We’re all used to seeing urban foxes and our fair share of feathered friends on the streets of London. They seem to have adapted to city life without much effort but as building for London 2012 continues to spread like wildfire over East London the question has to be asked… Where do the former inhabitants go when the athletes move in?

As with any new development, environmentalists have involved themselves (quite rightly) and thankfully the Olympic Organising committee agree that protecting the flora and fauna of the local area is a matter of importance.

Praise where praise is due.

Saying that you are going to do something and actually doing it are different things however. The official Olympic website is this week promoting the fact that they have installed “three of the 150 bat boxes and eight of the planned 525 bird boxes,” within the Olympic Park’s pumping station.

Bats are under threat from the new development

England’s green fields are one of the things that makes us special and the idea of the Olympic Park being a sort of urban jungle will set the 2012 games apart from the likes of Beijing where the focus was on manmade materials like glass and metal. Bird boxes are the new Bird’s Nest Stadium don’t-you-know.

If the biodiversity action plan is actually put into action then the Olympic Park will be a beacon of garden goodness. The alternative is not even something to be considered.

Along with two colleagues, Elizabeth Booth and Charles Bladen, I have edited a collection of papers from our Olympic Legacy conference held last year at the University of Greenwich. The collection contains seven substantial, refereed papers on Olympic legacy issues, including information about London 2012, Beijing 2008, Torino 2006, the Cultural Olympiad, volunteering and an overview of the meanings of ‘olympic legacy’.  You can download the publication for free by clicking on the image below.  If you would like a hard copy for your library or reference use, please leave a comment on this post and I will get in touch.

Mark Stuart, Dezhi Wang, Rong Han, Dora Chan

Published in the Pharmaceutical Journal UK, 2008

The Polyclinic in the Beijing Olympic Village was the impressive focal point of the Olympic medical services. Along with a fully stocked pharmacy, there was a comprehensive collection of specialist departments including: radiology with 2 MRI machines, X-ray, emergency medicine, surgery and internal medicine, sports medicine and ENT. In addition, there was a physiotherapy department with over 100 treatment beds and an optometry department, which dispensed hundreds of pairs of glasses during the Games. For the first time in an Olympic polyclinic, a Chinese acupuncture clinic was available to the athletes.

The Olympic pharmacy had a prominent position near the entrance of this impressive state-of -the-art medical complex, with a design that facilitated an efficient patient journey. A team of nurses in the reception area coordinated the patient registration, notification of test results, and the generation of the prescriptions for the pharmacy.

The Olympic pharmacy

The athlete would be greeted by a pharmacist in the reception area, who would transpose the details from a handwritten prescription of a team doctor into the Polyclinic medical system. This would then generate a prescription containing a barcode. If the prescription came from a doctor within the Polyclinic, the prescription would be electronically generated.

In the dispensary, the pharmacist would scan the barcode and a dispensing label would be generated, which contained the status of the medicine according to the World Anti-Doping agency(WADA) 2008 Prohibited List. 112 prescriptions were dispensed on the Opening Ceremony day, but this number increased considerably as the Games went on.

The Beijing Olympic pharmacy was open from 8 am to 11pm. Over the Olympic period, a total of 9 pharmacists from 6 public hospitals around Beijing volunteered their services. In any one day, 5 pharmacists would cover two shifts. In addition to this team, there were 10 pharmacy students from Beijing Capital Medical University who volunteered their assistance. For the Paralympic Games, 9 pharmacists and 5 pharmacy students staffed the pharmacy.

For the equestrian events in Hong Kong, three fully-stocked pharmacies were needed and were run by 41 pharmacists. These were in the Olympic Equestrian Village, Media Village and Olympic Family Village. The Hong Kong pharmacists were all recruited from local public hospitals.

Olympic formulary

At every Olympic Games, a specific drug formulary is compiled. This covers the full spectrum of medicines needed to cover most medical scenarios. In Beijing and Hong Kong, the formulary contained 150 drugs, which could be prescribed by the doctors of the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG) and the team doctors from each of the 204 countries. If team doctors required any drug that was not contained on the formulary, the pharmacy team would help to locate the drug from one of the official designated Olympic hospitals, and assist the team doctor to obtain it at their own expense.

For the first time at any Olympic Games, a supplementary set of an additional 96 medicines were available. This list was developed by the local doctors in order to offer more comprehensive treatment options if required. These non-formulary medicines were only available to visiting team doctors if there was an important clinical need.

Chinese medicines

This is the first Olympic Games where traditional medicines have been available. The Beijing and Hong Kong pharmacies stocked 4 traditional Chinese medicines: ‘Ren Dan’ and ‘Huoxiang Zhengqi’ for heatstroke, ‘Tiger Balm’ ointment for relief from insect bites, and ‘Golden Throat Lozenges’, a popular Chinese remedy for sore throats.

Although these traditional medicines were available from the Olympic Pharmacy, they were not dispensed routinely to athletes. This was primarily because they were not on the official Olympic formulary, and also because WADA recommends caution to athletes about the use of herbal preparations, whose composition cannot always be guaranteed.

