Beijing Olympics 2008
The world is watching as the stage is being set for the summer 2008 Olympics. Beijing, one of China’s oldest and most celebrated cities, is hosting the 2008 Games. This millennia-old tradition, featuring over 300 events, undoubtedly raises a lot of questions. Here you can find anything you need to know in order to follow the 2008 Beijing Olympics online.
See today's winners and get athlete profiles.
See today's winners and get athlete profiles.
Expand All Guide SectionsBeijing Olympics 2008 Coverage
In this section are sites offering the most comprehensive coverage of the Beijing Games, including official organizations, credible publications and sports networks. By the opening ceremony, you’ll be well-versed in current and archived Olympic news.
Dulcinea's Insight
- For a history of the Olympic games and for lists and rules of Olympic Sports, see our Web Guide to the Olympics.
findingDulcinea's Olympics coverage
- In the United States, NBC and USA are the only licensed television networks to be covering the Beijing Games. NBC will be streaming many segments of Beijing events live on NBCOlympics.com and will keep these high-quality videos on the site throughout the Games.
- For breaking Olympic news, television networks on the Web such as NBC and ESPN often utilize material from outside sources like the Associated Press. More detailed stories and interviews are usually conducted by the network staff.
Dulcinea's Picks
findingDulcinea's Profiles of U.S. Olympians
For official Olympics sites …
Beijing 2008
is the official site of the Beijing Olympics, providing news, event calendars, and information about related events like the torch relay, policy changes and event venues. You’ll also find official press releases and information about happenings in the Olympic cities, Beijing and Hong Kong.
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC)
has bolstered its official site in honor of the Beijing Games, providing plenty of news and information, including athlete bios and landing pages for every summer sport. You’ll also find a message board and blog section, as well as a “Resources” section with Olympics facts and other historical information.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC)
is the “official site of the Olympic Movement,” with information on past Olympics, a database of over 300 athletes and news pertaining to the Games. The Olympic Review, an IOC publication, is also available for download. You can access the IOC and international sports calendars as well.
For sports network coverage …
NBC Olympics
is the official online hub of NBC’s Olympic coverage, with news, bios and multimedia on every summer sport and live streaming of many events, which are then archived on the site. Look for headline news and individual sport updates in addition to expert commentary and analysis, photos and videos.
ESPN
maintains an Olympic Sports section with in-depth features and analysis from top sports journalists, as well as video clips and photos. You can also click on individual sports at the top of the page to peruse updated news wire reports from Reuters and the Associated Press. Coverage on this site is most extensive in the most popular sports, like swimming and track & field.
For newspapers …
The New York Times
has a section devoted to Beijing, with multimedia features like slideshows with audio commentary, athlete profiles, breaking and in-depth news, and the Rings blog, which fills in coverage with commentary and detailed information about issues, controversies and sporting events.
USA Today
presents an Olympics section as part of its general sports coverage. Clean and sparse-looking at first glance, this site actually offers a great deal of news and analysis through articles and multimedia, as well as blogs from Team USA athletes.
For general resources …
Yahoo! Sports
has a whole section on the Beijing Olympics, including general reference materials like a schedule of events and landing pages for video, news, photos and a review of the 2004 Athens Games coverage.
PBS Online NewsHour
brings reports and news coverage about China's preparations for hosting the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. It covers topics such as the odd-even car ban to reduce traffic congestion and pollution during the games, efforts to increase press freedoms for foreign journalists, human rights issues and Tibet. The site also includes a comparison of demographic factors for Olympic host cities back to 1980, a slideshow about Olympic stadiums around the world and more.
Beijing Olympics Blogs & Forums
The Beijing Olympics is a worldwide event, and the Web can help you participate in a spirited global discussion of the Games by way of blogs and forums. Visit the sites below to question other fans, tell them what you think and absorb what they have to say about the Olympics.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Read several of a blogger’s posts and his or her bio to get a better sense of their personality and credibility. You’ll likely engage in more worthwhile discussions this way.
- The Beijing Games are an opportunity to learn more about the host country, so a few of the blogs we’ve selected focus on Beijing or China rather than the Olympics specifically. They provide useful cultural information and insights.
- The IOC has decided to allow athletes to blog from the Olympic Games in Beijing, as long as restrictions are followed. The issue was largely debated because the organization fears a reality-show atmosphere resulting from blogs. These athlete blogs will provide coverage from a unique angle. The BBC discussed the issue in February 2008.
- To find more Olympics-focused blogs, try a blog search engine like Technorati or BlogPulse. You can search using specific words and phrases, such as “Olympic Games + Judo,” and you can search for full blogs or blog posts.
- For more information on finding blogs, and even creating your own, see our findingDulcinea Blogs Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For Olympics blogs …
NBC Sports
provides a number of Beijing-related blogs written by the network’s staff, as well as Olympic athletes and fans.
08:08:08
is a blog with summaries of news stories related to the upcoming Olympics, with original source links, and blog entries covering topics of interest to travelers to Beijing or Olympics fans interested in the host city and country.
The China Blog
, published by Time magazine, features in-depth commentary about current events in China, including the Olympics. It is maintained by five experienced Time reporters based in China.
Beijing Visitors Blog
features useful advice and anecdotes for would-be travelers to the Olympic city and capital of China. You’ll find pleasant photography and postings on various topics, including hotel and hostel recommendations, up-and-coming restaurants and intriguing descriptions of parks and neighborhoods in the city.
For Olympics message boards …
ESPN
provides message boards for fans, including a section pertaining to all things Olympics. You can read past posts, including angry reactions to various bids and advice from coaches to young athletes. Post your own comments and questions after registering as a member of the site.
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