Olympics
Citius Altius Fortius
Beijing Summer Olympics
(August 8 – August 24, 2008)

By Sameen Amer

If you are currently an inhabitant of planet Earth, then you almost certainly must be aware that the 2008 Summer Olympics are underway in Beijing, China. Nearly two weeks of round-the-clock television coverage has allowed the world (or at least those with enough time and/or stamina to watch the continuous coverage) to witness some amazing sporting feats. With just two days left till the event draws to a close, the Games of the XXIX Olympiad – the biggest sporting extravaganza ever – continue to showcase both athletic greatness and the strength of the human spirit.

Dancing Beijing

For the first time in Olympic history, the games came to Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China. As 204 nations participate in a total of 302 events, China welcomed the world while exhibiting how its ancient culture is embracing the modern world.

Logo: 'Dancing Beijing', the official emblem of the 2008 Olympics, depicts a traditional red 'Chinese Seal', filled with the hospitality and hope of the world's most populous nation. Inspired from the calligraphic rendition of the Chinese character 'Jing' (part of the host city's name), it develops into the form of a dancing figure, the open arms of which represent China's invitation to the world to "share in its culture". The figure also resembles that of a runner crossing the finish line, and is said to symbolise the body of a "wriggling Chinese dragon".

Mascots: Five Fuwa or "good-luck dolls" are serving as the mascots for the Beijing Olympics. Taking their colours from the Olympic rings, the five "friendlies" – Beibei (blue), Jingjing (black), Huanhuan (red), Yingying (yellow/orange), and Nini (green) – symbolise the both Olympic and Chinese cultures, while representing the ideals of prosperity, happiness, passion, health, and good fortune. Put together, their names form the sentence "Beijing Huanying Ni" – "Beijing welcomes you"!

One World, One Dream

The Beijing Olympics have aimed to highlight China's emergence on the world stage, and have seen heavy investments in the preparations. The Games may have kicked off amid a cloud of political and pollution-related controversies, but once the sports began, the concerns subsided, and ultimately gave way to…well, new controversies about how parts of the opening ceremony were faked. But despite these issues, it has been the sporting arenas that have provided the most memorable moments of the event. 37 venues, 12 of which were newly constructed, have been used during the event. As part of the most expensive games in history, the Olympic Green is home to some of China's finest architectural pieces:

The Nest: The Beijing National Stadium, the centrepiece of the city's makeover, has been nicknamed the Bird's Nest because of its design – crisscrossing steel beams which take the shape of a nest. Used for hosting the main track and field competitions along with the opening and closing ceremonies, the stadium also holds the conical scroll-shaped Olympic Flame cauldron.

The Cube: Illuminated by an LED lighting system, the Beijing National Aquatic Centre is the venue for water sports and will host the swimming, diving and synchronised swimming events. As its translucent walls glow with all the colours of the sea, the bubble wrap reminiscent structure is often referred to as the Water Cube.

The Fan: Hosting the gymnastics, trampoline, and handball events, the Beijing National Indoor Stadium has earned the nickname of the Fan, as its design resembles the traditional Chinese fan.

Some events, including football and sailing, have been held outside Beijing. The equestrian events were moved to Hong Kong due to concerns over equine diseases, making this the third time that Olympic events are being held in two different National Olympic Committee territories.

Faster, higher, stronger

The last two weeks have seen numerous records fall, and the biggest success story has been a 24-year-old American swimmer. The very amazing Michael Phelps continues to astound the world; having won more gold medals than any Olympian in the history of the games, Phelps is an inspiration, the likes of which, as very rightly pointed out by his teammate Aaron Peirsol, come around "once in a century."

Yet, there's more to the Olympics than gold medals – as the Olympic Creed states, "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." And these games have also highlighted strength and courage to overcome adversity and fulfil dreams:

Natalie du Toit: The flag bearer for South Africa at the opening ceremony, swimmer Natalie du Toit lost her left leg after a scooter accident, and has become the first female amputee swimmer ever to qualify for the Olympics.

Eric Shanteau: This US swimmer participated in the Olympic Games despite the fact that he is suffering from cancer. He told NBC: "I've already won the battle as far as overcoming this disease and basically meeting my goals while knowing that I have (cancer)".

Lopez Lomong: Sudanese-born track and field athlete Lopez Lomong was abducted at age six, and nearly died in captivity. After escaping, he had to run for three days to cross the border into Kenya. Eventually making his way to the United States, he is now part of the American team and was the flag bearer for the US during the Olympics opening ceremony.

Next Stop: London

The 2008 Olympics draw to an end on August 24th when Beijing will handover the Games to London, the site for the next edition of the Olympics that will take place in 2012. Currently scheduled to be held from 27th July to 12th August 2012, the Games have already seen their first controversy, as the event will apparently fall in the month of Ramadan.

But hey, we're getting a little ahead of ourselves – London 2012 is still four years away. Right now, we still have a couple of more days of Beijing 2008 to enjoy!