Dispensing software

The pharmacists in Beijing worked with software developers to create a bespoke dispensing system for the Polyclinic. To do this, all medicines on the formulary were broken down into dose, formulation, route and quantity – this was then used to populate the database. This pharmacy software integrated with the official IOC medical record system, which is now supplied to all Olympic Games by the IOC and which contains links to the athlete accreditation database.

In Hong Kong, the existing hospital clinical management and dispensing system was adapted for use at the Equestrian Olympic Village. The clinical management system was linked up with each of the designated Olympic hospitals, which provided a one-stop platform for patient registration and laboratory and diagnostic ordering and reporting. Drugs on the Olympic formulary were flagged on the dispensing system with warnings reflecting the prohibitive drug status.

Medicines information

Martindale was used by the pharmacists in Beijing and Hong Kong as the primary reference source for global drug information. This was mainly used to access information on international drug names, and for information about foreign medicines that athletes presented with. Access to MedicinesComplete was donated by Pharmaceutical Press for use in Hong Kong. In addition, Micromedex China was used in Beijing to access patient leaflets.

Designated Olympic hospitals

There were 21 hospitals in Beijing and 2 hospitals in Hong Kong that were designated official Olympic hospitals. Each Olympic hospital appointed an Olympic affairs officer who coordinated the care of visiting patients.

If any athlete, official or Olympic Family member was admitted, their care was coordinated through a ‘green passage’ process, which meant a speedy and priority service was provided. The designated Olympic hospitals were also able to provide the Olympic pharmacies with any medicines not stocked in the Village.

Training for Olympic medical staff

The Beijing organisers provided an extensive medical education programme. This was provided not only to the medical professionals working in the Olympic Village, but also to every healthcare professional in the Beijing area. This was an impressive undertaking on a city-wide scale.

All doctors, pharmacists and nurses in each of the Beijing Olympic hospitals received specific training on the WADA list of prohibited drugs in sport, on the protocol of care for Olympic visitors, and training in English medical terminology. Some hospitals also created tools for staff to use, including lists of all prohibited drugs and the IOC notification requirements should they be prescribed to an athlete. Training leaflets were distributed to every doctor, nurse and pharmacist on prohibited drugs in sport.

The medical team also prepared cue cards to help staff communicate with non-Chinese or English speaking patients. These contained words for common medical conditions and medication counselling terminology translated into languages including Arabic, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and German.

In Hong Kong, all of the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and ambulance staff attended a number of training days in February, and were required to attend a series of operational briefings for each event. In addition, members of the UK Equestrian Association visited Hong Kong to help prepare the medical teams for the challenges of trauma management for spinal and head injuries, which are an ever-present risk at equestrian events.

This comprehensive preparation meant that all Olympic visitors to Beijing and Hong Kong received an exceptional standard of care, and athletes could be confident that the local doctors and pharmacists were well versed with the treatment of sports injuries and the restrictions of drugs in sport.

Quality testing of all drugs

The Chinese government went to admirable lengths to ensure the quality of medicines used for the Beijing Olympics. After the Organising Committee selected the wholesaler (Beijing Medicine Stock Company) by an open tender, the expected quantity of medicines to be used for the Olympic and Paralympic period was estimated. The wholesaler then sent three times this amount for quality control testing to ensure that the composition complied with strict pharmacopoeia standards. This testing was in addition to the standard Chinese quality assurance testing that the drugs had already passed.

The full quantity of medicines expected to be used was stored in a warehouse on the top floor of the Beijing Polyclinic, and the excess medicines that had passed the quality tests were stored outside the Village. During the Games, the consumption of some medicines exceeded the expected amount—this was able to be quickly replenished from the off-site stock. In Hong Kong, medicines for both the competition venues and the villages were supplied by the designated hospitals in close proximity.

This setup was quite different to the supply chain at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, where daily deliveries from pharmaceutical wholesalers posed logistical challenges because of the tight security, delivery and accreditation requirements to get goods inside the village.

Ancient Chinese traditions for Olympic prescribing

China has a long history of using carved stamps, or seals, as a form of a signature – traditionally known as a ‘chop’. The hundreds of visiting team doctors who were granted temporary prescribing rights by BOCOG for the duration of the Games were all issued with a personalised Chinese stamp. When writing a prescription, the pharmacy would require the doctor’s seal, as well as a written signature, to endorse the prescription. The pharmacy kept a record of each of the unique stamps issued to visiting doctors, which could be used as an added security measure to validate the prescription.

Only local BOCOG doctors had the authority to prescribe controlled drugs (only morphine and pethidine) in the Polyclinic. Specifically, only emergency doctors, sports medicine doctors, and internal medicine specialists could use them – the unique Chinese stamp ensured that the prescribing of these substances could be tracked securely.

A unique Olympic prescription form is always used at Olympic Games. These differ from regular prescriptions by the type of information that the IOC specifies must be recorded. Doctors must document the athlete’s accreditation number and country. If a restricted drug is prescribed, approval by the IOC must be obtained and shown to the pharmacy – the signatures from the athlete, doctor, and pharmacist are obtained before dispensing to indicate the informed consent of the athlete.

Satellite pharmacies at the Bird’s Nest Stadium

Each Olympic venue had a number of medical stations, including integrated facilities for the athletes and spectators inside each stadium, and medical stations outside the venues. Each public medical station contained a satellite pharmacy stocked with close to 100 drugs, mostly for emergency situations. These drugs were managed by the doctor on duty. Single doses were administered to spectators, who would be referred to a designated hospital if further treatment was required.

