Beijing Olympics

The Olympics are in Beijing in 2008, how are the teams chosen for the fencing competition?

The mandated levels of athlete participation has led to changes in the selection process for the Games. Each nation is no longer guaranteed an athlete in each sport – now nations and athletes have to compete against not only their countrymen, but against others in their region or continent for an Olympic slot.

In the 2004 Olympic Games all of the men’s events (epee, foil, and saber) were included, but two of the three women’s events did not hold the team competition.

The international fencing federation (FIE) rotates the events which will sit out the team portion of the Olympics, and for the 2008 Olympic Fencing competition, Men’s Foil and Women’s Epee will only hold an individual tournament.

Who gets to go?

Athletes are competing for slots based on their nation’s standing in the world (for team events) and based on individual world rankings (for the individual events.) Here’s a breakdown of what it will take for an aspiring swordsman (or swordswoman) to get a ticket to Beijing:

Weapons with Team Events (Men’s Epee, Men’s Sabre, Women’s Foil, Women’s Sabre):

Team Events are comprised of teams of 3 fencers with 1 alternate. A total of 8 teams can compete in each team event (9 if China fails to qualify a team directly).

The top 4 teams in the world standings will qualify directly to the Olympics. The remaining 4 teams are chosen based on regional qualification. The top team from each region (Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa) that is not already qualified will earn a regional berth.

The individual event is a tournament with a field of 39 fencers. For the individual competition, the 24 fencers that competed in the team event qualify. After the first 24 fencers are chosen, the top 3 in the World standings qualify, with only one fencer from any one country. The next 7 are pulled from the Olympic zones as the top 2 from Europe, 2 from Asia, 2 from the Americas, and 1 from Africa, again with only 1 fencer from a country. The remaining 5 slots are determined by a continental qualifying competition with 2 from Europe and 1 from each of the remaining regions.

What about Men’s Foil and Women’s Epee?

A different set of criteria is used to pick the 24 fencers who will compete in the Men’s Foil and Women’s Epee events. Because there is no team event, each individual will have to qualify on their own merit and not on the ranking of their national team. The following formula is used to pick the 24 individual entries:

The top 8 in the World rankings get their tickets punched (but only 2 can go from the same country from this set.) After the first 8 are chosen, the next 8 in are picked by region based on adjusted world rankings. (There are 3 slots for Europe, 2 for Asia, 2 for the Americas, and 1 for Africa.) The last 8 qualify based on continental competitions where countries that haven’t qualified any fencers on the first 2 rounds. In the last round, the allocation of slots remains at 3 Europe, 2 Asia and Americas, and 1 for Africa.

Outlook for the United States

Will the US earn a medal in 2008?

The United States earned Bronze and Gold medals in Women’s sabre in 2004. Sada Jacobson and Mariel Zagunis are still at the top of the world rankings and are joined by young fencing phenom Becca Ward, who last year won the individual world championship title at the Cadet, Junior, and Senior levels of competition. The US is favored to medal in Women’s Sabre.

In the other weapons, the best hopes are with Men’s Sabre as the individual team members are posting good results for the season.

The American athlete Angelo Taylor has recently won his second gold medal in the track and field discipline known as the 400 meter hurdles despite the low probabilities he had a few months ago to be a strong contender to win the race. Taylor defeated world champion Clements by only .73 timing 47.25 while Clements arrived in second place with 47.98 and Bershawn Jackson in third place with 48.06.

For Taylor and his professional career this is an incredible triumph as he obtained his maiden gold medal during the Olympic Games in Sidney eight years ago but he was also disqualified in the 4×400 m relay category during the same event. 

The US track and field Olympic team has not quite fulfilled the expectations except for Taylor’s win. They do not seemed ready for the challenge and even Tyson Gay who was one of the leading names to win the 100 meter did not manage to qualify for the final.

“It was a great run. “I feel like I’m on top of the world right now. To lead the sweep means so much…The USA hasn’t had a great showing so far so we wanted to prove something.” stated Taylor after his great performance.

Taylor also referred to the situation he faced in Sidney when his team was disqualified due to three of the runners testing positive for the use of prohibited substances to enhance the athletes’ performance. It was a very uncomfortable situation for Taylor as he was also questioned but the very fact the name of their country was polluted was what hit him most deeply. At that moment Taylor and Michael Johnson were the only ones to be completely cleared of any mistrust.

