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Closing ceremony of Beijing Olympics draws world attention, praise
Xinhuanet.com ^ | 08.24.08

Posted on 08/24/2008 1:40:45 PM PDT by Perdogg

The closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics Sunday night has drawn worldwide attention and Beijing's successful hosting of the Games has earned global applause.

Pakistan's national TV station, and the private GEO, EXPRESS, NEWS and AAJ stations gave live coverage of the entire ceremony.

Their commentators congratulated China on its successful hosting of the Games, saying that Pakistan is happy to see China won most gold medals.

The Kyodo news agency said in a story that "The Beijing Olympic theme of 'One World, One Dream' turned out a success despite predictions of gloom and doom, including whispers of terrorist plots and complaints of air pollution ahead of the competition in which more than 10,500 athletes from a record 204 national delegations participated."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.xinhuanet.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2008olympics; beijing2008; china; closingceremony; olympics
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I have to admit this is the most of a Summer Olympics I have watched since 1984. btw, spoiler alert for the west coast - the olympics are over! ;)
1 posted on 08/24/2008 1:40:47 PM PDT by Perdogg
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To: Perdogg

The only thing I watched this year was the USA winning gold in men’s basketball last night.


2 posted on 08/24/2008 1:42:21 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: Perdogg

If it wasn’t for my wife having it on as I walked in the room I wouldn’t have seen 5 minutes of it. As it was I saw less than 30


3 posted on 08/24/2008 1:47:42 PM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
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To: BunnySlippers
I watched the swimming, women's diving, women's water polo, women's beach volleyball, some of gymnastics; some of the track and field.


4 posted on 08/24/2008 1:49:09 PM PDT by Perdogg
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To: Perdogg
I am really surprised that the death count was so extraordinarily low............
5 posted on 08/24/2008 1:49:16 PM PDT by tbpiper (Obama/Biden: Instead of Ebony and Ivory, we have Arrogance and Insolence.)
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To: Perdogg

I love the Olympics but let’s never forget that the host is an oppressive, lying, cheating threat to peace and mankind.


6 posted on 08/24/2008 1:49:30 PM PDT by A_Former_Democrat
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To: A_Former_Democrat

I agree. The 2014 Winter games are in Solchi, Russia


7 posted on 08/24/2008 1:51:33 PM PDT by Perdogg
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To: Perdogg

I thought NBC did a much better job then usual. It used to be almost unwatchable. This time there was a lot less jumping around and more concentration on a single event. Less of the athlete back story crap. More on-line coverage available. An even-handed coverage of the Chinese. I would give it a 9.2.


8 posted on 08/24/2008 1:56:46 PM PDT by Kirkwood
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To: Perdogg

Costas should just let the gray show..

They need to up his and carillo’s meds too..

Didn’t watch much of the events, hit and miss,,

can’t wait ‘til Winter 2014 in Sochi


9 posted on 08/24/2008 2:00:20 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE toll-free tip hotline 1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRget!!!)
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To: Perdogg
This year's Olympics: Brought to you by gross pollution levels, displaced property owners, slave & unpaid labor, censorship, brutal repression & a one-party state. Hope you enjoyed ~ y'all come back now, y'hear!
10 posted on 08/24/2008 2:02:56 PM PDT by 4Liberty (discount window + moral hazard = bank corporate welfare + inflation tax)
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http://www.2014olympics.com/

OLYMPIC NEWS

IOC President’s Speech at the Closing Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (24 August 2008)

IOC President Jacques Rogge Predicts Positive Legacy From Games (24 August 2008)

Beijing Games: Facts and Figures (24 August 2008)

120th IOC Session concludes in Beijing (24 August 2008)


11 posted on 08/24/2008 2:03:55 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE toll-free tip hotline 1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRget!!!)
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BEIJING GAMES: FACTS AND FIGURES

24 August 2008

Sport — Amazing Venues, Amazing Results

· A record 204 NOCs participating; record number of women participating
· 132 Olympic records, 43 world records (as of 24/8 at 9:30)
· A record 87 NOCs join medal count — the most ever
· First-ever medals for Afghanistan, Mauritius, Tajikistan and Togo; first-ever gold medals for Bahrain, Mongolia and Panama; first individual gold for India
· Rave reviews for venues, Olympic Village, transportation and Games organization

International Popularity — On Track To Become the Most-Watched Games in History
· More broadcast coverage to more people in more regions than ever
· First Olympic Games in history to have global digital coverage
· Record TV ratings in U.S. and China
· Record traffic to Games-related Web sites
· More visitors to IOC’s site in first week than during entire 2004 Games; site has received over 5 million unique visitors so far (compared to 2.8 million unique visitors during 2004, total)
· 16.5 million views on IOC’s digital channel (YouTube), across Africa, Asia and the Middle East