Emergency medicine for equestrian events

The equestrian events, particularly cross country, are undoubtedly the most dangerous of Olympic sports. In Hong Kong, 24 medical teams were positioned at any one time along the 5.7 km competition track to attend any medical emergencies during the event. Each medical team was equipped with a drug suitcase containing over 30 emergency drugs and a variety of medical equipment and consumables.

The pharmacy services of the 2008 Olympic Games were, undoubtedly, one of the best organised and executed services in Olympic history. The services have incorporated a number of new approaches to Olympic pharmacy in terms of quality assurance, medicines distribution and dispensing technology, which will provide a model of excellence for future Games.

_____________________________________________________________

Dora Chan is a pharmacist at the Chief Pharmacist’s Office coordinating the Hong Kong Olympic Pharmacy and Paralympic Pharmacy Services.

Dezhi Wang is a pharmacist at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, and was a pharmacist for the Beijing Olympic Village Pharmacy.

Rong Han is a pharmacist at the Beijing Tiantan Hospital, and was a pharmacist for the Beijing Olympic Village Pharmacy.

Mark Stuart is deputy editor of BMJ Best Practice. He developed the medical training programme for the Hong Kong Olympic equestrian medical team.

A lo largo de la historia reciente de los Juegos Olímpicos se ha comprobado a partir de los numerosos estudios realizados que este tipo de evento consigue transformar el lugar dónde se desarrolla. Tampoco tiene discusión su impacto en términos turísticos, tanto durante los juegos como en los años posteriores. Por esta razón, es evidente la necesidad de una planificación que ayude a marcar objetivos, estructurar actuaciones y a prevenir situaciones.

En este sentido, tenia en el baúl de “lecturas pendientes” la lectura pausada del “Winning: a tourism strategy for 2012 and beyond“, que publicó (Setiembre 2007) el Departamento de Cultura, Media y Deportes del Gobierno Británico en relación con Londres 2012 y que por fin pude leer este fin de semana. Se trata de un documento relativamente extenso (98 páginas) pero muy interesante para conocer un poco más acerca de cómo se puede aprovechar un gran evento como son unas olimpiadas para potenciar y desarrollar el sector turístico.

Este documento se complementa con el “London Tourism Action Plan 2009-2013” de la Agencia de Desarrollo de Londres, plan al que se destinan 20.5 millones de libras para el ejercicio 2009-2010. El primero observa el evento desde la óptica de país y el segundo desde una óptica local, pero ambos se complementan bastante bien y encajan el evento dentro de una estrategia turística global de la ciudad/país.

Durante el período 2007-2013 se había previsto acciones cómo:

• 2007, ” Preparando el terreno”. Orientada básicamente a integrar el evento dentro de la estrategia turística, establecer líneas maestras, relaciones públicas para generar cohesión y a realizar acciones vinculadas al Beijing 2008 y Liverpool 2008.
• 2008: “Tomando la batuta”. Implantación de acciones vinculadas a Beijing y Liverpool, inicio de campaña a cuatro años (público-privada), desarrollo de programas de calidad,…
• 2009: “Creando el momento”. Marketing interno, creación de consciencia local y en operadores y mercados turísticos, comunicación, integración de la marca en las acciones turísticas,…
• 2010,  “Extendiendo Gran Bretaña”. Continuación campañas de marketing, focus en Canadá y India, preparación de la estrategia post-olimpiadas.
• 2011: “Invitando al mundo”. Realización de pruebas a nivel de comunicación, estrategia para evitar los “games avoiders”, identificación de oportunidades y estrategias post-evento.
• 2012. “Bienvenida”. Atención y recepción de los visitantes, soporte a las empresas, relaciones públicas, acciones con medios de comunicación,…
• 2013. “Consolidando la herencia”. Programa de relaciones públicas para maximizar los Juegos, desarrollo de acciones de marketing, acciones de control y evaluación,…

En fin, un par de documentos muy interesantes de leer. Ahora nos queda por ver cómo Rio de Janeiro estructura su apuesta turística para los Juegos, ya que se trata de una ciudad menos evolucionada a nivel turístico y por lo tanto tienen más recorrido que hacer. Por el momento, su alcalde ha empezado un viaje por diferentes sedes con la intención de conocer más a fondo cómo lo hicieron e intentar mejorarlo.

Por: Carlos Maxwell

Cuando Barack Obama fue elegido presidente de los Estados Unidos, de inmediato pensé que Chicago sería seleccionada para montar los Juegos Olímpicos del 2016. ¿Por qué? Bueno, por la gran campaña de mercadeo que tuvo, y porque se le veía como una celebridad de moda. Yo lo daba como un hecho: Chicago 2016.

Pero, en la realidad, no fue así. Miembros del Comité Olímpico Internacional  se sintieron irrespetados porque el presidente Obama viajó a Copenhague y solo estuvo por cuatro horas para cabildear por los juegos. Ellos sintieron eso como una medida demasiado “calculada” y que el presidente se apoyó mucho en su fama.

