2008 Summer Olympics venues

The 2008 Summer Olympics were held in Beijing, China from August 8 to August 24, 2008.Although the official opening of the games was on August 8, 2008, football games were held beginning on August 6.] Over 10,000 athletes from 204 countries are participating in 302 events in 28 sports, held in 37 competition venues. [cite web | title = BEIJING 2008: 6th Coordination Commission Visit To Begin Tomorrow | publisher = International Olympic Committee | date = 2006-05-15 | url = http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/beijing/full_story_uk.asp?id=1805 | accessdate = 2008-08-12] Events took place at eleven pre-existing venues, twelve new venues constructed for the Olympics, and eight temporary venues that were removed following the games. In addition, six venues outside of Beijing hosted events, two of which were newly built for the Olympics.

Beijing won its bid to host the 2008 Olympics on July 13, 2001. [cite web | title = BEIJING 2008: Election | publisher = International Olympic Committee | url = http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/beijing/election_uk.asp | accessdate = 2008-08-12] The first new venues to begin construction were the Beijing National Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Center, Beijing Shooting Range Hall, and the Laoshan Velodrome, where major work commenced in December 2003. [cite web | title = Beijing 2008: Beginning of Venue Construction Project | publisher = International Olympic Committee | date = 2003-12-15 | url = http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=262 | accessdate = 2008-08-10] By May 2007, construction had begun at all of the Beijing venues for the games. [cite web | title = All Beijing-based venues under construction | publisher = Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad | date = 2007-05-11 | url = http://en.beijing2008.cn/01/32/article214073201.shtml | accessdate = 2008-08-10] A total of US$1.9 billion (RMB¥13 billion) was spent to build and renovate the venues. [cite web | title = Beijing Olympics funding exceeds $43 bn | publisher = NDTV.com | date = 2008-08-04 | url = http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/showsports.aspx?id=SPOEN20080060086&ch=8/4/2008%209:09:00%20PM | accessdate = 2008-08-10]

The largest venue at the games in terms of seating capacity was the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest", which can hold 91,000 spectators and was the site for the opening and closing ceremonies. The smallest venue in terms of seating capacity was the temporary Laoshan Mountain Bike Course, which had seating for only 2,000 spectators. Several of the venues were located at the Olympic Green Olympic Park.

New competition venues

Competition venues outside Beijing

Notes

References

External links

* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=794847&t=k&om=1 Olympic Venue Distribution overlay on Google Maps] - Unofficial overlay on satellite imagery. ( [http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=33.211116~117.949219&style=h&lvl=4&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1&mapurl=http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=794847&t=k&om=1 Overlay on MSN Maps] )