Back in 1999 was when Taylor began his running career while participating in the World Championships, he ended third in his heat at the 400 meter hurdles and won the gold medal with the 4×400 relay team.  During  the World Champion in 2001, Taylor was disqualified in the semifinals due to a flu but days later, he won the gold medal with the 4×400 relay team. During 2003 Taylor did not qualified to the World Championships but he tried to do his best in the Athens Olympics in 2004, however he only reached the semifinals.

Three years later during the 2007 World Championship Taylor won the gold medal with the 4×400 relay team and won the bronze medal in the 400 meter flat. More recently in Beijing Taylor has crowned himself as the best hurdles runner in the world due to the fact that Edwin Moses was not able to compete and measure up with Taylor’s timing.

For the United States as a country having athletes as Phelps in swimming as Taylor in the track and field category is an supreme honor. These athletes are still very young and it is likely we will continue to hear their names as they stand on the podium to receive those gold medals, most American fans hope for them to win.

Beijing, Qingdao and Hong kong will be the three cities for the 2008 Olympics. The most Olympic events will be held in Beijing, the sailing Competition will be held in Qingdao and the Equestrian Competition will be in Hong kong. When you come to Olympic Games and visit these cities, you can find so many interesting things beside Olympics.

Beijing is a city of amazing contrasts – an ancient capital with some incredible historical sites, and a bustling modern metropolis getting ready to host the 2008 Olympics. In Beijing, those places you should not miss:

The Tiananmen Square- is the largest public square in the world.

Forbidden City-is the largest and the best preserved Imperial Palace in the world.

Temple of Heaven-was built specifically for worship of heaven and prayers for good harvests during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Badaling Great Wall-is China most spectacular sight extending more than 3,700 miles across China and most often visited for China tour. It is one of the best preserved sections and the highest point of the Great Wall;

Summer Palace-is the most splendid imperial garden in China built in 1750.

Hutong Trishaw Tour-you can take the rickshaw to drive through the old walking alleys to see the old living residence. You can also visit the local family to talk with them. This is a very good opportunity for you to have a real understanding of the local people life.

In Beijing, clusters of neighboring “Siheyuan”(Quadrangles), low and gray, make into many small alleys, most of which orderly laid out like a chessboard, running either from south to north or east to west. This sort of alleys is called “Hutong” in Peking dialect. All these alleys are the same. When you are in it, you will find and experience that every alley has something special to talk about, as it is full of life and stories.

While in Hong kong, you can relax and enjoy the peaceful environment of the spectacular islands and country parks. Walking the street here, you may know more about the culture of east and west combined. That is the reason why Hong kong is a city with nickname of Gourmets’ Paradise, City with a Passion, the City that Never Sleeps and Land of Limitless delights.

In Hong kong, these places you should not missed:

Victoria Peak- It is one of Hong Kong leading tour destinations, which has breathtaking views of city famous skyline, Victoria Harbour and as well as the romantic South China Sea.

Aberdeen- A harbor area crowded with junks and sampans, where 6,000 people live and work on junks. To get a close-up look at the Aberdeen way of life, you can take a sampan ride.

Repulse Bay- It is the most famous beach of having the highest representative characteristics in Hong Kong by its long and wide beach, clean water, calm tide and gentle wave.

 
When the lights go down, you head for Lan Kwai Fong, you will get a taste of Hong Kong unique nightlife.

Lan Kwai Fong is an L-shaped, cobble-stoned lane with numerous bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants. Visiting on a Friday or Saturday night, you may be overwhelmed by the enormous crowds that fill the streets, with all bars having only standing room. Most language you can hear here is English rather than Cantonese speaking.

The third city to talk about is Qingdao. As a sailing Olympic city, Qingdao is a beautiful seaside city in the southeast of Shandong Province. When you are here, never miss to go those places:

Mt. Laoshan- is different from many famous mountains in China. Lao Mountain rises from the sea level, and has a coast line of 87 kilometers, structuring a wonder on the sea. Take a walk around, with the sea on one side, and lofty stones and precipitous peaks on the other side, both majestic and elegant, you will enjoy those views without feeling to leave.

Taiqing Palace – As the birth place of Laozi, it has more than 140 rooms including Three Gods’ Hall, Three Purities’ Hall and Three Emperors’ Hall. There are five Taiji Palaces as the main buildings, a stone pillar with three cypresses around and many well preserved ancient articles.

