2008 Summer Paralympics

Paralympics infobox
Name = XIII Paralympic Games

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Optional caption = "Sky, Earth, and Human Beings",
emblem of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games
Host city = Beijing, China
Nations participating = 148
Athletes participating = over 4,200
Officially opened by = "TBD"
Opening ceremony = September 6
Closing ceremony = September 17
Events = 20 sports
Officially opened by = President Hu Jintao
Athlete's Oath =
Judge's Oath =
Olympic Torch = Hou Bin
Olympic Stadium = Beijing National StadiumThe 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. Mainland China fielded more athletes than any other country. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao.

Over 4,200 athletes from 148 countries were expected to take part. [ [http://english.cri.cn/2886/2008/08/24/65s398147.htm "More than 4,200 Athletes to Compete at Beijing Paralympics"] , Xinhua, August 24, 2008] This was the largest ever number of nations at the Paralympics (twelve more than in Athens), and several countries competed for the first time. [ [http://www.paralympic.ca/page?a=2113&lang=en-CA "CPC announces Canadian team for the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games in China"] , Canadian Paralympic Committee, July 8, 2008] The slogan for the 2008 Paralympics was the same as the 2008 Summer Olympics, "One World, One Dream" (zh-st|s=同一个世界 同一个梦想|t=同一個世界 同一個夢想 Pinyin "Tóng yīge shìjìe tóng yīge mèngxiǎng", lit. "One World, One Dream").

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Philip Craven declared the Games "the greatest Paralympic Games ever." [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/17/content_10062213.htm]

Venues

Nineteen competition venues—seventeen in Beijing, one in Hong Kong, and one in Qingdao—have been selected for the 2008 Summer Paralympics. [cite web|url=http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/venues/index.shtml|title=Competition Venues - The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games|publisher=The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad|accessdate=2008-07-26]

#Beijing National Stadium ("Birds Nest")
#Beijing National Aquatics Center ("Water Cube")
#Beijing National Indoor Stadium ("Fan")
#Fencing Gymnasium of Olympic Green Convention Centre
#Olympic Green Archery Field
#Olympic Green Hockey Field
#Olympic Green Tennis Centre ("Flowers")
#Peking University Gymnasium
#Beihang University Gymnasium
#China Agricultural University Gymnasium
#Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium
#Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium
#Beijing Shooting Range Hall
#Laoshan Mountain Bike Course
#Workers Gymnasium
#Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park
#Triathlon Venue
#Hong Kong Equestrian Venues
#Qingdao International Sailing Centre

ymbols

Emblem

The emblem, "Sky, Earth, and Human Beings" (zh-s|天、地、人), is a multicolored Chinese character "之" (zh-p|zhī) stylized as an athletic figure in motion. The red, blue, and green in the emblem represent sun, sky, and earth. [ [http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/graphic/n214342413.shtml Beijing Paralympics Emblem - The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games ] ]

logan

The slogan is the same as the 2008 Summer Olympics, "One World, One Dream".

Mascots

The mascot is a cartoon cow named Fu Niu Lele (zh-s|福牛乐乐), roughly meaning "Lucky Ox 'Happy'". [ [http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/graphic/n214342414.shtml Introduction to the Design of Fu Niu Lele - The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games ] ]

Theme song

The theme song, sung by well known and popular Cantonese singer Andy Lau is 'Flying with the Dream'. [cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/paralympics/2008-09/06/content_7005411.htm |title=Beijing Paralympic theme song shows love for life |publisher=Xinhua |date=2008-09-06 |accessdate=2008-09-17]

Torch Relay

The torch relay of the 2008 Summer Paralympics started from Tian Tan (Temple of Heaven) on August 28. The flame then gathered before "The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests" (祈年殿) and followed two routes (the "Route of Ancient China" and the "Route of Modern China"). Both routes returned to Beijing on September 5, and the torch was flamed at the National Stadium during the Opening Ceremony on September 6.

