2008 Olympics Updates

Updated：2007-07-28

(BEIJING, July 28) — The Shooting Center of the State General Administration of Sport was handed the gold key to the Beijing Shooting Range Hall by the venue’s management group Saturday morning. The handing over of the key symbolized the official delivery of the Beijing Shooting Range Hall.

During the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the venue will host a total of 10 Shooting events. It will also likely be the venue of the first gold medal awarded at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Present at the delivery ceremony were officials from the State General Administration of Sport, the City of Beijing, and Mr. Wang Yifu, head coach of the Chinese national shooting team.

Construction of the venue broke ground on July 13, 2004. The venue, with a total surface area of 45,645 sq m, contains qualification competition halls, a final competition hall, a storehouse, a room for armed police use, a heating and ventilation equipment room, and an electric transformer room.

Scene of the press conference

The qualification competition hall contains 10m, 25m, and 50 m target ranges. The final competition hall contains sealed 10m, 25m, and 50m target ranges.

The venue has a total seating capacity for 8,600 spectators, with 2,170 permanent seats and 6,430 removable seats. The qualification competition halls can seat 6.100, and the final competition hall can seat 2,500.

The Beijing Shooting Range Hall was designed to reflect the shape of a hunting bow. This design takes into consideration the origins of the sport of shooting—hunting in the forest. The Shooting Hall’s qualification competition halls and the final competition hall are connected by the venue’s main entrance, which contributes to the venue’s “bow” shape.

Post-Games, the venue will host important international and Chinese shooting competitions and serve as the training base for the Chinese national shooting team and youth training grounds.

Parts of the venue might be used as a national defense teaching facility. Additionally, the venue may be used to promote shooting as a sport to the public and to promote the Olympic spirit.

The Beijing Shooting Range Hall

Updated：2007-07-28

(BEIJING, July 28) — The new Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, built for the Games of the 29th Olympiad, was officially delivered Saturday morning.

On August 8, the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park will host the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships, this year’s very first “Good Luck Beijing” sport event in Beijing.

During the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, 32 gold medals will be awarded at the venue, which will host the Rowing, Canoe/Kayak — Flat-water, Canoe/Kayak — Slalom, and marathon swimming events.

Construction of venue began during the first half of 2005. With a building area of 31,850 sq m, it occupies the largest surface area of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games venues.

Scene of the press conference

The venue has a seating capacity of 37,000, with 1,200 permanent seats and 25,800 temporary seats, including 10,000 standing room only seats.

The Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park is the world’s only first-class rowing-canoeing venue that contains both flatwater and slalom courses.

The water surface area of the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park occupies 6.35 million sq m, and the green surface area occupies 5.8 million sq m, with green coverage of over 82 percent. Combined with the forestry of the surrounding areas, the rowing-canoeing park is a natural “oxygen bar.”

After the Olympic Games, the venue will be converted into an attractive, world-class resort for swimming and recreation — the largest of its kind in the northeastern part of Beijing.

A bird’s eye view

Updated：2007-07-27

(BEIJING, July 26) — The China Agricultural University Gymnasium, the venue for Olympic wrestling events, is nearly ready for use — one year ahead of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.

Located in northwestern Beijing, the complex spans close to 24,000 square meters and offers seating capacity for 8,500 fans - 6,000 of which are permanent seats.

Inside the venue will be three mats for Olympic wrestling competition. An auxiliary lobby will also be available for the athletes during the Games.

The venue is slated to be a multifunctional sport facility after the Games.

The exterior of the venue (Photo credit: CNSphoto)

The interior of the venue (Photo credit: CNSphoto)

The interior of the venue (Photo credit: CNSphoto)

Updated：2007-07-27 From：Xinhuanet

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 26 (Xinhua) — Three years after being defeated by the United States in the Athens Olympic Games final, Brazil’s women’s soccer team had its revenge on Thursday, as it won 5-0 and the Pan American Games’ gold medal.

The scenario for the revenge could not be better for the Brazilians. The match was attended by a crowd of almost 60,000 fans in Maracana, Rio’s legendary stadium, where the men’s soccer team has played landmark matches.

But unlike the men’s squad, the Brazilian women had never achieved expressive results, and many considered the U.S. team as a favorite in Thursday’s final.

Pushed by the fans, the Brazilians pressured for the goal since the beginning of the match, but the U.S. players were close to scoring in the 12th minute of the first half. But in the 18th minute, team star Marta Silva converted a penalty shot. From then on, the U.S. players seemed to be completely lost.

In a brilliant performance, Brazilians continued to play aggressively, scoring its second goal in the 29th minute, and then three other goals in the second half, as the crowd exulted.

Brazilian team’s performance in the Pan Am Games was above all expectations. The team won all of its matches, scored 33 goals and did not let a single goal. These results, analysts said, place Brazil among the strongest contenders for the gold medal in the Beijing Olympics.

Thursday’s match has also confirmed Marta as the best player in the world. Marta, who holds FIFA’s 2006 World Player of the Year award, scored twice against the U.S. and led the Brazilians to the victory. She scored 12 goals in the Pan Am Games.

Input Date:07/26/2007

Chinese Disabled Sports integrated training base in Shunyi yesterday after Shayu formally completed, This is our first dedicated disabled sports training base is the nation’s first central government investment “Agent System” pilot project all of the Olympic events on the disabled and people with special set-building functional requirements for design. Residual training base total project covers 358 acres, with a total construction area of 64,382 square meters. Athletes from the apartment and research buildings, a comprehensive training hall, natatorium, the blind door saloon, athletic training and strength Museum, athletic field and bleachers, bicycle training site, such as steel corridor projects comprising nine units, will be for the national disabled sports delegation preparations for the 2008 Paralympic Games use.