In Pursuit of Glory: The Beijing Olympics

With the 2008 summer Olympics only a year away, elite athletes are training hard, but they're not the only ones in pursuit of glory. China is hosting the games and the Olympic-sized effort can be seen and felt there. There's an air of excitement throughout China, as the nation prepares for the games. "We describe hosting of the Beijing Olympic Games as a 100-year-old dream come true," Sun Weide, the deputy director or communications for the Beijing Olympic Games, said. Over 30,000 have been working around the clock in anticipation for August 8, 2008, when the global spotlight will illuminate Beijing. Even the date of the opening ceremonies, August 8, 2008 has an auspicious quality to it. In Chinese culture, the number eight has traditionally signified wealth and prosperity. "The number eight has a special meaning according to Chinese traditions. I think August 8 is a pretty good time to start the Olympics," said one Chinese citizen. "Six eights - those are the lucky numbers," Boston University's Dr. Robert Weller said. "You could start the Olympics at any minute. You could have started them on the seventh or the ninth. Since you have a choice, why not choose the lucky one? Why not choose the one that feels good?" Although some have downplayed the significance, many Chinese are confident that a lucky date will result in a prosperous Olympics. One Chinese woman said, "Of course, having the Opening Ceremonies on August 8, 2008 will be good luck for China. Having the Games with so many eights will make us more successful." With an event this important, organizers have left nothing to chance. They've spared no expense to make their city an ideal location for athletes and tourists. They're building 57 new roads, three new bridges, and a new airport. Next year, the Olympic stadiums will take center stage. In true Olympic spirit, building these venues was an international effort. Xiao Min, deputy director of the Olympic committee says that this cooperation was necessary to build first class facilities for the athletes. "The goal of our construction is to give the athletes an excellent racetrack that could enable them to create high-level achievements," Min said. German firm Schurmann Architects won an international competition to design the Laoshan Velodrome, which will host cycling. President Ralph Schurmann enjoyed working with Chinese builders. "We don't build it for us," Schurmann said. "This is for the athletes to train and compete so they have a facility that compares to other international competitions. When they go to Europe they won't be surprised." He continued, "The workers were very friendly, very open and sympathetic, so we had no problems at all. It was fun to work with them. You couldn't talk to each other. You could, but nobody could understand. But it worked out, somehow." Veldrome worker Hao Junyu said, "It's a rare opportunity to work together with foreigners the 2008 Olympic Games. Since I can't make a big contribution by myself, I'm happy we can work like this." Song Lisan is the CEO of Dalian Qiansen Sports Facilities Project Limited Corporation. She said, "The cooperation was great, because Schuermann Architects took the job seriously. They did everything normatively, and they were also efficient." Feng Yong of China's national cycling team has been very impressed by the new Velodrome. He says that hosting the games gives athletes extra confidence. "As the hosting country, we have three advantages, which are favorable timing, favorable position and support from our countrymen. So we are very confident," Yong said. Several Beijing hotels are also using this home court advantage to show off their facilities. The Minzu Hotel has just completed a $12-million renovation. "Now, we will have the Olympic Games, it should be a better opportunity to display our country, to display Beijing, also to display our hotel business," the hotel's general manager said. Although he looks forward to the Olympics, he anticipates better business after the games. The manager said, "After the Olympics, in a long-term view, it will definitely be better than present. China's economy is developing rapidly. Hotel business should be more and more advanced, more and more improved." While China has experienced tremendous economic growth, the $40 billion Olympic price tag isn't small change. Recent host cities such as Athens and Sydney have had difficulty footing the cost of under-used stadiums. And their expenses have only been a fraction of Beijing's. Weide recognizes this challenge, but doesn't expect to encounter the same problems. "We don't have enough sports facilities in the Western part of Beijing, so now we are going to build a lot of sports facilities. And also after the Beijing Games, the residents will be able to use those sports facilities," Weide said. "Also, 20 percent of Olympic venues will be located inside universities," he continued. "That means six venues will be built in universities. Also we have the north scenic area where after the end of the Beijing Games Royal Green Park will be turned into a water park for the Beijing residents to enjoy." With nearly all of the Olympic venues complete, and construction running ahead of schedule, Beijing's new facilities may be the most spectacular in Olympic history. Despite these grand beginnings, the ultimate test isn't how they look at the start of the race, it's how they make it to the finish line.