The No. 1 Bathing Beach- is located at the Huiquan Beach, it is once the largest bathing beach in Asia. The surrounding mountains and green trees, modern building subtly combined traditional villas form a wonderful scene. The clear water and soft sands contribute to the superior natural conditions of the beach.

What’s more, every summer Qingdao hosts the Beer Festival. If you have an opportunity to attend it, you’ll see the best of Chinese beer drinking culture at the event. The many performances are sometimes hilarious, such as the beer drinking competition. Who is the fastest one to chug a bottle of Qingdao beer? You will be surprised that it’s the ladies who excel at this admirable skill at often times. There are large variety of beer to sample, from all over Asia and Europe, as well as our well known North American brands.

Women have been BANNED from wearing mini-skirts at the Beijing Olympics.

Men also risk being thrown out of stadiums if they strip off their shirts under the strict dress code. And any fan daring to wave a large banner will get the same treatment.

The 40,000 Britons travelling to the Olympics starting in under two weeks’ time should also leave their radios at home as outdoor live music is banned.

Even eating outdoors in bars and restaurants near any Olympic venues is a big No, No.

The list of dos and don’ts is listed in a nine-page code of regulations called the House Spectator Rules drawn up by the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee.

It is threatening to turn the Olympics into the “Killjoy Games”.

Police have been given a bizarre fleet of two-wheeled Segways which travel at 12.5mph to enforce the code, And the roller cops have been told to keep their eyes peeled for women wearing skimpy clothes and men showing too much flesh, even though temperatures are expected to soar above 30C.

Any fans who have too much to drink and decide to sleep it off in a Beijing park can expect to wake up in a police cell.

Banners stretching over two metres long will also be confiscated. Even locals will be banned from wearing Go China T-shirts or waving banners reading I Love China in case they give the impression of a pro-China bias.

Huang Keying, of the Beijing Organising Committee, said: “We have specially trained staff who will communicate with spectators. But refusal to comply with these rules will be subject to punishments or criminal prosecution.”

Every Olympics emblem conveys a unique message relevant to the host country’s culture and aspirations, and China’s Olympics seal is certainly no exception. Let’s face it, throughout China’s long and rich history, the Chinese have held an enduring affinity towards symbolic connotations; it’s reflected in their spoken language, specifically Mandarin, within their written characters, their calligraphy, and even their food. Not surprisingly, their Olympics seal, “Dancing Beijing” is filled with symbolic significance, drawing upon shapes and colors that are now standard archetypes in every Chinese psyche.

The form of the running figure is a stylized modification of the Chinese character “Jing” (the latter part of the host city’s name), and represents the beauty and significance of life. The curves of the body draw upon the image of the dragon, the ancient benefactor of China. The figure’s open arms are an invitation and welcome to the rest of the world, signifying friendship and trust, the underlying role of every host country during this important event.

The artist who created the seal, Zhang Wu, has told world press, “In my designs, humanity is a must. Many foreign friends of mine were shocked when they saw the ‘Dancing Beijing,’ because they said they had never expected that China would place a single human being in such a high place. I hope the world learns more about China and its people through the emblems and symbols.”

The figure is encased within an asymmetric, oval-like shape in the image of an ancient seal, the official stamp, or mark of ownership and identity throughout China. It’s a stamp of authority and authenticity. And of course, the Olympics stamp is in red, the color prominently used from ancient days to present to represent the nation.

The color red is seeped within Chinese history and culture, it’s considered life-giving and auspicious. It can be found covering the 999 rooms of the historic Imperial Palace and upon the national flag. It represents beauty and life, and was chosen during the Chinese Revolution to represent the proletariat cause of an oppressed people. During modern Spring Festival celebrations, the color red still dominates the scrolls and couplets pasted over doorways for good luck; even small red beans are given as tokens of love, and brides have traditionally worn red silk veils (gaitou) to cover their faces. Red is the essential color rooted within Chinese aesthetics.

“Dancing Beijing” is now engraved as the symbol of China’s hopes and aspirations to a country that has over 56 ethnic groups and a population of over 1.3 billion. It is an image that reflects eastern thought and the pride of one the greatest nations on Earth. The emblem proclaims a new beginning that’s securely tied to the Middle Kingdom’s splendid past.