Beijing 2008

Next week will see the IOC’s Coordination Commission return to Beijing for the seventh time since the Chinese capital was awarded the Games back in 2001 at the 112th IOC Session in Moscow. The Commission, which is chaired by IOC member Hein Verbruggen, will also be joined for part of this visit by the President of the IOC, Jacques Rogge. The Commission will be looking at a full range of Games-related areas to ensure that the Organising Committee for Beijing 2008 (BOCOG) is continuing to progress in the right direction with its Games preparations.

Following a workshop in June with Steve Bull, a series of Sports Psychology seminars for 2006-08 Olympic preparation period were agreed.

The Olympic Council of Ireland, in consultation with the relevant National Federations, today (Oct 10th) announced the selection of a further list of Team Managers Designate for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The Olympic Council of Ireland, in consultation with the National Federations are pleased to announce the following seven as Team Managers Designate for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games:

A further meeting of Team Managers Designate for the Beijing Olympic Games will take place at the Olympic Council of Ireland headquarters on 11th September 2006. The meeting will be lead by Chef de Mission, Dermot Henihan, assisted by his deputy, Tom Rafter.

With exactly two years to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad – Beijing 2008, the Organising Committee for Beijing 2008 (BOCOG) and the people of Beijing have been involved in numerous events to mark this momentous occasion – ranging from sport for all activities, to children’s plays, and press conferences with the international media. Perhaps one of the most striking events was the participation of about one million Beijing residents in morning exercises marking the two-years-to-go anniversary.

The Good Luck Beijing – 2006 Qingdao International Regatta will be held at the Olympic Sailing Marina from August 18 to 31, the organizers announced at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.

The first “Induction Day” for Beijing Team Managers Designate was held in Olympic House and in attendance were the following newly accepted Team Managers Designate:

“Not just 16 days of competition” that was how Yang Shu’an, Executive Vice-President of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad – Beijing 2008 (BOCOG) described the legacy surrounding the Beijing Games, in the context of a panel discussion entitled: “Staging a successful major event”, at this year’s Sport Accord. The subjects of legacy, planning and partnership were the main elements that the panel, which included representatives from Beijing 2008, London 2012 and an IOC member, brought to the forefront. These three important elements of the IOC’s work all come together to show that indeed, the Olympic Games are “not just 16 days of competition”.