Por otro lado, los miembros del COI, vieron el esfuerzo que tuvo Brasil con su presidente Lula Da Silva a la cabeza. España andaba con los Reyes, el primer ministro José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero y hasta con el líder de la oposición Mariano Rajoy. Y ellos sí dedicaron tiempo para este asunto.

Ahora, si nos ponemos a pensar con la cabeza fría, Chicago era la candidatura menos atractiva. ¿Por qué perdió Chicago? Bueno, primero porque hubo problemas desde el principio con los asuntos de derechos de televisión y repartición de ingresos. Eso creó tensiones entre el Comité Olímpico Internacional y el Comité de los Estados Unidos. Esa tensión definitivamente afectó a la ciudad de los vientos.

Segundo. La crisis económica del país. Aunque el comité organizador de Chicago 2016 manifestó que los fondos iban a salir del sector privado, comoquiera hubo cierta inseguridad debido a la crisis.

Y tercero, las demás candidaturas tenían mejor plan.

Por ejemplo Tokio, a pesar de la impopularidad de los juegos entre sus ciudadanos, presentaba un plan económico atractivo que fue hasta elogiado por el Presidente del COI Jacques Rogge. Pero tenían la desventaja de que los juegos ya se habían celebrado en Asia con Pekín 2008 apenas dos olimpiadas anteriores. Al COI le gusta hacer rotación entre continentes.

Por su parte Madrid, contaba con el 75 por ciento de la infraestructura ya construida. El plan económico era atractivo, contaba con el apoyo de los residentes y los juegos de Barcelona fueron un éxito. Solo basta decir que se crearon más de 300 mil empleos tras esos juegos de 1992.  

Y Río de Janeiro, la ciudad que ganó la distinción, a parte del apoyo arrollador de la población y todos los miembros que viajaron a Dinamarca, presentaba el mayor presupuesto para montar el evento. El presidente Lula Da Silva montó su campaña de “si se puede” argumentando que Sudamérica nunca había celebrado unos Juegos Olímpicos.

Celebración en Rio de Janeiro. 2 de Octubre 2009.

Otro punto a favor que tuvo Brasil, fue la presencia de figuras estelares en Copenhague. Junto al presidente Lula, estuvo el gran Pelé y hasta el escritor Paulo Coelho.  Estados Unidos ya había mandando a la primera dama Michelle Obama junto a la presentadora de televisión y empresaria Oprah Winfrey. Pero creo que en ese sentido necesitaban más apoyo. Por ejemplo debieron pedirles a figuras como Bill Clinton, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen y Tiger Woods que acudieran a dar su apoyo en la capital danesa. Eso le hubiese dado un gran impulso a la candidatura. Y creo que con esas figuras presentes, hasta hubiesen ganado la sede.  Pero faltó ese “extra”, faltó esa unión que tenían Rio y Madrid.

Posdata. Es increíble ver las diferencias entre dos países en situaciones como éstas. En España lloran el hecho de que no pudieron montar los juegos. Y los Reyes, el primer ministro Rodríguez Zapatero y Rajoy son vistos como héroes que hicieron todo lo posible por obtener la sede. Aquí en Estados Unidos, critican a Obama porque no obtuvieron la sede a pesar de su viaje. Si no hubiese ido, también lo hubiesen criticado. Señores eso es algo normal. Uno entra y tres se queden fuera. Tan simple como eso. Ni el primer ministro japonés Yukio Hatoyama, ni Zapatero han recibido críticas por la derrota. Los que deseaban los juegos lloran con ellos. En mi estadía de estudios en Barcelona, recuerdo como la gente salió a la calle a protestar por los ataques del 11 de Marzo del 2004, y hasta castigaron en las urnas al Partido Popular por darle su apoyo a Estados Unidos en la guerra de Iraq. Allí el pueblo se unió. Eso, creo que le falta a Estados Unidos. Más unión y menos “necedad” y circo mediático.

Abrimos una nueva sección dedicada a curiosidades de nuestro deporte. En esta oportunidad presentamos algunas lesiones peculiares en momentos trascendentes del deporte mundial. Pasen y vean.

El mejor basquetbolista de la historia argentina, Emanuel Ginóbili, tuvo que salir de la semifinal en los Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing el año pasado debido a una lesión en el tobillo izquierdo. El equipo argentino perdió ese partido y Manu tampoco pudo jugar la definición por la medalla de bronce, contra Lituania.

Una final histórica. Dos argentinos disputaban la final del torneo más importante del mundo de polvo de ladrillo, Roland Garros. Guillermo Coria le iba ganando a Gastón Gaudio por 2 sets a 0, cuando en el tercero sintió una molestia, un calambre en su pierna izquierda. Finalmente,

Gaudio terminó derrontándolo en el quinto set en un partido inolvidable. En este punto es cuando se lesiona, dejo el link:

El futbolista italiano Franco Baresi se lesionó la rodilla en el primer partido del mundial de Estados Unidos 1994. El líbero, una de las piezas más importantes de su equipo, fue sometido a una operación e increíblemente pudo jugar la final contra Brasil, donde erró uno de los  penales de la definición y le permitió a Brasil quedarse con el título. Acá va el link con una recopilación de la final del mundial:

La judoca Daniela Krukower se luxó en codo en las semifinales de la categoría de hasta 63 kg en los Juegos Olímpicos de Atenas 2004.  Intentó detener un ataque apoyando el codo y de esta forma se dislocó. Aunque iba perdiendo el combate, no pudo participar en el repechaje por la medalla de bronce. Igualmente recibió un diploma olímpico que la colocó en el quinto puesto. Justo el momento de la lesión:

Alessandro Nesta sufrió una distensión en uno de los músculos de la zona del aductor de la pierna derecha en la primera fase del Mundial 2006, ante República Checa. Esta lesión lo dejaría afuera del equipo hasta finalizar la competencia. El defensor italiano ya había tenido la misma suerte en las citas anteriores de 1998 y 2002, en las que quedó marginado, por problemas físicos, de la selección azzurra desde los primeros partidos de la etapa de grupos.

