Information On The Beijing Olympics

From Aug. 8 to 24, 2008, China hosted the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. It was the country's first time to host the Games since the Modern Olympics began in 1896. More than 10,000 athletes competed in 28 sports, including swimming, tennis, wrestling, triathlon, gymnastics, cycling, boxing and volleyball.

Opening Ceremony

As "The Washington Post" reported, the Beijing Games are well remembered for the extravagant, impressive Opening Ceremony to the 29th Olympiad. With an estimated 4 billion people watching remotely via television and 91,000 attendees, the Chinese used the Games as an opportunity to showcase their recovered status as a world power. Highlights included several choreographed dances, ornate costumes, 2008 performers beating ancient Chinese fou drums and fireworks that exploded from the entire circumference of the main stadium.

City Planning

Beijing went to great lengths to prepare its city for the 2008 Summer Games. According to Boston.com, the city constructed hundreds of projects, restored several buildings, opened three new subway lines, mandated pollution controls and implemented overall cultural training. Some of the most notable buildings designed specifically for the Games include the National Grand Theatre, known as "The Egg," the National Aquatics Centre, known as "The Cube" and the National Stadium, known as "The Bird's Nest."

Medal Count

As reported by "The New York Times," the U.S. collected the most awards during the Games with a total of 110 medals. However, China secured the most gold medals by winning 51 events. However, Australian Michael Phelps was likely the most remembered athlete. After competing in eight events and swimming 17 times in nine days, Phelps took home a record-breaking eight gold medals while simultaneously beating eight world records.

World Records

A total of 41 world records were established at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, according to GuinessWorldRecords.com. Among the most notable, Samuel Kamau Wansiru of Kenya set a record in the men's marathon with a total time of two hours, six minutes and 32 seconds, and Usain Bolt of Jamaica broke the record in the 100-meter sprint, 200-meter sprint and 400-meter relay.