Olympics. An unnamed top Chinese official called a legislator in Tibet's exiled government to discuss the possibility, Reuters reports. The spiritual leader would consider attending, said the Tibetan lawmaker.

China Won't Stop Censoring Web for Olympics
China Won't Stop Censoring Web for Olympics
ANALYSIS
May 8, 2008 2:37 PM CDT

China Won't Stop Censoring Web for Olympics

Despite push for openness, Chinese law appears to allow much room to maneuver

(Newser) - China apparently will continue to censor the Internet during August's Olympics, but says the international press will have the access it needs to function, Jacqui Cheng writes on Ars Technica. Officials said they would guarantee as much access “as possible,” but “controls on some unhealthy websites” would...

Olympic Flame Lit Atop Everest
 Olympic Flame Lit Atop Everest 
May 7, 2008 11:04 PM CDT

Olympic Flame Lit Atop Everest

Display designed to counter protests

(Newser) - Chinese and Tibetan climbers lit an OIympic torch at the top of Mount Everest today, the BBC reports. The climbers unfurled Chinese and Olympic flags and chanted slogans for TV cameras beaming their images live onto the nation's TVs. The Chinese hope the elaborate stunt will counter the damage from...

In Olympics, Puerto Rico Fights Like a Nation

Residents don't want to lose special sporting status

(Newser) - Puerto Rico has its own Olympic team, and many residents don't want to give it up, reports  the Wall Street Journal. But if and when the island commonwealth finally makes the transition to US statehood, Puerto Ricans will likely have no option but to compete on the US team. "...

Deadly China Virus Not Seen as Olympic Threat

But cases are expected to rise with warm weather

(Newser) - The outbreak of a deadly virus in China hasn’t peaked yet—but it won’t affect the Beijing Games, a World Health Organization rep said. “I don't see it at all as a threat to the Olympics or any upcoming events,” he noted. Enterovirus 71 has killed...

Torch Embarks on Calmer China Tour

Citizens vow not to protest as stars carry flame

(Newser) - The Olympic torch flickered in mainland China today in what will likely be a respite from its troubled worldwide tour. Security measures are in place for the relay, but Chinese citizens aren't in a protesting mood, the AP reports. “Even if no police were here, we would protect the...

Capital Ambition Feeds Beijing's Building Boom

China developing reputation as architectural showcase

(Newser) - The new Terminal 3 at Beijing airport—the largest building in the world—is not only the gateway for visitors streaming into the Chinese capital for this summer's Olympics. It's also the capstone for an unprecedented building program that has transformed Beijing into a world-scale architectural showcase. The New York ...

Torch Gets Huge Welcome in Hong Kong

But cheers drown out protests in first Chinese leg of relay

(Newser) - Thousands of people waving the Chinese flag cheered the Olympic torch on its relay through Hong Kong, shouting down scattered Tibetan protesters in their midst, the BBC reports. There were a few scuffles as the torch wound its way through the streets in the first leg of the torch relay...

Minority Kids Sink at Swimming
 Minority Kids Sink at Swimming 
May 2, 2008 2:11 AM CDT

Minority Kids Sink at Swimming

Push on to get children in the swim

(Newser) - More than half of black and Latino children never learn to swim, according to the governing body of US competitive swimming, which is trying to encourage more minority involvement in the sport. Nearly 60% of black and Latino children can't swim—compared to a third of white kids—and they're...

Thousands Cheer Torch in N. Korea

Olympic flame hailed with songs and dancing for a change

(Newser) - Tens of thousands of North Koreans took to the streets to herald the arrival of the Olympic torch today, marking a radically different greeting for the often-harried flame, Reuters reports. People waved North Korean and Chinese flags, danced, cheered, and sang military songs. The welcome contrasted sharply with waves of...

Torch Protests Continue in S. Korea

Anti- and pro-China factions face off

(Newser) - The Olympic torch again met with a clash of protesters today as it arrived in South Korea, Reuters reports. Some South Koreans are angered by Beijing’s human rights record, but the majority are pro-Chinese, wearing their country’s flag and chanting, “No politics, only Olympics.” Despite 8,...

Sarkozy: 'I Made Some Mistakes'
 Sarkozy: 'I Made Some Mistakes' 
Apr 25, 2008 7:22 AM CDT

Sarkozy: 'I Made Some Mistakes'

Vows to 'stay the course' on French TV

(Newser) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy defended his first year in office in a TV interview but admitted he made mistakes, reports the BBC. It's been a rough debut. His controversial policies—met by fierce opposition in certain sectors— have failed to reverse an economic downturn, and his flashy courtship of model...

China Will Meet With Dalai Lama Aide

First meeting with Tibetan leadership since unrest

(Newser) - Beijing officials will meet in the next few days with a representative of the Dalai Lama, reports AFP, quoting Chinese media. The meeting would be the first encounter between the Tibetan leadership and members of the Chinese government since last month's unrest in Tibet. China has come under intense foreign...

Pro-China Wave Dominates Aussie Relay

Protesters allege Beijing hand in feel-good atmosphere

(Newser) - The Chinese flag flew high at the Australian leg of the Olympic torch relay today, with pro-China partisans outnumbering pro-Tibet protesters four to one—and relative calm compared to the intensity of the relay to date. Human rights protesters alleged that Beijing, apparently embarrassed by the tone of earlier protests,...

Sarko Too Nice to China: Critics

French president assailed for abandoning human-rights concerns

(Newser) - Paris seems to have reversed a tide of anti-French sentiment in China, but critics wonder if President Nicolas Sarkozy’s charm offensive has undermined his country’s commitment to human rights, Der Spiegel reports. Since Sarkozy’s messages of conciliation have gone out, China’s Foreign Ministry has praised the...

Australia Spirits Away Torch Ahead of Relay

Protesters do their thing anyway

(Newser) - The Olympic torch arrived Down Under today, but was immediately whisked off to a secret location to avoid protesters, the AP reports. Tomorrow’s torch relay in Canberra will be open to the public—unlike those in Jakarta and New Delhi—but the route will be lined with yard-high fences...

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