Cómo hacer remezclas con imágenes de otro y que te pagen por ello. Eso lo consiguierón Graham Daniels y Tolly que forman Adicctive TV con el remix Antonio Banderas vs Adicctive tv (take the lead) en 2006, el estudio les pagó y luego premiaron el producto, un viral para internet. Remezclas de video y audio que hacen moverse al mundo. Desde entonces su carrera no para de subir.

Como Vj han actuado en clubes por todo el mundo y en los grades museos modernos. El último gran encargo, después de Sportive para Adidas en Beijing 2008, es el remix de Slumdog Millionaire encargado directamente por Pathé (distribuidora) para la película de su compatriota Danny Boyle.

Slumdog Millionaire vs Addictive TV

by nachoduerme

]]> http://chicago2016supporters.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/us-china-envoy-makes-pitch-for-chicago-olympics/ Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:02:05 +0000 chicago2016supporters http://chicago2016supporters.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/us-china-envoy-makes-pitch-for-chicago-olympics/

BEIJING (AP) — The new U.S. ambassador to China slipped in a pitch for Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Olympics while presenting his credentials to the Chinese president on Friday.

Jon Huntsman presented President Hu Jintao with a commemorative book on Chicago, “in support of the city’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games,” the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said in a statement.

China’s support could be crucial because Beijing hosted the Olympics last year and commands considerable influence within the International Olympic Committee, which meets on Oct. 2 in Copenhagen to select the 2016 host.

Chicago is a strong contender to bring the Summer Games back to the United States for the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

However, Rio de Janeiro also has appeal as it seeks to bring the Olympics to South America for the first time, and is considered the main threat to Chicago. Tokyo and Madrid are also bidding to host the games.

- Article Link

bom dia gente , ja tomaram seu café da manhã ?

vim aqui da uma super dica pra vcs lá vai

Hummm

com …

Roomate Emily and I visited Beihai Park (北海公园）on one of our 2008 weekends in Beijing.

It was an imperial garden first built in the 10th century (and we muse over 100 year old buildings in the US!)

My China studies came full circle  when our 2008 study program took us to one section of the Great Wall, just north of Beijing.

Big Bird in China is my earliest memory of China (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bird_in_China), including his walk on the Great Wall.

I was SO excited when we got to visit… it felt like a long time in coming, especially because for a couple of years I had been a bit too chicken to take the leap and visit China.

Footnotes:

* I almost didn’t make the trip due to – er – stomach adjustments. Lets just say I wrote the makers of Imodium fan mail for having enabled me to go. See their response under “Toilets of the World”.

* The actress that played Little Xiao Foo in Big Bird in China apparently fell out of touch with Big Bird and ended up in investment banking (http://www.amazon.com/review/R5EP6RF9UVT8T/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R5EP6RF9UVT8T)

* No, I didn’t toboggan down from the Wall. Ski lift for me.

The Summer Palace and Old Summer Palace in Beijing were two beautiful places we visited in summer of 2008, not far from Peking University where we studied.

Summer Palace

(颐和园- my favorite of the two)

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Summer Palace was first built in 1750 under Qing Dynasty. It was mostly in the 1860 Second Opium War between the Qing Dynasty and the British and French, then restored in 1886. (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/880).

Old Summer Palace

(圆明园 – aka Gardens of Perfect Brightness）

Also built in the 18th and early 19th centuries under the Qing Dynasty, originally known for beautiful gardens, architecture and and extensive art collections. Then also destroyed as above. Today these grounds are mostly gardens.

Usain Bolt, the fastest runner in the world, just smashed the World Record for the 100-Meter Dash on the recent World Championships in Berlin clocking in at an amazing 9.58 seconds!

Then it struck me, how would that compare with someone who can solve a Standard Rubik’s Cube clocking around those times? Hmm.. And I was just browsing YouTube and someone already beat me to it. I guess I should say that great minds think alike! Here’s the clip from username jesszus:

Amazingly, Usain Bolt still managed to beat our buddy jesszus, who solved the entire cube at 9.62 seconds. Just a few milliseconds shy of beating the fastest man alive. Not too shabby at all. Great job!

Subrata sent me this nice airmail cover from bangladesh, thank you! It was posted in Ghoramara on June 24, 2009.
The left stamp commemorates the Beijing Olympics 2008, the middle stamp welcomes the Bengali New Year (April 14th), and the right stamp commemorates the “30th Year of Victory in the War of Liberation” (1971).

