Aug
25
2008
The Chinese team did it—they won the gold medal count. The final count has China with 51 golds out of a possible 302, USA 36, Russia 23, Great Britain 19 and Germany 16 (click here for a table of the medal results). Not only did China win the most gold medals in the 2008 Games, they won the most golds of any country since the Soviet Union won 55 in the 1988. The last time the USA won more than 51 golds, it was at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, which the Soviets boycotted. During the Olympics, the medal-count obsession became pervasive in Beijing and was a constant cause for speculation.
American women's soccer team on the top of the podium in Worker's Stadium
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Aug
23
2008
A specter is haunting Beijing—air pollution. Beijing’s air pollution, some of the worst in the world, was a concern from the beginning for Olympic organizers. The Chinese government enacted initiatives in preparation for the Games, but skeptical media outlets were quick to disparage China’s efforts. In the days on either side of August 8, the New York Times and the South China Morning Post published articles about China’s failure to reduce pollution. The decision of Ethiopian marathoner Haile Gebrselassie to not run in the Games was held up as proof of the China’s shortcomings. But Beijing saw more clean days these last two weeks than anyone can remember, and no one is reporting this success.
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Jul
21
2008
Since Beijing scored the Olympic bid in July 2001, China observers have used the metaphor of a debutante ball to describe the 2008 Olympics. China plans to use this Olympics to showcase how well she has developed. The country’s growing influence has not gone unnoticed, but this blowout is designed to eradicate all traces of doubt. The only catch is that Beijing is not ready yet and time is running out.
Like any good “deb,” Beijing has made extreme efforts to doll herself up. She has had a pedicure – trees and flowers now line the major roads in an effort to make the city greener. She has had her hair done – the city government shunted previously “unsightly” out-door markets indoors. But she really hopes to outdo the other girls with her jewels – the monumental new architectural gems springing up all over the city.
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