The Games

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony took place on September 6, 2008. The pre-ceremony performance was a succession of various musical performances, ranging from military music to folk music and a performance of "Ode to Joy". [http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/ceremonies/headlines/n214589186.shtml "Full Coverage: The Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games"] , Xinhua, September 6, 2008] Following a countdown, a fireworks display signalled the beginning of the ceremony proper. The national flag of China was then raised, in accordance with usual protocol, and the national anthem of China performed. Performers wearing suits in bright colours paraded round the stadium, as a welcoming ceremony preceding the athletes' entry. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, the ceremony included a parade of nations, with a flag bearer for each national team. Contrary to Olympic tradition, the national team of Greece did not enter first; the host country came last. As Chinese is written in characters and not letters, the order of the teams' entry was determined by the number of strokes in the first character of their respective countries' Simplified Chinese names. [cite web|url=http://en.beijing2008.cn/ceremonies/n214508163.shtml|title=Opening Ceremony plan released - The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games] Countries with the same number of strokes in the first character are sorted by those of the next character. This made Guinea (几内亚) the first country to enter as it takes two strokes to write the first character in the country's name (几). Following the athletes' parade, a performance took place, divided into chapters and sub-chapters entitled the "Journey of Space" and "Journey of Life" The sunbird performance entailed Yang Haitao (杨海涛), a singer with a visual impairment, singing about dreams while an acrobat in sunbird costume descended in simulated flight from the air and "awakened the blind singer from his sleep". The ceremony concludes with Hou Bin, the high jump gold medalist with one leg lighting the flame cauldron.Peopledaily. " [http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6494720.html Peopledaily.com] ." "China opens Beijing Paralympic Games in celebration of life and humanity." Retrieved on 2008-09-14.]

Closing ceremony

The 2008 Summer Paralympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium. It began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time (UTC+8) on September 17, 2008.English People's Daily. " [http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90779/90867/6501442.html People's daily] ." "2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony - Beijing." Retrieved on 2008-09-28.]

ports

Twenty sports are on the program:
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Rowing made its first appearance in the Paralympics at these games.

Calendar

Participating NPCs

The following National Paralympic Committees sent delegations to compete. [ [http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/News/Press_Releases/Flagbearers_List_Opening_Ceremony_Final_5_Sept1.pdf Official list] , International Paralympic Committee] ] Macau and the Faroe Islands are members of the International Paralympic Committee, but not of the International Olympic Committee; hence they participate in the Paralympic Games but not in the Olympics.
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Medal count

The top ten ranked NPCs at these Games are listed below. (Host nation is highlighted)

Events Highlights

Coverage

The International Paralympic Committee will be providing live video coverage of the Games on its website [http://www.paralympicsport.tv ParalympicSport.tv] . [ [http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/news/official/n214587994.shtml "Paralympic Games gets live online TV coverage"] , Xinhua, September 4, 2004]

" [http://beijing.sports.pressakey.net/news.php?ID=10 The Audio Network] " provides live audio broadcast coverage of all goalball games during the paralympics.

Local Coverage

* Australia - Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) will present coverage of the Paralympic Games, on ABC1 and ABC2.
* Brazil - "'Sportv2
* Canada - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is providing coverage on their television and radio networks as well as extensive online coverage at [http://www.cbc.ca/sports/paralympics CBC Paralympics] in English. TV coverage consists of four digest shows. In French, Radio Canada (SRC), CBC's French language arm, is providing coverage in the form of two digests on television, with news articles on the web.
* China, People's Republic of - Chinese Central Television (CCTV) provides coverage on CCTV-5 and CCTV-7.
* France - "'Eurosport
* Japan - "'NHK
* Norway - "'NRK
* Sweden - "'Sveriges Television
* United States of America - [http://www.universalsports.com UniversalSports.com] , an online subsidiary of NBC Universal, provides live streaming of selected Paralympic Games events (free registration required).
* United Kingdom - BBC is providing extensive coverage on television, and online.

In France, following the Games, Philippe Juvin, national secretary of the governing Union for a Popular Movement, accused national public television network France Télévisions of having practiced "segregation" by providing live coverage of the Beijing Olympics but only ten minute daily summaries of events, outside prime time, for the Beijing Paralympics. France Télévisions replied that it would take Juvin to court for slander. [ [http://www.lejdd.fr/cmc/media/200838/paralympiques-l-ump-accuse_150237.html "Paralympiques: L'UMP accuse"] , "Journal du dimanche", September 19, 2008] [ [http://www.lemonde.fr/web/depeches/0,14-0,39-37006835@7-58,0.html "Jeux paralympiques: France TV va attaquer Juvin (UMP) pour diffamation"] , Agence France-Presse, September 18, 2008]

ee also

* 2008 Summer Olympics

References

External links

* [http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/index.shtml Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Official Site]
* [http://www.paralympic.org International Paralympic Committee]
* [http://www.paralympicsport.tv Paralympic Online Streaming Coverage]