Seven city council members in Beijing this week evaluating the legacy of the Olympics

By Ben Bradley

August 7, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — It has been one year since Beijing welcomed the world for the Olympic games.

Seven Chicago aldermen are in China, among those marking the anniversary and learning about what kind of Olympic legacy Chicago can expect.

It is already tomorrow in China, August 8th, a day the Chinese now celebrate as a marker for when the world took another look at their country. We take another look at what the games left in their wake.

As the flame was lit, China basked in the world’s spotlight.

The opening of the 2008 Olympic Games brought much pride, and new respect for the Communist nation. But one year later, some of the marquee venues of the Olympics remain largely unused.

The Bird’s Nest, a massive stadium built specifically for opening ceremonies and track and field events, is now a tourist attraction but hosts very few sporting events.

“When it was occurring it certainly was spectacular, but once it was over, I’m telling you, there was almost universal depression through out the country,” said Marc Ganis, sports industry consultant.

Marc Ganis is a sports industry consultant who was in Beijing for the Games and has met with government officials since then. He says China benefited from positive PR the world over, but since then has struggled to find uses for mega-venues.

The Olympic Village was to be turned into private housing, but now sits largely vacant. Along with the Bird’s Nest and other venues, they are monuments to the Olympics but may become burdens to taxpayers.

“We are against host cities leaving behind big and huge elephants, or what you call it, white elephants,” said Nawal El Moutawakel, IOC Evaluation Commission chair.

“The IOC speaks out of both sides of their mouth when it comes to this particular issue. They like to have a legacy and often legacies are physical facilities left behind,” said Ganis.

Chicago has the smallest construction budget of the cities competing in 2016. The biggest venues are temporary and will be disassembled after the Games.

“We found it more compelling to do something that was right for Chicago than something that was might fulfill the egos of architects,” said Doug Arnot, Chicago 2016.

Alderman Danny Solis is among seven city council members in Beijing this week evaluating the legacy of the Olympics.

“The Bird’s Nest, the Olympic Village…that was nothing but farmland before and now it’s a teeming community,” said Alderman Solis.

Maoming Chu is China’s Deputy Consul General in Chicago and says aside from the physical legacies, there are emotional ones as well.

“The dream has been realized by the Chinese people. So that makes Chinese people more self confident and more proud,” said Maoming Chu, China Deputy Consul General.

- Read Full Article

Live the Olympic dream, with the Beijing Olympics.

Compete in 38 events, across 10 authentic Olympic disciplines and bring home the gold.

Buy Now with Amazon – Xbox 360

Buy Now with Amazon – PS3

Vara trecuta, la Beijing, Constantina Dita cucerea aurul olimpic pentru Romania in proba feminina de maraton. Recent, in 12 iulie 2009, atleta romanca a onorat cu prezenta postura sa de cap de serie in principala intrecere gazduita de Londra pe distanta de 10 kilometri, si anume British 10K, concurs ce ne duce cu gandul atat la Virgin London Marathon, din 25 aprilie 2010, o competitie Fata Morgana pentru Dita, cat si la Jocurile Olimpice din 2012, gazduite de capitala britanica, unde aurul olimpic va fi tintit de invinsele romancei pe taram asiatic, recordmana mondiala Paula Radcliffe si tanara chinezoaica Zhu Xiaolin. 

E drept, multe se mai pot intampla pana atunci, de la accidentari pana la recuperari, intregi cicluri de pregatire, chiar viitorul apropiat oferindu-ne doua evenimente majore, cu Campionatul Mondial IAAF de atletism, in a treia saptamana din august, la Berlin, iar de interes in special pentru Romania, Maratonul Bucuresti, din 18 octombrie, aflat la a doua sa editie si la o saptamana dupa editia cu numarul zece a Maratonului Timisoarei, organizat de Atletic Club Maraton din localitate, www.maraton.ro

Ca si la finele lunii mai, in ultima zi de luni, libera de Bank Holiday in Regatul Unit, cand centrul Londrei a facut loc intrecerii pe 10 kilometri in colaborare cu asociatia caritabila BUPA, si la care am surprins acest cliseu cu fruntasi ai cursei, campioana olimpica Dita s-a aliniat la start in calitate de principala invitata a intrecerii si cu ocazia mai importantului eveniment British 10K, tot pe 10.000 metri, din 12 iulie

Dita a incheiat pe locul 11 in British 10K, in care a alergat cu numarul de concurs F1, inregistrand 34:30, la 11 secunde in urma britanicei Kat Grimmitt si la 36 secunde dupa Catherine N’dereba, din Kenya, invingatoare intre femei respectiv a saptea in ierarhia generala, cursa fiind castigata de sotul ei, Cyrus N’dereba, M1, in 30:19.

In acest context, am dialogat cu Hiu-yeung Chong, ziarist din Hong-Kong de limba chineza ce corespondeaza din Marea Britanie pentru publicatiile South China Morning Post, Hong Kong Economics Journal, CUP Magazine si Mingpao, semnand lunar o rubrica dedicata concursurilor de maraton, la care participa cu regularitate.

