A villager holds ice after heavy hailstorms hit a deforested hillside in Gikingi Village in Nyahururu town, some 220km from Nairobi, September 3, 2008. [Agencies]
Villagers play with snow after heavy hailstorms hit a deforested hillside in Gikingi Village in Nyahururu town, some 220km from Nairobi, September 3, 2008.
MEXICO CITY, Aug. 27 — A total of 24 current and previous basketball players of the U.S. professional league of the National Basketball Association (NBA) received medal during the Olympic Games of Beijing 2008, NBA said on Wednesday.
These professional basketball players played of the national teams of U.S. (gold), Spain (silver) and Argentina (bronze), the Communication department of the NBA Latin America & US Hispanic said on Wednesday in its website.
42 NBA players played for 12 national teams in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, which is the biggest number since 1992.
U.S. defeated Spain and with this victory Jason Kidd extended his record to 56-0, which included the triumphs at the Olympic Games, those of the Olympic qualifying and the international friendly matches.
The Spaniards who won silver were Jose Manuel Calderon from Toronto Raptors, Rudy Fernandez from Portland Trail Blazers, JorgeGarbajosa from Toronto Raptors in 07-08, Marc Gasol from Memphis Grizzlies, Pau Gazol from LA Lakers, Raul Lopez (02-05) from Utah Jazz and Juan Carlos Navarro from Memphis Grizzlies.
Argentines winner of bronze were Carlos Delfino from Toronto Raptors 07-08 and Detroit Pistons 04-07; Manu Ginobili from San Antonio Spurs, Andres Nocioni from Chicago Bulls, Fabricio Oberto from San Antonio Spurs and Luis Scola from Houston Rockets.
Olympic gold medallist and 100m world record holder, Usain Bolt of Jamaica signs a placard for during a news conference in Zurich August 27, 2008, ahead of the IAAF Golden League athletics meeting on Friday. [Agencies]
Olympic gold medallist and 100m world record holder, Usain Bolt of Jamaica gestures during a news conference in Zurich August 27, 2008, ahead of the IAAF Golden League athletics meeting on Friday. [Agencies]
Olympic gold medallist and 100m world record holder, Usain Bolt of Jamaica listens to media during a news conference in Zurich August 27, 2008, ahead of the IAAF Golden League athletics meeting on Friday. [Agencies]
Olympic gold medallist and 100m world record holder, Usain Bolt of Jamaica listens to media during a news conference in Zurich August 27, 2008, ahead of the IAAF Golden League athletics meeting on Friday. [Agencies]
Olympic gold medallist and 100m world record holder, Usain Bolt of Jamaica listens to media during a news conference in Zurich August 27, 2008, ahead of the IAAF Golden League athletics meeting on Friday. [Agencies]
Olympic gold medallist and 100m world record holder, Usain Bolt of Jamaica signs a placard for during a news conference in Zurich August 27, 2008, ahead of the IAAF Golden League athletics meeting on Friday.
A performer beats the drum at the Beijing Paralympic flame lighting ceremony in the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on Thursday.
Audience attend the Beijing Paralympic flame lighting ceremony in the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on Thursday.
Deaf-mute flame collector Jiang Xintian lit the flame out of a concave, burnished mirror In front of the symbolic Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest in the Temple of Heaven, Beijing, Aug 28, 2008.
BEIJING, Aug. 28 — Chinese premier Wen Jiabao lit the Beijing Paralympic flame was at the ancient Temple of Heaven in Beijing on Thursday, kicking off the torch relay across China before the 13th Paralympics open on Sept. 6.
In front of the symbolic Hall of Annual Prayer, deaf-mute flamecollector Jiang Xintian lit the flame out of a concave, burnished mirror. The flame was then handed to a wheelchair-ridden girl, before it lit a torch held by Liu Qi, president of the organizing committee of the just concluded Beijing Olympic Games.
Liu passed the torch to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who lit a cauldron and announced the beginning of the 10-day torch relay.
The sacred flame will be sent to Xi’an in Northwest China and Shenzhen in the south, where the relay will be launched on Friday and Saturday respectively.
Speakers at the lighting ceremony included Deng Pufang, chairman of the China Disabled Persons Federation, and President of the International Paralympic Committee Philip Craven.