Olympic Magic — Memorable Moments
· Opening Ceremony awes international audience — Record audiences across the world’s major markets. 80 percent audience share in China. 50 percent share in U.S. and major European markets.
· Phelps wins eight gold medals
· Bolt streaks across finish line twice in 100-m and 200-m
· Georgian and Russian embrace at shooting range
· A half-million enthusiastic Chinese volunteers welcome Olympic visitors

Meeting Challenges

Doping
- Zero tolerance gets results; nearly 40 cheaters caught before the Games, 4 cheaters caught by IOC during Games
- Record number of athletes tested, stringent new testing requirements

Air Quality
- Competition opened on second consecutive day of Grade I air quality, a decade-long record for Beijing
- In the other 8 days, Beijing’s air quality was Grade II, which still fell well within WHO and IOC standards
- Stringent monitoring protects athletes’ health

Attendance
- Attendance has more than tripled since the start of the Beijing Games


12 posted on 08/24/2008 2:06:27 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE toll-free tip hotline 1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRget!!!)
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To: Perdogg
Dangit, I missed all the wrestling and this too..


13 posted on 08/24/2008 2:09:13 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE toll-free tip hotline 1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRget!!!)
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Caption to above pic..

Jake Deitchler of the U.S. (in red) fights Armen Vardanyan of Ukraine during their 66 kg men's Greco-Roman wrestling repechage round 2 match at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 13, 2008. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez (CHINA)

14 posted on 08/24/2008 2:10:37 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE toll-free tip hotline 1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRget!!!)
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To: NormsRevenge
Caption to above pic..

REAL caption to the above pic:
"Mr. Obama, can you explain to our CNN audience what it really felt like to walk on the Sea of Galilee!"

15 posted on 08/24/2008 2:23:44 PM PDT by BlazingArizona
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To: Perdogg

Can you say, “The Potemkin Games.”


16 posted on 08/24/2008 2:25:54 PM PDT by dfwgator ( This tag blank until football season.)
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To: Perdogg

I watched about 14 hours of the Olympics this year, more than any year since 1968. The NBC, Oxygen, MSNBC coverage was excellent; the web site was excellent; the web video was excellent. Overall, this was the best Olympics ever for viewers.

It is an atrocity that China was selected as a host country, considering their repressive regime—political prisoners, invasion of Tibet and squashing the culture thereof, persecution of Christians, repression of free speech etc.

But the IOC has a history of giving the venue to repressive regimes: 1936 - Nazi’s; 1980 - USSR, Moscow, 2008 - China.

I have been praying for Chinese Christians every day of the Olympics. Here is the story of our prayer campaign from Voice of Martyrs:

“Pastor Zhang “Bike” Mingxuan, known for traveling across China on a bicycle to evangelize, was arrested by Chinese police just two days before the Olympics began. Pastor Bike was the inspiration for the recent partnership between The Voice of the Martyrs and China Aid Association to create the Olympic Prayer Band.

Pastor Asks for Prayer Band

Earlier this year, Pastor Bike pleaded with VOM staff to ask Christians to pray for persecuted Christians in China during the Olympics. The pastor voluntarily preaches the gospel openly in China despite being persecuted. He has asked for his identity to be revealed to bring continued attention to the persecution of Christians in Communist China.

Thanks to Pastor Bike’s inspiration and the commitment of concerned Christians across the United States, more than 800,000 prayer bands have been circulated. On Aug. 6, Pastor Bike was arrested while trying to deliver medicine to his ailing wife. His wife and another pastor were also arrested. We have also learned this week that Chinese officials are opening a full investigation of the Olympic Prayer Bands that were distributed to house church members within China. Despite this increased pressure from Chinese authorities, Chinese Christians continue to ask for prayer and to make their plight known.”

http://etools.780net.com/a/vomso/bg_vomso_wdbm_327.html


17 posted on 08/24/2008 2:26:52 PM PDT by Forgiven_Sinner (For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not die)
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To: Perdogg

Yeah, it was so successful that the London mayor has decided that his olympics will at least be fun.


18 posted on 08/24/2008 2:50:39 PM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like what you say))
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To: NormsRevenge
4 cheaters caught by IOC during Games

I think these 4 were horses.

19 posted on 08/24/2008 2:53:44 PM PDT by 3catsanadog (Drill here, drill now!!!!!)
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To: Perdogg

The athletes themselves with their performances do not reflect on China whatsoever. China remains an enemy to human rights and freedom and it won’t be long until they pull an equivilent to Russia’s invasion of Georgia. And it’s interesting to note that China relied mostly on JUDGED events to gain their advantage in gold. They were still bested by Americans in medal count and being in the top three of all sports. And they want to do away with softball and baseball-how about ping pong?


20 posted on 08/24/2008 3:16:12 PM PDT by bushfamfan (America's sunrise has turned into a sunset.)
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