L-am intrebat pe Chong despre sansele lui Zhu Xiaolin de a-i urma Constantinei Dita la medalia de aur, cu ocazia maratonului olimpic londonez din 2012, iar jurnalistul a subliniat ca multe depind de felul cum vor progresa atletele, avand drept punct culminant Jocurile Olimpice din 2012. “Sper ca Zhu sa nu sufere accidentari dar cred totusi ca si la 28 de ani tot foarte tanara va fi pentru o asemenea proba, in timp ce principala sa contracandidata va fi tocmai veterana Paula Radcliffe, in conditiile in care aceasta isi va reveni complet. Ar fi ultima sansa pentru Paula, care va da totul in lupta pentru aur, in fata propriilor suporteri.”

La Beijing, tanara Zhu Xiaolin a incheiat pe locul 4, la 32 secunde in urma invingatoarei Dita si dupa o alta alergatoare din China, care a cucerit medalia de bronz, performantele lor neprovocand insa dezamagirea in randul sustinatorilor chinezi, dupa cum a explicat Chong. “Ei sunt mai interesati de tenis de masa si sarituri in apa decat de maraton, care n-are aceeasi priza la public. De aceea chinezii n-au avut mari asteptari de la proba de maraton si n-au luat rezultatele ca pe un esec.”

Per total, China a obtinut o salba de succese la Olimpiada de anul trecut, Chong fiind de parere ca stacheta performantei va fi extrem de greu de mentinut in 2012, pe taram britanic. “China a intercut asteptarile in 2008, a fost exceptionala in numeroase discipline, asa incat exista mai mari sanse pentru un regres, decat pentru progres. Iar echipei chineze ii va fi mult mai dificil sa apere pozitia intai cucerita la Beijing, unde a evoluat pe teren propriu. E o alta situatie dar oricum se va prezenta din nou bine. Iar ca organizare, Londra ar putea plusa doar la capitolul creativitate, in conditiile in care Beijingul e superior in plan financiar.”

In privinta probei de maraton, China abia recupereaza handicapul dat de traditie. “Majoritatea chinezilor sunt prea preocupati sa munceasca si sa castige bani, pentru a fi interesati de maraton, ale carui virtuti nu le inteleg si nu le apreciaza, intrebandu-se de ce se alearga pe o asemenea distanta uriasa. Pot spune ca proba de maraton e inca subdezvoltata in China, de exemplu comparativ cu Europa, avand doar cateva competitii internationale anuale gazduite acolo, insa pare a prinde iute teren. Tot mai multe concursuri sunt lansate si in China!”

La randul sau un maratonist, Chong mi-a destainuit din estimarile colegilor sai de concurs ca maratonul din Tokyo este pe acelasi calapod al organizarii si popularitatii cu cele din Londra sau Berlin, cotate intre primele cinci ale lumii. “Am alergat maratonul din Singapore, al doilea ca importanta din Asia, care are dezavantajul climatului umed si al temperaturilor ridicate la ora concursului. Am concurat si in Hong Kong si Tailanda.”

Iar dupa ce s-a tot antrenat pe cont propriu, nu multe fiind cluburile atletice amatoare in China, si a concurat pe taram asiatic, Chong a reusit un adevarat tur de forta anul trecut, cu sase participari la maratoane europene, si anume Barcelona, in martie, Paris, in aprilie, Tromso, in nordul Norvegiei, cu ocazia solstitiului de vara si al “noptilor albe”, la lacul Loch Ness in octombrie, si Nisa – Cannes pe Riviera plus Florenta, in noiembrie. Anul acesta, in calitate de corespondent, va informa de la pitorescul Marathon de Medoc, gazduit in fiecare luna septembrie de Bordeaux, si unde participantii si publicul pot degusta vinurile locului.

“Maratoanele europene sunt mai frumoase si mai bine organizate, in stil profesionist, decat cele asiatice, dandu-li-se importanta cuvenita, de exemplu in privinta marjei de timp, mai larga in Europa, pentru a li se da cat mai multor concurenti sansa de a incheia cursa, de a avea satisfactia si bucuria trecerii liniei de sosire. In contrast, in Hong Kong limita de timp e de 5 ore si 30 minute, autoritatile considerand ca fluenta traficului este mai presus de incercarile participantilor, dintre care multi nu s-au incadrat in timpul admis. Iar in Taipei, Taiwan, este chiar mai drastic, maratonistii trebuind sa alerge in paralel cu traficul ba chiar si sa stea la culoarea rosie a semaforului, daca era cazul. Acolo blocarea arterelor alese pentru desfasurarea alergarii este foarte limitata”, a spus Chong.

Ca o concluzie, Chong a opinat ca asiaticii n-au inteles inca spiritul intrecerii de maraton. “Ei nici nu aplauda, nici nu incurajeaza participantii, de pe margine, considerand concursul drept disruptiv, galagios, incurcand transportul urban si cursul normal al zilei. Eficienta fiind primordial, majoritatea spera ca maratonul sa ia sfarsit cat mai repede”.

Un aur olimpic pentru Zhu Xiaolin la Londra ar putea schimba optica pe taram chinez insa umar la umar cu tanara atleta, déjà remarcata la maratonul din 2008 din capitala britanica, va sta Paula Radcliffe, care, imediat dupa esecul din maratonul olimpic de la Beijing, exclama ca “daca Dita a triumfat aici, de ce n-as spera si eu la Londra, pe cand voi avea varsta ei!? Nu va fi prea tarziu.” Exact cum a spus Chong… S-ar putea ca tineretea sa fie in defavoarea lui Zhu, la J.O. London 2012. Te incumeti, Constantina?      