China’s Liu Xiang (R) reacts on the starting line during the first round competition of men’s 110m hurdles at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. The defending champion Liu Xiang dropped out after getting injury.
??BEIJING, Aug. 18 — It was a heartbreaking moment for Liu Xiang and for numerous Olympics audiences.
??Liu Xiang, the defending Olympic champion of men’s 110m hurdles and icon of Chinese sport, limped out of the Bird’s Nest stadium after just managing a few awkward steps in his opening heat Monday morning.
??Even before he got into his crouch, his painful expression and tottering steps had raise an ominous feeling.
??He limped out of the block at the starting gun, then pulled up when the second gun sounded to signal a false start.
??His next move shocked the huge crowd at the stadium into silence. He tore the paper with his number off his leg and walked gingerly towards the tunnel, obviously being troubled by a foot injury.
??An overwhelming hush and worry soon enveloped the 91,000-seat stadium.
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Isinbaeva sets new world record
Russia’s Elena Isinbaeva poses for photos with her new world record after the women’s pole vault final at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. Isinbaeva claimed the title in the event and set a new world record. (Xinhua Photo)
Isinbaeva sets new world record
Elena Isinbaeva of Russia competes during the women’s pole vault final at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. Isinbaeva took a overwhelming victory in the match. (Xinhua Photo)
?? BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — Pole vault tsarina Elena Isinbaeva on Monday evening cleared the new world record of 5.05 meters, winning her second Olympic gold medal almost with no efforts.
??With only two successful jumps, the defending Olympic gold medalist and world champion secured the gold. On the fifth attempt, she broke the Olympic record which was created by herself four years ago in Athens. The 26-year-old pole vaulter eventually overcame her 24th world record of 5.05 meters.
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The Chinese people’s passion for the Olympics has reached a climax on Saturday, the eighth day of the competitions, despite the host country’s slowdown in its gold harvest to win just one out of the total 27 gold medals on offer.
Tens of thousands of people flooded into the Olympic Green early in the morning to watch the games or simply tour the area, which opens only to accredited participants of the Games or spectators holding tickets of the day.
The rapture on their faces was obvious. Most spectators, men and women, young and old, wore on their cheeks stickers of the Chinese national flag or the Olympic mascot dolls, Fuwa. Some waved flags — both the Chinese Five Stars and the Olympic Five Rings, while others put red cloth bands around their heads that read “Go, go, China; China, sure to win.”
“I came to Beijing just for the Olympics,” said Li Junfeng, a 20-something man from the southwestern Guizhou Province. Despite Saturday’s scorching heat that brought the high temperature to over 30 degrees Celsius at midday, Li cloaked on his back a full-sized national flag, on which he wrote in dark ink “One World, One Dream.”
Having impressed the world with a spectacular opening ceremony of the Games, China on Saturday fully savored the glory as the Olympic host, with athletes grabbing two golds to put the country atop the medal tally, and its top leaders busy hosting world leaders and dignitaries.
Weightlifter Chen Xiexia of women’s 48kg class and marksman Pang Wei of men’s 10-meter air pistol reaped the first and second golds for the 639-member Chinese legion, the largest at these Games, securing its leading position in medal ranking, followed by the United States, South Korea, Czech Republic, Spain and Romania, which shared the remaining five golds of the day.
The only regret of the day for the Asian sport powerhouse seemed to be its failure to grab the first gold of the whole Games. Despite a “double insurance” by defending Olympic champion Du Li and three-time Olympian Zhao Yinghui, an expectant home crowd and dozens of Chinese reporters at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall could only watch the formidable Czech Katerina Emmons lead all the way to snatch the gold medal in women’s 10-meter air rifle with an Olympic record-breaking 503.5 points.
While Chinese athletes were fighting for glory on the home fields, China’s top leaders, particularly President Hu Jintao, were engaged in an unprecedented diplomatic effort aimed at promoting the country’s friendship and cooperation with the rest of the world.
Motorcades shuttled across Beijing, transporting foreign heads of state and government, royals and international organization chiefs to the Great Hall of the People, the central government compound of Zhongnanhai, and the State Guesthouse of Diaoyutai, where Hu and some of his colleagues in the top leadership were waiting for meetings, talks or banquets.
Sources with the Foreign Ministry said that between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, a total of 24 diplomatic occasions were arranged, including 8 for the president alone, which involved some 20 foreign leaders.
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