Beijing Duck

The 29^th hosting of the Summer Olympics takes place later this year in Beijing. And not too much later at that; the opening ceremony occurs in just 22 days. China stakes a claim to fame at present by representing the world’s fastest growing national economy – despite there still being widespread, remote areas within mainland China that do not see any of this additional money (those living in the largest, and best-known areas of the country take precedence over everyone else, i.e. the citizens of Shanghai, Beijing, etc).

We all have a vague idea of the discord shrouding these Olympics; the most notable antipathy to it stemming from the pro-Tibetan community, and their outrage towards the Chinese for, amongst other things, what they see in their eyes as a hypocritical stance on the government’s behalf to host the Olympics, since numerous reports pour out of China faster than water out of a kettle, stating the country defies a number of human rights laws. The human rights violations are in direct offence of what the Olympics are supposed to stand for: equality. These pro-Tibetan groups have also threatened to boycott the Games in order to pressurise the government further into giving Tibet its independence. Other safety risks concerning the Games include the danger imposed by potential terrorist attacks – with this risk heightened once Chinese police had uncovered a plot revolving around suicide bombers and kidnappings – and increased levels of damage to the environment by air pollution, since China did not have a stringent policy to clamp down on heavy pollution in place until fairly recently – made all the more apparent when in 2006, it was announced that China had surpassed the US in its rate of carbon dioxide emissions.

The Beijing National stadium, affectionately dubbed the “Bird’s Nest” for quite unambiguous reasons (if you must have it spelled out, it is so called due to its architectural structure), will host all track & field events in the Athletics discipline, and will too be the site of the opening and closing ceremonies.

There hasn’t been a great deal of media hype around the tournament itself. Mainly, it’s revolved around the issues suitably placed at China’s front door mat; a door mat that has been ineffectually swept clean by a dismissive government. Ergo, the focus placed upon the athletes about to take part in it has been nigh on absent in its entirety. The lack of adequate media attention is down to a need for the Games to start in a “hush-hush” mood, as not to provoke more scathing attacks from pro-Tibetan organisations or Amnesty International.

Nonetheless, adverse to the controversy, Beijing 2008 promises to be one of the most fiercely-competed yet. Nations like the United States are planning to bring their largest Olympic team thus far, and nine new events are to be participated in for the first time. There could be athletes contested medals from as many as 205 countries and dependent territories around the world.

If it runs smoothly, these Olympics could be the greatest ever. With that mind in it, it is vital to observe that “if” with warning. Should something major disrupt scheduling, that success may change to a catastrophe, worse than the respective American-led and Soviet-led boycotts of the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games. The consensus is for the tournament to progress unimpeded.

Bear in mind that when they’re finished, London 2012 is next up on the Olympic timetable…