Mir war nach einem Sportspiel. Und da ich Summer Games im letzten Jahrtausend in genial C64-Grafik verschlungen hatte, dacht ich mir Beijing 2008 würde es bringen.

Tja, dem war leider nicht so. Die erste Entäuschung war die Grafik. Sie ist weit von einer Referenz entfernt. Sie wirkt zu einfach, irgendwie nicht richitg vollendet. Die Animationen sind vernünftig gelungen, hätten aber hier und da noch etwas Feinschiff gebraucht. Aber war was mir wirklich den Spielspaß verdorben hatt war die Steuerrung. Gefreut hatt ich mich auf wilde Rüttelaktion mit anschließender Seenentzüng und Blasen an den Fingern. Dieses wird geboten, wenn man die Möglichkeit bei der Controllerbelegung nutzt. Sprinten wie in alten Tagen, Auch Weitspung ist vollkommen akzeptabel. Sicher, ein alter Quick-Shot würde da besser in der Hand liegen, aber dieser steht leider nicht zur Verfügung. Aber wer Gewichtheben, Schwimmen, Turmspringen und Konsorten bis zum Siegertreppchen daddeln will muss entweder ein unschlagbares Genie sein oder irgendwelche Koordinationsprobleme haben, die zufällig der Controllerbelegung entsprechen.

Gewichtheben: Man drehe (!!!) die analgen Sticks im Kreise, dann nochmal leicht anders, dann irgendwie mit den Triggern Balance halten. Oder wie war es nochmal. Egal. Jedenfalls nicht logisch. Irgendwie total chaotisch. Es stresst einfach.

Turmspringen: Springstärke durch rechtzeitiges drücken festlegen. Ok. Aber dann. Es gibt zwei Ringe die fett und groß mittem Im Bildschirm zu sehen sind. darin sind zwei Kugel, die sich bewegen. Nun muss man mit den beiden Analogsticks probieren imm er auf der Kugel zu sein. Leicht? Nö, schwer. Und dazu kommt nocht, das der Sprung selber immer sehr gut aussieht. Keine andere optische Kontrolle. Und die Abfrage ist zum kotzen.

Schwimmen: wir machen Kreisbewegungen mit den beiden Sticks. Einmal im Urzeigersinn, einmal gegen. Irgendwie bekommt man als nicht Gitarrenspieler da Probleme.

Judo: Enfach nur bekloppt. Hier ist nichtmal annähernd was von Kampfspielsteuerrung zu merken.

10m Luftdruckpistole: Äh? Also erst wandert win Blaken von oben nach unten. und dann einer von links nach rechts. Oder umgelehrt. Ist auch wieder egal. Da muss man jedenfalls versuchen die beiden zum Stoppen zu bekommen, und das so genau wie möglich über dem Bull. Alles was daneben liegt ist Verzug beim späteren Schuss. Ja, und der ist auch blöd. Ich als Wehrdienstverweiegrer halte die Knarre ruiger er der Kammerad da. Und wie wäre es mit der Möglichkeit die Luft anzuhalten, wie bei G.R.A.W. ? Nö. zu realistisch.

Andere nervige Sachen. Z.B. will man beim Stabhochsprung ab 6,00 m weiter trainieren. Schön nervig. man muss nach und nach jeden Schritt in 5cm einzeln mit kleiner Zwischensequenz ablehen, der unter der gewünschten Höhe liegt. Beginn ist bei 5,45.

Online: Nix los. Und die, die da waren waren noch mieser als ich…

Sound: Nerviger Kommentator. Stimme ist irgendwie aufdringlich.

Hab ich schon erwähnt, dass das Publikum total öde aussieht? Keine Stimmung. Nix. Gähn.

Fazit: Für 10,- € kann man zuschlagen. Darüber nicht. Für extreme Sportfans ist es bestimmt eher was, aber für Leute die Spaß haben wollen: Nein. Da ist das Ur-Summer-Games wirklich was Spielspaß betrifft um Längen besser.

baddaddie

Estas son algunas imagenes de las pruebas que se disputaron antes de celebrarse las final de los 100 metros lisos.

Heptathlon 800 metros,  mujeres.

·

·

·

·

·

·

400 metros vallas, hombres

·

Imágenes del corredor jamaicano en  la final de los 100 metros en la que marcó un nuevo record mundial. 9.69 segundos.

Para hacer las fotografías de algo tan rápido, que dura tan poco tiempo, fui al estadio olímpico con unas 5 horas de antelación para poder coger el sitio que quería. Una ubicación que llevaba en mente desde hacía muchos años por si alguna vez tenía la oportunidad de hacer una final de los 100 metros lisos, uno de los mayores espectáculos del mundo del deporte.

Algunas de las fotos que hice desde lo más alto del “Nido” de la carrera y luego del gran protagonista, Usain Bolt.

Calentamiento previo de los corredores jamaicanos (Bolt en el centro).

Salida de la final

Los corredores hacia el sueño olímpico

y la llegada, con Bolt demostrando su superioridad

y después de la espectacular carrera llegó el show de Bolt

Todo un espectáculo…